Author Topic: Final Jeopardy questions (Read 6338 times)

lobster · « **on:** March 15, 2008, 12:59:48 AM »

(non spoiler, answer and results are not revealed :p)

today's show had probably the most dumbed-down $200-grade question for FJ I've ever seen..

Category: Food & Drink
"In 2001, a 5,861 gallon version of this drink was served up at a Jimmy Buffett-owned place in Orlando"

I mean.. ..seriously? What's with the pattern of way-obvious giveaway clues lately?

/It's getting harder and harder to be a showoff when FJ! is on in waiting rooms and other various public places

gwarman2005 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 15, 2008, 01:18:13 AM »

What is Rum & Coke?

TLEberle · « **Reply #2 on:** March 15, 2008, 01:26:43 AM »

[quote name=\'lobster\' post=\'181424\' date=\'Mar 14 2008, 09:59 PM\']I mean.. ..seriously? What's with the pattern of way-obvious giveaway clues lately?[/quote]It seems to be hot and cold. I'll get a week's worth of them without having to tease anything out, and then have a two-week dry spell. It seems rare that the Final is something that you have to puzzle out by joining two or three different pieces of information. I've either gotten it within the first few measures, or spend thirty seconds doing the armpit fart in time to the drums. That's just me, your M may very well V.

(But then, what do you do to get to 'what is a margarita?' other than the Buffett nod? Leave it out and it becomes a question of who recently thumbed through a Guinness book.)

MikeK · « **Reply #3 on:** March 15, 2008, 01:27:21 AM »

[quote name=\'gwarman2005\' post=\'181426\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 01:18 AM\']What is Rum & Coke?[/quote]
*Carnac rips open envelope*

Carnac: Name two things Amy Winehouse considers part of a healthy breakfast.

/this isn't the Carson thread? damn

BrandonFG · « **Reply #4 on:** March 15, 2008, 02:41:11 AM »

[quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'181429\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 01:27 AM\']
[quote name=\'gwarman2005\' post=\'181426\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 01:18 AM\']What is Rum & Coke?[/quote]
*Carnac rips open envelope*

Carnac: Name two things Amy Winehouse considers part of a healthy breakfast.

/this isn't the Carson thread? damn
[/quote]
No, but I lol'd regardless.

lobster · « **Reply #5 on:** March 15, 2008, 02:44:10 AM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'181428\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 12:26 AM\']
(But then, what do you do to get to 'what is a margarita?' other than the Buffett nod? Leave it out and it becomes a question of who recently thumbed through a Guinness book.)
[/quote]

Yeah, the typical FJ formula then would shift focus over to the "Orlando" part of the clue, which then would imply something Disney-related if you didn't know the obscure factoid they were referring to... But also this week, there was a question about a quote concerning a writer being from Mississippi -- who else but Faulkner -- and even Alex noted the "key word being "a writer from Mississippi" .. (yeah, THANKS, alex :p)

The question they had yesterday about the two South American countries you would cross by heading due south from Miami is an example of the true oldschool FJ where there were no dopey obvious throwaway punchlines, you really did just have to rely on your knowledge and think it through.. Glad they didn't go with "This country that contains popular Quechua ruins is one of two crossed when heading south from Miami"..

Craig Karlberg · « **Reply #6 on:** March 15, 2008, 04:09:32 AM »

Boy, they were looking for "easier" FJ!s after a string of triple stumpers recently. Whenever there's a triple stumper, odds are the show's on a budget. In this case, this was clearly "giveway" mode(not just the clue, but the winnings these days). Don't be surprised if we see a triple stumper sometime next week.

mmb5 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 15, 2008, 08:35:14 AM »

If you don't know Jimmy Buffett, you're not going to get it. What maybe easy for you may not be easy for others.

--Mike

tomobrien · « **Reply #8 on:** March 15, 2008, 08:57:42 AM »

[quote name=\'mmb5\' post=\'181458\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 07:35 AM\'] If you don't know Jimmy Buffett, you're not going to get it. What maybe easy for you may not be easy for others. [/quote]
I'm the first to agree with the latter statement, but considering that Buffett has turned the "Margaritaville" name into a retail mini-empire encompassing a chain of restaurants, frozen foods, tequila, sandals(?!) and frozen drink makers, it really doesn't seem like an obscure reference originating from a pop song anymore.

lobster · « **Reply #9 on:** March 15, 2008, 09:36:24 AM »

[quote name=\'mmb5\' post=\'181458\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 07:35 AM\']
If you don't know Jimmy Buffett, you're not going to get it. What maybe easy for you may not be easy for others.
[/quote]

That goes without saying, but come on, man, there is a slightly higher standard of knowledge (and yes, even in the area of slop culture) that is assumed everyone who qualifies for Jeopardy will know. if you can't link Jimmy Buffett with Margaritaville and yet you are on Jeopardy and have made it to the final, the contestant coords have let one slip through the crack. And this question in particular is not about "ease", it's about being anyone over the age of 20 that has a pulse. If you've lived in the western world and not in a cave for at least five years, there is absolutely no reason to not know the answer to that question, and the question writers know this. Guaranteed no one on the writing staff said "this might stump 'em!"

Using your logic, would you not be surprised if someone on Jeopardy missed a question like "This is the capital of the United States"?

jalman · « **Reply #10 on:** March 15, 2008, 09:46:26 AM »

I've seen easier FJs, IMO. The one about the university (Florida) winning both football and basketball national championships was probably the easiest one. I don't worry about the writers' capabilities, though.

I didn't get the Jimmy Buffet one immediately either. I wasn't a contestant so I'm not getting worked up about it.

Quote

If you've lived in the western world and not in a cave for at least five years, there is absolutely no reason to not know the answer to that question, and the question writers know this. Guaranteed no one on the writing staff said "this might stump 'em!"

I'm not a music aficionado, sorry.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #11 on:** March 15, 2008, 10:13:23 AM »

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'181441\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 04:09 AM\']
Boy, they were looking for "easier" FJ!s after a string of triple stumpers recently. Whenever there's a triple stumper, odds are the show's on a budget. In this case, this was clearly "giveway" mode(not just the clue, but the winnings these days). Don't be surprised if we see a triple stumper sometime next week.[/quote]
I'll take "Making Stuff Up" for a thousand, Alex.

Jeopardy material is prepared far in advance, games are packaged as a unit, and the decision about which one of a set of games to be played that day is made (blindly, I believe) by someone from Standards and Practices, not the show. Some Final Jeopardy clues are easier than others, some are harder. This one happened to be easier. There might very well be a Triple Stumper next week, but it won't be a conscious choice and it won't have anything to do with this softball.

Having said that...
[quote name=\'jalman\' post=\'181466\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 09:46 AM\']
I've seen easier FJs, IMO. The one about the university (Florida) winning both football and basketball national championships was probably the easiest one. I don't worry about the writers' capabilities, though.[/quote]
And somebody who doesn't follow collegiate sports would consider that a killer.
[quote name=\'jalman\' post=\'181466\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 09:46 AM\']
I didn't get the Jimmy Buffet one immediately either. I wasn't a contestant so I'm not getting worked up about it.
....
I'm not a music aficionado, sorry.[/quote]
Precisely. A Jimmy Buffet reference is certainly on the easier side of things, but not exactly a crime against the trivia gods.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2008, 10:18:57 AM »

[quote name=\'lobster\' post=\'181465\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 08:36 AM\']
[quote name=\'mmb5\' post=\'181458\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 07:35 AM\']
If you don't know Jimmy Buffett, you're not going to get it. What maybe easy for you may not be easy for others.
[/quote]Using your logic, would you not be surprised if someone on Jeopardy missed a question like "This is the capital of the United States"?[/quote]Now you're being ridiculous.

If the clue had mentioned the "sandals, restaurants, etc" and not mentioned Jimmy, I wouldn't have known it either. And, had I not known a girl who turned me on to country music (and the bar scene) a couple of years ago, I wouldn't have known that[/i].

But I can name any state capital, even if intoxicated. I guess by your logic, however, since I wouldn't have known a pop song, wouldn't have deserved to be on Jeopardy either?

jalman · « **Reply #13 on:** March 15, 2008, 10:27:32 AM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'181471\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 10:13 AM\']
[quote name=\'jalman\' post=\'181466\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 09:46 AM\']
I've seen easier FJs, IMO. The one about the university (Florida) winning both football and basketball national championships was probably the easiest one. I don't worry about the writers' capabilities, though.[/quote]
And somebody who doesn't follow collegiate sports would consider that a killer.
[/quote]
Absolutely true. (I hope my "IMO" was a sufficient preface) I saw the FJ that night but didn't feel the need to rail against the J! writers for "going soft." I won't hold not knowing that bit of trivia against the contestants (whoever they were), either.

Jay Temple · « **Reply #14 on:** March 15, 2008, 03:09:17 PM »

[quote name=\'jalman\' post=\'181466\' date=\'Mar 15 2008, 08:46 AM\']
I've seen easier FJs, IMO. The one about the university (Florida) winning both football and basketball national championships was probably the easiest one. I don't worry about the writers' capabilities, though.[/quote]
See, I wouldn't have gotten it in a million years. If college sports was stated as the category, my wager would have been an automatic $0.