Jeopardy! Host Ken Jennings Bashes One Of The Most Popular Game Shows
Ken Jennings mocked how The Price is Right decides on its contestants compared to the arduous Jeopardy casting process.
Ken Jennings is not only one of the current hosts of Jeopardy, but he’s also one of the greatest champions in the history of the show. If anyone knows what it takes to be a contestant on the immensely popular game show, it’s him. That process is exactly what prompted Jennings to bash The Price Is Right when a contestant mentioned his experience on the daytime game show.
Reporting from TVLine indicates that on the episode this past Tuesday, Ken Jennings asked about contestant Greg Snyder’s game-show experience, as 15 years earlier he was on The Price is Right. Snyder remarked that “Anybody can be on The Price is Right, you gotta work to be on Jeopardy.” Jennings response wasn’t even a backhanded compliment, he said “We didn’t just pull you out of the crowd today, Greg. You didn’t come in with a uniform or a funny sign.”
The dismissive put down from Ken Jennings references the rigorous auditioning process for Jeopardy. In order to make it on the show, prospective contestants must pass a test and then an audition with the show’s recruiters. By comparison, The Price is Right contestants get selected by dressing up in costumes, attending in military uniforms (usually Navy thanks to San Diego’s proximity), dancing in their seats, or being entertaining while waiting in line.
Despite the differences, each show is clearly aimed at a different audience, with Ken Jenning’s overseeing an academic exercise while Drew Carey hosts a laid-back guessing game. Each is a ratings juggernaut, a cultural institution, and have delt with their share of controversy over the years. While The Price is Right has settled down into a new routine post-Covid, Jeopardy is still finding its footing after the passing of Alex Trebek.
Just last week, former Jeopardy champion Jake DeArruda complained that Mayim Bialik was too inexperienced to host the show. The former Blossom and Big Bang Theory star has been alternating with Ken Jennings though that arrangement will eventually come to an end. While The Price is Right has consistently been hosted by comedian Drew Carey, Jeopardy can’t seem to settle on a host.
Ken Jennings, unrelated to taking a shot at The Price is Right, one of the few game shows to beat Jeopardy in the ratings, is rotating away from hosting duties. Mayim Balik is taking over for the next few months during which time she’ll be hosting the National College Championship. Apart from the hosting issues as of late, former champion Yogesh Raut also recently accused the show of being racist.
While Ken Jennings will eventually be back as the host of Jeopardy, at least until the next round of contract negotiations, The Price is Right will continue to be a titan of daytime. Though Jennings is right regarding the differences in how each show gets contestants, that’s not a bad thing. Knowing the price of a vacation to France or the capital of France are two very different skills and each has their place, on television, in life, and while attending a neighborhood house party.
