# The Jeopardy thread \[was James Holzhauer\]\[contains spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [April 17, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696 "2019-04-17T21:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 66
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1301 "2020-08-16T17:25:35Z")
They should have said how they decided. In this case, she was the Champion so maybe that was the reason. I wonder what they would have done if the 2 Challengers were tied. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1302 "2020-08-27T14:25:23Z")
I’m watching the Vault episodes. Two comments: One: in the introductory segments, why does Alex Trebek look like Bill Clinton? What did he do to his eyes? Two: When are we actually going to get a “Potent Potables” category? It’s been a joke for so long - I want to see what the big deal was. ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1303 "2020-09-03T16:52:39Z")
Excuse my delay. During the Finals of The College Tournament (I forget which night), at the end of the first round, 2 of the players were tied for second place. When they came back from the break, Trebek announced which one would go first in Double Jeopardy, but did not state how they decided. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1304 "2020-09-03T16:56:28Z")
I think the person who gave the last correct response gets to go first when they come back from a break. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1305 "2020-09-04T00:56:00Z")
Something I’ve noticed from watching Jeopardy 5 nights a week this year (with that including episodes from past seasons,) that I never realized as a mere casual viewer before, is that the Jeopardy writers have pet topics. Here are a few I can think of: 1. Langston Hughes. If the clue mentions anything about a Harlem poet, it’s Langston Hughes. 2. The Adriatic Sea. If they ask about a sea of the Mediterranean, it’s the Adriatic Sea. 3. The book _Fear of Flying_ by Erica Jong. Not sure if there’s a particular way this gets asked about, but it’s come up multiple times. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1306 "2020-09-04T06:31:21Z")
In the early seasons there were a couple categories that were kind of running gags. I remember “wood” and “those darn Etruscans”. I don’t know if they were pet subjects of any particular writer, though. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1307 "2020-09-04T14:57:42Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > The book _Fear of Flying_ by Erica Jong. Not sure if there’s a particular way this gets asked about, but it’s come up multiple times. I read this the same day I watched an old episode where they used the book as the question to the answer “aviophobia”. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2020, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1308 "2020-09-10T00:40:06Z")
I’m not going to claim it’s universal, but more shows than not have at least one clue that references Canada, presumably because Alex is from there. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1309 "2020-09-10T02:53:07Z")
As I understand it, _Jeopardy!_ has always considered itself a show aimed at both Americans and Canadians, with roughly the same number of questions about each country (adjusted for population). It also has contestants from both countries. Thus it is not an American show that just incidentally happens to be shown in Canada. However, this changed early this year, when the show quit accepting Canadian contestants for some reason that wasn’t explained very well. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1310 "2020-09-10T22:42:20Z")
Two things that surprised me this week. First, a couple days ago the clue was something like “another word for an event that occurs every 8760 hours” and someone rang in and said “weekly” (the correct response being “annually”). Now, I’m not saying I could just spit out the number of hours in a year, but I do know there are 168 hours in a week. And even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t think it was thousands! (I feel like someone else might have also rung in to say “monthly”, which is also not too good.) Unsurprisingly, she did not do well overall. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Then in today’s FJ, Alex described the clue, about one of the first recorded autopsies showing 23 stab wounds, as very difficult (he said something like “don’t feel bad if you didn’t know it”), and indeed all three missed it (not that it mattered since it was a runaway game). But I thought it was a relatively easy one. Just me? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1311 "2020-09-10T22:51:07Z")
I guessed the autopsy response. Brian ---
**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:** [September 10, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1312 "2020-09-10T23:01:14Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > …this year, when the show quit accepting Canadian contestants for some reason that wasn’t explained very well. Didn’t know that. Could it be that Canadian contestants wouldn’t be allowed back into Canada without a multi-week quarantine? And that the Jeopardy! producers don’t want to get involved with the logistics of that? Anyway, the big news, of course, is Monday’s premiere of the new season: > [@](#): > > …As host Alex Trebek gears up to return to a redesigned set, “Jeopardy!” has tapped its all-time champ, Ken Jennings, as a consulting producer. > > … [Jennings] joins the iconic quiz show to present his own video categories, develop projects, assist with contestant outreach and serve as a general ambassador for the show, according to a Thursday statement from producers. > > The syndicated game show returns with all-new episodes in its 37th season on Sept. 14. Jennings will make his video-category debut Sept. 15. … > > The 80-year-old Trebek, who’s been the face of the series for 36 years, will remain at his iconic lectern as he continues cancer treatment. … > **['Jeopardy!' will look a little different when it resumes](https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/tv-radio/2020/09/09/Jeopardy-Alex-Trebek/stories/202009090025)** > > As host Alex Trebek gears up to return to a redesigned set, “Jeopardy!” has tapped its all-time champ, Ken Jennings, as a consulting producer. > The... ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1313 "2020-09-11T00:27:09Z")
I got it immediately, as noted upthread. JC was really the only historical figure to fit the description: a victim important enough to have had an autopsy done long, long ago, and one covered with puncture wounds. It’s fairly well known that Caesar was stabbed to death by a gang of Senators. _ **Jeopardy!** _ seldom pulls really obscure personalities out of a hat to befuddle the contestants. They can almost always be identified with some lateral thinking. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1314 "2020-09-11T23:01:30Z")
So it’s not just me. I wonder then why Alex treated it as such a stumper and was proved correct among those three? I started watching again this week because I thought this was the week things were restarting. I was wondering why I didn’t see Jennings. They are saying “Alex is still the host”, but is there anyone who doesn’t think Jennings is being groomed to replace him long (or medium) term? ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2020, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1315 "2020-09-15T23:34:18Z")
Today’s FJ “answer” (category “Music Biz”) was something like “This Detroit music producer retired in 2019 after 60 years in the business”. The two highest scorers both guessed wrong, and both wagered $0. The low score guessed “Barry Gordy”, and was called incorrect (his name is “Berry Gordy”). If she had answered simply “Gordy”, or “B. Gordy”) would she have been called correct? I usually (always?) see when last names only are supplied, they are called correct. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1316 "2020-09-16T00:00:35Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > The low score guessed “Barry Gordy”, and was called incorrect (his name is “Berry Gordy”). Usually spelling doesn’t count, unless Alex says otherwise before they begin. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1317 "2020-09-16T00:10:25Z")
Very likely. Last names are usually enough. The rule is that spelling doesn’t count, unless the misspelling would change the pronunciation. I wonder if this is a result of the Mary-merry-marry merger? To me, “Barry” and “Berry” would be pronounced identically. I imagine there are some people who would pronounce them differently, though. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1318 "2020-09-16T10:57:02Z")
So any speculation on Ken Jennings joining the show as a “consulting producer”? Washington Post ran an article on the change [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/09/15/jeopardy-returns-ken-jennings-producer/) (paywall warning). ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1319 "2020-09-16T14:33:20Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > I wonder if this is a result of the Mary-merry-marry merger? To me, “Barry” and “Berry” would be pronounced identically. I imagine there are some people who would pronounce them differently, though. The Jeopardy twitter account is saying that “Barry” and “Berry” are two different names. (I’m one of those people who pronounces them the same - so to me, it looks like a spelling mistake. But it’s their game. They’re sticking with it, and it had no effect on the outcome.) ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1320 "2020-09-16T14:34:01Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > The rule is that spelling doesn’t count, unless the misspelling would change the pronunciation. This is what I thought too. She would have still finished third if she’d been ruled correct, but I think she got a bum deal there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=65) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=67)