Ken Jennings: Upset that his 15 minutes are up?

[JonInMiddleGA]

This just struck me as one of the more random stories I've seen in a while.
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20060725/D8J36IGG0.html

`Jeopardy' Champ Ken Jennings Blasts Show
Jul 25, 2:54 PM (ET)

NEW YORK (AP) - "Jeopardy!" ace Ken Jennings, who won $2.5 million during his 74-game winning streak, has a few unkind words to say about the show - and dapper host Alex Trebek.

"I know, I know, the old folks love him," Jennings writes in a recent posting, titled "Dear Jeopardy!" on his Web site.

"Nobody knows he died in that fiery truck crash a few years back and was immediately replaced with the Trebektron 4000 (I see your engineers still can't get the mustache right, by the way)."

Jennings also takes aim at the show's "effete, left-coast" categories and "same-old" format.

"You're like the Dorian Gray of syndication," he says. "You seem to think 'change' means replacing a blue polyethylene backdrop with a slightly different shade of blue polyethylene backdrop every presidential election or so."

A call by The Associated Press to "Jeopardy!" spokesman Jeff Ritter was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Jennings, a software engineer from Salt Lake City, snagged 74 wins on "Jeopardy!" in 2004 before he was beaten by challenger Nancy Zerg.

Trebek, 66, has hosted the show since 1984. In a "correction" posted Monday on his Web site, Jennings offers an apology of sorts.

"We regret the insinuation that Mr. Alex Trebek is a robot, and has been since 2004. Mr. Trebek's robotic frame does still contain some organic parts, many harvested from patriotic Canadian schoolchildren, so this technically makes him a 'cyborg,' not a 'robot.'"

[cuervo72]

Hahaha, patriotic Canadian schoolchildren.

[QuikSand]

That didn't seem quite as caustic as the headline suggested. More snarky, to me. *shurg*

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

If you read his blog, you'll note that he wrote the entire thing sarcastically. Granted, guys like him sometimes go over people's head with their sarcasm, but the NY writer seemed totally oblivious to the fact that he might have been sarcastic. Unfortunately, like much of the media, everyone will now copycat his article and post it like the gospel truth.

[Johnny Slick]

I, for one, thought the blog post was pretty damn funny. Not as funny as the one a couple days before, but funny nonetheless.

[dawgfan]

Wow - just, wow. What an ungrateful fucktard.

Edit - OK, if he was simply being sarcastic and the AP writer missed that, then I retract the comment. Still, he risks backlash from those that don't get that he's kidding.

[Johnny Slick]

Wow - just, wow. What an ungrateful fucktard.It takes all of 30 seconds to type in kenjennings.com in your url search box and then to read the post that inspired the article. Granted, it obviously only took 5 seconds for you to formulate your opinion and type it, but come on now... the series of tubes that we call the Interwebs allows you to see what went on first-hand rather than read about it later thanks to some news dude.

[Draft Dodger]

I, for one, thought the blog post was pretty damn funny. Not as funny as the one a couple days before, but funny nonetheless.

sure, but that's only because you and Ken are email buddies.

[Johnny Slick]

MESSAGE DELETED TO SPARE OTHERS FURTHER PAINShhh!

[Subby]

I expect better from you, dawgfan... :)

[dawgfan]

It takes all of 30 seconds to type in kenjennings.com in your url search box and then to read the post that inspired the article. Granted, it obviously only took 5 seconds for you to formulate your opinion and type it, but come on now... the series of tubes that we call the Interwebs allows you to see what went on first-hand rather than read about it later thanks to some news dude.
If I really gave a fuck about Ken Jennings, I might've done so. Sorry I'm not on his fanboy list and don't read his blog regularly.

Regardless of any sarcastic intent on his part, he should be smart enough to realize that casual observers might not pick up on his sarcasm. Then again, maybe he's so full of himself he thinks everyone is a regular reader of his wit and wisdom.

As I noted, I retract my comment if he was indeed being sarcastic, but with the caveat that he should be prepared for some backlash.

[Butter]

I think the real news story here is:

Hey, somebody read Ken Jennings' blog.

[dawgfan]

OK, after reading the blog, shame on the AP writer. That was clearly a tounge-in-cheek post by Jennings, and that should've been noted in Starr's article.

All apologies to Ken Jennings.

[Subby]

"AP writers are slamming Ken Jennings today"

[JonInMiddleGA]

Lost amidst the mini-tempest was what originally went through my mind (although Butter_of_69 hits the point pretty well) -- how the fuck slow is the entertainment beat that somebody a) read Ken Jennings blog & then b) wrote a story about it.

[dawgfan]

Lost amidst the mini-tempest was what originally went through my mind (although Butter_of_69 hits the point pretty well) -- how the fuck slow is the entertainment beat that somebody a) read Ken Jennings blog & then b) wrote a story about it.
Very good points.

[Lathum]

I think the real news story here is:

Hey, somebody read Ken Jennings' blog.
no kidding

[Deattribution]

I don't get the big deal even if he wasn't being sarcastic - theres nothing even mildly insulting in there - just nonsense.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Very good points.

Thanks.

I have to admit, this started me thinking -- if somebody had the patience do it, I imagine you could generate a daily column that consisted of nothing but recapping what appeared on various celebrity blogs. The sad part is, I imagine there would be both newspapers & websites that would run the thing (assuming it was handled cheaply by one of the major syndicators).

Hardest part would probably be finding someone who could read all the celebrity "brilliance" and still be sane enough afterwards to piece a column together.

[cuervo72]

Isn't that what a good number of radio shows do already?

[kcchief19]

Thanks.

I have to admit, this started me thinking -- if somebody had the patience do it, I imagine you could generate a daily column that consisted of nothing but recapping what appeared on various celebrity blogs. The sad part is, I imagine there would be both newspapers & websites that would run the thing (assuming it was handled cheaply by one of the major syndicators).

Hardest part would probably be finding someone who could read all the celebrity "brilliance" and still be sane enough afterwards to piece a column together.
Argh! If my friend and I ever get our snarky celebrity Web site going, this is pretty much the gist of it. We already have a great domain name registered -- all that is needed is the time to waste to get the ball rolling.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Isn't that what a good number of radio shows do already?

Wouldn't surprise me, although most of that sort of thing comes from so-called "prep services", basically subscription based packages that arrive every morning before the "talent" comes in, with all sorts of stuff -- celeb birthday lists, "This Day In History", "News of the Weird", etc.

I can't stand morning chatter shows, so I can't say that I've heard this particular thing but it would fit right in.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Argh!

Sorry 'bout that Chief.
(heh, always wanted to use that line in the proper context ;) )

Trust me, your idea is safe from encroachment by me.
I don't think my frazzled nerves could handle reading what comes from the mouths/keyboards of celebs on a regular basis.

[Young Drachma]

I think the real news story here is:

Hey, somebody read Ken Jennings' blog.

First thing I thought when I saw this article. "What? People still care about that guy?"

He should go spend him money and get a new hobby. Or just watch Jeopardy and laugh maniacally about how much better he is than the people on the show, if that's his thing.

[Cringer]

First thing I thought when I saw this article. "What? People still care about that guy?"


First thing I thought (as clicking on the thread) was who the hell is Ken Jennings? Is he related to Peter Jennings?

Had no clue who he was. I am glad of that, too.