The Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings has found himself in hot water with fans of the iconic game show once again. This time, they’re mocking him for using a silly accent that they’ve deemed to be “ridiculous.”
Jennings’ ‘Ridiculous’ Accent
In the latest episode, contestants Neilesh Vinjamuri, Isaac Hirsch, and Adriana Harmeyer battled it out in the Tournament of Champions. One of the Double Jeopardy! categories was “Meyer Schusser, irascible refugee composer of golden age Hollywood.”
As soon as that category was chosen, Jennings began reading out the clues using an accent that was nothing short of bizarre.
“So, young man, you studied with that Schoenber fellow at this university in Westwood?” Jennings said in the accent. “Better to learn in a honky tonk on Central Ave.”
Jennings proceeded to continue using the accent when the “Meyer Schusser” category was chosen again. He then kept using it for the rest of the clues in the category.
Fans Rip Into Jennings
Unfortunately for Jennings, however, his attempt at a fun accent didn’t go over well with fans. Indeed, annoyed Jeopardy! fans took to the social media site Reddit to roast him for it.
“The category with Ken putting on an accent was ridiculous,” one social media user commented. Another added, “Usually love Ken but I couldn’t wait for him to stop talking in the Shusser category.”
“C’mon Ken! He usually doesn’t fall for annoying hosting tropes but damn he took that accent too far. Nails on a chalkboard to my ears,” a third user commented. A fourth fan wrote, “I’ll take ‘Ken please never do an accent again’ for 1000 please.”
Ouch, that has got to hurt for Jennings!
Related: Ken Jennings Blasted By ‘Jeopardy!’ Fans After Accepting Incorrect Answer
Jennings’ Jeopardy! Job Isn’t Safe
Jennings began hosting Jeopardy! a year after the 2020 death of the longtime host Alex Trebek. Though Jennings has been hosting Jeopardy! for the past four years, his job is far from safe longterm. Indeed, many may be surprised to learn that he does not have a longterm contract on Jeopardy!
“Of course Ken wants to do this for the next twenty years, but he’s going to have to get comfortable with only being renewed one or two years at a time for the foreseeable future,” a source told Daily Mail back in October.
“Sony is keeping him in the hosting job but they are also keeping their options open,” the insider added.
Jennings suffered a major humiliation last summer when the Saturday Night Live! star Colin Jost was named as the host of Amazon Prime’s Pop Culture Jeopardy! over him. This led to rumors swirling that Jeopardy! executives could be looking at Jost as a potential replacement for Jennings.
“At Sony TV, getting Colin to come aboard Jeopardy! was a major coup,” another insider told The Sun in September. “Mainly because Colin’s corporate home for twenty years has been [rival media company] NBC Universal.”
“It was a big deal for the Sony execs to get him for Jeopardy! and he’s definitely got a ton of wiggle room to do his thing and add to the humor of the shows where he sees fit,” the source continued. “And Colin has more experience with live TV than almost anybody involved with Jeopardy!“
Related: ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Ken Jennings Forced To Apologize To Female Contestant For ‘Problematic’ Clue
‘It Is What It Is’
It’s clear to another insider that executives have their doubts about Jennings.
“Yes, if they truly had 100% confidence in Ken, they would tap him for their primetime and celebrity editions, which they have decidedly not done,” this insider said. “It is what it is. Ken can’t really affect things except by being consistent on the nightly show and making sure the ratings don’t slide too badly.”
The negative feedback over Jennings’ attempt at a funny accent likely will do nothing to help his chances of staying on Jeopardy! Only time will tell if Jennings is able to keep hosting the game show for many years to come!
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