‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Bash Ken Jennings Over Controversial Ruling
Every game show has a set of rules that have to be followed strictly. However, there are instances where the host has to decide whether the answer is acceptable or not. Something similar happened on Jeopardy! where the host Ken Jennings had to make a decision and fans aren’t happy about his ruling. What was this controversial ruling all about? Why are fans riled up? Keep reading to find out more!
Ken Jennings Allows An Unacceptable Final Jeopardy! Answer
On Monday, the permanent host Ken allowed an unacceptable-looking answer leaving fans furious over the decision. This answer was written by the show’s 2-day champion Emmett Stanton which fans thought wouldn’t be accepted.
[Source: YouTube]
Jeopardy! Season 39 premiered on September 12, 2022, with Ken Jennings as the permanent host designated to host until January. After that, Mayim Bialik will take over and host the rest of the season. While Ken Jennings hosts Season 39, Mayim will be busy hosting Celebrity Jeopardy! which premieres on September 25, 2022.
Ken Jennings Accused Of Favoritism In Jeopardy! Season 39
As per The Sun, this is Ken’s first week as the official Jeopardy! host. Last week on Wednesday, the 48-year-old made headlines after he allowed one Jeopardy! contestant to correct his answer while cutting off another. With the game show’s integrity at stake, the latest Jeopardy! episode saw Ken Jennings accept a response that was dubbed as terrible by the online community.
[Source: YouTube]
Freelance writer, Emmett Stanton faced Suzanne Goss and Jason Freeman in the latest episode. On Friday, Emmett won his first game after beating Jeopardy!’s 5-day champion, Luigi de Guzman. As the trio entered the Final Jeopardy! round, the scores were:
- Jason: $8,400
- Suzanne: $8,600
- Emmett: $8,000
“The governor of Massachusetts wrote, it ‘is a poor document, but a might act…wrong in its delay till January, but grand & sublime after all,” read the Final Jeopardy! clue.
Jeopardy! Host Accepts Emmett’s Illegible Handwriting
The final round of the game show asks players to hand-write their answers and chooses the amount they are willing to risk. Emmett wagered and put all of his winnings on the line. As the contestant revealed his response, it seemed to be the correct answer, “Emancipation Proclamation.”
[Source: YouTube]
Although the first word was visible clearly, the second word was beyond recognition. It was clear from Emmett’s hesitant smile that he knew the response wasn’t going to pass. However, to both the contestants’ and viewers’ surprise, Ken Jennings gave it a thumbs up. If one goes by technicality, it was Suzanne who would have won the round if Ken didn’t accept Emmett’s answer.
[Source: YouTube]
Furious over this decision, Jeopardy! fans took to Reddit as one wrote, “I’m not sure how the judges accepted the writing on Final Jeopardy today. The first half worked, but the second… whew.”
[Source: Reddit]
“There’s no possible way to translate that last half into Proclamation, regardless of observed intent,” wrote another.
A third chimed in, “I am surprised they accepted Emmett’s FJ response. That was very illegible to my eyes. (not to downtalk the contestant, because panic would likely make me do the same chickenscratch).”
Season 38’s Sadie Goldberger Gets A Second Chance
This isn’t the first time a hand-written error has happened on Jeopardy! Last season, Sadie Goldberger lost to Megan Wachpress after the former’s Final Jeopardy! response ‘Harriet Tubman’ was declared incomplete.
[Source: YouTube]
Fans felt that the contestant’s ruling was unfair. However, Goldberger is now getting another chance with the Second Chance Tournament slated to premiere in October.
What do you think of Ken Jennings’ latest ruling? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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The response was acceptable. Stop writing about stuff you don’t know anything about.