# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/41 "2015-07-16T17:33:11Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > By the time I am 80. I expect to be able to say anything I want with impunity. I’m 59. Why wait? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/42 "2015-07-16T17:48:08Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > “Ooh… How could you not know that tidbit about 5th Century bards from Malta? Idiot.” is how he comes across sometimes. Just sometimes, tho. > > And if he didn’t have the answers in front of him, how many clues would he get right? 😉 In interviews he’s said he usually knows about 2/3 of the answers. But he would never have the necessary recall speed or reflexes to be competitive as a player. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/43 "2015-07-16T18:13:45Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I don’t know you personally, You would have to go back to 1980 to meet him. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/44 "2015-07-16T18:54:57Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > In interviews he’s said he usually knows about 2/3 of the answers. But he would never have the necessary recall speed or reflexes to be competitive as a player. And that’s only because he’s been doing the show for 50 years and they recycle questions. And as usual PSXer is right. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/45 "2015-07-16T19:12:55Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > 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 You guys gotta admit this is pretty offensive to SAH parents. ---
**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, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/46 "2015-07-16T19:15:19Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > 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? I dunno, what if the contestant was Hitler? Then Trebek’s comments would have been overly mild. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/47 "2015-07-16T19:17:58Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > Oh, for the love of fuck, seriously? This is a thread? Compare it to the OP’s previous Jeopardy threads: > **[Alex Trebek made some hella racist comments tonight](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=688335)** > > During the interview section he was talking to this girl who was a technical writer, and he literally compared writing esoteric academic language in layman’s term to “translating Chinese and Japanese” what an asshole > **[Poorly-written Jeopardy clue?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=708207)** > > from thursday november 14th the category was " An App For Teacher" for $2000 the clue was The frog dissection app is not as icky as its forebears & won an award for this moral type of “science” that doesn’t cause pain and the response they... > **[Anyone notice that a lot of Jeopardy! episodes this season are ending with...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=704218)** > > In both rounds, almost every day as I see it. I wonder if they have less time for the show this season They should just get rid of the interview sections to make room to ensure all the clues get read. And get rid of the clue crew questions/ having... > **[Was final jeopardy wrong (or: \[spoilers for April 22 show\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=688927)** > > The clue said that this person was nominated for best actress in 1987 for a science fiction film, and the answer they wanted was . . . . . . . . . . I thought about Sigourney Weaver in Aliens but Aliens came out in 1986 (yeah the ceremony... > **[Man the kids on Teen Jeopardy are morans (spoilers for February 7 show)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=681637)** > > Everybody lost today because they all wagered all their money on Final Jeoaprdy and got it wrong. If you’re in first place there’s no reason to bet all your money, just bet enough to ahve more than the guy in second place if he doubles his money. ... > **[Did the kid who won Jeopardy today type his final jeopardy response?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=615308)** > > Looked like it, unless he wrote it perfectly straight. I thought it was weird. > **["hic sunt dracones" on Jeopardy today (5/23)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609654)** > > On a question with a globe with this phrase asking for the 3-word translation, a contestant said “here are dragons” (not answering in the form of a question) and Alex counted him wrong for not saying “what is” but also said that they were looking... And Family Feud threads: > **[Family Feud: survey said liverwurst but they didn't get credit for saying...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=670417)** > > fair/unfair? i say unfair > **[Who else thinks Richard Karn is a really bad Family Feud host](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=604057)** > > I like him as Al Borland, but he doesn’t work on Family Feud. But I liked him so much as Al Borland, I tried to like him as the family feud host. but as time goes on I find him more and more annoying it seems that he has to make a joke at every... > **[It really grinds my gears when people qualify a Family Feud answer with...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=603572)** > > Name something you routinely fall asleep while doing “well, I don’t do this, but at church” oh no I can’t let anyone judge me for what I guess the survey answer to be > **[odd family feud thing](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584384)** > > “name a word you should say instead when you want to swear” but I couldn’t hear half of what the people were saying because they BEEPed half of what they were saying has anyone else seen this episode? (which I am seeing right now on rerun on GSN) > **[Who do they poll for Family Feud?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=572295)** > > my friend wants to know Now some are legitimate question, but it’s clear our boy likes him some game shows. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/48 "2015-07-16T19:27:47Z")
“I’d like ‘Geriatric Opinions’ for $200, Alex” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/49 "2015-07-16T19:42:09Z")
Has a contestant ever straight-up trolled a game show? Played it straight through all the preliminaries, then trolled away; “who was Hitler, Alex?” for every answer , or the like? ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/50 "2015-07-16T19:42:43Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Compare it to the OP’s previous Jeopardy threads: > [Alex Trebek made some hella racist comments tonight - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=688335) > [Poorly-written Jeopardy clue? - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=708207) > [Anyone notice that a lot of Jeopardy! episodes this season are ending with unread clues - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=704218) > [Was final jeopardy wrong (or: [spoilers for April 22 show] - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=688927) > [Man the kids on Teen Jeopardy are morans (spoilers for February 7 show) - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=681637) > [Did the kid who won Jeopardy today type his final jeopardy response? - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=615308) > ["hic sunt dracones" on Jeopardy today (5/23) - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609654) > And Family Feud threads: > [Family Feud: survey said liverwurst but they didn't get credit for saying liver sausage - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=670417) > [Who else thinks Richard Karn is a really bad Family Feud host - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=604057) > [It really grinds my gears when people qualify a Family Feud answer with "well, not me personally" - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=603572) > [odd family feud thing - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584384) > [Who do they poll for Family Feud? - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=572295) > > Now some are legitimate question, but it’s clear our boy likes him some game shows. Well then, for his sake, we need to keep him away from [Wheel of Fortune](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwrUkeYxUF0&feature=player_embedded). ---
**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, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/51 "2015-07-16T19:57:13Z")
Don’t get me started on Wheel That’s a bad show ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/52 "2015-07-16T20:00:45Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > what’s your fucking problem Alex He’s Canadian. ---
**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, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/53 "2015-07-16T20:00:53Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Has a contestant ever straight-up trolled a game show? Played it straight through all the preliminaries, then trolled away; “who was Hitler, Alex?” for every answer , or the like? I imagine if that happened they’d reshoot with someone else and never air that episode Michael Larson is the best game show troll but he was just a great player ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/54 "2015-07-16T20:40:36Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > I imagine if that happened they’d reshoot with someone else and never air that episode. Yes, absolutely. I believe the tapings of Jeopardy! are well in advance of the air dates. They’d never let anything newsworthy (in the negative sense) air. > [@PSXer](#): > > Michael Larson is the best game show troll but he was just a great player I was unfamiliar with that story; the Wikipedia article on him is certainly lovingly detailed and comprehensive. (Wow!) As for Mr. Trebek: my impression has always been that he’s a traditional man of traditional views on the Proper Social Order—and thus has always displayed a bit of discomfort with departures from the conventional. He gets visibly uneasy with violations of the norms such as Women Who Score Well and Stay-At-Home-Dads. He’s a man of his generation (and certainly a well-meaning, non-hateful one). Personally, I am willing to overlook some of that because of the show’s long history of presenting Knowing Stuff in a positive light. Very little of our popular culture can be said to be supportive of Knowing Stuff. (To the contrary: most of our popular culture presents Knowing Stuff as being a distinctly questionable sort of behavior.) ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/55 "2015-07-16T20:43:01Z")
I am surprised by the blasé attitude from many people here. I wouldn’t have started a thread to complain, but I kind of thought, “ok Alex, get over it already.” And no, his comments would not have been acceptable if made to a stay at home mom. In fact, had that been the case, we probably would have read it about it on TMZ or Yahoo news and some lame apology would follow. ETA: On Michael Larson, you gotta see the actual show. Hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/56 "2015-07-16T20:54:45Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I am surprised by the blasé attitude from many people here. I wouldn’t have started a thread to complain, but I kind of thought, “ok Alex, get over it already.” > And no, his comments would not have been acceptable if made to a stay at home mom. In fact, had that been the case, we probably would have read it about it on TMZ or Yahoo news and some lame apology would follow. Well, that’s just it. Trebek would NOT have made those comments to a woman, because to him, it’s ‘natural and normal’ that a woman stay home with the kids. By contrast, to Trebek’s generation, it’s freakish and noteworthy if a man stays home with the kids. He doesn’t hold with this newfangled idea that men and women are both people; he sees proper roles for each, and violations deserve comment. (Of course these observations are purely my own opinions based on years of watching Trebek react to contestants; they hold no more significance than do the opinions of any other viewer.) I mean, my impression is that he’s by no means a hateful guy–but that like many of his generation, on some level he thinks there’s a Natural Order that the stay-at-home dad violated. ---
**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, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/57 "2015-07-16T21:02:03Z")
I have to admit, it vaguely bugs me when people describe Michael Larson’s actions as trolling or implying he cheated or that there his actions were a scandal. He recognized a flaw in the design of _Press Your Luck_ and he exploited it within the game’s rules. Good for him. ---
**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, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/58 "2015-07-16T21:03:42Z")
It bugs me when people say he cheated too ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/59 "2015-07-16T21:14:38Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > And I really don’t see the point in wishing all three of them “Good luck!” Two of them are gonna lose, unless there’s a tie (though I don’t think they allow that any more). “Good Luck To All Of You” is a nonsensical statement but it’s the least of AT’s sins. We’ve watched Jeopardy on and off again since the mid 80’s (mostly on), and Ajax has been a smug, patronizing, sexist ass the entire time. His stealth bragging during the meet & greet interviews also grates. We love the show in spite of him. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-was-a-real-jerk-to-this-stay-at-home-dad-on-jeopardy-tonight/725274/60 "2015-07-17T00:43:06Z")
We love Alex Trebek and watch this boring-ass game show solely to revel in his witty quips and zingy one-liners as he engages in his intellectually one-sided fencing match with the contestants. Add in his exquisitely flawless French pronunciation and the blonde clue-crew woman and you have yourself a stellar half-hour of superb entertainment value. Kudos also to **Telemark** for digging up 12 links exposing the OP’s vicious predilections to the light of day. I’d say he’s won the dodeca-fecta! [Previous 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) [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=4)