Ken Jennings Jeopardy! Ruling Gets Fans Enraged, Called ‘Disgusting’
Ken Jennings is unquestionably the greatest Jeopardy contestant of all time. He won the most games, money, and subsequent tourneys against other noted former Jeopardy! champions. His dominance as a contestant made him a sure bet as the man who would replace longtime legendary host Alex Trebek as the host of Jeopardy, and yet, even Jennings might have muffed the question to the answer regarding the name of a famous fall in Yellowstone National Park, and his ruling has enraged some fans.
A Controversial Judgment
During the July 3 show on ABC, adding an inadvertent “s” to her question cost a contestant $2,000 and a realistic shot at winning the final Jeopardy! round. The answer was: “A Yosemite Fall With A Wispy Ribbon Of Water That Flutters In The Air Like Diaphanous Cloth Bears The Name Of This Marital Wear.” Contestant Kelly Proulx said: “What is Bridal Veil Falls,” which viewers took as a reasonable response. Ken Jennings and Jeopardy judges differed, though.
Cost The Defending Champion
“No. I’m sorry,” Jennings told Proulx. “It’s actually Bridalveil Fall, so we couldn’t take that.” Adding an “s” to the question resulted in a wrong question and the loss of $2,000 for Proulx. The Billerica, Mass., communications director was the returning champion and in second place when she selected the clue as the last one available during the Double Jeopardy round.
The error by Ken Jennings dropped her total from $10,000 to $8,000 and moved Proulx into third position for the Final Jeopardy round.
All Because Of An S
Eventual winner Isaac Hirsch had $19,800 to Dana Keane’s $8,300, and Proulx’s $8,000 going into the final round. Hirsch prevailed with a total of $19,185. The aggravating miss by Proulx, amplified by Ken Jennings, cost her any chance at repeating as Jeopardy champion and enabled Hirsch to bet small and not risk a sure win. Ironically, had Proux not added the “s” that cost her $2,000, Hirsch would have had to risk more in Final Jeopardy, to which he gave a correct question.
The Ruling Was Technically Correct
The ruling by Ken Jennings and Jeopardy judges, ultimately, was correct. The official name of the fall in Yosemite is Bridalveil Fall, without the “s.” Given the show’s reputation for requiring exactly correct responses, it’s not surprising many viewers were upset at the ruling against Proulx. Jeopardy! Fans on Reddit rued the ruling, calling it “disgusting” and saying there was nothing to suggest the “falls” would be incorrect.
A quick check of the Yosemite National Park website says otherwise, though.
Understandable Frustration
In fact, the fall does not have an “s” at the end of its name, or anywhere else, for that matter. The frustration among Jeopardy fans is understandable, though. There are several prominently named “Bridal Veil Falls” across the United States. Washington State, Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina, and New York all have well-known Bridal Veil Falls.
The one in Yosemite, though, combines “bridal” and “veil” into one word and nixes the “s” after “fall.” So, like it or not, Ken Jennings’ Jeopardy ruling got it right, and Proulx got it wrong.
