Ken Jennings Disses Another Long-Running Game Show
Ken Jennings made fun of The Price is Right after finding out a Jeopardy contestant was once on the competing gameshow.
Jeopardy contestant Greg Snyder was certainly more proud of his appearance on the quiz-based show than he was on The Price is Right, which he appeared on 15 years ago. He proudly proclaimed that while anybody could appear on The Price is Right, you have to work to be on Jeopardy. TVLine reports that fledgling host Ken Jennings, who has only been Jeopardy’s official host for less than a year, decided to join in on bashing the long-standing gameshow.
“We didn’t just pull you out of the crowd today, Greg. You didn’t come in with a uniform or a funny sign, but that doesn’t hurt.”
Ken Jennings dissing The Price is Right
Both Snyder and Ken Jennings are referring to The Price is Right’s longstanding tradition of picking members of the studio audience to compete in the show. The much-celebrated custom of calling an audience member’s name and telling them to “come on down!” has been a mainstay of the show since it began in 1972.
Meanwhile, to make it on Jeopardy, you have to pass a test, then get randomly chosen, then pass an audition — then you get the opportunity to stand in front of the cameras and insult The Price is Right alongside Ken Jennings. And the champion-turned-host is more than willing to join in on the show-bashing.
While Greg Snyder might be proud of his appearance, he likely isn’t proud of the result. The contestant, whom Ken Jennings identified as a Vegas-based call center manager, placed dead last in the contest. More embarrassingly, he ended the show with just $1,000 in earnings — a full $2,200 less than the amount he had when he made the joke.
While Greg Snyder might have had egg on his face following his sub-par performance, Ken Jennings has had no shortage of controversies during his seven-month reign as Alex Trebek’s permanent replacement. He’s received flak for not attending a charity event, for showing favoritism towards certain contestants, and for not being Alex Trebek. This all coming while the show is having a hard time filling seats in its studio audience.
Back when Ken Jennings was a contestant on Jeopardy, however, he proved extremely popular with audiences. He had a record-breaking winning streak, which led to him winning 74 consecutive games and amassing $2,520,700 in winnings. He would later go on to win another $2,002,000 from the show in later appearances.
The unmatched success of Ken Jennings led to a 22% increase in ratings for Jeopardy compared to recent shows. It was likely his popularity with audiences that led to him being chosen as host after Alex Trebek passed away from pancreatic cancer. However, nobody could truly replace Trebek in the eyes of the audience, so the ratings he received as long-term host have been mixed at best.
Ken Jennings isn’t alone in his hosting duties, however. He’s joined by co-host Mayim Bialik, who trades off with Jennings as host for individual episodes. While neither is a replacement for Trebek, both are here to stay.
