Jeopardy of the Flies
We watch “Jeopardy” here at The Collegian.
We save it for the end of a grueling production-night schedule. “Jeopardy” is one of the few times we change the channel from CNN or the occasional Sunday night football game.
We figure it’s warranted, anyway. For most of us, Alex Trebek comes on at the end of a solid four to six hours of editing, layout and more editing.
I only write this because the editors were on their A-game last night. Opinion Editor Matt “This-is-my-B-game” Gomes did especially well, even for him.
Co-Sports Editor Jimmy Graben made a shout-out or two against the ease of the questions. He’s usually conspicuously silent when the “Jeopardy” time of the night strikes.
Of course, it’s also kids’ week this week. One category involved colors, and another involved playground equipment.
They looked like eighth graders, though, and the questions weren’t all that easy all the time.
One question in the playground category asked about a specific London-based exhibit, where a giant few of these were shown.
“What is a slide?” the eventual winner asked correctly.
It helps when they show pictures.
This kid was too much for me, though. He won the game based on his wide and varied understanding of brand names, entertainment news and pop culture.
The other two kids didn’t do nearly as well — their strengths lay with either a legitimate and tough state capitols category or an even harder one that might have been titled, “Frustrating and Ingenious Puns.”
They didn’t stand a chance against a kid who could ask questions about Nickelodeon or Shrek 3.
“Final Jeopardy” was a relatively hard, too. Its answer involved going due west across the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles, and thinking what foreign country you’d hit first.
“What is Japan?” correctly asked one of the losers. He received a modest bump in his cash box, and scattered applause.
The winner had the smug little winner’s smile. Unknowing that he wouldn’t lose any money, I groaned.
“What is Guam?” asked the victor. My heart leapt at that there could be truth and justice in the universe, but he bet nothing this round — it didn’t answer what his question was.
The little chitlin even put up the horns in jubilation of his uninspiring win.
Is this what we teach our kids with primetime gameshows? Pretty much. The next game show said it best.
Picture Vanna White posing in front of a platoon or two of military folk, and all except White stood at attention in full dress uniform.
“Tonight on Wheel of Fortune, we have an American tradition,” she said. “Cash!” ****
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