# Life imitates an SNL skit; or, the utter idiocy of Celebrity Jeopardy! contestants **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077 "2007-08-09T23:31:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/21 "2007-08-10T14:41:50Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] I’d love to see a match between Cheech, Chong, and George W. Bush. [/QUOTE] I would guess the phrase “Uhh” would come up. Frequently. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/22 "2007-08-10T14:48:57Z")
Ha, we also watched that last night and could not stop laughing. Somewhat to Paul’s credit, I think, he is getting money for a charity by simply being there, whether he wins or loses, and by the end I felt like he was milking it a bit for entertainment value. Not to much saying wrong answers on purpose, but buzzing in without even _thinking_ about the answer. There really isn’t any pressure like there would be for regular Jeopardy contestants. The “Australian Panda Bear” had us rolling, btw. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/23 "2007-08-10T14:53:33Z")
[QUOTE=Madd Maxx] I would guess the phrase “Uhh” would come up. Frequently. [/QUOTE] [Sean Connery] Your mother said “Uhh” frequently last night too, Trebeck. [/Sean Connery] ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/24 "2007-08-10T14:54:28Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] Not exactly Celebrity Jeopardy, but VH1’s short-lived **Rock & Roll Jeopardy** had some memorably stupid contestants. My favorite episode featured **George Clinton** (Parliament/Funkadelic), **Moon Unit Zappa** (Frank’s daughter) and **Dave Mustaine** (Megadeth). It was laughably lopsided: while Mustaine is well known as an intelligent, well-read guy, George was just too old and too fried to grasp the gist of the game, and Moon was about as bright as you would expect someone named Moon Unit to be. At the end of _single_ Jeopardy (the first round), the score was something like Dave 3700, George 0 (not having buzzed in a single time) and Moon -1100. It was ghastly. The whole episode is on YouTube. [/QUOTE] Youtube search for “Rock and Roll Jeopardy” and “Moon Unit Mustaine Clinton” both yield no results. Any help? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/25 "2007-08-10T14:59:04Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Youtube search for “Rock and Roll Jeopardy” and “Moon Unit Mustaine Clinton” both yield no results. Any help? -FrL- [/QUOTE] [http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=6937686889676964987&q=dave+mustaine](http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=6937686889676964987&q=dave+mustaine) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/26 "2007-08-10T15:00:05Z")
Stephen King, Lynn Redgrave and David Duchovny. Classic. Alex: Does the word “[stupid](http://www.overtimecomedy.com/2007/08/03/alex-trebek-calls-lynn-redgrave-stupid/)” mean anything? ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/27 "2007-08-10T15:19:31Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] I saw Yale-educated David Duchovny on Celebrity Jeopardy several years back, and of course he owned the game. He looked almost bored, but was a good sport as he aced everything. He could easily hold his own on “real” Jeopardy. [/QUOTE] He did do very well, but Stephen King beat him. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/28 "2007-08-10T15:35:00Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] I’d love to see a match between Cheech, Chong, and George W. Bush. [/QUOTE] Bush: “These questions are hard. My buzzer’s broken. Where’s Dick?” Chong: “Dick’s not here, man.” ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/29 "2007-08-10T16:19:00Z")
I won’t be satisfied until a celebrity’s Final Jeopardy wager is either “Texas” or a crudely-drawn picture of a horse having sex with Trebek. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/30 "2007-08-10T16:38:17Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] Stephen King, Lynn Redgrave and David Duchovny. Classic. Alex: Does the word “[stupid](http://www.overtimecomedy.com/2007/08/03/alex-trebek-calls-lynn-redgrave-stupid/)” mean anything? [/QUOTE] One of NPR’s correspodants was on Jeapordy at one point. When asked later on what Trebeck was like, he basically said Trebeck was a dick. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/31 "2007-08-10T16:56:15Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82o_Hdk0Iro) are some fun clips of Nancy Grace on CJ. [/QUOTE] Hey, Carson’s pretty sharp, it turns out. I wonder if it burns Nancy at all to have been thrashed by one of the dudes from Queer Eye. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/32 "2007-08-10T22:51:20Z")
A few years ago they had “Athlete Jeopardy!” with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Martina Navratilova, and Reggie Jackson. Kareem kicked their asses all over the map. Martina was OK, but Reggie was abysmally bad. At one point there was a question with three possible answers. Kareem rang in and missed it. Then Martina rang in and missed it, so there was only one answer left. And _Reggie just stood there looking around_. Alex gave him the answer anyway, saying, “Surely Reggie was about to buzz in and give the remaining answer.” I laughed and laughed and laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/33 "2007-08-10T23:02:44Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82o_Hdk0Iro) are some fun clips of Nancy Grace on CJ. [/QUOTE] You made my day! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/34 "2007-08-10T23:15:04Z")
In fairness to Martina Navratilova, English isn’t her first language (and the U.S. isn’t her native land). I’d hate to have to compete in anything more challenging than paper-rock-scissors in Czech. The one with the U.S. Sec’y of Ed is on now. And in fairness to _her_, one of the actors she’s up against is also a Harvard Law grad… who’s almost certainly wasting his intellect in “C.S.I. New York”. A question for non-U.S. Dopers: does your local production of **Jeopardy!** also stage celebrity tournaments? If so, does it draw international celebs, or just local faces? And how well do they come across? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/35 "2007-08-10T23:30:11Z")
Heh heh, both the Secretary and the Harvard Law grad were completely owned by Michael McKean, of all people. I want a Michael McKean-Harry Shearer-Christopher Guest faceoff! (It’s such a fine line between clever and stupid…) ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/36 "2007-08-11T00:55:49Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] Heh heh, both the Secretary and the Harvard Law grad were completely owned by Michael McKean, of all people. I want a Michael McKean-Harry Shearer-Christopher Guest faceoff! (It’s such a fine line between clever and stupid…) [/QUOTE] Yes, but doesn’t it scare the living Heck out of you that a sitting Secretary of Any cabinet level position (let alone education) would be so amazingly dense?! Someone definitely forgot to refill the kerosene in that ‘Point of Light’… ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/37 "2007-08-11T03:05:12Z")
‘Weird Al’ Yankovic has kicked serious ass every time I’ve seen him on a game show. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/38 "2007-08-11T03:15:42Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] Heh heh, both the Secretary and the Harvard Law grad were completely owned by Michael McKean, of all people. [/QUOTE] I dunno…reminds me of something Dolly Parton once said: “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap!” I guess in Michael McKean’s case, it takes a lot of smarts to act that dumb. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/39 "2007-08-11T03:27:47Z")
[QUOTE=aclubs] Also, Norm MacDonald tore up Celebrity Millionaire. A good episode, if you have seen it. [/QUOTE] So did Drew Carey. You can tell they write the questions for the intelligence of the contestants. When Carey was on Millionaire, the $100000 question was like “What two countries are connected by the Khyber Pass?” When Roy Romano was on, it was “Which of these is not a doggie?” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077/40 "2007-08-11T03:41:57Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic has kicked serious ass every time I’ve seen him on a game show. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but he lost on Jeopardy, baby. Daniel [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-an-snl-skit-or-the-utter-idiocy-of-celebrity-jeopardy-contestants/415077.md?page=3)