When it comes to humiliating moments that happen on game shows, I'm willing to cut the people who play on Jeopardy! some slack. Getting a trivia question wrong is often far less embarrassing than getting a guess wrong on Wheel of Fortune or injuring yourself on The Price Is Right after celebrating a win too hard. There are exceptions, however, and one contestant has to be feeling a way after mistakenly mixing up Olympians Scott Hamilton and Mary Lou Retton after seeing a picture. And, yes, there's cringeworthy video.
In the aftermath of the latest viral Jeopardy! news since the explanation of how Ken Jennings "won the job" of being the full-time host, the Internet is chuckling at contestant Deb Bilodeau. During a broadcast, she saw a picture of Scott Hamilton before answering, confidently saying Mary Lou Retton. Check out the clip below, which is making rounds on the interwebs:
Who is Mary Lou Retton? 🤣Scott Hamilton is wincing somewhere right now#Jeopardy pic.twitter.com/XZmWhz9q2NFebruary 23, 2024
I had nothing to do with this moment, and yet, somehow, I wanted to curl up into a ball and hide from the world after watching it. This is the exact reason why despite Jeopardy! looking like a ton of fun, I could never see myself competing the show. I would 100% make this kind of mistake and would immediately follow it up with a ton of other errors and end up in the negative by the end of the round.
And while others may prefer to laugh, I can totally understand how this type of mistake can happen. A lot of people were rocking long hair in the 1980s and, if you look up a picture of Scott Hamilton's haircut and Mary Lou Retton's, you can see how someone could make this mistake on a spot judgment.
The good news is that Deb Bilodeau didn't let the moment get her down, and she went on to win Group 2 of the Champions Wildcard. That win means she'll be included in the 2024 Tournament of Champions, which started on Friday, February 23rd. 27 Jeopardy! winners will face off, with three finalists ultimately battling it out in a best-of-seven series for $250,000. And, if you're looking for something to watch on the 2024 TV schedule, the end stages of this tournament often make for great TV.
As for how bad this goof measures up to past viral moments, I'd list it as a more moderate one. It's not like Chuck D called out Deb Bilodeau for the error (as he did after there was an error involving Mark Wahlberg and Public Enemy). Also, Ken Jennings was seemingly able to keep his composure after the answer, thus preventing a re-record. Ultimately, I'd say there are a few goofs within the series' history that are more major than this latest one, though the attention it has gotten on the Internet thus far is surly warranted.
People can check their local listings and watch Jeopardy! on weekdays, should they choose to do so. As mentioned, the Tournament of Champions is an exciting time to watch, given the stakes and the thrill of seeing the top winners compete.
