Jeopardy! turned into a bizarre talent show on Tuesday (July 25) night’s episode as one contestant showed off his impressively long tongue, and some viewers were turned off.
The moment came as host Ken Jennings talked to the three players in the meet-the-contestants segment. Referring to his notes, Jennings pointed out how contestant Andrew Knowles apparently has “a really long tongue.”
“Yeah, so I figured out at a young age I have a long tongue, and the whole nose-to-tongue thing was easy,” said Knowles, a psychologist resident from Portland, Oregon. “And then one day I heard that, you know, touching your elbow, or licking your elbow basically, is impossible. And I tried it, and I was able to do it.”
Of course, such a claim couldn’t go by without being tested, and Jennings dared Knowles to “prove it,” telling him, “Let’s see it, Andrew.”
“Ya’ll wanna see it,” Knowles asked the studio audience. And after some light applause, the contestant stretched back his arm and quickly completed the unusual feat.
This was not on our 2023 #Jeopardy! bingo card, but here we are pic.twitter.com/x4vS6QPh0Z
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) July 26, 2023
Jennings seemed impressed, telling Knowles, “Wow, look at that. I can do the nose thing, but I didn’t know there was a whole Olympic level that I knew nothing of.”
In a funny bonus moment posted on social media, Jennings joined Knowles behind his podium, and both men touched the tip of their noses with their tongues.
But while those in the studio seemed to be having a good time, many viewers at home were less than impressed with some suggesting it was the trashiest moment in the show’s esteemed history.
“What the hell is happening on Jeopardy? One of the contestants just stuck out his tongue and licked his elbow during the dumb “let’s talk to the contestants” schtick. Alex Trebek is rolling over in his grave right now!” tweeted one fan.
“Licking elbows and bragging about tongue length. @KenJennings is trying to see how how low @Jeopardy can go,” wrote another.
“#Jeopardy has fallen to freak show status with dude talking about tongue and then showing him sticking it out to touch his bent elbow. Ken Jennings asked him to prove it. Gross,” said another viewer.
“@Jeopardy has just jumped the shark into classless mediocrity when a contestant just licked his elbow with his tongue. Sad that the only intelligent game show on tv has stooped to this level. Thanks @kenjennings for lowering the standard of a once great show,” wrote one upset fan.
What the hell is happening on Jeopardy? One of the contestants just stuck out his tongue and licked his elbow during the dumb “let’s talk to the contestants” schtick. Alex Trebek is rolling over in his grave right now!
— Phil McNamara (@philindc) July 25, 2023
Licking elbows and bragging about tongue length.@KenJennings is trying to see how how low @Jeopardy can go.
— ValueTrap (@Diogenes43055) July 25, 2023
#Jeopardy has fallen to freak show status with dude talking about tongue and then showing him sticking it out to touch his bent elbow. Ken Jennings asked him to prove it. Gross
— joe joe (@joejoe27425122) July 25, 2023
@Jeopardy has just jumped the shark into classless mediocrity when a contestant just licked his elbow with his tongue. Sad that the only intelligent game show on tv has stooped to this level. Thanks @kenjennings for lowering the standard of a once great show.
— Defiant_Patriot (@DefiantResista1) July 25, 2023
However, there was at least one person down with the tongue action, as a fan tweeted, “I want the tongue guy to win!”
I want the tongue guy to win! #Jeopardy
— Moto62 (@Moto_62_) July 25, 2023
Despite his tongue-twisting skills, Knowles didn’t have the trivia skills to walk away with the victory. Instead, Julie Sisson from Everett, Washington, won the episode, knocking off reigning champion Taylor Clagett.
In a much sweeter anecdote than tongue length, Sisson revealed she always carries a lucky Scrabble tile with her grandmother’s initial, L. And it obviously proved lucky in Tuesday’s game.
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