Despite what people may think, smart people do not know everything. Sometimes they don’t know certain answers. Other times, they just don’t know how to spell. Hey, it’s hard! But some Jeopardy! fans are upset with the inconsistency of the spelling rules as of late.
Earlier this week, an episode of the trivia show aired with a Final Jeopardy! conclusion that some found to be a little unfair to other contestants who have made spelling and written errors.
The correct answer to Monday’s clue was “What is ‘Waiting for Godot?’” and Erica Weiner-Amachi, a fourth-grade teacher from Philadelphia, wrote something along those lines, and it was accepted by returning host and painful jokester Ken Jennings as the correct answer. But fans were quick to point out that this has happened before, and the result was not in favor of the contestant.
#jeopardy this didn’t count, but then this one did?? pic.twitter.com/xsr2RUBLv3
— Herschel Cuyler (@herschelcuyler_) July 18, 2022
On the June 22nd episode of the show, Sadie Goldberger was disqualified for her answer, “What Is Harriet Tubman” being “illegible.” Fans compared the answers side by side and concluded that accepting Weiner-Amachi’s answer but not Golderberger’s seems unfair.
As per the official Jeopardy! rules, written responses to the Final Jeopardy! clue do not have to be spelled correctly, but they do have to “be phonetically correct and not add or subtract any extraneous sounds or syllables.” As fans pointed out on social media, both contestants did get the right answer, their handwriting was just hard to make out.
I’m sorry but it has to be said… how is the top answer considered complete and good for a tie breaker, when the one for Sadie (on the bottom) would have had her in the lead… I think that Harriett Tubman is FAR more legible than whatever Erica has written! pic.twitter.com/WdZ24BnHr0
— The Heidt Of Media (@HeidtOfMedia) July 19, 2022
Had Erica had wagered one more dollar she would have won even though I can’t see how they accepted her spelling of Godot . #Jeopardy
— Darlene Parnell
(@darlene865) July 19, 2022
I don’t quite get why contestants don’t have keypads for Final Jeopardy. It’s 2022.
—
(@TempletonZe) July 19, 2022
Some fans wondered why the contestants don’t write clearly, while others were confused as to why the show hasn’t introduced keypads for typing in answers yet. It’s 2022! The technology is here! Let’s use it!