R.I.P. Alex Trebek

I got to briefly meet him when I was a contestant on Jeopardy. Seemed to be a little more of a smartass and more of a comedian than his show persona, but that isn't a bad thing. He will be missed, and may his memory be a blessing.

RIP. He always seemed very sincere and genuine.

Oddly, one of the few people trusted by the vast majority of Americans to present simply the facts... as long as you answered in the form of a question. I can't imagine anyone else doing Jeopardy.

Art Flemming did it originally. I watched it with my mom when I was a kid. I think he did it in a Al Yankovich video as well.

I always think of Alex Trebek on Card Sharks for some reason. He hosted a pile of game shows back when they were popular.

I don't understand the front-page level notoriety his death is causing. I appreciate that it gets a mention, but I honestly think I could have done his job. Stage presence seemed to be the biggest part of it (at least from the public's perspective.)

God bless that man.

Been a few years since I've checked in here, was sad to see Trebek pass away even though we all knew it was coming. I used his persona as the commissioner for my Blood Bowl leagues so I spent many hours staring at his face in photoshop. For me, Trebek and my board gaming hobby will always be linked.



RIP

Sagrilarus wrote: I don't understand the front-page level notoriety his death is causing. I appreciate that it gets a mention, but I honestly think I could have done his job. Stage presence seemed to be the biggest part of it (at least from the public's perspective.)

For me, he was an institution. No matter what shitty things were going on in the world, he was there. Calm, relaxed, and in control. And he helmed a show which celebrated the idea that knowing things is good. Not looking good, not being outrageous, but having a breadth of knowledge about the world. For a kid like me, who had a lot of curiosity (and still can’t really decide what he wants to do despite being semi-retired) that was just amazing.

I kind of feel the way I did when Peter Jennings died. Except Jennings was more serious. Trebek felt like a classy older friend.

Ttrebek lent a gravitas to Jeopardy! that to me put it a cut above a lot of other game shows. He was never flashy, never tacky, just amiable and erudite.

I also suspect that he was able to run the show very effectively. Jeopardy is a pretty fast-paced game show really, and he had a knack for establishing the rhythm of that game. He juggled the clues, the contestants, the audience, and everything else really effectively. He also did a great job at framing the stakes of what was happening in a way that never felt forced. Perhaps Art Flemming had the same gift, I don't know. But I don't think it's nothing.

He started doing the job when I just a year or two old. I literally cannot remember a time when he was not doing this job. I will definitely miss him.