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‘Jeopardy!’ Host Claps Back at Fans on Social Media After Being Called Out

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Posted on by Thomas Hitchen 1 Comment
Alex Trebek (left) with Ken Jennings (right) holding 'Jeopardy!' trophy

Credit: ABC

Jeopardy! is currently in jeopardy as the hosting team falls apart and contestants walk out of a big upcoming event. Now, Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings has clapped back at fans on social media after being called out.

Ken Jennings (L) and Mayim Bialik (R) on the 'Jeopardy!' set
Credit: ABC

In late 2020, long-time Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek sadly passed away after a 19-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Following a string of hosts from the Jeopardy! family, and a controversial stint by Mike Richards, hosting duties landed on Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings.

The pair co-hosted the latter half of Season 38 of the syndicated game show and then went on to lead Season 39. Concurrently, The Big Bang Theory‘s Bialik hosts the ABC primetime specials Celebrity Jeopardy! and Jeopardy! National College Championship, while Jennings — a former champion of the show —  recently hosted Jeopardy! Masters.

Despite saying that he should never have replaced Trebek, Jennings is now hosting Bialik’s scheduled shows to close out Jeopardy! Season 39. Back in May, when the taping of the episodes was set to happen, Bialik stepped down from her hosting duties in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America strikes. Therefore, Jennings is now presenting her episodes.

Mayim Bialik holding Final Jeopardy card
Credit: ABC

Over the course of their short tenure, both hosts have been criticized for various things. Recently, Jennings was called out for seemingly encouraging a contestant to lose thousands, while Bialik has been shunned for inconsistent judging. The Jeopardy! Productions team even asked her to “tone it down” at one point.

And while Bialik seems to generate more criticism, with her currently out of hosting, all eyes are on Jennings.

In a recent episode, the host was called out on social media for not saying a name the correct way. This led to Jennings responding to the comment, and the back and forth spurred more discussion on the topic. For context, on a July episode of Jeopardy! one clue read: “The author of this unfinished epic poem was unsure if he wanted the title character to ‘end in hell—or in an unhappy marriage.'”

'Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings asking the Final Jeopardy! clue
Credit: ABC

Related: ‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Call Category the “Worst Thing the Show Has Done”

Toula Ballas was the only contestant to give the right answer of “Don Juan” — the famous poem by Lord Byron. Jennings confirmed Ballas’ answer by pronouncing “Don Juan” as “Don Joo-an.” Confirming his pronunciation “as Byron would have said it.”

But when checking on the other contestant’s answers, Jennings pronounced Don Juan not the Byron way, as in, he said it the correct way and some viewers picked up on it. @me0wmixlaura tweeted:

Hey @KenJennings on @Jeopardy please learn how to say correctly the final answers. Thanks. Don Juan isn’t said as is normally said and leviathan, smh… With luv, A former british lit English PhD candidate

After another viewer said they also picked up on the mispronunciation, the same user replied:

The Don Juan thing made me mad… I was like Byron did that purposely !!! And he messed it up. Nooooo… lol… Ken I love ya anyway

And that’s when Jennings swooped in and clapped back at the criticism. He wrote:

I said it the Byron way just for weirdos like you and this is the thanks I get?

Then it came back around:

Right Ken … right… actually, you didnt… I embrace my weirdness and geek out on literature and being educated… not just the business end and trivia end of jeopardy cheers! @JerryWasThere

Jennings then doubled down on his “weirdos” sentiment, replying:

I just looked at the clip. I said, “What is ‘Don JOO-in?’ as Byron would have pronounced it.” Went above and beyond for weird nerds.

It seems there was some debate about when and how Jennings pronounced Don Juan. In fact, as said earlier, he pronounced it both ways, which is where the online confusion seemed to stem from.

Jennings was reported to be tapped to host the Tournament of Champions, which would essentially kick off the Season 40 programming; however, due to the WGA strikes, contestants took to social media to condemn rumors that Jeopardy! Productions would bypass the strike action by reusing old clues.

Mayim Bialik on 'Jeopardy!' set
Credit: ABC

Related: ‘Jeopardy!’ Officials Speak out on “Painful” Episode, Fans Say It’s “One of the Worst Ever”

In a game show featuring written clues across Daily Doubles and rounds like Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy!, this rumored plan was shut down by the contestants that would be taking part. Just recently, producers Sony Pictures Television confirmed it would be delaying the event until strike issues had been resolved.

Do you think Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings should have clapped back at fans? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!

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Thomas Hitchen

When he’s not thinking about the Magic Kingdom, Thomas is usually reading a book, becoming desperately obsessed with fictional characters, or baking something delicious (his favorite is chocolate cake -- to bake and to eat). He's a dreamer and grew up on Mulan saving the world, Jim Hawkins soaring through the stars, and Padmé Amidala fighting a Nexu. At the Parks, he loves to ride Everest, stroll down Main Street with an overstuffed pin lanyard around his neck, and eat as many Mickey-shaped ice creams as possible. His favorite character is Han Solo (yes, he did shoot first), and his favorite TV show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer except when it's One Tree Hill. He loves sandy beach walks, forest hikes, and foodie days out in the Big City. Thomas lives in England, UK, with his fiancée, baby, and their dog, a Border Collie called Luna.

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