Ken Jennings missed the mark with some Jeopardy! viewers this week when he made a joke about circumcision. The on-again, off-again host was reading a clue from the category “Active Bible Verses,” which went: “Since no one had done this for 40 years, God told Joshua to get a knife and do this to male Israelites.” When a contestant guessed the answer, Jennings said: “That is correct, a painful $2,000 for you.”
The circumcision joke was certainly on topic in the Jeopardy episode that aired on Monday, but some fans thought that Jennings took it too far. Contestant Erica Weiner-Amanchi guessed “What is circumcise?” which qualified as correct. Even considering the awkward subject matter of the joke, some commenters online thought that Jennings could have dropped the “painful” from his own commentary.
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Some commenters on social media wrinkled their noses at Jennings’ joke, and many also pointed out the reactions of the contestants, including Weiner-Amanchi. They thought the real-time reaction seemed to be “cringe,” but over on Twitter many others appreciated the quick quip. Many also rolled this joke into the many reasons they want to see Jennings become the permanent host of Jeopardy!
“Ken Jennings just made a circumcision joke on Jeopardy!, Make him the official host already,” one fan wrote. Another added: “There is absolutely nothing wrong with Ken Jennings’ joke about circumcision. Jewish converts in biblical times did get circumcised and with no anesthetics it certainly was painful. People who criticized Jennings are nitpicking a-.”
Jennings has been hosting Jeopardy! on and off all season, alternating with actress Mayim Bialik. Producers said at the beginning of the season that Jennings and Bialik would carry the torch this season while they decide what to do starting in August. The time is closing in, and now a final answer may come just in time.
Last month, Jeopardy! producer Michael Davies told reporters from Variety that a permanent host would be revealed “very, very soon.” He said: “But with all of our plans for Jeopardy! – which is more Jeopardy!, not less, more versions -we’re going to need multiple hosts to represent the entire audience, to represent the entire country, in order to take this franchise forward.”
In the meantime, Jeopardy! airs on weeknights in syndication. Check your local listings for the correct channel in your area.
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