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Tag: Alex Trebek

  • Stephen Colbert Says Goodbye With Song, Prepares to Take Over for David Letterman

    Stephen Colbert bid the Colbert Report adieu in the days before Christmas, with his last show featuring a star studded sing along. The Comedy Central host will soon sit behind David Letterman’s desk on The Late Show, as he prepares to take over for the late night host some time in 2015.

    “If this is your first time tuning in to ‘The Colbert Report,’ I have some terrible news,” Colbert announced during the show’s finale. “This in fact is your last time tuning in to ‘The Colbert Report.’ Until 10 years from now, when they reboot it directed by J.J. Abrams.”

    “The truthiness is all those incredible things that people say I did — none of that was really me,” he added as he got ready to say goodbye. “You, the Nation, did all of that. I just got paid for it.”

    As a thank you, Stephen Colbert staged an elaborate farewell scene that featured him killing off death, a.k.a. “Grimmy,” with a handgun and becoming “immortal,” promising fans that “We’ll Meet Again.”

    He rounded up pretty much every celebrity he knows–from George Lucas to Sesame Street’s Big Bird–for a performance of “We’ll Meet Again,” just to prove his point.

    Then, accompanied by Santa Claus, Abraham Lincoln, and Alex Trebek, Stephen Colbert signed off, saying, “We’ve finally come to the end of ‘The Colbert Report.’ Nine great years, 1,447 wonderful episodes–I’ve just got too many people to thank. So I’ll just thank Mavis Staples. Mavis, if you could just call everybody tomorrow, that would be great. OK, that’s the show. From eternity, I’m Stephen Colbert.”

    Did you see Stephen Colbert retire from the Colbert Report? Are you looking forward to him taking the helm from David Letterman in 2015?

  • Alex Trebek Prepares to Celebrate 31 Years of ‘Jeopardy’

    On September 15, 2014, Alex Trebek celebrates his 31st year as host of Jeopardy.

    In June, CNN reported that Trebek entered the Guinness World Records for “most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter.” A record previously held by The Price is Right Host Bob Barker. Trebek’s current record stands at 6,829 shows over a 30 season span.

    Despite hosting Jeopardy since 1984, Trebek still enjoys his job and being part of the show. In the Guinness World Records’ accompanying video, he said that “it’s a fun show to do, and it’s a quality program that I never have to apologize for when I meet people. So there are no downsides.” Trebek said that he wants to continue to host the series for a few more years. His contract expires in 2016.

    In May the Hollywood Reporter asked him, “Do you feel confident the show will go on beyond you?” He responded by saying yes, and then mentioned Brad Rutter (the biggest Jeopardy money prize winner of all-time) as a possible replacement host.

    Brad Rutter, who was a contestant in our Battle of the Decades tournament. He’s got a good sense of humor and certainly broad-based knowledge that will help him immensely. And he has the credentials — he’s won two of our big tournaments: 1 million and 2 million dollars. So somebody like Brad.

    Trebek tapes Jeopardy two days a week, five shows a day. He told Linda Yu from ABC7 Chicago that he spends the commercial break answering questions from audience members. He believes that the star of the show isn’t him, but the contestants and Jeopardy watchers. Trebek also told Yu that he felt he couldn’t be a contestant on Jeopardy, because “I’m older now, my reflexes are slower. I couldn’t play the games as well…My memory is not what it used to be. I have forgotten a lot of stuff. I can’t recall it as quickly as I used to.”

    During his downtime from filming Jeopardy episodes, Trebek enjoys fixing things around his house. “I do electrical stuff, gardening, outdoor furniture cleaning and repair, you name it, I’ll do it,” said the Emmy Award winning host. Congrats to Trebek on his 31 years on Jeopardy. May he host many more years.

  • Alex Trebek Sets World Record As Longest Host

    Alex Trebek officially holds the world record for hosting the most episodes of a game show. He has hosted over 6,000 episodes of Jeopardy and is planning to host many more. Jeopardy will begin its 31st season this fall and Trebek has been hosting the show since 1984.

    Jeopardy was first aired from 1964 to 1979 and was hosted by Art Fleming. Trebek took over hosting in 1984 when the show was relaunched.

    “It’s an honor to hold the Guinness World Record for hosting ‘Jeopardy!,’ which I’ve often said is the best of reality TV,” Trebek said in a statement.

    There have been many rumors saying that Trebek is planning to retire as the host of Jeopardy, but Trebek says these rumors are not true.

    “Everybody’s speculating on my retirement, and I don’t know why,” Trebek said. “It’s silly. Somebody asked me if I’ve given any thoughts to retiring. Well, yes, I’ve given thoughts to retiring…. Everybody assumes from my having said that, that he’s retiring. Well, no. I’ve been thinking about it. So allow me to think about it.”

    When Trebek retires it may be a big deal to some people, but he says that he does not want it to be a major television event.

    “There won’t be any fanfare,” he said. “It’ll be like the time I shaved my mustache on a whim. I’ll just ask the director to leave me 20 or 30 seconds at the end of the program to say a few words and I’ll say a few words and thank people and be on my way.”

    Until Trebek does finally decide to retire, he will continue to grow the record and make it even harder to beat.

    Do you think Trebek will retire anytime soon and how long do you think he will hold the record?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alex Trebek Sets Record, Says He Isn’t Retiring

    Alex Trebek set a Guinness World Record on Friday for the most game show episodes hosted by a single presenter, but he says that all those episodes don’t mean he’s ready to go anywhere anytime soon.

    Trebek is actually the second host of Jeopardy!–Art Fleming was the original in the ’60s and ’70s–and has hosted 6,829 episodes of the popular game show. In 30 seasons, Trebek as never missed an episode other than the one he traded for April Fool’s Day with Pat Sajak.

    “It’s an honor to hold the Guinness World Record for hosting ‘Jeopardy!,’ which I’ve often said is the best of reality TV,” Trebek said.

    “This is special in the fact that it means I’ve been around for a long time. I have a couple of walls now that are dedicated to certificates, awards and all kinds of important photos —significant photos — from my career that I look at every once in a while … This one will go up alongside the others,” Trebek said.

    The host also addressed the rumors that he’s close to retirement, saying he has only said he’s given it some thought. And, he says, when he does decide to take his leave, he won’t make a big deal about it.

    “Everybody’s speculating on my retirement, and I don’t know why. It’s silly. Somebody asked me if I’ve given any thoughts to retiring. Well, yes, I’ve given thoughts to retiring…. Everybody assumes from my having said that, that he’s retiring. Well, no. I’ve been thinking about it. So allow me to think about it. There won’t be any fanfare. It’ll be like the time I shaved my mustache on a whim. I’ll just ask the director to leave me 20 or 30 seconds at the end of the program to say a few words and I’ll say a few words and thank people and be on my way,” he said.

    Of course, some of us are still hoping there will be a real-life Trebek/Connery showdown before he retires.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alex Trebek Sets Guinness World Record

    Alex Trebek has set a Guinness World Record, and may one day be a trivia question on his own game show.

    As of Friday, June 13, Trebek had hosted 6,829 episodes of Jeopardy!, which set the record for the “most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter (one show).”

    The early episodes of Jeopardy!, in the 1970s, were hosted by Art Fleming, with Don Pardo and John Harlan serving as the announcers. 73-year-old Trebek took over in 1984 and has hosted the show ever since. Jeopardy! is currently in its 30th season with the 31st scheduled to premiere in September. Throughout his career, Trebek has asked 416,569 official Jeopardy! questions.

    “It’s an honor to hold the Guinness World Record for hosting Jeopardy! which I’ve often said is the best of reality TV,” Alex said in a statement. In an accompanying video Trebek said, “It’s a fun show to do, and it’s a quality program that I never have to apologize for when I meet people.”

    Trebek’s current contract runs through 2016, and the media has speculated that he will enter retirement after that. However, Alex said that he is not sure what he wants to do. “Everybody’s speculating on my retirement, and I don’t know why,” Trebek said. “It’s silly. Somebody asked me if I’ve given any thoughts to retiring. Well, yes, I’ve given thoughts to retiring…. Everybody assumes from my having said that, that he’s retiring. Well, no. I’ve been thinking about it. So allow me to think about it.”

    Alex did reveal that when he does decide to retire, he won’t make it a big deal. “There won’t be any fanfare,” Trebek said. “It’ll be like the time I shaved my mustache on a whim. I’ll just ask the director to leave me 20 or 30 seconds at the end of the program to say a few words and I’ll say a few words and thank people and be on my way.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Magic Johnson Did Not Play In The NHL

    Magic Johnson Did Not Play In The NHL

    During Wednesday night’s episode of Jeopardy, a contestant’s answer to a question shocked host Alex Trebek, and gave him some ammo for a sly insult.

    The question came from the “Sports Superstars” category and read: “100+ assists in an NHL season has been accomplished only 13 times, 11 times by this player.”

    Joe’s answer: Magic Johnson. Apparently, he thought that the legendary basketball star was also an accomplished hockey player. While host Alex Trebek is normally very good at maintaining his composure during the game, he did slip in a remark as a response to Joe’s answer. “Oh no,” he said. “We’re talking about hockey, not the NBA.”

    Joe immediately realized that he had screwed up, and you could see the instant look of regret on his face. After managing a win against the other contestants, Joe took to Reddit to attempt to explain himself. “I totally missed the NHL part and focused on the assists,” he said. “Just a terribly embarrassing answer all around.” He posted a picture of his priceless face and wrote, “You can see me mouth the word ‘s**t’!”

    So, what was the correct answer? Wayne Gretzky. Fox Sports had some fun with this as well. After hearing Joe’s answer they wrote, “After doing some research we learned that Magic Johnson never played in the NHL. He was a basketball star.” It looks like Joe will never be able to live this one down.

    Image via Imgur

  • ‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Unseated After 11-Game Winning Streak

    After 11 straight wins that earned him $297,200, ‘Jeopardy!’ champ Arthur Chu finally bowed out of the game. He has become possibly the game show’s most controversial contestant for his playing strategy, in which he jumped around the board instead of going through the categories straight down.

    He ended his last game on Wednesday in third place with zero dollars, after betting all of that night’s $7,600 winnings on a question he failed to answer correctly. The Final Jeopardy question asked contestants to identify the last male monarch who had not been Prince of Wales. The answer was George VI, and only Diana Peloquin of Ann Arbor, Michigan got it right. She took the Jeopardy throne from Chu and went home with $15,700.

    Jeopardy Champ Arthur Chu’s Final Hurrah

    Chu’s renegade playing style both angered and awed the long-running game show’s fans, with some calling him a villain and others, a hero. Traditionalists commented he was unsportsmanlike, while others became inspired. During Wednesday’s game, Peloquin also used unconventional strategies to build up her lead, seemingly giving Chu a dose of his own medicine.

    Chu explains that the strategy is rooted in game theory, and was not actually revolutionary in terms of the game show. Chuck Forrest, who was a ‘Jeopardy!’ contestant in 1985, did the same thing, and became known for it so much that the game plan was labeled “Forrest Bounce.” Chu said that by being unpredictable, opponents are put off-balance, allowing for an initial advantage. The strategy increases a contestant’s chance of winning, and Chu said he saw no reason not to apply it.

    After his winning streak ended, Chu tweeted his thanks to his fans and announced that he would be doing an ‘Ask me Anything’ session on Reddit on Thursday. In an interview, Chu said he hopes his media exposure earns him greater opportunities as a voiceover artist.

    Chu has the third-biggest cash winnings in the game show’s history, after Eddie Thomas who won five consecutive times in 1999, and all-time champ Ken Jennings who reigned for 74 times straight in 2004.

    Arthur Chu Rocks Out On YouTube After Winning Nearly $300k

    Image via YouTube

  • Alex Trebek Takes Revenge Against Conan O’Brien

    Alex Trebek has been making headlines for his spunky behavior in addition to his well-known tenure as the host of Jeopardy. Earlier this year, the television personality made headlines for his ability to rap while explaining one of the categories on Jeopardy. Now, Mr. Trebek is making headlines again for a public light-hearted confrontation with another well-known, popular television personality.

    Conan O’Brien had originally aired a spoof performance of spliced together clips showing legendary 73-year-old television superstar Alex Trebek in a rather unpredictable light. In response, Trebek took a very public verbal swipe at 50-year-old late night comedian Conan O’Brien during a surprise guest appearance on the Late Night With Conan O’Brien show that seems to have generated quite a bit of attention.

    Mr. Trebek began the impromptu appearance with a greeting for the host. “Hello, Conan, you seem to be having a good time here today,” he said.

    “Hello, Mr. Trebek. Obviously we’re all huge fans of your show. I was just doing that to have a little fun,” Conan responded.

    “That’s OK, I’m a big guy, I can look after myself, but I’m here for another reason. I’m worried about you. I’ve been watching some of your monologues lately, and I’m concerned. I think you are starting to lose it. Take a look and see if you don’t agree.”

    Was the score between the two settled when Mr. Trebek made the special appearance Monday night to put Conan in his comedic place – metaphorically speaking? According to Conan, the Jeopardy host did got even, and proved that he can take a joke as well as dish one out. “OK, Alex, I guess we’re even now,” Conan told his live studio audience.

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons And Courtesy of Nestor Cruz

  • Alex Trebek: Does He Have a Gender Obsession?

    Some people think Alex Trebek, long-time host of the television game show Jeopardy, is slightly obsessed with gender.

    March 3-7 was 1990s Week on Jeopardy, part a four week Battle of the Decades series the show is billing as “a tournament 30 years in the making.”

    Jeopardy brought back various 1990s champions throughout the week, and Trebek’s opening comments on the fourth episode referenced the gender of the contestants:

    “So far, our battle of the decades, 1990s, has turned into a battle of the sexes! This week, three matches, three women have moved on. Is that good news for Claudia or does it put extra pressure on her? Mark and Dave might want to put extra pressure on her.”

    As it turns out, Mark Dawson of Chamblee, GA won that match and will advance to the finals in May along with one male and the three female contestants Trebek mentioned in his introduction.

    Trebek’s comment came on the heels of gender-focused remarks he made when he appeared on Fox News Channel’s The Five on February 26. Trebek made the appearance to defend Jeopardy champion Arthur Chu’s controversial playing strategy.

    But Trebek got sidetracked from his original purpose when he made this comment in response to a question from host Dana Perino:

    “Women contestants, when it comes to a Daily Double, seem to want to wager [less] because they figure, ‘Oh, this is the household money, this is the grocery money, the rent money,’” Trebek said. “Guys say, ‘Wait a minute, I’m playing with the house money. I’m not taking any money home unless I win the game, so I can go whole hog on this wager.’ And women are more cautious in that regard. But it’s changing … they’re getting a little more adventurous.”

    (Slate evaluated the numbers and found that there is a gap in male and female wagers, but it’s not drastic.)

    Jeopardy has had several incarnations since it originally aired on NBC in March 1964. Trebek has hosted the current version since its inception in September 1984.

    Image via YouTube

  • Arthur Chu, Controversial Jeopardy Contestant, Wins Again

    Arthur Chu gained a great deal of social attention during his first-run on Jeopardy when he appeared on the popular game show in January. Chu made headlines for his odd playing style on the show, and many people even criticized his performances, saying that he was not a fun player to watch.

    Chu is an insurance compliance worker by night, and a voice-over actor by day. He is 30 years old, and before returning to the show last night, he had already accumulated a total of $102,800 in winnings.

    He won his first four appearances on Jeopardy, which began on January 28th. In last night’s appearance on the show, he dominated the competition with his unique style where he goes for the biggest clues first. He earned $20,800 in his return to the show, and had more than four times the total of both of his opponents heading into final jeopardy.

    Earlier this month Arthur Chu said “I can understand it’s less pleasant to watch, but the producers weren’t paying me to make the show pleasant to watch. If you were playing for fun, you could talk about poor sportsmanship, but within the rules, it’s about winning. If you don’t like it, change the rules.”

    Some people have called him a villain, and has received a fair amount of hate from Jeopardy’s fans, but he continues to dominate his opponents on the long-running game show. As he continues to make big money on Jeopardy, Chu already has positive things in mind to do with his earnings. He hopes to donate some of his winnings to a research foundation in order to find a cure for fibromyalgia, a disease that his wife suffers from.

    While most contestants tend to go from the top of the board to the bottom, Arthur Chu mixes things up, and utilizes something called “game theory economics,” which may have debunked the Jeopardy system.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dqMX48S6_w

    He is also one of the most talked-about contestants since Ken Jennings, who was able to win 74 games in 2004. None of the other contestants have been able to keep up with him, and in his first four appearances, he even interrupted host Alex Trebek on multiple occasions. He chooses answers from around the board seemingly at random, with the hopes that he will find the daily doubles, and even if he does not know the answer, he will prevent others from getting them.

    Arthur Chu is a resident of Broadview Heights, which is a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. His masterful strategy has been an unbeatable one for his opponents so far, and he even forced a tie on purpose in order to secure a spot for himself on the next episode of the show. What could possibly cause him to lose?

    Image via Youtube

  • Arthur Chu’s ‘Jeopardy’ Strategy Gets Hate From Show’s Fans

    Arthur Chu has been getting some pushback for his unconventional strategy on the popular TV game show ‘Jeopardy’.

    The 30-year-old ‘Jeopardy’ champ from Broadview Heights, Ohio, uses a game strategy he calls “The Forrest Bounce”, referring to 8os champion Chuck Forrest’s style of play. Chu’s strategy involves ignoring the easy questions and jumping across the board to the questions of higher value in search of the much-desired Daily Doubles.

    Hate it or love it, his strategy has certainly paid off. So far, Chu has walked away with $102,800 and may even add to his winnings when the next show airs on Feb. 24.

    Some ‘Jeopardy’ fans dislike Chu and believe his style of play undermines the integrity of the game. Some especially dislike it when he interrupts Alex Trebek, the shows host, before he can finish reading the clue.  For Daily Double questions Chu doesn’t feel he’s likely to get correct, he simply wagers low and sometimes admits to not knowing the answer even before Trebek can finish the question.

    Chu is not entirely surprised by some of the negative attention he’s received but says he’s not intimidated. “Between $10,000 and getting haters on Twitter, the $10,000 is more important to me,” he said.

    The ‘Jeopardy’ champ says he doesn’t know why contestants are so locked into answering the lower value questions first. According to Chu, he studied hard in the months leading up to the competition and says he simply tries to take maximum advantage of the opportunity he’s given while playing the game.

    Not everyone is annoyed by Chu though. There are some that admired him for not playing the game the way that the show’s producers and the “haters” want him to. The way Chu sees it, he’s not cheating or using unethical tactics. If the show’s producers don’t like his style of play then they should change the rules.

    Dont hate the player, hate the game.

    Image via YouTube

  • Alex Trebek Raps On Jeopardy In Fun-Filled Rap Category [Video]

    Who knew Alex Trebek could rap? After 30 seasons of hosting the popular game show, it seems that Trebek still has it in him to impress the viewers and the contestants.

    By the end of the category, he even had the contestant laughing as she answered the final question.

    The title of the category was “It’s A Rap,” and featured clues about five different rappers, showing the fine rap skills of the game show host.

    It is not the first time that there has been a category involving rap on the show, but certainly one of the ones that has gained the most attention.

    The category featured clues about classic hip-hop artists, which was a great help to the contestants on the show, who were all older, and somehow knew every answer.

    Trebek impressed everyone with his skills on Monday night, reading clues about Dr. Dre, Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy, and the Beastie Boys.

    He has been a host of the show since its syndicated debut in 1984, and at the age of 73, it is good to see that he is still lively enough to rap on the show.

    Al Roker, who has become well-known as the anchor of The Today Show, said of last night’s show, “Alex Trebek, usually plays it safe on Jeopardy, but recently he got jiggy with it.”

    Alex Trebek soon became a trending topic on Twitter due to the performance. However, due to his age, many people were fearing that the game show host had died after becoming a trending topic.

    In the outrageous category, after Mary Manhardt’s final response, Alex Trebek responded by saying “Yes, and I don’t know why that’s making you laugh so much.”

    Alex Trebek has been known to cause a commotion with a variety of hilarious and sometimes offensive performances on Jeopardy, but may have beat all of those performances with this one. What do you think?

    Image via Youtube

  • Alex Trebek’s New Career Is Rapping

    Alex Trebek’s New Career Is Rapping

    Alex Trebek isn’t a common name that trends on the Internet. So, when fans noticed that his name was, in fact, trending, they immediately were concerned. However, it wasn’t for the reason that many assumed, but instead was over his rapping solo on a recent episode of Jeopardy.

    On Monday night’s episode of Jeopardy, Trebek rapped the clues to the questions that were featured in the “It’s a rap” category. Trebek rapped the lyrics from Dr. Dre, Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy, and the Beastie Boys, and instantly became an internet sensation and a top trending topic on Twitter.

    Fans were relieved to know that Trebek wasn’t trending because he had died, and were amazed that Trebek had such amazing rapping skills.

    “I got really nervous that Alex Trebek was trending because he died, but he was just rapping on Jeopardy,” one user tweeted. “All is right with the world.” Another user tweeted: “Alex Trebek reading Public Enemy lyric jeopardy answers is possibly the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

    What do you think about Alex Trebek’s rapping skills? Leave your comments below.

    Image via NDN

  • Alex Trebek Takes ‘Jeopardy’ to New Level With Rap

    At the age of seventy-three, Alex Trebek proved that he can still capture and intrigue an audience. The popular host of the hit game show Jeopardy has recently made headlines for his unique, and rather unpredictable talent. Apparently, the world-renown host was able to take the category “It’s a Rap” to a whole new level when he showcased his own rapping ability. During the Monday, January 6th airing of the show, Trebek rapped (or at least rhythmically spoke) lyrics from the following established performers: the Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre, Public Enemy, and even the Notorious B.I.G. while the audience watched in surprise before showing appreciation through a collective cheer.

    Contestant Mary Manhardt could not contain her giggles during the impromptu rap performance, which apparently amused Trebek. “Yes, and I don’t know why that’s making you laugh so much,” Trebek said in response to the laughing.

    Trebek recited the following lyrics during the show: “Don’t push me ’cause I’m close to the edge. I’m trying not to lose my head.” The well-known host who also happens to be the veteran host of the National Geographic Bee (he was recognized in 2008 for his years of service) went on to recite other rap lyrics such as, “I made the change from a common thief to up close and personal with Robin Leach.” Trebek included his own rendition of the Beastie Boys when he recited, “Another plane, another train, another bottle in the brain.” With Trebek’s unique skills some may wonder if he has considered quitting his day job. However, fans of Jeopardy hope that he does not consider quitting his day job.

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alex Trebek Rapping Sets Internet Afire

    Alex Trebek Rapping Sets Internet Afire

    When Alex Trebek started trending on Twitter last night, everyone thought the worst – that is, that the host of Jeopardy, and one of Canada’s greatest, was dead.

    Fortunately for trivia and mustache fans across the world, Trebek is still alive. His most-recent internet fame was caused not by an unfortunate and untimely death, but rather by transcending cultural, societal, and generational norms through rapping.

    That’s right. Last night on Jeopardy, Alex Trebek rapped (for lack of a better word) an entire category of clues, the title of which was “It’s a Rap.”

    The category featured such clues as ” ‘Don’t push me, ’cause I’m close to the edge / I’m trying not to lose my head’ rapped this pioneering ‘Grandmaster’ “, ” ‘Another plan, another train / another bottle in the brain’ The Beastie Boys rapped in ‘No Sleep Till…’ here,” and “Public Enemy: ‘You go Ooh and Ahh when I jump in my car / People treat me like’ this Hall of Fame L.A. Lakers Center.” (Which apparently the people at The Today show could not answer…)

    While some people were scared out of their wits that Trebek was dead, others were celebrating the celebrities attempts to “spit”:

    Which leads one to the ultimate question: What are Trebek’s greatest (and worst) moments as Jeopardy host? Here are some videos which prove why 1) Trebek is simply amazing; and that 2) Canadians are legitimate people:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iIiirQrZRrQ

    And last, but certainly not least:

    Image via YouTube

  • Alex Trebek Raps, And He Isn’t That Bad Either

    When Bronx DJ Kool Herc invented Hip Hop back in the late 70s, he probably had no idea it would turn into such a cultural phenomenon in the United States and around the globe. And it’s also safe to assume that he probably didn’t expect Jeopardy host, Alex Trebek, to start spitting rap lyrics either–but strangely enough he did.

    On Monday night, the 30-year host of the legendary game show rapped lyrics from groups like the Beastie Boys and Grandmaster Flash. He even found time to kick a little Notorious B.I.G when he rapped the song “Juicy.”

    “I made the change from a common thief/To up close and personal with Robin Leach.” Trebek rapped. But for some reason he didn’t have the same smooth cadence that Biggie Smalls did, but it’s hard to figure out why. Then the 73-year old spit lyrics from the Beastie Boys’ song “No Sleep till Brooklyn,” from the group’s 1986 album “Licensed to Ill.”

    Trebek’s rap performance was tied to a category of the show called “It’s a rap,” where he quoted a small section of a particular verse, and the contestants had to either figure out the rest it or guess who wrote it. However, it was hard to stump the contestants, as they seemed to answer the first few questions very easily, which shows that rap music these days may not be loved by everyone, but it certainly has penetrated pop culture to the point where you don’t have to be an expert to know a particular song.

    Of course this isn’t the first time Jeopardy used Hip-Hop based questions in the show, and it’s not the first time Trebek has gone viral either. But it is the first time that he seemed very comfortable spitting rap tunes, which could make a person wonder if he’s been secretly practicing in his dressing room. I mean, it would make sense, wouldn’t it?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alex Trebek Nearly Brings Eighth Grader to Tears

    Last week, during Kids Week on “Jeopardy!”, Alex Trebek almost caused an eighth grader to break down in tears after he misspelled “Emancipation Proclamation” during the Final Jeopardy round.

    Eighth grader from Newtown, Connecticut, Thomas Hurley III, says he was cheated out of $3,000 after he misspelled the word “Emancipation”. The question that was given to Hurley was, “Abraham Lincoln called this document, which took effect in 1863, ‘a fit and necessary war measure.’” He answered correctly, but included an extra “t” in the word, spelling it “emanciptation”.

    Hurley bet $3,000 of his $9,600 winnings, and although he was far from winning the game show, he is still upset and feels that he was cheated out of the money. “I was pretty upset that I was cheated out of the final Jeopardy! question,” he told The News-Times of Danbury. “It was just a spelling error.” Hurley took home $2,000 for placing second.

    Hurley’s father isn’t happy about the situation either. “The thing that bothered me most was the way Alex Trebek and the producers treated my son. They were kind of smug,” his father, Thomas Hurley II, told CNN on Sunday night. “It’s a kid’s tournament! Everyone knew what he meant.” His mother also commented on the embarrassment that her son experienced saying, “He felt embarrassed. It was hard to watch.”

    “Jeopardy!” producers are standing by their decision. “If Jeopardy! were to give credit for an incorrect response (however minor), the show would effectively penalize the other players. We love presenting young people as contestants on our show, and make every effort to be fair and consistent in their treatment.”

    Social media sites are buzzing with comments, some criticizing Trebek, while other loyal viewers are supporting his decision.

  • Alex Trebek Suffers Second Heart Attack

    Alex Trebek Suffers Second Heart Attack

    Alex Trebek, famed host of the popular Jeopardy! quiz show was taken to the hospital over the weekend following a “mild heart attack.” Trebek is currently recovering at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

    Sony Pictures released a statement yesterday saying Trebek was “in good spirits,” and remained in the hospital “under observation and undergoing further testing.” Jeopardy! fans can rest easy: Trebek is expected to recover in plenty of time to resume his place behind the podium for his 29th season when Jeopardy! begins filming in July.

    This is Trebek’s second heart attack. On December 11, 2007 he was admitted to Cedars-Sinai following his first heart attack. He was released on December 15, and returned to work on January 14, 2008.

    Trebek has been the host of Jeopardy! since the show came back on the air in 1984. He is the show’s second host, taking over for the late Art Fleming, who hosted the show during its first two runs in 1964-1975 and 1978-1979.