‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Demand Change As Backlash Over Controversial Category Grows

Every time Jeopardy! has shaken up its formula, fans either love or hate the changes. Removing the limit on games a contestant could win led to the rise of “super champions” – including current host Ken Jennings – but it also means that there’s less variety in the current crop of contestants. An increased focus on tournaments made viewers feel like the show had lost its magic – and a flurry of suggestions on how to win them back. But the biggest change that fans have an issue with is the categories – specifically, the “Rhyme Time” category, which requires contestants to deliver rhyming answers. “Rhyme Time proved to be one of the most controversial categories, especially during the November 12th episode, and it’s not the first time rhyming has caused a issue.

When November 12th’s episode began, Jennings unveiled the first round of categories, including “Rhyme Time”. Fans vented their frustration online, with responses ranging from expressing frustration over the category showing up again to the more direct plea to “kill it with fire”. The biggest complaint was that “Rhyme Time” can often require precise phrasing for the answer, which led to confusion during the July 1st episode. “Rhyme Time” was one of the categories, and a clue about a “kayak inspection.” Contestants Zoe Strassfield, Matt Brooks, and Cat Pisacano were left stumped until Jennings said it was “a canoe review.” This once again led fans to decry the “Rhyme Time” category, blaming Jeopardy‘s fact-checkers for missing the simple fact that kayaks and canoes are two different types of boats.

The ‘Rhyme Time’ Category Caused an Outpour of Frustration From ‘Jeopardy!’ Fans

It’s not the first time that phrasing has left fans perplexed (or angered), but a lot of people feel that “Rhyme Time” has grown exponentially difficult. There’s also the fact that the category was constantly recurring last year due to the Writers’ Guild of America strike, which led to a repetition of contestants as well. The WGA eventually managed to hammer out a deal, but the combination of repetition & having to have the precise answer might have contributed to fans feeling more than frustrated. But not every fan reacted with volcanic anger to “Rhyme Time” showing up repeatedly. One person offered a change that could actually prove to be beneficial to Jeopardy! in the long run.

One contestant said that “Rhyme Time” should be replaced with the classic “Before and Answer” category, as they felt it would be a better choice. Not only this is a more resonable request than “kill it with fire”, but it’ll also bring back an element that Jeopardy! has been missing: actually testing its contestants’ knowledge. What makes Jeopardy! fun is featuring focus on a wide variety of topics, and future seasons have slowly been narrowing down that pool of knowledge. Bringing back “Before and After” is a way to actually diversify the clues, while also making sure Jeopardy! isn’t just a game of “slam the buzzer at the right time”.

Fans Feel That ‘Jeopardy!’ Should Bring Back Some Classic Categories

Poetry also seems to not be Jeopardy!‘s strong suit. Take the October 28 episode, which had a “Complete The Rhyming Phrase” segment for Final Jeopardy! Contestant Will Wallace guessed that the correct answer to “Men seldom make passes at… was “Girls who wear glasses?” This didn’t fly over with fans or contestants: Wallace looked uncomfortable as he said it, since his fellow contestant Heather Ryan was wearing glasses, and Jennings apologized to her, saying that the clue was “a little problematic.” That’s putting it mildly, especially since Jeopardy! and fellow game show Wheel of Fortune are embroiled in a discrimination lawsuit.