After aJeopardy!contestant incorrectly answered a question with"What is a hoe?,“host Ken Jennings hilariously, yet subtly, referenced his own awkward momentwith the same answer, from when he was a contestant on the game show.
During the June 25 episode, the game began with a question from the"This is Not a Drill"category, which read,“A tool with an angled blade to get unwanted plants out at the root is called a Cape Cod type of this.”
One-dayJeopardy!championMicah Fritz buzzed in and answered,“What is a hoe?,“but the correct answer was actually"What is a weeder?.“The other two contestants didn’t attempt the question. Ken then said,“It seems like ‘What is a hoe?’ is never correct out here,“whichcaused theJeopardy!contestantsand the audience to laugh.
After aJeopardy!contestant incorrectly answered a question with"What is a hoe?,“host Ken Jennings hilariously yet subtly referenced his own awkward moment with the same answer, from when he was a contestant on the game show.
TV Insiderpointed out thatKen was actually referencing a mistake that he made during his own 74-day winning streak when he was a contestant. In October 2004, a category called"Tool Time"featured a clue that read,“This term for a long-handled gardening tool can also mean an immoral pleasure seeker.”
Ken incorrectly answered,“What’s a hoe?,“and host Alex Trebek told him,“No.“Alex then added,“Whoa! They teach you that in school in Utah, huh?“The correct answer was"rake.”
What Ken Jennings’ “What Is A Hoe?” Callback Means
Ken Has Really Become Comfortable With Being The Jeopardy! Host
Ken’s hilarious callback to his ownJeopardy!mistake means thathe’s become more comfortable as host. After Alex passed away in 2020 due to pancreatic cancer, the show had an exhaustive search for its new host that involved rotating celebrities taking the reins. In 2021, Ken and Mayim Bialik were both chosen to host the show on an alternating schedule.
However, in 2023,Ken was named the official host ofJeopardy!. Since then, he’s really come into his own. Of course, he’s extremely knowledgeable, but he’s also very humorous. Ken’s"What is a hoe?“callback also reminded viewers thathe has a special history with the show that long-time fans appreciate.
Our Take On Ken Jennings Referencing His Time As A Contestant
Ken Knew That Long-Time Jeopardy! Fans Would Get His Joke
Part of the fun of Ken being theJeopardy!host is that he has more than two decades of experience with the game show, so long-time fans know thathe might sometimes reference important or funny moments from its rich history.
This makes fans feel like they’re in on the joke with Ken, which makes watching the show even more fun. Alex thought Ken’s original gaffe was hilarious, and now Ken’s continuing the joke.
In addition,Ken must’ve remembered how awkward it felt for him to give such a funny wrong answer, so, by referencing his own mistake, he took some of the focus off of Micah. This was kind of him, but it also got a lot of laughs,making it a perfectJeopardy!moment.
Ken has great comedic timing and a smart sense of humor. He’s quick with jokes, and lightens the mood with his funny comments. Ken has really settled into his role as the host ofJeopardy!, andhe’s certainly making Alex proud.
Jeopardy!airs weeknights. Please check your local listings for time and channel.
Jeopardy!
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Jeopardy! (1984) is a long-running quiz show where contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of answers and must phrase their responses in the form of questions.
