DANGER! fans spotted an NSFW joke about Ken Jennings that shocked them.
They said a clue during a game organized by Mayim Bialik had deliberately “thrown shade” in her path.
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Mayim, 46, hosts Jeopardy! this month after Ken’s previous three weeks at the helm and the announcement that he would be out for “months”.
“I am returning the keys to talented actor-producer-writer-director (!) Mayim Bialik for a few months,” the fan-favorite surprisingly tweeted, adding, “We’re lucky to have him! I’ll be back before the end of the season.
The permanent accommodation slot will be decided by the end of Season 38 in July 2022.
Many fans prefer Ken since he has won the most Jeopardy matches! in 2004 and seems like a natural successor to Alex Trebek – but his presence was certainly felt by fans in a WILD moment this week.
During Double Jeopardy on June 2, a hint in the “Tools” category read, “This is an extended tool for gardening, and no one would use a hoe for it.”
Current champion Ryan Long, whom Philadelphia and Pennsylvania carpool fans love, correctly answered, “What is it: a rake.”
But the reference seemed to have been “planted” on purpose.
Years ago, a contestant used the word “hoe” instead of “rake” in a famous – or infamous – moment; Ken himself.
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During his 74-game streak that grossed $2.5 million in 2004 — still the longest streak ever — the then 30-year-old software engineer buzzed in the “Tool Time” category.
This clue read: “This tool is a long-handled gardening tool which can also mean immoral pleasure seeker.”
“What the hell is that, a hoe?” Ken responded, and gasps and thunderous laughter from the audience ensued – the clip on YouTube scored 1.2 million views.
Host Alex replied, “Woah! Woah…woah! They teach you that in school in Utah?”
WHAT A MAGE ‘HOE’!
12 years later, fans loved that the NSFW moment was so lovingly unearthed by the writers.
One Twitter user wrote, “Did the @jeopardy writers throw shade at Ken Jennings with that rake/hoe clue tonight?”
Another replied: “I thought it was more like a tribute to his greatest answer ever!”
“Gotta believe Ken Jennings himself gave the hoe/rake hint his approval on #Jeopardy tonight.” writes a third.
A fourth exclaimed: “They’ll never, ever let go of the hoe/rake. Neither should they!”
A fifth lamented, “They should have kept this category for @KenJennings!”
WHY DID KEN SAY “HOE”?
The “Hoe/Rake” incident now has a section on Ken’s website, where he dug into what happened – to put it lightly.
“The thing I’ll remember the longest about my Jeopardy! games, I’m proud to say, will probably be this YouTube clip, in which I’m deemed incorrect for providing the answer ‘What is a hoe? to a clue… with an unfortunate double meaning.”
“Here’s the scoop: by the time I buzzed, I was happy with my response. By the time Alex called me, however, I had realized there was no way Jeopardy! was asking me. questions about [the word without an ‘e’]“, wrote Ken.
“But at the time, as you can tell by my smirk in the video, I was perfectly willing to spend $400 for the privilege.
“But I always wondered if the clue was designed to elicit the ‘What the ah*?’ response from a lucky contestant. It really smacks of set-up.”
Some fans claim that Ken hasn’t been wrong in his answer so far, but either way, the choice has put him on the lists of greatest peril! moments since.
Ken was born in 1974 just outside of Seattle, Washington, but grew up overseas. his family spent fifteen years in Korea and Singapore.
He transferred to Brigham Young University where he met his wife Mindy.
They have two children, Dylan, 19, and Caitlin, 15, and a dog named Chance.
They live in a mountainous $3million mansion for eight years where he spent much of his lodging break apart from a trip to Hawaii, knowledge-hungry fans have also been spotted.
HOST WITH THE MOST
Ken and Mayim began to replace the legendary Alex after his tragic passing in 2020 and a fleet of celebrity guests in Season 37, including the now-disgraced Mike Richards.
The show’s ratings nearly doubled to 9.7 million viewers when Ken made his first appearance.
When Mayim returned to hosting duties, viewership dipped to 5.9 million during a college championship and dropped to that level this week.
The fact that the hosting niche is still undecided has been a huge talking point, as the late Alex had been hosting since 1984.
Mayim was, however, the main seat of carpool driver Ryan Long’s ongoing streak – which Ken called “a ride from hell” on Twitter, where he dropped hints about his low-key hiatus from hosting.
While many fans have found Mayim to be a perfectly acceptable presence, she recently cracked a marijuana joke and recently seemed to misunderstand Queen’s legacy.
Even streak holder Mattea, whose run ended the same month Ryan started, said afterward that she wanted Ken to take over.
“As a contestant, there’s something really special about being on stage with the greatest player of all time,” she told Vulture of the alum who clearly has a history as that oldest competitor resurfacing even now.
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