Jeopardy is one of the most beloved game shows in television history. Viewers have been tuning in for over 30 years to watch the quiz show and play along at home. As much as we love to learn new trivia and watch big wins, sometimes the moments of failure are just as enjoyable. On occasion, a contestant will give an answer to a clue that is so wrong it’s almost right.
Sharpest Tool In The Shed
Ken Jennings is a game show legend. Usually when he’s brought up it’s to praise his incredible winning streaks. One of the most memorable moments of his Jeopardy career was slightly less flattering. Ken chose an answer under the category “Tool Time.” The answer read: “This term for a long-handled gardening tool can also mean an immoral pleasure seeker.” Seemingly without hesitation, Ken buzzed in. He had an answer and he was confident, a hoe. Alex Trebek, ever the consummate professional, indicated that was not the answer they were looking for and almost moved on before he realized what had been said. Everyone on set had a great laugh and the wholesome Ken Jennings got a little edgier.
Wrong On Many Levels
Jeopardy is meant to be a family show. That hasn’t stopped a few contestants from spicing things up with incredibly wrong answers. On one such occasion, the category seemed innocuous enough. It was simply titled “Punch.” How much trouble could that get a contestant in? Apparently plenty. The answer given was “This blow to the back of the neck is the punch named for this animal.”
A plucky contestant named Mike buzzes in to ask “What is a donkey?” That was not the answer Alex was looking for. The next contestant asks, “What is a rabbit?” and wins the round. Mike revealed a lot about himself during his Jeopardy appearance. It’s best not to Google this one for clarity. You’ll find yourself on a part of the internet that you can’t talk about on Jeopardy.
A Family Show
Celebrity Jeopardy is often a source of memorable moments. When Kareem Abdul Jabbar appeared as a contestant, the show certainly got more interesting. Kareem was the tallest contestant on the show up to that point and he certainly elevated the game. When given the Answer “The 5 movie ratings in the U.S. are NC-17, R, PG, PG-13 & This one.” He buzzed in and asked, “What is X?” Alex immediately began poking fun at the NBA star. He reminded Kareem that Jeopardy was meant to be a family show. Not only was his answer wrong, but the clue should have saved him from his faux pas. The NC-17 rating mentioned in the answer replaced the former “X”.
Another Dimension
Writing your final answer on Jeopardy must be one of the most stressful experiences a person can have. The pressure is on as millions of people around the world watch you shoot your shot for the highest stakes. The sinking feeling contestants must have when the final clue is revealed and they realize they have no idea what answer the producers are looking for.
One young contestant’s final jeopardy answer was: “The original one of these on Massachusetts’ Little Brewster Island was built in 1716: Automation didn’t come until 1998.” Jared had one dollar and he had a choice to make. He chose to make a power move. During Alex Trebek’s cameo on Family Guy, Adam West is stumped and chooses to write Alex Trebek’s name backwards as his answer. This teleports Trebek to the 5th dimension. Jarod attempted to escape Final Jeopardy by doing the same. Unfortunately for Jarod, this didn’t work in real life.
Do The Locomotion
Sweet, summer child, Christine made a name for herself on the internet when she answered the following clue: “It made zoological news in 2008 when Asian mouse deer were seen escaping predators by this means of locomotion.” She buzzed in first and asked, “What is a train?” A mouse deer is a tiny mammal with hooves. The mental image of a small heard of them boarding a miniature train to escape predators is hilarious. The word “locomotion” must have really stuck out to her when she heard the clue.
What Are Sports?
“100+ assists in an NHL season has only been accomplished only 13 times, 11 times by this player.” Contestant Joe thinks he knows the answer and buzzes in. “Who is Magic Johnson?” asks Joe. Alex tried to contain his smile as he informed him the question was about hockey, not basketball. It seems Joe needs to brush up on his sports acronyms.
Holy Hymns
Not having any idea what to write as your answer to the final jeopardy clue is nerve-wracking. Many contestants will write in an answer they know is wrong just to show that they gave an effort. The clue was “A Christian hymn and a Jewish holiday hymn are both titled this, as well as the name of a 2009 Tony-nominated musical.” Contestant Choyon boldly wrote: “Kinky Boots.” We’d like to know what kind of services Choyon has been to that evoke the music of Cyndi Lauper and the story of a drag queen.
Mash-Up
Not everyone follows the same musical scene. It’s understandable that someone might not know everything there is to know about artists they don’t listen to. One unlucky contestant found herself faced with a clue about Jay-Z and his wife and she obviously wasn’t a fan.
“Beyonce and Jay-Z released the album ‘Everything Is Love’ under this collective name.” She tried her hardest and answered “Bey-Z.” While her mash-up almost makes sense, the correct answer seems obvious. “The Carters” is a pretty common way to refer to two people with that surname.
Is It Me?
Kareem Abdul Jabbar strikes again in this hilarious moment. When given the clue “Tell your old man to drag this 70s UCLA & Trail Blazer center (and Lanier) up and down the court for 48 minutes,” Kareem buzzes in and proudly asks “Who is Kareem Abdul Jabbar?” The most confusing part about this moment is that Kareem left UCLA in 1969.
Music Is Hard
As an image of Jack White appeared on the screen, the following clue was read aloud: “A recent vinyl resurgence has been aided by this musician who built a pressing plant in his Detroit hometown.” A contestant named Julie offered “Who is Eminem?” as her answer. Not everyone is a fan of Jack White’s distinctive style. Confusing him for Eminem is still a massive stretch.
