Whether you are an old pro or just starting on Jeopardy!, soon you become a target for fans.
Matt Amodio’s answering style initially caused controversy but ultimately paid off when it paid off big time, won him millions in prize money, and gained him plenty of supporters.
Other contestants have annoyed viewers with facial expressions; while some might find them irritating, others find them hilarious.
Mattea Roach
Mattea Roach has taken Jeopardy by storm as one of its new super champions, captivating fans with her animated hand gestures and extensive knowledge of pop culture, history, and geography. As her success on the show has caused headlines to surface – some critics even criticizing – she has attracted widespread media coverage and some viewer criticism.
Others have criticized Roach for not taking the game seriously enough or for being too chatty – however, this hasn’t hampered her success in winning Tournament of Champions Tournaments; she aims to become the first Canadian ever to do so!
The CBC reports Roach to have earned more than half a million dollars to date – she is one of the youngest champions to reach that threshold, and her success has made her an online viral star, as she’s been invited to speak at numerous LGBTQ events across Canada.
Roach has since become an ambassador for the AIDS Foundation of Canada and credits her experience on the show with helping her gain more insight into who she is; specifically, she learned more about herself sexual orientation-wise and became more open about sharing personal details about herself with people outside her circle.
She is currently competing in the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions, featuring previous winners from previous show seasons. So far, she has amassed more than $572,000 through consecutive wins and highest winnings during regular season play – making her fifth on both lists!
So far, she’s had a hard-fought competition keeping her at the top. After winning one of her initial matches against James Holzhauer and Andrew Buttry, she fell to Matt Amodio and Brad Rutter. Still, she was able to give a poignant speech about her father, who died during filming.
Phil, her father, is immensely proud of her. Although he doesn’t yet know what his daughter will do with her newfound fame, he knows it will serve her well – using her knowledge of politics and history to assist those in need; Phil believes her show appearances will open doors she would never have experienced otherwise.
Laura Ashby
Laura Ashby, an attorney from Georgia who recently won a substantial sum on Jeopardy, has become an internet meme with her distinct accent that differs from traditional southern tones and creates upward inflection on words like “ditto” in her sentences. Twitter users even created a parody account just for Ashby’s voice on social media – now known as @LauraAshbyVonVanderbiltYaleVanderbilt Yale.
Uptalk is a common phenomenon among women and is sometimes misconstrued as a sign of naivete or lack of confidence by some individuals. According to research, up talk tends to occur more often among female than male participants; additionally, women may try to appear more intelligent by inflating their voices at the end of a sentence by up talk.
Uptalk can be so annoying to some that some have gone as far as creating a parody account on Twitter for it! This behavior shows just how critical American television audiences can be; it is hard to comprehend how anyone could be judged so harshly for how they speak, yet this happens regularly on Jeopardy!
Jeopardy contestants often come under scrutiny from fans as the “most annoying contestant ever.” This can be caused by various things, including facial expressions, dress sense, question-answering style, or even how their hands move during play. Mattea Roach became notoriously known for this title because her arms were kept at torso level instead of down by her sides, yet she still won 38 consecutive games! Laura Ashby, currently in the Tournament of Champions, has yet to be labeled annoying, but her use of uptalk certainly gets some people’s goats!
Jake DeArruda
Jake DeArruda has become the target of Jeopardy fans’ displeasure for his facial expressions and mannerisms, prompting some viewers to call his time on the show “unwatchable.” But some fans appear to have turned against DeArruda after his run since dethroning week-long champion Troy Meyer on Tuesday (January 31) to win three consecutive games before being knocked from first place and winning them all off in rapid succession (with one even calling him unwatchable).
Jeopardy fans don’t just criticize contestants; hosts also face harsh ire. Last year, Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj faced much backlash for how he carried himself during one episode of Jeopardy he hosted, accusing him of acting smug and showing off, an accusation he denied vehemently. Since then, he appears to have learned his lesson and is trying to change how he seems on Jeopardy.
Mayim Bialik was criticized this week by fans and contestants alike for mispronouncing words and her inconsistent pacing, though most contestants liked her performance. DeArruda shared in an interview with Jeopardy Insider that all contestants were thrilled when Ken Jennings agreed to host them since he is known for keeping to a steady rhythm throughout.
He also supported Soren Bliefnick and Liz Mendoza as newcomers, noting their outstanding performances. Jake led with ten correct answers in round one, followed by Soren and Liz; however, none of the players wagered enough money on Jeopardy to take home victory in round four.
Not surprisingly, certain contestants on The Voice are more popular than others, and viewers may struggle to ascertain why. Sometimes viewers pick up on small things that irritate them about a contestant – over-the-top facial expressions or awkward hand gestures may irritate viewers; often, this makes the person seem annoying or unlikable even though they could be knowledgeable individuals. Mattea Roach was once accused of being unwatchable due to her sudden movements and sharp comments;
Julia Markham Cameron
Julia Markham Cameron may not possess the social skills of other contestants on Jeopardy, but that doesn’t stop her from making an impression debut appearance on Thursday’s episode hosted by Big Bang Theory actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik – becoming a viral sensation due to her hilarious facial expressions rather than impressive trivia knowledge.
While some viewers were bothered by Julia’s facial expressions and those who expressed love for the lawyer, many fans took to Twitter to show their admiration of Julia; one fan even tweeted, “LIVING for Julia’s reactions on Jeopardy tonight!”
Cameron made people love her because of her infectious passion for the show. While other contestants appeared resolute in giving answers, Cameron would burst with excitement every time she made an accurate guess; and sometimes seemed truly surprised when given clues, such as correctly answering that Princess Anne competed in equestrian at Montreal Olympics.
One thing that might have annoyed some viewers was her facial expressions; overall, they enjoyed her. She was an enjoyable change from the usual “Jeopardy! brainiacs” who seem to take over. Unfortunately, it was difficult for many viewers to comprehend her accent and some of the responses she gave.
Others on the show were appalled by her behavior, especially when she interrupted Ken Jennings to give her response. But, the show’s producers managed to persuade her to tone it down for the remainder of the episode; in general, all contestants did an excellent job answering questions, and hopefully, future episodes can see them working with their fellow contestants to keep their behaviors under control; no one wants to see anyone act like an arrogant know-it-all or braggart; on the upside, most contestants are pretty likable, and they’re just having great fun playing Jeopardy!
