# Alex Trebek was a real jerk to this stay at home dad on Jeopardy tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 16, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274 "2015-07-16T00:06:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/1 "2015-07-16T00:06:16Z")
it’s not uncommon for Alex to make snide comments to the contestants, but today he was out of control first during the interview section he asked “So you’re a stay at home dad. Was that something you wanted to do or was it forced on you?” ok that’s a little weird. but I could see maybe he was just curious and didn’t intend to word is so offensively but then he said that having so much free time would give him lots of time to read and keep up with the news. yeah I’m sure he doesn’t do anything all day but sir around reading then there was a clue about fish sticks and Alex said “I bet you cook those a lot for your kids eh” then there was a clue about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on the daily double and the guy got it right and Alex said being a stay at home dad paid off. yeah there’s no other way he could have known about that book what’s your fucking problem Alex I’ve never seen him be this flat-out rude to a contestant before ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/2 "2015-07-16T00:13:27Z")
Trebek’s 74. Cut him some slack. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/3 "2015-07-16T00:15:37Z")
Age is no excuse for ignorant outdated attitudes ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/4 "2015-07-16T00:23:02Z")
I really don’t see it as a slight. I don’t really see it as rude, either. Sounds more to me like he cracked a joke and it didn’t land. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/5 "2015-07-16T00:26:15Z")
If the guy doesn’t buy insurance, we’ll know why. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/6 "2015-07-16T00:33:16Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > Age is no excuse for ignorant outdated attitudes Of course it is. You expect a man born in the 1940s to have the sensibilities of one born in 1986? We are all products of our time and childhoods. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/7 "2015-07-16T00:37:16Z")
I didn’t watch the episode, but none of those comments sounds rude to me. How did the contestant react? Did he make a face or look uncomfortable? ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/8 "2015-07-16T00:38:56Z")
Trebek was merely showcasing his witticism for the home viewers. I could do without the contestant interview segment which wastes time on an already time-constrained show. The contestants’ stories are usually no better than Trebek’s quips. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/9 "2015-07-16T00:40:02Z")
A man born in the 40s would have grown up in a time when racism is acceptable but I wouldn’t consider it ok for him to be racist in 2015 because of that and certainly professional TV personalities should know better than that ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/10 "2015-07-16T00:43:08Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Of course it is. You expect a man born in the 1940s to have the sensibilities of one born in 1986? > > We are all products of our time and childhoods. By the time I am 80. I expect to be able to say anything I want with impunity. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/11 "2015-07-16T00:57:08Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > A man born in the 40s would have grown up in a time when racism is acceptable but I wouldn’t consider it ok for him to be racist in 2015 because of that > > and certainly professional TV personalities should know better than that How was Trebek being _racist_? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/12 "2015-07-16T01:03:58Z")
he wasn’t that was just a hypothetical ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/13 "2015-07-16T01:06:04Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > How was Trebek being _racist_? 😕 He wasn’t - he was being sexist. However, it was being excused because of his age. If he had made racist remarks, would they have been excused? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/14 "2015-07-16T01:28:44Z")
No, but racism is a hypothetical situation that had nothing to do with Trebek’s remarks. And IMO, Trebek wasn’t acting sexist, either. I think **PSXer** is just indulging in some Recreational Outrage [sup]TM[/sup]. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/15 "2015-07-16T01:32:47Z")
Sexist misandrous hate and predictably excused by the feminista types. 3… 2… 1… Wah, an MRA type is here! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/16 "2015-07-16T03:02:47Z")
I didn’t see the show, but I can see the OP’s point. Wouldn’t some of those comments have raised an eyebrow if they had been said to a stay-at-home mom? ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/17 "2015-07-16T03:12:30Z")
You people doth be politically correct-eth too much-eth. Regardless of any positive or negative implications being a stay at home dad is the exception, not the typical. Get over it. Alex didn’t ask the guy what color skirt he wears! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/18 "2015-07-16T03:13:45Z")
Alex is expected to fill dead air time with a few one liners. He’s making them up as he goes. Looking for interesting subjects like the rare stay at home dad. Some of his one liners are better than others. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/19 "2015-07-16T03:53:42Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I didn’t watch the episode, but none of those comments sounds rude to me. How did the contestant react? Did he make a face or look uncomfortable? I skip the interviews, but the contestant laughed/commented back at the fish stick joke. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Alex is expected to fill dead air time with a few one liners. Dead air? There’s no dead air on Jeopardy!, any jokes or comments Trebek makes just cut into the time the contestants have. Think about how often a contestant starts to ask for the next clue only to get cut off half way through. Would the results of the show have been different if there hadn’t been a few seconds of ‘dead air’ that Trebek filled earlier in the round? Unless, and I don’t know if this is the case, they don’t count the time between answering one clue and [starting to] requesting the next. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/20 "2015-07-16T06:37:50Z")
I saw it 2-nite. Meh. Seems to me that if a contestant wins like 3 or 4 games in a row, he seems to “root” for the challengers. Is it just me? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274.md?page=2)