# Merv Griffin announces that something "amazing" is going to happen... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842 "2004-05-18T20:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/281 "2004-07-09T15:02:57Z")
Request for status update! I’ve been away from the tube all week, thanks to this annoying thing I call my life… So, whats the scoop on Ken, now? How many wins? How much cash? And what happened in last nights (Thursday’s) final Jeopardy? I hear he drew a Superman symbol on his screen? Did that have somehting to do with the question, or was he just boasting? 🙂 Thanks! thwartme ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/282 "2004-07-09T15:22:27Z")
27 wins, $868k in winnings Yesterdays question was something to the effect of “Who, after 68 years of being together, decided to take a break in issue XXX”. Answer Lois Lane. ---
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/283 "2004-07-09T15:31:08Z")
Thanks **MissTake**! thwartme ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/284 "2004-07-09T20:53:28Z")
Ken may be raking in the dough (he’s clearly a gentleman, but a little milquetoast for my taste) but Frank Spangenberg could kick his butt. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/285 "2004-07-09T22:08:45Z")
So why does this guy know so much about so many different topics- more than just about anyone else on the planet? There must be some mental disorder at work here. Is he an idiot-savant, an obsessive-compulsive, or is he a mnemonist who spends his free time memorizing encyclopedias? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/286 "2004-07-09T22:18:40Z")
Maybe he is offering the other contestants a guaranteed cut of his winnings if they “lose.” I still say it’s more likely that the Men in Black are looking for him so they can send him home. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/287 "2004-07-09T22:29:45Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Is he an idiot-savant, an obsessive-compulsive, or is he a mnemonist who spends his free time memorizing encyclopedias? He’s VERY fast on the button, and has a good broad knowledge base. Being fast means he’s the one who gets the lower end questions right, which sets him up for Daily Doubles, which put him out of reach if he gets them right. You can tell that the other contestants know the answers a lot, but they can’t buzz-in in time. I’m not discounting that Ken knows a lot, but so do a lot of other players. They didn’t get on Jeopardy by being stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/288 "2004-07-09T23:34:08Z")
Today (7/9): He wins again. Going into FJ he had $37,000. His opponents weren’t even close (especially Kate, the “I don’t need to buzz in to answer” dolt in the middle). Ol’ Ken bet $15K on his answer to “This G8 member with the smallest population (Canada)”. He ties the one-day record with $52K. Alex said, “You coulda bet one more dollar!” ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/289 "2004-07-09T23:40:06Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > They didn’t get on Jeopardy by being stupid. I don’t watch a lot of Jeopardy, but the lady on tonight’s show…how on earth did she ever get selected to play? Was she pulled from the audience? ---
**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:** [July 9, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/290 "2004-07-09T23:46:00Z")
The more I think about it, the more I think reinstituting a limit on the number of days a contestant can compete is a good idea. Think about it…who’s going to beat Ken? Someone either very lucky or very good. And if that person is very good, they might have a Ken-like run. Who’ll beat _that_ person? Someone either very lucky or very good. Ad nauseam. That’s not to take away from Ken - I find his streak very entertaining and impressive - but I don’t want Jeopardy! to turn into something like this. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/291 "2004-07-09T23:46:11Z")
> [@rexnervous](#): > > I don’t watch a lot of Jeopardy, but the lady on tonight’s show…how on earth did she ever get selected to play? Was she pulled from the audience? They’re running out of real Jeopardy! contestants and have started borrowing ones from Wheel of Fortune. 😃 But, I kid the Wheel. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/292 "2004-07-09T23:47:18Z")
> [@rexnervous](#): > > I don’t watch a lot of Jeopardy, but the lady on tonight’s show…how on earth did she ever get selected to play? Was she pulled from the audience? Some people freeze in a situation such as being on Jeopardy. She could have beat Ken to a pulp had they not been on Jeopardy. Then again, maybe she is dumb, but my point is, we don’t know why she failed, but it isn’t because she is stupid. After all, she made it to the show. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/293 "2004-07-09T23:53:54Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > The more I think about it, the more I think reinstituting a limit on the number of days a contestant can compete is a good idea. > > Think about it…who’s going to beat Ken? Someone either very lucky or very good. And if that person is very good, they might have a Ken-like run. Who’ll beat _that_ person? Someone either very lucky or very good. Ad nauseam. > > That’s not to take away from Ken - I find his streak very entertaining and impressive - but I don’t want Jeopardy! to turn into something like this. I agree. When something like this happens, it won’t be about how much the viewer knows, but how far a person can go on the show. It’s probably been good for ratings, so now endless play is likely permanent. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/294 "2004-07-10T05:07:32Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > They’re running out of real Jeopardy! contestants and have started borrowing ones from Wheel of Fortune. > > 😃 > > But, I kid the Wheel. True story: I was at a _Jeopardy!_ contestant search in Atlantic City in late 1990, and about 100 of us were taking the written part of the test. They played a video tape of 50 questions, and we had 15 or 20 seconds to write down an answer for each. (It didn’t have to be in the form of a question.) But these were not standard _Jeopardy!_ questions. Standard _Jeopardy!_ questions (well, answers, but you know what I mean) always have two clues: e.g., “The U.S. Naval Academy is located in this Maryland capital.” You might know that Annapolis is the capital, or that that’s where the Naval Academy is. The test questions were not like that. “This is the capital of Nova Scotia.” You knew it or you didn’t. They were all like this, and they were _hard._ The first ten questions were so hard, I thought I was certain to wash out. Then they said., “This is the planet closest to the sun,” and I thought, “Finally! One I know.” Anyway, after the tape was done, we were all sitting around waiting for them to score the tests, asking each other what the answer to this one or that one was. Someone said, "If this is the test for _Jeopardy!_, what do you think the “_Wheel of Fortune_ test is like?” To which someone else replied (and I wish I could take credit for this): “It’s the same test. If you fail, you get to be on _Wheel!_” (Yes, I made it. Didn’t you read post #91?) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/295 "2004-07-10T05:12:34Z")
I forgot to mention: Did anyone notice the wrong answer they let him get away with the other night? The answer to one question was Dr. Scholl (of the footwear), but Ken answered “Scholls.” The products get the possessive, “Scholl’s,” but the guy’s name (which was the correct answer) is Scholl. I don’t think they normally let people get away with a mistake like this. Just tonight they didn’t allow “Zara **s** thustra” for “Zarathustra.” ---
**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:** [July 10, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/296 "2004-07-10T06:37:58Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I forgot to mention: Did anyone notice the wrong answer they let him get away with the other night? The answer to one question was Dr. Scholl (of the footwear), but Ken answered “Scholls.” The products get the possessive, “Scholl’s,” but the guy’s name (which was the correct answer) is Scholl. > > I don’t think they normally let people get away with a mistake like this. Just tonight they didn’t allow “Zara **s** thustra” for “Zarathustra.” True, I’ve noticed they let some things go. Most of the time it’s been minor mispronunciation, though. I thought they would have let “Zarasthustra” slide, especially when they let the other guy correct himself: “George the third - second.” Usually they’ll only take the first thing you say. ---
**Author:** ![krojack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@krojack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krojack)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/297 "2004-07-10T07:28:00Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > True, I’ve noticed they let some things go. Most of the time it’s been minor mispronunciation, though. I thought they would have let “Zarasthustra” slide, especially when they let the other guy correct himself: “George the third - second.” Usually they’ll only take the first thing you say. Also on Ken’s 13th appearance or so, he failed to respond in the form of a question and it slipped by the judges. Maybe there’s a vast conspiracy. Maybe they’re paying them off, or maybe they just have a lot of interns on board. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/298 "2004-07-10T11:34:34Z")
We’ve covered that, actually. Replay shows that he did indeed form a question, but Alex talked over Ken’s quiet “What is…”. And another poster pointed out that question forming typically is not strictly enforced except in Double Jeopardy anyway. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/299 "2004-07-10T12:26:53Z")
I could have sworn he didn’t put the final “s” on “Ride of the Valkyries,” but I might have mis-heard. It does seem like they’re giving him the benefit of the doubt though. And didn’t he hint last week that he wanted to become a writer for Jeopardy! (though he may have said it in jest)? He mentioned that he “had to do this first.” ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/300 "2004-07-10T13:48:36Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > True, I’ve noticed they let some things go. Most of the time it’s been minor mispronunciation, though. I thought they would have let “Zarasthustra” slide, especially when they let the other guy correct himself: “George the third - second.” Usually they’ll only take the first thing you say. They allow a quick change as long as two conditions are present:[ol][_]Alex hasn’t responded, and [_]the allowed response time, as shown on the lights on each podium, hasn’t expired.[/ol]At least that’s what I’ve observed, and the “third…second” response as I remember it seems to have satisfied those conditions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842.md?page=16)