It’s been well-established that fans of Jeopardy! You must take this seriously, with many feeling there’s a certain amount of respect required of the contestants who take the Alex Trebek Stage. Although it might seem that Celebrity Jeopardy!’s formatAllows for an ease up in those standards. Comedian Hasan Minhaj had a little more flair than fans are used to and they quickly let him know via social media. After Minhaj was the subject of harsh criticismHis performance on the quiz show’s primetime spinoffHe apologized to the fans. “trying to make Jeopardy! fun.”
Hasan Minhaj explained the events that took place on the October 30, episode of Celebrity Jeopardy!He added his own humor to his apology, while speaking with Jimmy Fallon The Tonight ShowAs he admitted to having had a “unique power to piss off dedicated nerds.”He said:
Jeopardy! Fans, I am sorry. Jeopardy! Fans, take a look at me. I’m sorry for desecrating an American institution. I’m sorry that your 7 p.m. linear TV antenna was ripped out of your elderly mouth. Most importantly, I am sorry that I tried to make Jeopardy. fun.
Well, I think it’s safe to say that apology isn’t likely to win over any of the people who were so vocally opposed to his antics on the show. Jimmy Fallon showed a clip of the episode in question — which also featured Wil Wheaton and Troian Bellisario — showing an animated Hasan Minhaj jumping up and down as he answered clues, celebrating correct answers and shouting out his responses to Mayim Bialik.
The host is the one who hosts. Mayim Bialik demonstrated why we love her so muchTake the reins Celebrity Jeopardy!, as she didn’t allow Hasan Minhaj to hijack the format of the show (at least not too much). She dismissed the comedian when he claimed his buzzer didn’t work, leading to him accusing her of gaslighting and then victim-blaming. Minhaj stated that Minhaj was giving an explanation and not an excuse. He explained that competing on the show live is an entirely different experience than when he performed from his home. He explained to Jimmy Fallon:
Let me explain my behavior. Jeopardy! You’re comfortable in your sweats, confident, and playing with the shampoo and the remote. You don’t realize what it does to you when you go into the arena.
Whatever the cause of his enthusiastic playing style, fans on Twitter didn’t seem to buy in, with some saying they were so annoyed they turned off the episode. Many of those who persevered to the end were happy that Wil Wheaton won, with one viewer tweeting:
Felt great to see @hasanminhaj lose Celebrity Jeopardy after being really really fucking annoying all night holy shitOctober 31, 2022
In the end Hasan Minhaj admitted he’s just not the best fit for the “cerebral, quiet quiz show,”He said that he must go to a place that accepts the handicapped. Minhaj said he’s taking his talents to The price is right.
We will see if it comes to fruition, but Jeopardy! fans can rest assured he won’t be gracing the Alex Trebek Stage again anytime soon. Celebrity Jeopardy!Continues with new episodes every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. If you’re curious, you can view past episodes of Celebrity Jeopardy!You can stream with a Hulu subscriptionHasan Minhaj’s Stand-up Special, Homecoming KingWith a Netflix subscription.