I'll Take Sarcasm for $300, Alex

Ken JenningsKen Jennings, who won $2.5 million during a 74-game winning streak on "Jeopardy," has written a tongue-in-cheek advice letter to the long-running game show.

While initial reports portrayed the missive as a slap against the show, Jennings' musings are actually more funny than mean-spirited.

Here are a few bits from ken-jennnings.com:

Maybe when Art Fleming was alive, America just couldn't get enough clues about "Botany" and "Ballet" and "The Renaissance," but come on. Does every freaking category have to be some effete left-coast crap nobody's heard of, like "Opera," or, um, "U.S. History" or whatever? I mean wake me up when you come up with something that middle America actually cares about. I think it would rule if, just one time, Alex had to read off a board like:

* PlayStation
* The Arby's 5-for-$5.95 Value Menu
* Reality TV
* Men's Magazines
* Skanks from Reality TV Who Got Naked in Men's Magazines
* Potpourri


Does that really sound like the ramblings of a man completely digusted by the show that made him famous?



And then there's this ...

Why are there no physical challenges? It doesn't have to be Nickelodeon déclassé, buckets of green ooze falling from the ceiling. It could be tasteful and restrained. Like, if you know the answer, you have to run from your podium to the gameboard, jump up to touch the clue in question, and give the answer. "What is an Arby-Q?" Then you run back to your podium to select again. Some of these contestants, frankly, could use the exercise. Oh, also, there are angry bees.


Ken then signs off on his alleged hate letter to Alex and crew with the following.

You and I have a lot of history, Jeopardy! You know I think the world of you...you're putting my kids through college, for crying out loud! So I think I can be open with you in a way that others just can't. I hope you take this advice in the spirit in which it was offered. Remember, I only criticize because I...

Love,

Ken

XOXOXO


Filed under: TV, Wacky & Weird

Reader Comments

(Page 1 of 3) | 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. he is being mean spirited to every beef loving american. what the hell is arby sauce anyway? what the hell is the point of this letter, so mr. gameshow millionaire and alex can laugh at people who live in middle america and read tmz? I hope he wasnt talking about paris when he said skanks who get naked, because we all love paris around here, she is da BOMB babee. I love beef, I love paris, i hate myself and want to die.

tmz foreverZ!!!

Posted at 7:17PM on Jul 25th 2006 by mater

2. Would be nice to see something that those of us who did not graduate
Magna Cum Laude , could relate to.

Posted at 7:29PM on Jul 25th 2006 by mr.roqout

3. Would be nice to understand what the hell they are talking about without having to have graduated Magna Cum Laude from SC.

Blackmetal

Posted at 7:58PM on Jul 25th 2006 by BlackMetal

4. Maybe it sounded funny even after he sobered up. Like most of my posts, I'm struggling through a haze of barbituates to type, while I snort and giggle incessantly through my hand.

Posted at 8:12PM on Jul 25th 2006 by deuxlumieres

5. Just goes to how you money can't buy class! He seems to be a very immature boy (yes boy) seeking attention, just like he no doubt did in grade school. Sad sad sad! Just think! With all that money he can't find anything better to do. Girls,....pass this one by! :)

Posted at 8:13PM on Jul 25th 2006 by Jane

6. Maybe it sounded funny even after he sobered up. Like most of my posts, I'm struggling through a haze of barbituates to type, laughing to myself at my witiness.

Posted at 8:13PM on Jul 25th 2006 by deuxlumieres

7. That doesn't even sound like anything he'd say. He's a nice Mormon man, for goodness sake. Is that for real??????

Posted at 9:14PM on Jul 25th 2006 by Michele

8. Judging by your poll results, it looks like half of your readership is also humor-impaired...

Posted at 10:56PM on Jul 25th 2006 by Andy Saunders

9. This Ken Jennings makes my hemmoroids burn. What a douche

Posted at 11:16PM on Jul 25th 2006 by Heywood Jablomi

10. Humor-impaired? Are you kidding me? My humor is safely intact. Rather, I don't find it either humorous or intelligent to make such derogatory and offensive comments about a program which clearly benefited him so much. Instead, I recognize this as a man who knew enough trivia to make an impressive winning streak on a game show, but clearly does not have the sensitivity or intelligence to recognize where criticism is unwarranted, who then attempted to make a last-ditch effort to claim his comments were made in jest after he realized the immense proportions of the fallout. What's next? Is he going to claim it was a cyborg that made these comments? Or perhaps it was a cyborg that won the money in the first place.

Posted at 12:26AM on Jul 26th 2006 by Reality Check

11. I thought it was funny. Not hilarious, but clever, droll and amusing. I've been visiting his site for a while now and he's clever, snarky, uncannily observant, and a very self-deprecating man.

Posted at 1:09AM on Jul 26th 2006 by iona faire

12. weard guy, isn't he..? ;-)
Grtz... WESTLEY
http://www.westley.nl

Posted at 5:34AM on Jul 26th 2006 by WESTLEY

13. Jeopardy change your format so we don't have to listen to anymore nerds!

Posted at 7:05AM on Jul 26th 2006 by lane

14. Geez...it's a JOKE. It's definitely a commentary on how shallow and lame society is getting. Perfect example: I'm here reading about 18 year old drunken sluts that I care nothing about instead of being on the National Geographic page learning about global warming.

Slippery slope folks, very slippery

Posted at 7:40AM on Jul 26th 2006 by Dojo

15. Nerdy geek...is he gay??

Posted at 8:20AM on Jul 26th 2006 by Kat

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