Jeopardy! Season 31 (2014-2015)

[mojoween]

Baby Got Back came out in 92 and I'm pretty sure she made her "in Living Color" debut in 93 or 94. So Mix can say whatever he wants, but like the kids say, pics or it didn't happen.

[proserpina65]

Alex has now officially reached Arthur Chu levels of annoying for me.  I know some people have low-key personalities, but could he seem less interested in actually being on the show?  Ugh.  And his deliberate slow playing left clues on the board again, which I absolutely hate.  I'll keep checking in here, but won't start watching again until he loses, just like I did with Chu. 

 

I missed everything before the first commercial break, but after checking J! Archive, I see I would've gotten most of those clues right.

I knew Venice right away.  Someday I'd like to see the Marriage of the Sea; I've seen a lot of paintings of it.

The exact same thing happened to me, during the pause Venice came to me, the only place I could think of. For a few seconds, I thought Alex was going to lose it all though. My inside voice cried, "NO!" Heh.

 

Trebek so far has not made one snarky "HELL-low" when Alex bets it all (instead of betting a "True Daily Double") and isn't being snotty to him at all, nor making fun of when he only bets $100. What's up with that? It's so un-Trebek-like.

My outside voice was cried "oh crap, no!" when he got it.

[sugarbaker design]

Does every winner get ranked on here?

 

 

Yup.

 

Has there ever been a winner that anyone here likes?

 

 

Nope.

 

I like a new champion for a variety of reasons:

 

• Doesn't mention the entire name of category
• Just says dollar amount, not "dollars, please, Alex"
• Wagers a ton of money on DD's
• Takes educated guesses

 

But then I come on this board and find they flail, talk in a monotone or vocal fry, scratch, stall, look at other contestants who buzz in, is too serious, not serious enough, and my personal favorite, jumps the board.  This board is full of delicate sensibilities.

[proserpina65]

Damn, I said Ahmenijad too, because Qadafi just didn't come to me.

 

So did I, even though I was sure it was wrong.  Qadaffy Duck seemed so obvious, afterwards.  :-(

Has there ever been a winner that anyone here likes?

 

Universally, no.  But there are some whom most of the commenters liked.  (Ken Jennings seemed popular here, although he tended to annoy me personally.  And more recently, Julia was relatively well-liked.)

Is the Rhine known for having steep banks or something?

 

In certain stretches of it, yes.  Particularly the stretch where Lorelai Rock is located.  You can cruise down it and stare up at the castles along its cliffs.  (Not that I've done that, but I've seen video.  Someday . . .)

No one knew carhop?  I knew wheelhouse, too, in the same category, but that one being a TS didn't stand out to me.  Carhop did.

 

Carhop did seem like an easy one.  Wheelhouse threw me, though.  I guess I've spent too much time on Napoleonic era navies, 'cause all I could think of was quarterdeck.

[Chicken Wing]

I've only been vaguely paying attention to the show lately, but the current champ? I can't decide if I find his demeanor obnoxious or hilarious. Why does he look so darn mad all the time? Did someone run over his cat in the studio parking lot?

[LZ1982]

I like this board and spend a lot of time here, but if I'm ever fortunate enough to make the show I won't give a damn what any of you think of me! Hell, I'm sure I'd do some of the very things I complain about... I still won't care. But discussing the contestants theselves, their mannerisms, their demeanors, their clothing, etc., is fair game. I tend to stay away from discussing their looks. However, this is still a message board. Anyone too sensitive probably shouldn't ego surf to find out what's being said about them anyway.

If we know a boardie is on the show, we are kind to them. They may still drive us nuts, but we won't say it. I'd rather worry about making the show than worry about what anyone here may say about me when/if I do.

I was on the show recently (came in 2nd) and deliberately avoided reading any message boards about my appearance. My friends and family told me I came off well, so that was all I cared about!

[proserpina65]

I was on the show recently (came in 2nd) and deliberately avoided reading any message boards about my appearance. My friends and family told me I came off well, so that was all I cared about!

 

That's how I felt when I was on the show.  Fortunately I didn't even know places like this existed at the time, but I'd like to think I wouldn't have looked to see what was said about me.  Doesn't keep me from snarking on other contestants, although I try to keep it about the way they play the game and not physical appearance/idiosyncracies/voices, you know, things people don't necessarily have a lot of control over.

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

Particularly the stretch where Lorelai Rock is located.  You can cruise down it and stare up at the castles along its cliffs.  (Not that I've done that, but I've seen video.  Someday . . .)

 

I've done it, years ago. DO IT. It's amazing

 

I'm starting to warm to the new champ but he is an odd little duck

[dcalley]

More like claimed on Twitter that JLo inspired Baby Got Back 25 years after the fact.  I don't think many people believed him.

Yeah, there are several interviews with him over the course of many years where he said it was about his girlfriend at the time and then suddenly and recently the story changed to JLo.

[Writing Wrongs]

The thing that bugs me is that he board hops to find the Daily Doubles (presumably) and always seems annoyed when he finds them.

[Abstract]

I immediately thought Khadaffi but then second-guessed because I didn't remember that he had ever visited the U.S. I thought he was persona non grata here.

The thing that bugs me is that he board hops to find the Daily Doubles (presumably) and always seems annoyed when he finds them.

I guess he's trying to keep others from getting them.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Abstract

[marny]

I like Alex.  I find him incredibly knowledgeable about a wide variety of stuff, and he's very fast on the buzzer.  As for his clothes, I presume he's dressed in a way he feels most comfortable since people tend to perform better when they're comfortable.  He might not be the most dynamic and warm personality, but that's Jeopardy's fault for casting someone who isn't tv-ready, not his.

[possibilities]

I think his head is just so full of swirling thoughts it takes him time to grab the right one.

That, plus he's thinking. I think during the pauses, too, and sometimes come up with an answer that way. I like that I can kind of feel his brain cogs churning. I think the tension he shows in his face is effort, not smugness. His affection for his family and his honey seem endearingly goofy, so I don't think he is a "smartest guy in the room" type so much as a "regular guy working hard at it" type. Which I like.

 

If he was stalling on purpose to run out the clock, he wouldn't continually step on Trebek's chatter by selecting the next clue before Trebek shuts up. I keep expecting someone to think that behavior is rude-- and I get how it could legitimately be seen that way-- but I think it does show he wants to clear the board.

 

Arthur Chu was seen by many as being too aggressive and too intense. Alex Jacob is seen by many as being too laid back and slow. I like both of them because they keep me awake, forcing me to concentrate more, making the games exciting, breaking the mold of the usual middle-of-the-road personality the show favors, which blends one into the other. Plus, I just plain admire that he knows so damn much about so many things and is so quick on the buzzer, and makes gutsy wagers as well as conservative ones. And look at his daily average winning total-- impressive. I'm not going to argue with his success.

 

Doug the other day seemed like a nice guy who was very nervous. And he was playing against two super-fast, super-knowledgeable opponents. I was shocked by Trebek taking a potshot at hm near the end of the game. Rude!

 

I thought of upsilon and then doubted myself and thought I must be making it up since it sounded silly to me in combination with epsilon. Completely forgot about omicron.

 

I find the idea of "Khadaffy Duck" to be hilarious. I think it's okay to mock dictators, especially when they are no longer a threat. But maybe I'm an insensitive lout.

[saber5055]

so I don't think he is a "smartest guy in the room" type so much as a "regular guy working hard at it" type.

 

 

Even though he IS the smartest guy in the room, at least he is this past week. So there's that! Being a graduate of the School of Odd Ducks myself, I am 100 percent behind Alex. (And no, I am not the one making him itch ... which I did not see him do Thursday!)

[sugarbaker design]

If he was stalling on purpose to run out the clock, he wouldn't continually step on Trebek's chatter by selecting the next clue before Trebek shuts up.

 

 

Contestants should get bonus points for stepping on Alex T's inane chatter.

Edited April 17, 2015 by sugarbaker design

[peeayebee]

But discussing the contestants theselves, their mannerisms, their demeanors, their clothing, etc., is fair game. I tend to stay away from discussing their looks. However, this is still a message board. Anyone too sensitive probably shouldn't ego surf to find out what's being said about them anyway.

Not that I always succeed, but I do try to say things that wouldn't cause me to be embarrassed if I discovered that person was reading the comments. In other words, I try not to get too personal. With Alex, for instance, I am honestly puzzled by his demeanor, which is not saying that he's a terrible person or has some affliction or whatever.

 

I immediately thought Khadaffi but then second-guessed because I didn't remember that he had ever visited the U.S. I thought he was persona non grata here.

That's where I was at, too, but his was the only name I could think of that had/could have multiple spellings.

 

Khadaffy Duck was so funny.

[saber5055]

I immediately thought Khadaffi but then second-guessed because I didn't remember that he had ever visited the U.S.

 

 

I remember when Khadaffi visited here, but I couldn't come up with him -- or anyone -- as an answer. I blanked. But thinking of Khadaffy Duck will clue me in if that question comes up in the future, so thanks for that prompt!

Edited April 17, 2015 by saber5055

[opus]

I was glad to see someone else thinks that the 5 day rule was maybe a better idea. It would give more people a chance to be on the show; a really irritating player would not be as bothersome; and the chance for good money is still there (Brad Rutter comes to mind and the current champ)

Plus, from '97-'03, they sent a five timer away with a car.

[YoureSoUrban]

The snark here is all in good fun. Alex has a great sense of humor about the Twitter chatter about him. He retweets the snarkiest posts, and sometimes responds (like to the speculation about him wearing the same shirt twice), but always with humor.

[Moose135]

I immediately thought Khadaffi but then second-guessed because I didn't remember that he had ever visited the U.S. I thought he was persona non grata here.

 

He pretty much was, but he was speaking at the UN, and it would have been a major issue if we prevented him from coming to NY for it.  I actually photographed his plane arriving at JFK on that cloudy, damp afternoon, so I remembered him coming here.

 

I also remember The West Wing pilot, when Leo McGarry tells his assistant:

Please call the editor of the New York Times crossword and tell him that 'Khaddafi' is spelled with an h, and two d's, and isn't a seven letter word for anything.

[teebax]

Alex impressed me today. He didn't hit a single DD and still managed to almost make it a runaway.

I remember when The Hunger Games came out the snark on it was that Battle Royale did it better much earlier. I don't know if that's true or not, but I remember reading it. My girlfriend and I saw the first Hunger Games for our first date, so it's special to us for that reason.

How quickly they forgot Silver Linings Playbook.

[truthaboutluv]

That was a REALLY easy final jeopardy question. As soon as I saw it I knew Alex would win again because no way he didn't know about The Hunger Games.

[mojoween]

I just got home. Did I miss anything good?

[CarpeDiem54]

I just got home. Did I miss anything good?

No. He's still champ. Same blue shirt. Still stoned and/or bored.

*le sigh*

[ottoDbusdriver]

How quickly they forgot Silver Linings Playbook.

 

I never read the book, but I really didn't like that movie.  So, I very quickly forgot about it as well.

 

FJ was really, really easy -- surprised the Nikhil didn't get it, not that it would have mattered.

[truthaboutluv]

Alex impressed me today. He didn't hit a single DD and still managed to almost make it a runaway.

 

 

Agreed. 

[Prevailing Wind]

Is the shirt blue?  With that relentlessly blue J! background, it looks more grey to me...which reminds me of Warren Zevon (a good thing) in that he bought multiples of Calvin Klein grey t-shirts. 

[Bastet]

I came into the episode right after the interview segment, so I missed half of the first round.  But from what I caught ...

 

Do none of these guys drive cars?  I'm truly stunned blind spot and running lights were TS, especially since in both cases someone had already given a wrong, but close answer.

 

The balloon animal TS was also surprising.

 

Knowing the capital of Mississippi is DJ material? 

 

FJ was a wild-assed guess for me, as I have zero interest in The Hunger Games. 

[Abstract]

I like Alex's playing style. I think his occasional hesitations happen because he's being really cautious not to blurt out the wrong thing. I missed a question in the Bible category because I quickly blurted out tax collectors instead of money changers. If I were on the show, it would be worth my while to pause a second or two!

[opus]

Is the shirt blue?  With that relentlessly blue J! background, it looks more grey to me...

If I have to do that is the dress blue and black or white and gold thing again............

Edited April 18, 2015 by GaryE

[peeayebee]

I had no idea for FJ. I suppose I could have figured it out. Is Battle Royale a book? I thought the review quoted was just using it generically.

 

 

I loved Nikhil's driving-under-the-influence-of-laughter story. Bill Bryson makes me laugh out loud too. I wonder which book Nikhil's wife read from.

[Chicken Wing]

I had no idea for FJ. I suppose I could have figured it out. Is Battle Royale a book? I thought the review quoted was just using it generically.

 

It's a book, with a similar general premise - 24 children selected to fight to the death in a gladiator game. Suzanne Collins claims she'd never heard of Battle Royale until people pointed it out to her.

[Ailianna]

I don't think they should have given Alex credit for the "arc" answer. It was another one where he rang in really early, seemed like he then realized he had no clue, and then guessed. Except that I think he mean arc like Noah, and it was really the Arc of the Covenant, and I don't think he had a clue. At the very least it should have had a BMS.

And that above is what annoys me about Alex. He is getting lots of props for his supposed great knowledge, but he is IMO clearly taking a lot of guesses and a lot of chances. A lot are working out for him, but he doesn't know as many answers as he's gotten right. Not that I think he's stupid or anything, just that in the realm of Jeopardy! champs, I think he's overvalued. The money doesn't mean much to him (see how much he's won playing poker) so he feels much freer taking chances that most players wouldn't take, and then he lucks his way in. I'd rather see someone earn their win through smarts than through luck, is all.

[secnarf]

I don't think they should have given Alex credit for the "arc" answer. It was another one where he rang in really early, seemed like he then realized he had no clue, and then guessed. Except that I think he mean arc like Noah, and it was really the Arc of the Covenant, and I don't think he had a clue. At the very least it should have had a BMS.

And that above is what annoys me about Alex. He is getting lots of props for his supposed great knowledge, but he is IMO clearly taking a lot of guesses and a lot of chances. A lot are working out for him, but he doesn't know as many answers as he's gotten right. Not that I think he's stupid or anything, just that in the realm of Jeopardy! champs, I think he's overvalued. The money doesn't mean much to him (see how much he's won playing poker) so he feels much freer taking chances that most players wouldn't take, and then he lucks his way in. I'd rather see someone earn their win through smarts than through luck, is all.

I think that's just a different kind of smart - and one that is probably much more valuable/useful. Being able to logically figure out the answers to things that you don't necessarily know will allow you to do much better than simply relying on rote knowledge of facts, and it requires a pretty solid and broad base of knowledge to build off of anyways. He's playing smart too - whatever you think of his DD bets and board hopping, it's clearly a strategy that is working out well for him.

Knowing a lot of facts won't get you very far in Jeopardy - it might allow you to win a game or two, but to dominate in the way that he has, you need something more.

[alias1]

I don't think they should have given Alex credit for the "arc" answer. It was another one where he rang in really early, seemed like he then realized he had no clue, and then guessed. Except that I think he mean arc like Noah, and it was really the Arc of the Covenant, and I don't think he had a clue. At the very least it should have had a BMS.

I totally agree on the "Ark" answer.  He didn't really seem to have a clue when Alex (the host) said "yes, the Ark of the Covenant."  He looked baffled to me, but then quickly moved on.  I also think he rings in a lot and then guesses.  He's been lucky, for sure and yes, he does know a lot.  But he irritates the hell out of me. 

 

What is BMS? 

[Tunia]

BMS = Be More Specific

[opus]

 

 

What is BMS? 

HCYNKT (How Could You Not Know That)

[saber5055]

Alex's Twitter account is fun reading. Highly recommend. His making fun of himself takes the sting out of the hate some are casting at him.

 

I've never seen a contestant put his hand on the podium and lean into it, like he's exhausted or whatever. I get a huge kick out of Alex and hope he stays around for a long time.

 

However, I agree he got a pass on the arc answer. There was more than one, biblically speaking. Trebek seems intimidated by him, which is amazing in itself. And makes me happy.

[marny]

I don't have a problem with Alex making educated guesses instead of just flat out knowing everything.  There are plenty of Jeopardy questions where I don't actually know the answers but can figure them out from context clues.  If they didn't want contestants to do that, the questions would be more straightforward like, "This city is the capital of Ohio".  Instead, they always add some sort of play on words or hint.

Edited April 18, 2015 by marny

[truthaboutluv]

I think that's just a different kind of smart - and one that is probably much more valuable/useful. Being able to logically figure out the answers to things that you don't necessarily know will allow you to do much better than simply relying on rote knowledge of facts, and it requires a pretty solid and broad base of knowledge to build off of anyways.

 

 

This. The fact is, if what he's doing was so easy, many people would win and as often as he has on the show, not to mention he's managed to remain champion for five days. That is no easy feat and I was especially impressed with him doing it yesterday without the DD's which proved he can still dominate without them. I also think Alex is fairly consistently right which is impressive. He may be making educated guesses sometimes but they are smart, well thought out guesses, considering how right he often is.

 

I think yesterday was the first time I saw him ring in at least three times and be wrong. And I think that's smarter than people who just keep buzzing in and continuously being wrong. I totally get why Alex and his little tics may be annoying to some and sure he may not go down as the greatest of champions on this show (and really why should he) but I do think he has more than proven that he is intelligent and on top of that is a smart player. I also think he displays a fairly broad base of knowledge.

Edited April 18, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[saber5055]

The fact is, if what he's doing was so easy, many people would win and as often as he has on the show, not to mention he's managed to remain champion for five days.

 

 

Plus, a bunch of us would have gotten 48/50 (or better) on this week's online test, like Alex did. Kudos to everyone who appears on this show, and if someone wins multiple days? "I am not worthy, I am not worthy ..." TM Garth.

 

The stress of being a multi-day champ has to be pretty powerful though, so I think his being a poker player helps.

Edited April 18, 2015 by saber5055

[Misslindsey]

 

Alex's Twitter account is fun reading. Highly recommend. His making fun of himself takes the sting out of the hate some are casting at him.

His twitter feed is a good read. He does make fun of himself a lot. When I googled his twitter account, some of his poker playing pictures came up and he had a pretty awesome afro.

[Abstract]

What's his Twitter account name?

[Misslindsey]

 

What's his Twitter account name?

@whoisalexjacob

[jeff6286]

One thing that I think may not be obvious is that it may not be taking Alex all those seconds to come up with the answers, but he may be using every precious second before he answers to make sure that he has the right answer. Sometimes a contestant will blurt out an incorrect response to a Daily Double and then realize that they failed to read the clue properly or double check to make sure that their answer fit what the clue was asking. Alex is very cautious on this, taking all the time allowable for DDs and making sure that he is giving either the answer that he knows is correct, or his best possible educated guess. I understand that this may not make for the most pleasing game to watch because there is a lot of dead air while he is thinking, but he's obviously doing what he thinks gives him the best chance to win, so it's hard to fault him for that.

 

It's not uncommon for people to take this thinking time on DDs, but Alex definitely seems to be doing it at times on regular clues. We rarely see that, but it's certainly not something that he should be faulted for. Lots of answers that would probably come to him in a half second sitting on his couch may be a bit slower to materialize while standing there in the studio under the lights, wearing makeup, in front of a live audience, etc. It has been said by many that the actual physical exhaustion of a player after playing 5 games of Jeopardy in a single day is immense. There are so many great champions that won somewhere between 6 and 8 games and eventually lost, usually to a much lesser player, and the exhaustion factor has undoubtedly been a factor in many of these cases, even if it is impossible to know how much.

 

There is just no way to play your A game every single time out, game after game, and avoid making that one critical mistake that could cause your run to come to an end. It is a grind both mentally and physically, and probably emotionally as well for many players. This may be why Alex appears to not be showing any emotions throughout his games, he is trying to maintain a sense of calmness that allows him to play his best possible Jeopardy!, knowing that he doesn't want to get frazzled or frustrated or otherwise thrown off his game. It's been said by many that Ken Jennings was just a freak of nature, as the sense of exhaustion that every other multi-day champion seemed to run into in their inevitable undoing was simply not a factor for Ken. Julia probably had some of this quality as well, as she definitely exuded a sense of serene calmness throughout her 20 wins, while also managing to not appear as unemotional as many have called Alex.

 

I agree that Alex Trebek should have prompted him on the Ark response, but I think there is roughly a 1% chance that he would not have filled in Ark of the Covenant if required.

Edited April 18, 2015 by jeff6286

[peeayebee]

I agree that Alex Trebek should have prompted him on the Ark response, but I think there is roughly a 1% chance that he would not have filled in Ark of the Covenant if required.

I agree with this. I'm sure he was thinking Ark of the Covenant, but he just gave the shortened version. He pretty consistently gives only last names, and I think he deliberately tries to use as few words as possible.

 

As I've said before, his pauses before answering are curious to me. I do not get the impression that he's taking a guess. Like jeff6286 said, he may be hesitating in order to be sure he has the right answer. But I don't think he's taking guesses or trying to run out the clock. I get the feeling there's some kind of strategy or psychology he's using when he pauses for so long.

[alias1]

BMS = Be More Specific

Thank you.  I'm embarrassed.  I guess I shouldn't be critiquing contestants!

[CarpeDiem54]

Thank you.  I'm embarrassed.  I guess I shouldn't be critiquing contestants!

I'll take Text Speak for 800, Alex. ;-)

[alias1]

I agree that Alex Trebek should have prompted him on the Ark response, but I think there is roughly a 1% chance that he would not have filled in Ark of the Covenant if required.

To me he looked a little surprised when Alex Trebek said "yes,  the ark of the covenant."  I know he gives shortened answers but I've never heard anyone shorten this to just the ark.  I agree that Alex Trebek seems a little in awe of him.

[Tunia]

Thank you.  I'm embarrassed.  I guess I shouldn't be critiquing contestants!

 

No need to be embarrassed, SierraMist.  Jeopardy! has a list of acronyms all its own!