# Ken Jennings returns with Jeopardy on Monday (SPOILERS) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270 "2004-09-05T21:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/41 "2004-09-09T11:30:29Z")
**TeaElle** and **Strainger** , I’m in the contestant pool this season too - I tried out in Chicago at the end of June. Any ideas as to when we’re supposed to hear back from the producers? You’d think my 22-year-old-female-microbiologist-who-diagnoses-gonorrhea-and-intestinal-parasites-for-a-living schtick would make me stand out, but alas, I’ve heard nothing so far. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/42 "2004-09-09T12:19:44Z")
This week’s “TV Guide” referred to Ken as “freakishly smart.” :eek: Kinda like calling Mark McGwire “freakishly athletic.” Who approved that? They did have a good segment on “Jeopardy” on Sunday’s "60 Minutes,"right after the segment on the porn industry. The most interesting was an interview with Frank Spangleberger, the old winner holder, who amassed $102K in five wins, back when the money was half of what it was now. I remember watching him. Nice NYC transit cop. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/43 "2004-09-09T12:24:12Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > Hey **TeaElle,** > I have an appointment for my initial Jeopardy try-out in Los Angeles this Saturday. I guess if all goes well, I’ll be in that contestant pool, too. Any pointers for a novice? Be on time, don’t be nervous, dress nicely, write clearly, don’t be nervous, carry a purse you can use as a lap desk, don’t be nervous, bring a bottle of water, don’t be nervous and remember that it’s just a game show. > [@tsarina](#): > > Any ideas as to when we’re supposed to hear back from the producers? Any time between now and February/March, as I understand it. I thought that perhaps my sleek, early-retiree, half of everything I win will go to charity ('tis true!) shtick would put me over too, but no such luck thus far. Foof. ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/44 "2004-09-09T15:16:53Z")
[Ken Lost!](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/09/08/entertainment2352EDT0227.DTL) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/45 "2004-09-09T15:24:43Z")
[They Killed Kenny!](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=14&u=/ap/20040909/ap_on_en_tv/tv_jeopardy) . His streak apparently ended at 75! ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/46 "2004-09-09T15:34:16Z")
> [@Strainger](#): > > it’s quite refreshing to see someone achieving national recognition for being _smart_ Exactly. Revenge of the nerds, baby. Scarlett, who regularly won at Trivial Pursuit in college and whose friends accused her of looking at the answers on the cards instead of believing the real reason, “I read a lot” (and can make intelligent guesses) ---
**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/47 "2004-09-09T19:06:26Z")
what was the final jeopardy question/answer last night? I got a long distance phone call right when they were at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/48 "2004-09-09T19:46:21Z")
The category was “Historical Mediums”, and here I was thinking it would be about 5-inch floppy disks. The Final Jeopardy clue went something like, “This magician and this writer became estranged in the 1920s about the credibility of the famous medium [Margery](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/houdini/sfeature/margery1.html).” The correct question was, “Who were Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?” Ken Jennings got it wrong (he thought it was Houdini and Fitzgerald), but still won. Neither of the other contestants got it right, either — one said Houdini and Hemingway, the other said Houdini and ? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/49 "2004-09-09T20:22:54Z")
Floopy disks would have been “Historical Media”. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/50 "2004-09-09T20:38:13Z")
Merriam-Webster accepts both “media” and “mediums” as the plural of “medium”. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/51 "2004-09-09T23:45:30Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Exactly. Revenge of the nerds, baby. > > Scarlett, who regularly won at Trivial Pursuit in college and whose friends accused her of looking at the answers on the cards instead of believing the real reason, “I read a lot” (and can make intelligent guesses) I don’t think I ever lost at TP; one of my victims accused me of _memorizing_ the cards. Which would’ve been more difficult than just knowing the answers. Back to the show…interesting that Ken has missed FJ both of the last two nights. It sure helps to build an insurmountable lead before FJ. (I’m proud to say that I knew the Apocalypse Now/Conrad question. On the other hand, my answer last night was Houdini/HG Wells.) ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/52 "2004-09-10T05:11:59Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > Merriam-Webster accepts both “media” and “mediums” as the plural of “medium”. What does it accept as the plural of “well done”? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/53 "2004-09-10T05:16:22Z")
> [@Strainger](#): > > it’s quite refreshing to see someone achieving national recognition for being _smart_ And, unfortunately, it’s something you won’t see very often in the future, either. When someone puts on a display of knowledge about esoteric subjects that the average person knows little-to-nothing about, the average person thinks of him as “freakish.” When someone puts on a display of athletic prowess and makes esoteric moves that the average person has little-to-no chance of duplicating, the average person wants to have sex with him. Thus, the gene pool will always favor the jocks over the braniacs. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/54 "2004-09-10T05:20:03Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > “This magician and this writer became estranged in the 1920s about the credibility of the famous medium [Margery](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/houdini/sfeature/margery1.html).” > > The correct question was, “Who were Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?” Although I wouldn’t have thought of him on the spur of the moment, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle makes sense here. He was notoriously gullible when it came to claims about the occult; the Cottingley Fairies would have rightfully faded into ridicule and obscurity had it not been for him. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/55 "2004-09-10T05:48:06Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > When someone puts on a display of athletic prowess and makes esoteric moves that the average person has little-to-no chance of duplicating, the average person wants to have sex with him. Luckily I’ve excelled at finding sexy, brainy freaks who admire my less-than-olympic calibre athleticism but are turned on by my charm, wit, and intelligence 😉 Word on the news wires is that Ken Jennings has more bad luck than just not getting final Jeopardy. He eventually loses on day 75 or 76, after he picks up $2.5 million dollars ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/56 "2004-09-10T10:17:38Z")
I’m not sure yet whether I buy the rumor. Obviously, he almost has to lose at some point, but this leak is fishy. Its source is a gossip blog, and there is detail and corroboration missing. Why break into fame with a story like this without such information as who beat him? Or how he lost? Hopeless going into Final Jeopardy or missed question at the end? Did he lose big or by a dollar? Why is there only one informant when a whole studio audience was there? The only detail offered was an alleged standing ovation. Who could have guessed? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/57 "2004-09-10T15:18:56Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > What does it accept as the plural of “well done”? Adjectives don’t come in singular/plural. The plural of “well done steak” is “well done steaks”. Or was I just whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/58 "2004-09-10T16:56:38Z")
I don’t think anyone begrudges him his winnings. I do think a lot of people are just sick and tired of seeing him every day with the expected outcome. “Ho, hum, here’s Ken and oh gee, he won again.” Has he ever mentioned what he’s going to with his winnings? Since he’s a church member, I wonder if he will give part to his church. Or any other charity. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/59 "2004-09-11T00:37:21Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Adjectives don’t come in singular/plural. The plural of “well done steak” is “well done steaks”. > > Or was I just whooshed? A couple of people were discussing the plural of “medium.” Hence the joke about the plural of “well done.” 😉 **peedin** , I think he’s mentioned several times that he wants to use some of the money to travel. Other than that, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/60 "2004-09-11T02:11:50Z")
He has also said that he intends to tithe to his church–or is it some other term with LDS? In any case, he intends to tithe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270.md?page=4)