Did anyone catch Trebek's odd joke on Jeopardy 12/3?

Cafe Society
1

Watching Jeopardy last night, and Alex was going over his “get to know the contestants” part. The previous night’s winner told a funny story about being chased by a seal. Here’s how it went (paraphrasing):

Alex: I understand that you were once chased by a seal.

Contestant: That’s right - I was in the Galapagos Islands and I was snorkelling, when three people started pulling at me. When I looked up, I saw that a large seal was chasing me.

<laughter>

Alex: Why do you think he was chasing you?

Contestant: I don’t know, maybe he thought I was swimming too close to his wife or something.

<laughter>

Alex: Maybe he was a California Seal.

<silence>

Alex: OK, you have the board…

Can someone explain this joke to me? I realize he’s losing it a little, but this was so bizzare I can’t even take a stab at what he could’ve possibly been getting at.

2

I didn’t see it but was the contestant a guy?

If so maybe he was making a gay joke. That the boy seal was wanting to get some action with the male contestant. And the code word “California” being a substitute for gay.

Other than that I got nothing.

3

I was wondering about that too. I immediately assumed he was just trying to ad lib a joke but failed miserably in the process.

4

He is so hilarious these days, making weird little jokes and comments. I love his increasing ‘What the fuck do I care?’ attitude. And also how disappointed he gets when people get Canadian-related questions wrong.

5

The Marina Del Rey harbor is notoriously full of seals. Well, half full. The left half, from shore, IIRC, but I may be mistaken.

They can be a bit aggressive.

6

There used to be a hockey team called the California Seals. Maybe the seal was trying to do a body check…

OK, I got nuthin’…

7

Yes, the contestant was a guy. A gay joke, huh. But the guy said he thought the seal was protecting his “wife” seal? God, I hope he wasn’t equating California with gay.

8

I’m guessing it’s a Prop 8 joke - the seal was trying to protect his marriage. I guess. Maybe.

9

I took to mean that the female seal was from California, and Californian females are notorious for being adultereous.

10

I bet you’re right. Trebek is old enough to remember the California Seals, and probably most of his audience isn’t.

11

But they were the Golden Seals for most of their run. Even so, that’s one seriously obscure reference. Like after a contestant saying his father was a Baron, Alex replying “Is your family from Cleveland?”

I’m looking forward to those final years of his contract. “It’s pronouced Keh-BECK! Idiots!!”

12

Was the contestant from California? Maybe Trebek was suggesting that the seal recognized him and was just trying to say hello.

(The gay thing is the first thing I thought of too.)

13

Seattle. The mystery continues…

14

“Looks like you blew a seal.”

“Hey! I ain’t from California! And that’s just ice cream.”

15

I suppose there’s no hope it was an Arrested Development joke, huh? Buster’s nemesis was a California seal…

Nah, probably not.

16

Was the guy really hairy?

Because the California Seal has a bear on it …

17

i saw the segment and i had a WTF moment. I thought he was alluding to gay seal.

FWIW, the current Jeopardy champ does NOT ping my gaydar. But I swear but he is the spittin’ image of someone I know either personally or in the media. For whatever reason, I can’t place him.

18

This… is… JEOPARDY.

Sounds like Alex to me.

19

Um, have you seen the ads they run during “Jeopardy!”? Methinks most of his audience is old enough to remember the California gold rush.

20

I’ve read that there is (was?) some tension between Seattle residents and Californians who moved up there for the (relatively) cheaper housing. Along the lines of, all these obnoxious Californians are invading and driving up housing prices. Assuming that is a real phenomenon, could the joke have something to do with that?