All Episodes Discussion: The Daily Double

[YoureSoUrban]

 

If Jennifer didn't win, I had hoped for Sunil, because (from my eternal position at the shallow end of the pool) he was very easy on the eyes.

Wading right next to you. Good looking and more relaxed than a lot of the military contestants are. But the Sylvia Plath response was...unfortunate. He had a few guesses that made me cringe but I sure didn't mind that the camera was on him when he did it.

 

I like that military personnel wear their uniforms. With the exception of GMC-gate, I think it keeps them honest, limits the unsportsmanlike outbursts and from a competitive standpoint, I think it makes them look prepared/ready to compete (whether they really are or not).

 

Jill voice...ay yi yi. I'm dreading the next episode. But I'm almost afraid to say so because we may find out she's suffering from a medical condition and just had treatment that morning :-)

[Etta Place]

I don't mean to come off as petty or unappreciative, but I really don't think military personel should wear their uniforms while playing game shows, unless it is relevant (like when all the contestants do on Wheel of Fortune when they have military themes).  I realize that game performance is not dependent on audience participation, but I do think it enhances a contestant's "likeability" (probably not the right word), and I wonder if it gives them a slight edge.  I'm not saying there is anything improper going on, of course.

It's my understanding that they actually have to get permission from their higher-ups to be allowed to wear their uniforms while taping. Also, I don't know if it happens in all cases, but in the one i am aware of, he also had some sort of chaperone to make sure that he was representing the military in the appropriate way at all times.

[opus]

It might help make some of the home audience root for them , but I can't see how it would help them win.

[Tigershark]

It's my understanding that they actually have to get permission from their higher-ups to be allowed to wear their uniforms while taping. Also, I don't know if it happens in all cases, but in the one i am aware of, he also had some sort of chaperone to make sure that he was representing the military in the appropriate way at all times.

That was not the case here.

[rereader2]

 Instaget FJ for this Agatha Christie fan.

 

 

Ditto.  Huge fan here.

 

And likewise!

[TracySMiller]

I wonder who the winningest active-duty military contestant is?

[Mumbles]

 

I don't mean to come off as petty or unappreciative, but I really don't think military personel should wear their uniforms while playing game shows,

I agree. A few years ago there was a minister who went pretty far on Jeopardy and on a few of the shows, he wore his clerical garb, and I didn't care for that, either.

[chessiegal]

I like seeing military people wearing their uniforms. This is not like the 70's when people were drafted. These are volunteers. If they are smart enough to get on Jeopardy!, they don't need to be in the military. They could probably be making a better living in civilian life. Hoorah!

[rereader2]

I don't see any reason people shouldn't wear professional uniforms of any type--it's not like the audience gets to vote on who gets to stay, after all.

[ChicagoCita]

I like men in uniform, so I like when they wear them.

 

It's PR for the armed forces, basically.  My brother was on the armed forces Ironman team, and they participated in various Ironman triathlons around the country, including in Hawaii.  They all raced wearing armed forces insignia, gave out souvenirs and equipment, etc.  Just making it look cool to be in the military.  I imagine many enlisted contestants have to get some leave from their jobs to participate on Jeopardy, so wearing the uniform on the air makes sense to me.  You're essentially pimping the brand.

[NoNeinNyet]

Catty - I don't know if she was terrified or what but Jill winning was the worst possible outcome for me. Her voice was absolute nails on a chalkboard.

 

For me, it wasn't her voice that annoyed me, it was her weird hand gestures.

[Biosynth]

Good run, Jennifer!  :) 

 

As for who won on Friday, Miss Vocal Fry.  I think I'll skip Jeopardy tonight because I can't stand the sound of it.

[illini1959]

 

Her voice was absolute nails on a chalkboard.

This. There's a contestant on Master Chef who has a similar voice. I also hope it's not a medical condition, but it is annoying.

 

Congratulations to "our" two Jeopardy! winners. It was fun watching you both play, feeling like it was someone we knew.

[teebax]

I like that military personnel wear their uniforms.

I do, too. Had I made the show while I was in the service I absolutely would have worn my uniform. I was proud of it (and, quite frankly, looked really good in it.) I fail to understand what sort of advantage a contestant would get from wearing it. 

[GreekGeek]

I missed the show on Friday, so I didn't hear Jill's voice until today. To me it sounded as if she were recovering from laryngitis. It's annoying, but not enough to make me quit watching until she's off.

 

Good game throughout. I wish FJ had been a bit more challenging.

[mojoween]

Knowing the category was 1970's movies, as soon as I saw the name Mario Cuomo I said (out loud, in an empty room, because that's just how I roll) it could only be "The Godfather."

Did we find out who made a face when the FJ category was announced?

I don't know if Jill can help her voice or not or if she's still terrified but I still cannot stand listening to her. It makes me feel badly but I can't help it.

[Trey]

Yes, Jill's voice did sound like she was recovering from a cold or laryngitis. Even if it was her normal voice I thought it was fine.  And she did seem way more relaxed.

 

A good game by all but I did think the two challengers should have wagered more on FJ.  It was an instaget for me but I was not really positive it was right, thinking I might have been misled by the name Mario.

[Marathonrunner]

Another way too easy FJ - I was rooting for contestant #3 - it sounded like nerves got the better of contestant #1's voice - Alex mentioned her nerves in the intro & she said she was ok today - her jittery voice made her seem less than confident in her answers

[peeayebee]

Did we find out who made a face when the FJ category was announced?

 

I guess I don't get what you're talking about. Did someone here mention this?

 

I was rooting for Ben. I sad.

 

I loved the Lego version of Stephen Colbert. It was cool that he was in one of his famous poses so you could take your pic with him.

[Etta Place]

I was just glad Jill wasn't banging on the podium today.

[Fex]

I had no idea who Mario Cuomo was, so Alex's "Of course, you all know..." comment made me feel a bit dumb. But I still guessed right, and for the right reason, even! So, I agree that it was an easy FJ, haha!

[Gimmick Genius]

 

I guess I don't get what you're talking about. Did someone here mention this?

No, Alex said something about it - but the camera was on him and the FJ clue. So apparently ONE of the contestants had some involuntary facial and verbal reaction but the home audience didn't see who.

[Tigershark]

I was glad to see a good game.  I'm extra convinced that Friday was just a really hard board.  Ben was at the taping for the week I was on and he seemed like a nice guy.  Jill is really nice, but since it has been mentioned, her voice can be annoying at times.  She sat next to me in the shuttle to the studio, and we ended up talking about how we both forgot a proof of social security number, which they tell you have to bring with you to the taping, and the crazy lengths we had to go through to get someone to send it to us.

 

Of course the day after I lose, FJ was an instaget for me.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Tigershark

[Tabasco Cat]

This. There's a contestant on Master Chef who has a similar voice.

 

That one on Master Chef last night almost needed subtitles. I could barely understand a word she was saying. I was unable to watch Friday's episode, unfortunately, so 'gratz to Jennifer for her wins and sad to see her reign as J! champion is over. As for this Jill, I keep trying to imagine her making announcements to the passengers on her flights. That must be a frightening thing.

[peeayebee]

They didn't tell us that he's a famous word columnist for the Wall Street Journal and took over for William Safire when he retired.

 

I didn't know that! His word smarts showed. I suppose if he lasted more games Alex would have brought this up. BTW, do contestants get to request how they're introduced at the start?

Edited July 1, 2014 by peeayebee

[BitterApple]

Jill's voice makes me want to puncture my eardrums. I could barely get through the episode. This is horrible but I was hoping one of the other contestants won so I wouldn't have to suffer through her Vocal Fry for another episode.

I agree "The Godfather" was another gimme.

[my tiffany]

 

Did we find out who made a face when the FJ category was announced?

 

I assume it was the person in the middle.  Alex had said something about the final being between 2 contestants.  Although the one in the middle had a significantly smaller amount than the other 2, there was still a remote chance she could have won  (everyone bets big and she's the only correct question).

[theajw]

When I heard that the great Ben Zimmer was going to be a contestant yesterday, I let out an audible gasp.  He's a legend in the linguistic community!  

My dad, son of Italian immigrants who settled in New York State, also has an issue with Hollywood portrayals of Italian-Americans, so I got FJ right away.

Jill does sound like she is sick, and I was reminded of my trip to LA when my ears plugged up on the plane flight and I was unable to hear for a day.  I was in a panic that my sinuses wouldn't clear and I'd be deaf for my taping.  "What was that you said, Alex?"  Luckily, my ears were not stopped up when that time arrived.  

Edited July 1, 2014 by theajw

[opus]

Playing devils advocate, I don't really see a voice problem.

[Gimmick Genius]

 

Playing devils advocate, I don't really see a voice problem.

I see what you did there. :)

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

I totally blanked on the Godfather, all I could come up with were Woody Allen movies...Some days you get the answer, some days the answer gets you

[sugarbaker design]

Mystery writer Brendan DuBois was on not too long ago.

[Rickster]

Jill's voice makes me want to puncture my eardrums. I could barely get through the episode. This is horrible but I was hoping one of the other contestants won so I wouldn't have to suffer through her Vocal Fry for another episode.

I guess you got your wish tonight!

I hate to criticize contestants' appearance, but her voice was driving me nuts. What was weird was how erratic the fry was. Sometimes she sounded normal, sometimes the entire response was "fried".

[Trey]

Congrats to Howard on his win.  He and Shloka were very impressive.

 

I got FJ with not enough time to write down, although, once I did get it, it seemed very obvious.

 

As someone who also has a 'funny' voice (mine is inherited)  I sympathize with Jill, although I didn't find her as annoying as some of you did.  And she seemed very likeable.  It sounded to me like she spoke from her throat instead of her diaphragm.

[Marathonrunner]

I'm glad Howard won

When I saw the FJ answer I slapped my head for being so dumb! It seemed so obvious looking at the answer but all I could come up with was In God We Trust which made no sense coming after The Thirteen.....

[YoureSoUrban]

I'm glad Howard won and very happy I got FJ because I usually don't do well w/ the DoI.

[peeayebee]

I would have been happy with either Howard or Shloka winning. 

 

I blew FJ. I have no excuse.

[mojoween]

I thought one of the DD was very easy. Tonight but now I can't remember what it was, dangit.

I was really rooting for Shloka. I felt like FJ was either you knew it or you didn't, it's not something you could reason. I didn't know it; had no clue.

[Athena]

Please be respectful to your fellow posters. If you have issue with any comments made on the board, please report it and do not engage in discussion about it.

 

One of the reasons I like monitoring this board is that you are generally a very good group so this is just a gentle reminder. If you have any questions, please PM me.

[Gilmel]

I felt like FJ was either you knew it or you didn't, it's not something you could reason.

 

I don't know. I reasoned it. "Thirteen" is usually followed by "colonies," but that's not a four word phrase. And when declaring independence, you wouldn't want to be anyone's colonies anymore; you would want to state what you are now that you're independent. So, "United States of America" was the conclusion I came to based on that.

[Tabasco Cat]

When I saw the FJ answer I slapped my head for being so dumb! It seemed so obvious looking at the answer but all I could come up with was In God We Trust which made no sense coming after The Thirteen.....

 

United States of America was an instaget for me. As for In God We Trust, I thought that phrase was from long after the Declaration of Independence, but it apparently originated only 36 years later during the War of 1812. According to Wikipedia the first time it appeared was in the lyrics of The Star Spangled Banner, which I did not know (and feel dumb about since I visited Fort McHenry in Baltimore only a couple of years ago!)

[M. Darcy]

I did get "United States of America" but it took me a few seconds to stop saying "the" in my mind because then its five words.  I'm surprised they didn't save the category for Friday.  Its a great 4th of July question.

[mojoween]

Gilmel huh. Apparently I did not think of it that way, heh.

[theajw]

As a former resident of Charleston, I was happy to see the Charleston-themed category, and even happier to see a clue about my current city, Columbia.  I didn't even need to hear the clue on the Citadel because I've been to the campus so many times and recognized the building in the picture right away.  (It's a place that our out-of-town guests often want to visit.)  

[ChicagoCita]

I'm absolutely pathetic at geography, so I was shocked that I got FJ correct on Wednesday.

 

I liked all three contestants, but was happy with the winner.

 

There was one weird blip -- Matthew answered "What is Ruth?" and then they cut to Alex admonishing him to remember to answer in the form of a question, then back to Matthew apologizing.  Strange editing.  Did anyone else catch that, or was it my DVR freezing and eating a couple words to make me look like an idiot here?

[mojoween]

I like how Howard and Christy were nice bookends in red.

As soon as Alex said "Mr. Eko" I said "Lost" and then "I love you, even as Adebisi." Now THAT was a clue that should have had a picture.

FJ could have been written in Esperanto for all I understood it. I couldn't even figure out what they were asking. I knew states weren't it but had no idea what it could have been.

I noticed the blip with Matthew's Ruth question too so I can only guess they edited him out doing it wrong the first time. Which is weird, because he did it later and they kept both parts in.

[Trey]

I saw that too but didn't really think too much about it.  I can't say I heard Matthew say "What is" before Ruth but it was all so fast I might have missed it.

 

Re FJ, both places, among others, flitted through my mind but I didn't really settle on an answer.  I am never quite sure where East ends and West begins - or vice versa:)

 

I don't think I like categories that are "something something In Other Words" - they always seem so easy.

[ottoDbusdriver]

That was a poorly worded FJ clue -- they needed to designate a point of reference or something.  It all depends how or from where you define 'west' or 'east'. They needed to include some more info to clarify, like 'with regards to the continental US' for example.  I guess you really had to know about which ones had a Point Udall.

 

Technically, Virgin Islands would be the westmost and Guam the eastmost, using longitude values referenced from the Prime Meridian in Greeenwich.

 

I was half right -- got Guam, but then guessed Puerto Rico as the other half of the answer.

 

Matthew's answer was way off -- as the clue clearly indicated territories, not states.

Edited July 3, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[ali59]

I actually got the FJ question right! Yay, me!

[Gilmel]

Guam is on the other side of the date line from the continental US, which is usually what I've seen used to divide east and west, so that would technically make Guam the easternmost territory.

 

However, the question specified Point Udall, so you had to get it right based on that location, as well.

 

I missed it because I thought of Guam as easternmost and American Samoa as westernmost.

Edited July 3, 2014 by Gilmel