Jeopardy! Season 34 (2017-2018)

[peeayebee]

4 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Well, there was George Clinton, fourth Vice President...

... and President of FUNK!

[piequinn35]

Here we go again, Americans that don't care about their Presidents, a lot of kids know and memorized the President's name & when they became President, but the one guessed Clinton? wow common sense were there 2 President Clintons? did he count Hillary as "almost became Pres".

The only possible answers were: Bush, Adams, Harrison, Roosevelt, or Johnson

Edited November 3, 2017 by piequinn35
sorry pres. bushes :P

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, piequinn35 said:

Here we go again, Americans that don't care about their Presidents, a lot of kids know and memorized the President's name & when they became President, but the one guessed Clinton? wow common sense were there 2 President Clintons? did he count Hillary as "almost became Pres".

The only possible answers were: Adams, Harrison, Roosevelt, or Johnson

If we're going by presidents who shared last names (since at least one set of the possibles didn't meet the other criteria), then the Bushes get left out again. ;)

[piequinn35]

^I forgot about Bush (not taking consideration of VP). :)

[Roaster]

Upton Sinclair, Sinclair Lewis - I always confuse them, too.

Congrats to Kara but she needs to wager more when she gets the Daily Doubles.

I got FJ, but I thought Quito was a good guess.  Santiago, not so much.
 

[ClareWalks]

I don't understand why the new champ was sighing and looked so put-upon whenever she hit a DD. "UGGGGH, $5000, I guess," with this bizarrely dejected look on her face. It was really weird. I don't know if it was a joke or what.

[Browncoat]

I also said Quito for FJ. 

I missed a lot of the show because I was trying to regain my hearing after end girl's high-pitched upspeak broke my ears.  But, after Upton Sinclair was (incorrectly) guessed, I was able to get Sinclair Lewis.  I always get them confused, too.  I also got statins.

I like the new champ mostly, but yeah, that put-upon attitude has got to go.  Her Lego Alex was just a little bit awesome, though.

[Bliss]

I would take Austen anyday over Kara. Oh. My. Word. Obviously, she reminds me of someone very annoying... because everything from her voice inflections to her reaction when she hit every single DD (ClareWalks mentioned this) made me cringe. During her interview, when she said "Yesssss..." and then fondled Alex's hand when he was holding the Lego, made me gag. Yuck.

Oh, how I wanted Nicole to win (or Monica), and wished my knowledge of La Paz (thanks to Jetpunk) could have transmitted somehow to one of their brains.

Truly - I do my best to not be so judgmental... so I'm really curious why she bugged me SO much. So. Much. I may skip the next show she's on and hope she's a one-time winner.

[CarpeDiem54]

Yay, Kara!  Unlike the rest of you, I really enjoyed her and was thrilled when she won because Monica (UGH!) and Nicole the Tweeter (get off my lawn).

I got Sinclair Lewis and statins.

I guessed Lima, Peru for FJ.

[Sprockets]

On 11/2/2017 at 7:02 PM, illdoc said:

1972 Oscars "made him an offer he could refuse", showed a picture of him (!) and no one guesses Marlon Brando?!!!!!!

And once again none of them heard me screaming at them.  

[Miss Chevious]

I guess none of the three contestants plays or watches tennis, since they didn't get tiebreaker. 

I got statins, Vicksburg (DD) and ventured La Paz as a lucky guess for FJ.

Looking forward to the TOC over the next couple of weeks. Except if that annoying Austin wins the whole enchilada, I will scream. Loudly. 

[Fex]

I guessed La Paz for FJ, but I was really unsure. Quito was a good guess.

I was very pleased that Monica gave the correct title for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, instead of just Alice in Wonderland. That's the name of the movie, but not the book!

I'm surprised no one guessed Sinclair Lewis after Monica's reaction to guessing Upton Sinclair!

[secnarf]

1 hour ago, Bliss said:

I would take Austen anyday over Kara. Oh. My. Word. Obviously, she reminds me of someone very annoying... because everything from her voice inflections to her reaction when she hit every single DD (ClareWalks mentioned this) made me cringe. During her interview, when she said "Yesssss..." and then fondled Alex's hand when he was holding the Lego, made me gag. Yuck.

Oh, how I wanted Nicole to win (or Monica), and wished my knowledge of La Paz (thanks to Jetpunk) could have transmitted somehow to one of their brains.

Truly - I do my best to not be so judgmental... so I'm really curious why she bugged me SO much. So. Much. I may skip the next show she's on and hope she's a one-time winner.

I have a *very* high threshold to be bothered by contestants. 99% of the time, I'm surprised to come on here and find that everybody couldn't stand someone. I didn't even notice Kara's upspeak. Having said that, Kara's interview made my skin crawl. It was very uncomfortable how she seemed to be flirting with Alex. 

 

1 hour ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

I guessed Lima, Peru for FJ.

Me too!

[peeayebee]

I guessed Santiago. 

The only TS I got was Freud. 

I said Upton Sinclair. Curse you, Sinclairs!!!

[DrSpaceman73]

3 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

I don't understand why the new champ was sighing and looked so put-upon whenever she hit a DD. "UGGGGH, $5000, I guess," with this bizarrely dejected look on her face. It was really weird. I don't know if it was a joke or what.

I was hoping she would lose just for that reason.  So annoying. 

3 hours ago, Roaster said:

Upton Sinclair, Sinclair Lewis - I always confuse them, too.

Congrats to Kara but she needs to wager more when she gets the Daily Doubles.

I got FJ, but I thought Quito was a good guess.  Santiago, not so much.
 

Why is Santiago a bad guess?  Its a South American capital city in the Andes Mountains.  Its 1700 feet above sea level

It was my guess at least

[biakbiak]

I knew La Paz because I once had to explain a $400 telephone call to my parents to there.

Kara stop flirting with Nan's man!

[Mystery Author]

Age is no excuse. If it looks like Marlon Brando and quacks like Marlon Brando...

For FJ, I recently saw the movie Working Girl and remembered the line "You shouldn't go letting your Johnson make business decisions for you," so I thought hmmm, Johnson.

Only kidding. I first thought of LBJ, then recalled there was another Johnson.

Maybe they should have showed a PICTURE of LBJ!  Sheesh! (Still upset over Brando.)

I LOVE IT when they have Broadway musical categories!!!

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, tvaddict44 said:

does any adult still do legos?

I'm sure they do -- have you seen the elaborate kits?  I never had Legos as a kid (we had Lincoln logs and tinker toys -- wooden ones!), so I never got into them, but man.  Some of those sets are pretty awesome.

[Sprockets]

9 hours ago, secnarf said:

Having said that, Kara's interview made my skin crawl. It was very uncomfortable how she seemed to be flirting with Alex. 

We FF past the interviews.  The little anecdotes are all so canned and over-rehearsed.  And we show up for the game, not to meet people.  

[Ailianna]

5 hours ago, Mystery Author said:

Age is no excuse. If it looks like Marlon Brando and quacks like Marlon Brando...

My excuse is that, to me, who was born after the Godfather movies were made, it DOESN'T look like Brando.  I think I would have gotten it if there were no photo since I was then trying to go through old stars.  I knew I should know who rejected the Oscar, but that wasn't going to come to me.  My image of Brando is exactly as he appears in the Godfather, which is NOT how he looked in that old photo.

[Sprockets]

Just now, Ailianna said:

My image of Brando is exactly as he appears in the Godfather, which is NOT how he looked in that old photo.

But the photo was exactly how Brando looked for most of his life, and he was a very famous actor.  I was appalled that no one knew who he was.  As you said, the clue alone was sufficient.  

[Bliss]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I'm sure they do -- have you seen the elaborate kits?  I never had Legos as a kid (we had Lincoln logs and tinker toys -- wooden ones!), so I never got into them, but man.  Some of those sets are pretty awesome.

Like you, Browncoat, I didn't have Legos as a kid... but my kids did (and much as I loved helping them create their masterpieces, I equally hated stepping on one of those tiny pieces with my bare feet)... and now my grandkids do. You said it - the kits nowadays are incredible.

Let me warn anyone not aware: have tweezers and a magnifying glass, and make sure you read every word of the instructions (unless your grandchild has already flipped ahead and is working on step 11 while you're still reading step 5).

[Ailianna]

3 minutes ago, Sprockets said:

But the photo was exactly how Brando looked for most of his life, and he was a very famous actor.  I was appalled that no one knew who he was.  As you said, the clue alone was sufficient.  

I'm not sure that's exactly right.  Maybe most of his active career, but he lived 30 years after the Godfather, and that is the role he is probably most known for.  He was busy in the 1950s and then almost nothing in the 1960s (certainly not things that almost 60 years later people should be expected to have seen), and then the Godfather.  So even though I can recognize him in some of those old photos when I know who it is and look a while, that's not what Brando looks like to me, and I'm guessing from the reactions of the contestants and a lot of people here, the photo made the clue harder.  

I'm not trying to have an argument, truly, but I'm finding it fascinating how strongly people reacted to the clue, and I wonder if there's genuinely a demographic issue or if there's another reason.

From Wikipedia:

Quote

During the 1970s, Brando was considered "unbankable".[48] Critics were becoming increasingly dismissive of his work and he had not appeared in a box office hit since The Young Lions in 1958, the last year he had ranked as one of the Top Ten Box Office Stars[49] and the year of his last Academy Award nomination, for Sayonara. Brando's performance as Vito Corleone, the "Don," in The Godfather (1972), Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Mario Puzo's 1969 best-selling novel of the same name, was a career turning point, putting him back in the Top Ten and winning him his second Best Actor Oscar.

I was looking at the style of the photo, he hair, clothing, and so on, and trying to come up with someone from the 1950s, though I didn't consciously realize that until later.  And I think that that wasn't unreasonable to have some cognitive dissonance on the date in the clue versus the photo.

I've also just learned more about Brando than I ever knew before, which is perhaps the best part of Jeopardy!

[Sprockets]

6 minutes ago, Ailianna said:

I'm not sure that's exactly right. 

Okay.  Being exactly right isn't important to me.  

[RT4]

I liked Kara but I was rooting for Nicole she was alot of fun and I also liked her story.

[DrSpaceman73]

Lego is now the largest toy company in the world. 

Very high priced and elaborate kits that I think kids and adults play with

[Toothbrush]

Missed Friday's game due to coverage of the Astros' victory parade/celebration. Neither the station's website nor SM referenced a later showing, but the soap that precedes J! was shown at 2:00 this morning so I took a chance and recorded 30 minutes after that, but it was an infomercial. Sad that Jenny lost, glad that Monica was a one & done, but sorry to hear that the new champ may be even more annoying and is - ugh! - an upspeaker. Kudos to Kelvin for putting himself out there. 

TS for Thursday were Marlon Brando, Tone Loc, director's chair, club chair, library, Boys of Summer, Centerfield. I said Adams for FJ knowing it was incorrect, but could not think of anything else. I'm surprised the clue didn't reference that both became POTUS after their predecessor was assassinated, as hand-holding as J! has gotten recently (says the person who answered incorrectly..lol)

I got Marlon Brando from the Godfather quote, but also knew about the Oscar refusal, and I don't think the picture would have helped if I hadn't known. FWIW, it was before I was born.

Looking forward to the ToC starting Monday. For now I am rooting for the winner of the Teachers' Tournament, but as easy as I remember that being, he will probably get eliminated pretty early. Buzzy is probably my 2nd favorite; I'm a sucker for a well-dressed man. But it's probably Austin's to lose. He has good knowledge and the most recent experience, although that helped Matt Jackson get to the finals but not win in the last ToC. 

On 11/3/2017 at 7:32 AM, DrSpaceman73 said:

That baseball records category was harder and different than I expected.  That's one where it would help to start at the top.  

Just got it..d'oh! (in my defense I watched at 11:30 Friday night after a long week; that's my story & I'm sticking to it!)

2 hours ago, Ailianna said:

I've also just learned more about Brando than I ever knew before, which is perhaps the best part of Jeopardy!

This! I have to make sure to have my phone or tablet nearby when watching because I am constantly pausing the show to google something or other. 

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, Toothbrush said:

the new champ may be even more annoying and is - ugh! - an upspeaker.

It wasn't the new champ, it was the girl who looked like she was about 12 -- Nicole? -- whose upspeak went into registers only dogs can hear.

[whinewithwine]

1 hour ago, Toothbrush said:

Missed Friday's game due to coverage of the Astros' victory parade/celebration

Me too, but I'll take a World Series victory over Jeopardy anytime-)

My favorites for TOC are Jason, David and Seth, or anyone other than Austin.

[Clanstarling]

18 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

I don't understand why the new champ was sighing and looked so put-upon whenever she hit a DD. "UGGGGH, $5000, I guess," with this bizarrely dejected look on her face. It was really weird. I don't know if it was a joke or what.

I thought it was some kind of weird humble-brag. "Oh I have so much money, I guess I could *easily* risk $5,000" 

16 hours ago, Fex said:

I guessed La Paz for FJ, but I was really unsure. Quito was a good guess.

I was very pleased that Monica gave the correct title for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, instead of just Alice in Wonderland. That's the name of the movie, but not the book!

I'm surprised no one guessed Sinclair Lewis after Monica's reaction to guessing Upton Sinclair!

I got La Paz - and have no idea how I did. Geography is not my strong suit, South American geography in particular, and somehow La Paz popped in my mind, when I know virtually nothing about it. (Is it where they have the giant Jesus?)

I always get Upton Sinclair and Sinclair Lewis mixed up, even though I'm familiar with both of their works.  I also get Calder and Pollock mixed up, for no reason known to man. But it's a running joke in the family when I guess the wrong one and yell "DAMN!"

[Toothbrush]

23 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

It wasn't the new champ, it was the girl who looked like she was about 12 -- Nicole? -- whose upspeak went into registers only dogs can hear.

Oh good. Glad I will not have to deal with that after the ToC. Of course, there is always someone worse...

13 minutes ago, whinewithwine said:

Me too, but I'll take a World Series victory over Jeopardy anytime-)

My favorites for TOC are Jason, David and Seth, or anyone other than Austin.

Very exciting!!! I just wish that grandpa-in-law Toothbrush (who saw Babe Ruth play!) were here to see it. Dr. Toothbrush and oldest mini-Toothbrush went to an exhibition game between the Cubs & Astros in March. Little did they know they were watching not only the current WS champs, but the next ones too! 

I vaguely remember Seth & Jason, and will have to watch the video someone posted either upthread or in the media thread to re-familiarize myself with the contestants. Anyone but Austin reminds me of the 2016 presidential campaign - from both sides. 

7 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

 (Is it where they have the giant Jesus?)

Giant Jesus (aka Christ the Redeemer ;-) ) is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

I don't even try with Upton Sinclair/Sinclair Lewis anymore. 

[ProudMary]

8 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I'm sure they do -- have you seen the elaborate kits?  I never had Legos as a kid (we had Lincoln logs and tinker toys -- wooden ones!), so I never got into them, but man.  Some of those sets are pretty awesome.

They certainly are!  Personally, I'm fascinated by the Lego Architecture Series.  I've spent a good deal of time at Barnes & Noble talking myself out of spending hefty amounts of money on those babies!
 https://shop.lego.com/en-US/Architecture-ByTheme?HQS=legos+architecture+series&cn=627&d=70%3Fcmp%3DKAC-SAHBINGUS&ef_id=VqlpVgAABaxniDBS%3A20171104183016%3As&s_kwcid=AL!790!10!81570032165427!24658659958

I too was surprised that Marlon Brando was a TS.  I screamed at the screen when they added the photo to the clue, "Oh, why not just give it away completely!"  But that wasn't the case.  I believe it must be generational.  Even someone who's 40 was born in 1977, five years after The Godfather and they'd have been two years old when Apocalypse Now was released.  Understandable that a large percentage of Gen Xers and Millennials could miss that one, with or without a photo.  This Baby Boomer got the answer as soon as I heard Sacheen Littlefeather's name!

As for the upcoming ToC, I'm fine with almost anyone but Pranjal, of whom I was not a fan.  Austin didn't bug me but my favorites are probably Buzzy, Seth and Andrew.  

[peeayebee]

8 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I'm sure they do -- have you seen the elaborate kits?  I never had Legos as a kid (we had Lincoln logs and tinker toys -- wooden ones!)

We had hoops and sticks. j/k I'm not quite THAT old.

 

6 hours ago, Ailianna said:

My image of Brando is exactly as he appears in the Godfather, which is NOT how he looked in that old photo.

When I hear 'Brando' I think of a b/w pic of him wearing a t-shirt in A Streetcar Named Desire or as a biker gang leader in The Wild One. Hmm. Maybe I AM that old.

 

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

I always get Upton Sinclair and Sinclair Lewis mixed up, even though I'm familiar with both of their works.  I also get Calder and Pollock mixed up, for no reason known to man.

I used to get Merv Griffin and Michael Douglas (talkshow guy) mixed up.

 

12 hours ago, Mystery Author said:

For FJ, I recently saw the movie Working Girl and remembered the line "You shouldn't go letting your Johnson make business decisions for you," so I thought hmmm, Johnson.

:D The mind works in mysterious ways.

[dcalley]

I was born after The Godfather and have heard about/seen footage of the Oscar refusal. I knew it was Brando even the without the picture, which I thought did look like him. For fun, here he is before and after the makeup/mouthpieces for that movie:

[PaulaO]

Wow.  I don't like Brando as an actor, but he sure was handsome in that "before makeup" picture.  Friday's game was so bland that this morning I could not remember FJ!  which I didn't get.

[Roaster]

The lineups for all five days next week (Tournament of Champions) are up at

https://www.jeopardy.com/tournaments/2017/tournament-of-champions

I suppose Seth Wilson and Austin Rogers (12 wins each) are the favorites but I don't see them being overwhelmingly strong favorites, and it would not surprise me if a dark horse emerges to win.

Andrew Pau maybe?  (He's older than recent TOC champs.)  I like Pranjal but he did not display broad knowledge during his run.  Hunter Appler?

[Browncoat]

Wow.  Wednesday's going to suck.

[Spunkygal]

15 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Wow.  Wednesday's going to suck.

Yeah, it is. I liked David, the winning teacher, but he won't beat theatrical Austin to the buzzer often. 

[Toothbrush]

4 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I used to get Merv Griffin and Michael Douglas (talkshow guy) mixed up.

I admit that I had to google talk show host Michael Douglas as I had never heard of him. Interesting fact: he died on his 81st birthday (I am an actuary, so possibly only interesting to me)

Poor David indeed. Between Austin & Alan he doesn't stand a chance. 

[M. Darcy]

14 hours ago, tvaddict44 said:

does any adult still do legos?

This one does! Part of the fun of being an adult - you can buy all the toys you want. 

[Kerri Okie]

13 hours ago, Sprockets said:

But the photo was exactly how Brando looked for most of his life, and he was a very famous actor.  I was appalled that no one knew who he was.  As you said, the clue alone was sufficient.  

I wasn't alive when that picture was taken, but I knew who it was. Maybe if this were Teen Jeopardy, sure, but I was also shocked that no one got it.

Emma's singsong voice was on my last nerve from her very first answer, but her sighing and eyerolling at every DD was the worst. I'm gonna have to skip the rest of her episodes. 

[YoureSoUrban]

Quote

Emma's singsong voice was on my last nerve from her very first answer

THIS. The DD reactions were annoying but the Oh-this-is-so-easy singsong voice put me over the edge. I was hoping Nicole would catch up with and beat her.

I probably fall more on the older side of this board's age range, but I recognize Brando young and old. To me he had a very distinctive look.

ETA: I only checked the TOC lineup for Monday because I don't want to be completely spoiled. I was happy to see that Buzzy is playing because he may be immediately eliminated.

Edited November 5, 2017 by YoureSoUrban

[teebax]

I didn't get Brando either because I have no interest in him and haven't seen The Godfather or whatever else he's been in. Everyone has things they know and things they don't know, even jeopardy contestants. I can't imagine being appalled by someone not knowing something I know or vice versa.

I got twice a day, Vicksburg, statens, Benito Juarez, and I guessed Santiago for FJ after first thinking it was Lima.

[Mondrianyone]

We missed several episodes this past week because of the massive windstorm that hit New England and the power outages it caused.  Most of us are back online now.

I guessed Asunción, Paraguay, for FJ, based on the religious meaning of the word "assumption" (which I know because I'm so smart and I speak Spanish)--i.e., being taken up into heaven--and since heaven is in the sky, they probably named the city as they did because of its proximity to heaven, so . . . high altitude.  I just Googled it, and the elevation is 141 feet.  A little knowledge is truly a dangerous thing.

I started out loving Buzzy, for some shared background elements, then less so, but I still hope he wipes the floor with Austin.  Meaning he probably won't.

P.S.  When we say Emma, do we mean Kara?  The one in the middle who seemed to find being on Jeopardy! an annoying interruption of her job as a SAHM?

Edited November 5, 2017 by Mondrianyone
reading earlier posts

[Kerri Okie]

9 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

 

P.S.  When we say Emma, do we mean Kara?  The one in the middle who seemed to find being on Jeopardy! an annoying interruption of her job as a SAHM?

LOL, yes.  I don't know where Emma came from, but I meant Kara.

[ClareWalks]

I don't know much about cinema from the 60s-70s (Brando's era, basically), so I didn't get Brando. I thought "oh, yeah, that guy, what's his name..." but it took me way too long to get to Brando. It is slightly surprising when three trivia gurus can't identify the answer to a clue but it happens every single episode, so it shouldn't take anyone by too much surprise.

[Barb1959]

Speaking of Kara..........and some people think 
Austin was annoying!

[Prevailing Wind]

19 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

I admit that I had to google talk show host Michael Douglas as I had never heard of him. Interesting fact: he died on his 81st birthday (I am an actuary, so possibly only interesting to me)

Oh, dear. If you don't know of Mike Douglas, this is all you need to know (keep your insulin pen handy):

[CarpeDiem54]

20 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Wow.  Wednesday's going to suck.

So is Monday (Buzzy - puke!) and Tuesday (Lilly - ugh).

Too bad I'm addicted to Jeopardy! or I wouldn't watch.  For some strange and unknown reason, our Fox affiliate has stopped running Daytime Jeopardy! reruns and now there's just one rerun on the CW channel on Saturday evening.  WTH?!

[peeayebee]

7 hours ago, teebax said:

I didn't get Brando either because I have no interest in him and haven't seen The Godfather or whatever else he's been in. Everyone has things they know and things they don't know, even jeopardy contestants. I can't imagine being appalled by someone not knowing something I know or vice versa.

It's tricky, imo. I'll always remember when my dad (from Poland, though in the US since the '50s) didn't know who Babe Ruth was. My brothers and I were shocked, which naturally hurt my dad and made him angry. I try not to condemn people for not knowing something I know, but some things just seem like they're common knowledge. Of course that's subjective. But where do you draw the line? A person (I'm talking American) should know who the current US President is, but should s/he know who the VP is? The Speaker of the House? A person should know how many States in the US, but what about each capitol? It gets much trickier with pop culture, esp since our society has fractured quite a lot into specific interests. We don't have as many group cultural moments as we used to. We're much more separated than we used to be.

I think the thing with Brando is that he's significant in the history of film and theatre. His acting method was different than what people were used to. But the years pass, tastes change, and those who didn't grow up with him or with the recent memory of his heyday might as well be asked about Rudolph Valentino.