The category is "Famous Jennings." And the answer is: After being expelled from Jamaica in 1716, this privateer became the unofficial governor of the Pirate Republic of Nassau.
"Oh, I don't know this," said Ken Jennings. "Is one of my pirate forefathers named Jennings?"
[The correct response: "Who is Henry Jennings?"]
Ken Jennings might not know his trivia quite like he used to. Is it the ravages of time? "Yeah. this is like watching me turn to dust and blow away in a chill wind!" he laughed.
That's actually fine, because these days he gets handed all the answers backstage, right before he takes to the podium as the now-host of his favorite TV show ever, "Jeopardy!" He said, "It's kind of the plot of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' I guess: a retiring leader of a franchise takes, you know, five little boys and girls to see which one of them really loves his chocolate the most. And I was the one that didn't get sucked up the pipe or whatever."
His Wonka? Longtime and legendary host Alex Trebek, who guided the show for decades, a show that turns 60 this year.
Growing up as a young Mormon in Korea, Jennings found solace in watching Armed Forces Television. His favorite pastime? Game shows. "I think it was actually the gameplay itself," he mused. "It was a version of the world with well-defined rules, where you could watch a few of them and understand the format. And as a kid, dealing with a confusing world, game shows are different. You know, questions get answered almost immediately. You know, for a right answer there's a nice little ping; for a wrong answer there's an immediate buzz. It's not like life, which is messy. Game shows are neat and fun and easy."
Instead of pursuing his dream of writing in college, Jennings chose the path of becoming what he humorously refers to as "a bad computer programmer," deeming it the safer option. He settled down with his sweetheart, Mindy, started a family, and believed that was how his life would unfold until one day, on a whim, he decided to take the "Jeopardy!" contestant exam…
"When I got the call a year later saying, 'Hey, we'd like to have you on in three weeks,' I freaked out," Jennings recalled. "I started watching the show very intensely, standing up behind my La-Z-Boy at home pretending it was a podium, mashing my thumb up and down on, like, a Fisher-Price plastic toy I'd stolen from our 18-month-old pretending it was a buzzer. My wife would keep score and tell me how I was doing. It was kind of a 'Rocky' training montage."
In a recent interview, Jennings reflected on his nerve-wracking experience as a contestant on "Jeopardy!" He described the intense pressure he felt under the lights and on-camera during his first appearance on the show. Despite the anxiety, he found that years of watching Alex Trebek and practicing with a fake buzzer had prepared him well for the game.
Recalling his first game, Jennings remembered the close score that ultimately came down to Final Jeopardy. He shared a pivotal moment when Alex Trebek accepted his response about the Sydney Olympics, solidifying his path to victory.
As Jennings reminisced about that momentous win, he expressed the immediate rush of euphoria and disbelief that followed. He likened the experience to the joy of becoming a parent, emphasizing the profound impact it had on his life.
That split-second decision catapulted Jennings to 74 consecutive wins, earning him $2.5 million, a place in game show history, and eventually the unexpected role of "Jeopardy!" host.
Jennings reflects on a possible advantage he may have in the job: His empathy for players, stemming from his own experience. However, the shadow of Alex Trebek still looms large. "If I was ever at sea, I would just think, 'What would Alex do here?'" Jennings shared. "And often, it was to do less. He had this amazing minimalist kind of light touch, where he never wanted the focus to be on himself, which is such an unusual, beautiful thing in show business. I kind of feel like even now. I want to be Alex Trebek when I grow up, because nobody's ever gonna do that job as well as he did it."
Returning to the game, a mistake was pointed out by the judges regarding an earlier statement. At the beginning of the piece, it was mentioned that they give Jennings "the answers" before the game. However, that is incorrect – they provide him with the questions. So, where did this misconception originate? According to the story, it came from "Jeopardy!" creator Merv Griffin's wife, Julann...
"Yeah, so Merv and Julann are on a plane coming back from vacation and he's trying to come up with game show ideas," Jennings recounted. "And she says, 'Well, just do one of those, like, quiz shows like they used to have.' And he said, 'Honey, we can't do those anymore. Those were all crooked. They were giving the players the answers.' And she thinks about it and she says, 'Well, that's what you should do. You should just give 'em the answer, and they'll come up with the question.'
"And he says, 'What do you mean?' And she says, 'You know, 5,280 feet.' And he says, 'What is a mile?' And that's the birth of 'Jeopardy!' right there."
The Impact of "Jeopardy!" on American Society
Ken Jennings, a prominent figure associated with the TV quiz show "Jeopardy!," believes that the show has played a significant role in uniting Americans, even if just for 30 minutes each night.
In Jennings' view, "Jeopardy!" is not just a trivial entertainment program; it serves as a common ground for individuals of all ages and political affiliations. He stated, "The great and the odd thing about 'Jeopardy!' is, it's kind of universally popular. Old people like 'Jeopardy!,' young people like 'Jeopardy!,' red states, blue states. It's bizarrely universal. America still agrees that there's, like, a half-hour every day where facts do matter, and we are allowed to adjudicate things as right or wrong actually based on science and history. And I do think that's an important bulwark."
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Story produced by Anthony Laudato. Editor: Steven Tyler.
