Ken Jennings faced significant backlash from “Jeopardy!” viewers during a recent episode. Paul Clauson, a tax analyst from Madison Heights, Michigan, returned to the game aiming to build on his previous day's earnings of $15,201. He competed against Jonelle Lonergan, a product manager from Boston, Massachusetts, and Amy Fleenor, an attorney from Cleveland, Ohio.
Jennings kicked off the “Jeopardy!” round with a special category dedicated to the newly released “Wicked” movie. Stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo introduced the category, followed by a pre-recorded message from director Jon M. Chu: “Before I even directed ‘Wicked’, I could envision it up on the big screen.” He continued, “And now, we invite audiences to step inside the magical world of Oz to enjoy this type of nine-letter experience.”
Clauson was the first to attempt the clue, guessing “wonderful,” which matched the nine-letter requirement and alluded to the famous phrase from the “Wizard of Oz.” However, Jennings deemed it incorrect. Lonergan then buzzed in with the correct response: “What is Immersive?”
Viewers took to social media to express their confusion and frustration, questioning why certain answers were not accepted. “I’m tired of these incredibly confusing categories just to plug something like a movie. Really unfair to the contestants who are not technically wrong,” one person commented. Another added, “Is it just me or is that absolutely not pinned at all? What makes Paul’s guess of ‘wonderful’ (as in ‘wonderful wizard’) wrong?”
As the game progressed to Final Jeopardy!, Clauson led with $21,200, far ahead of Lonergan’s $8,000 and Fleenor’s $6,800. The category was “AMERICAN WOMEN,” and the clue was: “In 1900 she told a Mr. Dobson, ‘Get out of the way. I don’t want to strike you, but I am going to break up this den of vice.’” Only Lonergan correctly answered, “Who was Carrie Nation?” Her total rose to $15,999, but it wasn’t enough to catch Clauson, who strategically wagered only $1, ending with $21,099 and a two-day total of $36,300.
“Wicked” is now showing in theaters.
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