‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Angry at Contestants for Not Knowing Gene Kelly as a Dance Icon
Jeopardy! is a classic TV game show. Every evening fans tune in to watch three contestants answer questions to be crowned champion. While the contestants are intelligent, viewers don’t understand how they can miss simple answers. The Dec. 1, 2022, episode draws feedback after the contestants failed to recognize a movie and dance icon.
The host of ‘Jeopardy!’ stumps contestants with one question
Jeopardy! contestants, answer questions regarding several topics. Usually, the categories feature history, science, and pop culture. While some contestants are knowledgeable in every subject, now and then, they’ll get stumped.
That was the case on the Dec. 1 episode. The category was Olivia Newton-John, and the question was her co-star in the 1980s musical Xanadu. Movie buffs know that famed dancer Gene Kelly was Newton-John’s co-star. However, the contestants Cris Pannullo, Rob Lamanna, and Jeri Zulli didn’t know the answer.
After the buzzer sounded, host Ken Jennings revealed Kelly was the answer, then moved on to the next question.
Contestants aren’t familiar with Gene Kelly movies
Kelly movies are a topic future Jeopardy! contestants may want to study. While Pannullo, Lamanna, and Zulli weren’t familiar with the Hollywood icon, legions are fans who adored the dancer. Kelly is a legendary singer, dancer, choreographer, and actor.
After performing on Broadway throughout the 1930s, Kelly made his film debut in the 1942 movie For Me and My Gal. Kelly wowed audiences with his acting and dancing and soon became a megastar. His most famous movies include An American in Paris, Singin’ in the Rain, Invitation to the Dance, and Xanadu.
Kelly’s career spanned over five decades, with numerous performances in movies, TV, and film. He was honored with many awards, including an Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe. Kelly died on Feb. 2, 1996, at 83.
‘Jeopardy!’ fans react to the contestants’ lack of knowledge about Gene Kelly
While Jeopardy! contestants are experts in math, science, and history. But pop culture is a category that often stumps them. The recent Kelly miss is another example of missing a simple answer. While it’s a small mistake, fans are in an uproar.
On Twitter, fans voiced their displeasure over the contestants not knowing Kelly. “Oh my god. To hell with the lot of you for not buzzing in for Gene Kelly,” wrote one user.
“Watching last night’s #Jeopardy. Nobody knew Gene Kelly? WTF?” asked one viewer.
“I was stunned that no #Jeopardy contestants could identify a picture of Gene Kelly,” another commenter replied.
“Sad. On Jeopardy! tonight, none of the contestants knew who Gene Kelly was when shown a picture of him. Guess I’m getting old,” wrote one fan.
Kelly remains a hot topic with Jeopardy! fans. This isn’t the first time a simple answer has been missed, and it won’t be the last.
