# 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:** 80
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1581 "2020-11-24T20:25:05Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > If Ken Jennings is the _permanent_ host, I predict this is the end of _Jeopardy!_ Nah. Case in Point: I have _profound_ respect and admiration for how Trebek handled things these past 19 months. He showed tremendous courage, strength, determination, and class. But even as I came to admire him, having watched Jeopardy since the Fleming years I simply could not stand Alex as host. (Never mind why, it doesn’t matter.) That never stopped me from watching and enjoying the program. Edit: I just noticed your post from 2 minues ago. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1582 "2020-11-24T20:31:55Z")
Why do people dislike the idea of Ken Jennings _as a host_? ---
**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:** [November 24, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1583 "2020-11-24T20:43:23Z")
Because he has a relatively flat affect and a bit of a lisp. And a dull personality. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1584 "2020-11-24T20:53:12Z")
Ah, thanks! ---
**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:** [November 24, 2020, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1585 "2020-11-24T21:30:54Z")
To be fair, I had a lot of problems with Trebek as a host. And I think many others do, too. But, I still don’t think Ken would be a good host. I still watch the show every day, though. But I like it in spite of Alex, not because of him, ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1586 "2020-11-24T21:56:04Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Why do people dislike Ken Jennings? I find him insufferable on GSN’s Master Minds. I figure the little bits of insights from the “Masters” are actually written by someone for them to read. They’re awful. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1587 "2020-11-24T22:36:11Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Why do people dislike Ken Jennings? I don’t like the cut of his jib. Sorry, that’s all I got, but it may be enough to keep me from watching. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1588 "2020-11-26T16:46:49Z")
As an addendum to my post about rule changes being unlikely, I’d like to add one rather obvious point I forgot to include and one minor rule change I would recommend that wouldn’t change game play at all, but would make things a little fairer. From the producers’ POV, the main reason for not letting the losing players keep their cash is that it would cost **a lot** more money. The losing players’ final totals are often in the tens of thousands, compared to the fixed $3,000 they pay out per game now. Back in the original version, paying off the losers in cash was proportionately much less expensive. So the rule change I think would be appropriate would be to raise the payments to the second- and third-place players, doubling or even tripling the current amounts. The reason is that IME, a cross-country trip and stay in L. A. for a couple of days could easily end up as a losing proposition for the third-place player, especially when you account for taxes. Of course, this was probably also true back when they only got gifts, at least for third place. My second-place prize in 1991 was a seven-day Disney World/Bahamas cruise combo with a value of around $4,000 (IIRC), although, of course, the taxes on it ate into the $7,201 I won on my first show. But third place was a lot less valuable. Back then, and even now, depending on how far they had to travel and how they managed lodgings in L. A., appearing on _Jeopardy!_ has probably _cost_ many third-placers hundreds of bucks or more. So come on, Sony: bump up those consolation prizes! ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1589 "2020-11-26T17:56:08Z")
I like Jennings and find him entertaining as a contestant, but I would agree that he doesn’t really have the “television host” personality or voice. Apropos of nothing, is it me or did Trebek’s handling of the “get to know the contestants” segment after the first break decline over the years? I have the vague recollection that in the 80s and 90s, he was much more engaging, and often had an insightful follow-up question or comment, whereas in more recent years, he just kind of let them say their piece, replied “okay, good for you,” and moved on. Sadly, that would certainly be consistent with the decline in quickness of wit that comes with age, but it could also be that in the 80s and 90s I was a child/teenager and thus more easily impressed… Anyone else notice the change, or was I imagining things all along? ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1590 "2020-11-28T02:14:19Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Apropos of nothing, is it me or did Trebek’s handling of the “get to know the contestants” segment after the first break decline over the years? I have the vague recollection that in the 80s and 90s, he was much more engaging, and often had an insightful follow-up question or comment, whereas in more recent years, he just kind of let them say their piece, replied “okay, good for you,” and moved on. Sadly, that would certainly be consistent with the decline in quickness of wit that comes with age, but it could also be that in the 80s and 90s I was a child/teenager and thus more easily impressed… Anyone else notice the change, or was I imagining things all along? I haven’t watched the show live now in quite a few years, so I don’t know. But it must be at least twenty years since “Harper’s Index”, near the front of Harper’s magazine, one month transcribed a sampler of these interviews under the headline “World’s Smallest Talk.” And it lived up to its billing. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1591 "2020-11-28T03:06:12Z")
Minor correction to my post just above: Harper’s “Readings”, not “Index”. The index is that page of statistics, "factor by which _x_ exceeds _y_, and such like. It’s been a while since I read Harper’s, also. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1592 "2020-11-28T22:59:52Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > What changes do you expect? I do not have any guesses what, if anything, the producers are planning. All I was trying to say is that the roll-out of the new host would be the perfect opportunity for the producers to introduce any changes that they’ve already been considering. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1593 "2020-12-01T20:43:31Z")
I had a couple of successes in the past few weeks in my family’s side game of “Guess the Final Jeopardy answer based on the Category”. 18th Century Americans was one, I guessed Ben Franklin. The question was a quote about thunderbolts and tyrants. I didn’t even think it was that hard, probably because there were only six of them 😁 ( that I could think of, at least) and it pretty much came down to Washington, Hamilton Franklin, Revere, Hancock or Betsy Ross, And I came up with Magna Carta in the category historic documents. But considering I hadn’t won this game in 8 months, it was a good run. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1594 "2020-12-01T21:09:46Z")
> [@Steven\_Maven](#): > > > [@Wheelz](#): > > > > What changes do you expect? > > I do not have any guesses what, if anything, the producers are planning. All I was trying to say is that the roll-out of the new host would be the perfect opportunity for the producers to introduce any changes that they’ve already been considering. One change that I wouldn’t mind seeing is a, say, 10% penalty for correct responses if the contestant’s inflection is indicative of a guess. With a corresponding decrease in the penalty for wrong guesses. Responses that sound like the contestant is guessing drive me up the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1595 "2020-12-01T22:10:07Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > a, say, 10% penalty for correct responses if the contestant’s inflection is indicative of a guess. That would be more than a bit subjective, no? IIRC, a fair number of the answers given by Ken Jennings contained an inflection that sounded like a guess. Of course, they were almost always the correct answer. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1596 "2020-12-01T23:00:00Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > IIRC, a fair number of the answers given by Ken Jennings contained an inflection that sounded like a guess. Of course, they were almost always the correct answer. It’s an affectation. 'Oh gee whiz, am I really that smart?" ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1597 "2020-12-01T23:10:25Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > It’s an affectation. 'Oh gee whiz, am I really that smart?" Sometimes, probably. But sometimes it’s “I’m 75% sure of this answer, but I don’t know it cold.” and sometimes it’s “The word ‘juggernaut’ just popped into my head. So I’m going with it.” ---
**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:** [December 1, 2020, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1598 "2020-12-01T23:56:07Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > And I came up with Magna Carta in the category historic documents. I got that one, too. My best ever was for the category “Alliterative Athletes”. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1599 "2020-12-02T01:23:35Z")
Did I miss something? Did they ask if the Flying Dutchman was doomed to sail the North Sea? I thought it was Cape Horn. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1600 "2020-12-02T05:25:40Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > I had a couple of successes in the past few weeks in my family’s side game of “Guess the Final Jeopardy answer based on the Category”. We play this as well. (And I got that one too). > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > My best ever was for the category “Alliterative Athletes”. Cassius Clay? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=79) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=81)