Racism in Jeopardy!

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

No, I'm sorry to say, that doesn't mean the cancer that has infected this country from the get-go is in any danger of dying its well-deserved death. Instead, I'm referencing tonight's episode of Jeopardy! with Alex Trebek. The show is in the middle of the College tournament, and, this evening, there was an African-American contestant named Kenesha. During the "interview" segment, Trebek made a point of noting that Oakwood University, her school, was an "historically-black college," which the young lady took in stride, apparently taking no offense.

But the very next clue was in the Student Aid category, and referred to the United Negro College Fund. Kenesha rang in, and, before she even responded, Trebek said, "Ooh, you'd better get this one right, Kenesha!" She did, but after that, she seemed to have been thrown off her game, and ended up finishing in third place. (She'd been leading going into the first commercial break.)

WTF, Alex??? I think maybe it's time for you to retire!

[okaawhatever]

1. Hmmm.....that doesn't come off as racist to me. I think the historical black colleges should

be proud of that fact. I would imagine it was quite difficult to start and keep a college going under our atrocious civil rights record. I don't know how funding for colleges went back in the day, but if the college faced the same issues that an individual person of color did, it had to be much harder than starting and running a predominately white college.

Alex frequently says something about how someone should "get a question right" if it involves something of a personal nature. For example someone who grew up in a certain state getting a question about that state. I remember him giving a hard time to a fellow Canadian one time for missing a question about Canada. Turns out they were born there, but raised elsewhere. Alex was not okay with that excuse and I think he made a joke about the contestants parents letting him have it when the contestant spoke to them.

I'd like to think that African-Americans are well aware of the contributions the United Negro College Fund has made, and are familiar with it's history. Especially since this was college week. Anyone my age can tell you that it was the United Negro College Fund that came up with "A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste." If their parents were like mine, the slogan was probably used on them every time they did something without thinking.

I don't think racist but I'll see what DU members of color have to say.

[TeeYiYi]

3. It's a little racist...

...without a doubt.

TYY

[okaawhatever]

5. Help me understand, because he mentioned that her school was a historically black college or that

she should know about the United Negro College Fund? I wonder if he mentioned something about each of the schools. Like UNC-Chapel Hill one of the three oldest state universities.

[TeeYiYi]

7. Suggesting that she should know the answer...

...more than the other two, just because she's black. That and Alex having the nerve to say it out loud, even if he was thinking it.

Let me spell it out. In the Student Aid category... the black girl must surely be receiving student aid to go to college, amirite?...wink wink.

Imagine if he said something like that to one of the white players; ie: In the White Slavery Lynching category: "Ooh, you'd better get this one right, white guy!"

TYY

[okaawhatever]

9. Thanks for explaining it. I guess because the question concerned the United Negro College Fund that

he thought she should know it. I guess mentally I've signed on to the idea that AA's all know AA history, like it's a requirement or something. Why do I think that? It's not like white people in this country know history. Time to change my thinking. Thx for the help.

[Deep13]

27. Well, race is a social construct...

...and not a function of skin color or any other phenotype. Put of that social construction is that there is a black culture. Part of that culture is historically black universities and scholarships specifically for students at them.

So I'm not sure if this is racist so much as acknowledging that race exists as a social construct.

[TeeYiYi]

30. Perhaps...

...but the black contestant should not be expected to know more about it just because she's black. Even is she is expected to know more, it should not be said out loud....unless she has stated somehow that she is an expert on black universities and scholarships. It should not be just assumed based on her skin color.

TYY

[Deep13]

36. No, one should not assume based on color, but Trebek...

...has background information on each contestant. Suppose that player was from Howard or some other mostly black college and Trebek was aware of it. *shrug*

I would not have brought it up.

[MrScorpio]

17. Those are the kind of micro-aggressions one has to deal with in this racially insensitive world

A world where Black people need to deal with this shit and not get thrown off our game by it.

And of course, never point out the problem, because some may just accuse you of playing the so-called "race card," or that you're "angry," or you're "uppity" and the like.

It's not like the woman didn't know she was Black.

[okaawhatever]

19. Thanks for the insight. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. Jews get this shit too

just a tad less often. So I know exactly what you mean.

Or hispanics in the west. Lucky me, I got those two covered.

[BadgerKid]

2. "Yeah, it hurts to miss that one."

[malaise]

4. Are you serious

I got that right too.
By the way Kenesha wasn't thrown off her game - she did not know several answers and made stuff up. Funny she volunteered all the religious stuff and sure got the biblical 'final answer' correct.
Trebek is oh so corny - but certainly not racist. I didn't see the racism here - sorry.
By the way I've been watching Jeopardy pre-Trebek - from the 1970s.

[NoGOPZone]

6. i'll have to search for that vid

So I can see whether he was being racist or his usual condescending self

[mathematic]

8. She took no offense because "historically black college" is a thing

Go ahead and google it. You'll learn a lot of interesting things about racism and the history of college educations in the United States.

[NuclearDem]

10. No, it's because it was the very next clue.

And it was a pure coincidence that they had been talking about her historically black college when a question about historically black colleges came up.

It was a callback to their conversation, no some racist slide.

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

12. It wasn't coincidence, my friend

Alex himself brought it up.

[NuclearDem]

13. He didn't pick the next clue, my friend.

So yes, it was coincidence that it was the next question asked immediately after their conversation.

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

15. And his admonition to the young lady, before she even gave the correct response?

Actually, you're quite right: It wasn't a coincidence, it was Trebek's personal choice.

[JI7]

21. but why is "historically black college" considered something negative ? it's a common term

used for respected institutions around the country.

[Quayblue]

11. yeah that was unnecessary to say

And that's part of his ignorance he should check himself about.

[Jenoch]

14. I have not yet read the responses to this thread.

I did see the Jeopardy! episode today. I did not see the college contestant "...thrown off her game..." after the question came up. I also did not see any problem with the interview segment.

The contestants fill out a form and the producers write up a cheat sheet for Alex to work from. Even if there was a racial problem with this episode, the problem would rest more on the producers rather than Trebek.

By the way, the first commercial break comes so early in Jeopardy! that whomever is leading at that point is mostly not a factor in the outcome of the game.

Did you see this episode yourself? If so, what was the final jeopardy answer?

[Aristus]

16. I've met Alex Trebek. He's a first-rate jerk, unfortunately.

But I didn't see anything about him in person that smacked of racism.

He's just a self-important asshole.

From what I could see, he was the kind of TV jerk that tends to evolve due to owning at least a portion of the revenue generated by his on-screen likeness. Like Robert Stack or Jack Webb back in the old days.

[Number23]

18. why would she be "offended" by Trebek calling HBCU's exactly what they are... HBCUs?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historically_black_colleges_and_universities

[NatBurner]

25. that one wasn't so bad, but the UNCF thing was kinda shaky

not 'march on washington' offensive, more like a 'lemme touch your hair' sort of thing

i was more upset when they got grandmaster flash mixed up with melle mel

[Number23]

32. NatBurner!!!

Where the heck have you been (as if I have to ask)???

[JI7]

20. i think you are looking for something that isn't there

[MagickMuffin]

22. I watched and she wasn't "thrown off her game" she started guessing what the questions were

If you don't know for sure what the correct response is going to be, you better not push the button. Because if you don't know the correct response you lose points/money!

I've seen it happen to all races.

[CatWoman]

23. SEEN THIS?

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/alex-trebek-to-black-jeopardy-contestant-youd-better-get-minority-college-question/

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

24. Thank you!

[KamaAina]

26. A game show is a terrible thing to waste.

[Romulox]

28. Alex Trebek is also frequently demeaning to female contestants. He needs to retire. nt

[Shankapotomus]

29. yea, I was wondering why Alex didn't just stay away from

bringing that up entirely. He doesn't know anything about how the contestant paid for college. I cringed when he went there.

[bravenak]

31. It's not like he called Samuel L Jackson Laurence Fishburne

That was messed up.

[CatWoman]

33. lol

saw that video couple days ago and I'm still laughing

[bravenak]

34. It's my new favorite Sam Jax film.

I love him!!