# Who else hurls insults at Alex Trebek? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815 "2011-07-30T05:54:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [July 30, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/21 "2011-07-30T19:30:47Z")
I could have sworn we covered this in a fairly recent thread. My wife and I have watched Jeopardy forever, and have managed to enjoy it in spite of Trebek. We can’t stand him. Hated him from the get-go, and over the years he’s only gotten more smug, condescending, patronizing, sexist, and braggy. Other quibbles with the show: - Meet the contestants (1). A waste of time to begin with, made worse by AT. Supposedly a little something about the players, but Trebek always makes the mini-interviews about himself, never failing to mention (or suggest) how much he knows about their field of expertise, how he’s also been wherever they’ve been, also has/had does/did whatever they have. I assume he thinks he’s being subtle and gracious. - Meet the contestants (2). If they’re going to have the segment, turn off the damn music and applause sign before AT starts in on the first contestant. - The Clue Crew. The dumbing down part of the game. The momentum of the game is destroyed as everything screeches to a near halt. Overly contrived, verbose clues that take three or four times longer to present than plain old regular clues. Small wonder there are clues and sometimes even entire categories left at the buzzer. Worse still when it’s celebrity Clue Crew (Oprah, Newspaper Journalists, etc.), or Trebek/Clue Crew in Jerusalem or the Galapagos, or shilling for some sponsored event. - What is it with Jeopardy and Europoean (especially British) Royalty categories? Enough already. - Far too much already with The Bible categories. OK. I feel better now. . ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/22 "2011-07-30T19:40:38Z")
I once tried to think up what would be the lamest interview anecdote ever, and came up with: “When i get my mail, I always look to see if there are any upside down stamps”. Soon after a contestant said something alarmingly similar 😛 ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/23 "2011-07-30T19:57:57Z")
I think there’s a more than reasonable chance that when Alex retires, his replacement will be Ken Jennings. If you read Ken’s book and/or visit his website - that’s a good thing, as he has a great sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/24 "2011-07-30T20:01:49Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > My only problem with the show is the “let’s get to know the contestants” bit after the first commercial break. Nobody cares if Jill from Sioux Falls does crafts. Shut the hell up and get back to the trivia. I usually do something else when Trebek’s talking with the contestants. Do something on my computer, or go to the bathroom, etc. I also don’t see what the problem with Trebek is. He does his job well enough as far as I can see. And as for the _Jeopardy!_ questions, I don’t find them especially easy, but of course 1) I’m dumber than the rest of you 😉 and 2) I’m not American, or even an native English speaker, so some of them fall somewhat outside of my cultural scope. If I ever wanted to go on the show, there are a few categories I’d have to study. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/25 "2011-07-30T20:06:14Z")
My tenant and I usually watch Jeopardy together, and we frequently insult Trebek for pretending to know the answer to all the questions the contestants did not. Also for the introductory chit-chat with the contestants. It never occurred to me before now that it might be even more annoying if he read the correct answers in a tone of voice that suggested he didn’t always know. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/26 "2011-07-30T20:29:59Z")
We don’t watch Jeopardy, but we do hurl insults at Nick Cannon on America’s Got Talent. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/27 "2011-07-30T21:21:57Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > (I call it Geo Party too - what’s wrong with us?) Jeopardy is the act committed by a jeopard. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/28 "2011-07-30T21:37:01Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > I think there’s a more than reasonable chance that when Alex retires, his replacement will be Ken Jennings. I think the same thing. And a part of me can’t wait, Jennings is awesome. But as for people saying Jeopardy is too easy nowadays, go back to some of the earliest shows on J! Archive. The questions don’t look harder and, in fact, a lot of them seem pretty easy. And you think it goes slow today? In the first episode, seven questions were left on the board in the first round and six in the second. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/29 "2011-07-30T21:46:32Z")
Well, I’ll give Alex Trebek full marks for poking fun at himself and _Jeopardy_ on _Cheers_ and _Saturday Night Live._ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/30 "2011-07-31T02:59:58Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > 1. I’m not American, or even an native English speaker, so some of them fall somewhat outside of my cultural scope. If I ever wanted to go on the show, there are a few categories I’d have to study. You might get lucky, though, or you might get buried. Some nights I just rip off 20 answers in a row without trying, and then the next night I’m stumped over and over and feel like a moron. If I get the call I don’t think I can study enough about art, poetry or music to stand a chance in hell if it’s a night heavy on those categories. I’d get smushed. There’s luck involved. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/31 "2011-07-31T03:35:52Z")
“Who else hurls insults at Alex Trebek?” Only when I forget to take my anti-psychotic meds. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/32 "2011-07-31T04:05:42Z")
[For **jjimm**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_on_Ice) - > [@](#): > > Stars on Ice was also a television series, broadcast from 1976 to 1981 on the CTV Television Network in Canada, hosted by Alex Trebek (1976–1980) So there you go - he did exist before Jeopardy. All us Canadians were like, "Hey, it’s the guy from “Stars on Ice” hosting “Jeopardy!” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/33 "2011-07-31T04:11:07Z")
I have no clear memories of _Stars on Ice_, but I did enjoy watching a pre-J Trebek in _High Rollers_. And, no, I never felt compelled to throw insults at him. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/34 "2011-07-31T04:23:48Z")
OOoooh, look at Mr. I Remember _High Rollers!_ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/35 "2011-07-31T05:01:30Z")
_Definition_, too! And I have a great-aunt and -uncle who were on _The Mad Dash_. Decades later, long after the uncle had died and the aunt moved to an assisted-living facility, I found one of their prizes - a never-used waterpick. I used it for a while, but I guess being stored away for 30 years wasn’t good for the seals, and it soon started leaking everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/36 "2011-07-31T05:24:06Z")
Too bad they didn’t win any Rice-a-roni (wasn’t that always the prize on _Definition_?). ---
**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 31, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/37 "2011-07-31T16:45:16Z")
I have no problem with Trebek; I think Ken Jennings would be intolerable, though. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/38 "2011-07-31T17:37:00Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > My tenant and I usually watch Jeopardy together, and we frequently insult Trebek for pretending to know the answer to all the questions the contestants did not. Yes. - The $200 clue is “This region of North Africa is hot and dry” - None of the contestants ring in. - Trebek doesn’t say “Sahara Desert” Instead he says “the _famous_ Sahara Desert” \ “Beautiful place.” Telling the players that they _should_ have known it, _and_ that he’s been there. He comes _that_ close to saying “Sahara Desert, _obviously_.” . ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/39 "2011-07-31T17:45:52Z")
I enjoyed it with Art Fleming, but I don’t think he is coming back to do it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815/40 "2011-07-31T17:49:25Z")
Most of the questions are fairly easy, although it’s funny how often they have some absurd one that few people would ever know. I struggle on categories that have to do with Broadway and Opera, but otherwise I find that the real challenge of Jeopardy is to guess the answers just by knowing the categories. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-hurls-insults-at-alex-trebek/590815.md?page=3)