UPDATE: Jeopardy! is feeling the shake up once again.
According to reports, co-host Mayim Bialik, who many know from her role in The Big Bang Theory was booted from her position. “Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!” Bialik said in a statement.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the Jeopardy! family.” Many were upset with the decision to let Bialik go, keeping Ken Jennings as the solo host of Jeopardy!
The show issued its own statement after the decision was made public. According to the post, the decision was made in order to “have one host for the syndicated show next season to maintain continuity for our viewers.”
Jeopardy! is one of America’s favorite pastimes – the show has been around since 1964 and is still one of the most popular game shows in the world after nearly 60 years. The famous quiz competition reels in millions of viewers on a nightly basis and brings together some of the most intelligent people in the world.
Anyone who has ever watched Jeopardy! understands how difficult the answers can be – especially those near the bottom of the board (the bigger the value, the harder the question). And while the contestants frequently surprise those in attendance and those watching from home, that’s clearly not always the case.
On June 13, fans of the game show questioned the contestant’s knowledge of the Bible, religion, and overall faith when they were presented with a rather simple question about the Lord’s Prayer. What many believe to be one of the more well-known verses in the bible appeared to stump all three contestants.
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“Matthew 6:9 says, ‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ THIS ‘be thy name,’” the $200 Jeopardy! clue read. Being the lowest dollar amount on the board, the clue was supposed to be met with a quick and easy response – in fact; many Christian fans expected all three of the contestants to frantically buzzer it in.
Instead, the opposite happened – not a single contestant buzzed in, and the clue was met with complete silence. With two contestants already in the negative (one at -$200 and another at -$400) and the other contestant at just $1,600, you would think they would take advantage of what many thought was an easy clue and easy answer.
The contestants were given five seconds to come up with an answer, but no one had the slightest idea what the answer was – it was ‘Hallowed,’ by the way (with Jeopardy! rules, the answer would be ‘What is Hallowed’). Anyone who has ever read the Bible or been to Sunday School knows that answer in a hurry.
Here’s how the Lord’s Prayer, in its entirety, goes:
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”
Jeopardy! Fans Criticize the Contestants on Social Media
It didn’t take long for the Jeopardy! blunder to go viral on social media as Christian fans began to criticize the contestants for not knowing or remembering the first line of the Lord’s Prayer. Many were using it as a testament to where the country and where people currently stand with Christianity, faith, and religion.
“While it may not be a sign of the end times, if DEFINITELY speaks volumes about Americans and their faith…or lack of,” wrote one Twitter user, while another user likened the Lord’s Prayer to the Pledge of Allegiance – it’s something everyone knew, and everyone could recite. That wasn’t the case on Jeopardy!
Even atheists and those that don’t believe in or follow the Christian faith were surprised at the blunder, but others were quick to defend the contestants – after all, it’s not something they HAVE to know, especially if they’re not Christian or believe in a different faith. In that sense, it’s not a given that they would know it.
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“I’m sure somewhere [evangelicals] are going to whine about people not knowing the answer and then say there is a war on Christianity (there isn’t one). People are entitled to their own beliefs. It doesn’t have to be the one you have,” wrote one user in response to an article about the now-infamous Jeopardy! blunder.