Jeopardy

Jeopardy

Do any of you regularly watch Jeopardy?

I'm usually asleep when it's on here in the Nashville area, but I've managed to catch a few games of Ken Jennings' win streak that's been showing here lately.

In the past, I've kept score whenever watching Jeopardy. But I haven't been feeling particularly obsessive-compulsive lately, so I watch with half an eye.

I ask this because I'm relying on my impressions of the games Ken's been playing, rather than a concrete accounting of just how well I've done myself answering questions. Sometimes my impressions are a little off.

My question: Are the questions during Ken's games a bit easier than normal? I haven't watched much lately. Have they been this easy for a while?

And I don't ask this to sound smarmy or smart. I'll just say that I do well with trivia games. And here lately, on Jeopardy, I've felt like I've done exceptionally well answering the questions along with the contestants.

A lot of the questions haven't been so much the straight knowledge questions, but rather the little game-y "rhyme time" or "before and after" questions. Even more so than usual.

I don't want to call bullshit. But I'm thinking the games here lately have been favoring Ken, in that he's fast on the buzzer. With questions that focus a little bit on problem solving or tricks rather than straight knowledge. And I wonder if Jeopardy's done something just so that they might publicize a winning streak like the one Ken's been on.

Which is not to say Ken's not a good player of the game. He's a great player. He's got balls when it comes to betting, and he's damned fast on the buzzer. Damned quick on the buzzer. And he's got a good recall of trivia. But not necessarily any more than a lot of the previous champions.

And, I think he'd kick my ass in a game of Jeopardy and make me smile about it, if I played him.

I think he solves little word trickery problems well, and I think the questions may have been molded to his strengths, just a little.

Or am I completely off?

Here's a New York Post article about it, off of Fark.

Here's the Jeopardy main page.

A personal addendum:

I dunno. Maybe I'm just bitter that the bulk of contestant searches STILL favor northern and western cities. Very rarely do they wander south. I'm sure somebody could write a thesis or two on the prejudice still displayed against those with southern accents in this world, especially by those who produce television shows.