What Is...? A Jeopardy! Podcast

Week of February 17: A Hershey's Kiss Feb 25, 2025

Your two favorite JIT-heads are BACK as the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament rides once again. We have a couple of stunning upsets, the return of many of our sweeties from years' past, and we get very distracted talking about the television show Reacher on this podcast about the television show Jeopardy!. Plus, Roger Craig returns in a big way with an ode to his legendary ToC moment and some news about his love life (which Jeopardy! fans also find a way to fume about, as is their wont), we get some very nice updates about our contestants' lives (Hannah Wilson owns a yarn shop! Troy is a dad now!), and we dive deep on a very unfortunate part of America's history, the Plessy v. Ferguson case.

A reminder you can now donate to support the show and get our first-ever bonus episodes for your troubles! Head on over to patreon.com/jeopardypodcast and you'll get us talking about the first two weeks of this year's Celebrity Jeopardy!, access to our Discord, and more fun stuff. See you there!

SOURCE: National Archives: "Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)"; Legal Information Institute: "Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)"

A special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of February 10: In Life, You Have Certain Photos Feb 18, 2025

It's the Tournament of Champions FINAL week and we crown a brand-new champion! We also watch a weird exhibition game for some reason. The games feature some really great play, some real nervous energy, and without spoiling anything here in the synopsis, one of Adriana Harmeyer, Isaac Hirsch, and Neilesh Vinjamuri hoists the ToC crown, winning $250,000 and the right to compete in the J! Masters. It's also a masterful week for our show as Isaac tells an anecdote that was a story he FIRST TOLD on this here podcast, and we get a potential Bat Signal from Ken Jennings himself that maybe, just maybe, he listens to this podcast. Speaking of Ken, Jeopardy! fans are fuming about him yet again, and we dive deep on the Burghers of Calais.

It's also a HUGE week for our podcast as we are OFFICIALLY launching our PATREON! It is live now and THIS THURSDAY we will drop our first-ever bonus episode, covering the first two episodes of this season of Celebrity Jeopardy! You won't wanna miss that, plus all the other goodies you'll get from being a patron like access to an exclusive Discord with us, maybe some live hangouts, and MORE! Donate now at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast and get ready for Bonus Episode 1 this Thursday, of which there is a 10-minute SNEAK PEEK on this episode!

SOURCE: Parisian Fields: "The Story Behind the Sculpture"; The Met: "The Burghers of Calais"

Special thank you as always to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of February 3: Sexual Water Feb 11, 2025

It's a whiplash week of Jeopardy! as we go all the way from the Tournament of Champions quarterfinals to the finals, ending up with a three-way clash for the belt between Adriana Harmeyer, Isaac Hirsch, and Neilesh Vinjamuri. But we have to get their first as Drew gets a few more good bits in, Jeopardy! once again FAILS to beat the horny allegations in their most serious tournament of the year, and we dive deep on the French monarchy. Plus, we discuss the just-announced lineup for this year's JIT and Jeopardy! fans once again point out an Isaac wagering mistake.

SOURCE: Biography.com: "Louis XVI"; History Channel: "This Day in History: Louis XVI Executed"

Special thanks as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast.

Week of January 27: Tournament of Heartbreak Feb 04, 2025

After weeks of Second Chance and Champions Wild Card play, the long-awaited Tournament of Champions is finally HERE! And it immediately breaks our hearts, as some of our faves go home early and we are treated to one of the harshest Final Jeopardy! judges' rulings in recent memory as CWC champion Mehal Shah bows out. We also see one of the strongest games of the season so far from Neilesh, and Amy escapes a wild game with a W, thanks in part to one of the toughest FJs we've ever seen. Plus, Jeopardy! fans fume about the games being too "modern" (they must hate our show) and we dive deep on the annis horribilis speech of 1992 (which is how Mehal will probably describe his 2025 moving forward).

SOURCE: History.com: "'Annus Horribilis': Why Queen Elizabeth II Called 1992 a Horrible Year" by Jessica Pearce Rotondi.

Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of January 20: It's a Bifecta! Jan 28, 2025

John was away for work this week and got sick so this is his "Flu Game", as we recap the final week of the Champions Wild Card, and what a week it was. The week featured one of the games of the year, a wonderful two-game final between three of our favorite competitors in the tournament, and another beautifully connected anecdote and response from Drew. Plus, a successfully pulled-off Arrested Development gag, Jay Fisher cementing his place as one of the best anecdotalists in the show's recent history, and we dive deep on the USS Nautilus–how appropriate.

SOURCE: Naval History and Heritage Command: "Nautilus (SSN-571)"

Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of January 13: A Woman of Simple Pleasures Jan 21, 2025

The Second Chance Tournament is over and now it's time to revisit some of our favorite champs from the past with the Champions Wildcard Tournament, and much like the Second Chance, it does not disappoint. Both Second Chance winners Will and Drew make a good impression, John and Emily imagine what their dream Jeopardy! response would be if they were ever on the show, and Adam Hersh has the most "What is You Doing, Baby?" moment of the season so far. Plus, Emily is fuming at Drew's Instagram (though we still love Drew), Final Jeopardy! clues get tough, and we dive deep on "Silent Spring".

SOURCE: NRDC: "The Story of Silent Spring".

Special thanks as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of January 6: Winning Personified Jan 14, 2025

It was a tough week for the world and California especially, but it was a great week for Jeopardy! fans as we were treated to a fantastic second week of Second Chance play. A bunch of our faves are back and we have a host of good anecdotes including a rare triple crown day where all 3 were actually good, we dive deep on rhesus monkeys in space, and Drew makes up with the Swifties in a Response of the Year candidate.

SOURCE: Space.com: "Monkeys in Space: A Brief Spaceflight History" by Mike Wall

Thanks as always to the Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of December 30: Second Chancey Will Yancey Jan 07, 2025

The Second Chance Tournament is BACK and with it comes a whole host of our favorites from Season 40, including our man Will Yancey, who we were pulling for back in his first appearance on the show and we pull for him this week as he makes it to the finals. Can he hold off Kaitlin Tarr and Colleen Matthews? We find out here as Kaitlin has a potential harbinger of doom for an anecdote, Colleen becomes a master of wrong answer adlibs, and we learn that David Madden isn't the only Jeopardy! contestant to own several parrots. Plus, J! fans are fuming about the Jeopardy! calendar and we dive deep on Ulysses S. Grant's prolific smoking habit.

SOURCE: Grant Cottage: "Champion of the Weed: A Study of the 'Legendary' Smoking Habit of Ulysses S. Grant"; Oral Cancer Foundation: "Political Figures: Ulysses S. Grant"

Thanks as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Instagram: @whatisajeopardypodcast

Bluesky: @jeopardypodcast

Week of December 23: Essential Herbs Dec 31, 2024

We got to celebrate Christmas with our listeners, and now it's time to celebrate New Year's, with this NYE episode that has us feeling great about 2025! And it must have Laura Faddah feeling great too, as she retires for a few months a 7-day champ with a little bit of luck and some very timely responses carrying her to a ToC berth as we head into the J! post-season. It was a fun week all around as John vibes with a Québécois contestant, Emily vibes with a particular Daily Double response, and we dive deep on Smokey Bear (not Smokey THE Bear, as you'll learn). Plus, Emily herself fumes as this week sees a near-record number of unread clues.

SOURCE: Alta Journal: "Smokey Bear: More Than an Icon" by Joshua Wheeler; Smokeybear.com: "About the Campaign".

Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Week of December 16: The Christmas Eve Spectacular Dec 24, 2024

An episode of your favorite Jeopardy! podcast on Christmas Eve?! What a gift! Emily and John share some memories of Christmas past as we also share some memories of this week of games which see Ashley Chan fall just short of the ToC threshold, but as Ken says: we'll see her again. We also get another couple of NASTY Final Jeopardy! clues that leave J! fans FUMING about the writers maybe being on VACATION (but still writing the clues while doing so apparently), we get some strange wagers from the contestants, and John helps Emily avoid jail time by diving deep on the RICO Act.

SOURCE: Federal Criminal Appeals Law Firm: "What is the RICO Act?"; TIME: "Law: Showdown at Gucci" by Alain L. Sanders and Priscilla Painton

Thanks to the Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of December 9: Let's Just Do Our Own Bewitched Dec 17, 2024

Look, sometimes we get things wrong. Ok, we get things wrong all the time. But we were very surprised Dave Bond didn't go deeper, as we say goodbye to him on Monday and hello to Bill McKinley and Ashley Chan, who both have a nice week. And we have a nice week too, as John coordinates a Jeopardy! surprise for his Blocked Party cohost Stefan Heck, J! continues their run of Final Jeopardy clues that swing wildly from quite difficult to dead easy, and Emily is really, really committed to getting out of PE. Plus, we dive deep on "I Dream of Jeannie" and its creator, Sidney Sheldon.

SOURCE: Forbes: "'I Dream of Jeannie' Home, A Jim Beam Whiskey Bottle, Expected to Fetch $100,000 At Auction" by Roberta Naas; New York Times: "Sidney Sheldon, Author of Steamy Novels, Dies at 89" by Margalit Fox

Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of December 2: I Wish My Birkenstocks Smelled Like That Dec 10, 2024

John is back and we have an absolutely fantastic of week of games, as we fall in love with Evan Jones and then fall in love all over again once Stevie Ruiz is introduced. And by the end of the week, it's Bond, Dave Bond, who runs roughshod over the competition and looks like a potential ToC contender while giving us another contender for Response of the Year. Plus, we get an anecdote that makes us feel stupider than some of the clues do, Jeopardy! fans can't believe a clue uses the word boob, and we dive deep on the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who apparently might have been a real guy (???).

SOURCE: BBC Magazine: "On the Trail of the Real Pied Piper" by Lizz Pearson; Medievalists: "The Pied Piper of Hamelin: A Medieval Mass Abduction?"

Thanks, as always, to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of November 25: Rick Rat's Pizza w/ Guy Branum Dec 03, 2024

With John away this week, Emily is joined by comedian, writer, and current Jeopardy contestant-pool member Guy Branum! They break down: the rise and fall of Episcopal priest Kevin Laskowski, the best movies to watch with your family during the holidays, and how to communicate through your Jeopardy! anecdote that you have lived a LIFE. Also discussed: Chuck E. Cheese, and the fortunes made and lost in bringing him to life.

SOURCE: New York Times: "Farewell, Chuck E. Cheese Animatronic Band" by Jesus Jiménez; IEEE.org: "Chuck E. Cheese's Animatronic Band Bows Out" by Allison Marsh.

Special thank you as always to The J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of November 18: Double Jeopardy: Folie à Deux Nov 26, 2024

It's a Daily Double double this week as Mehal Shah pushes all-in twice in a row to give us one of the season's marquee moments. He also gives one of the responses of the year in FJ, prompting Ken to ask a very pertinent question. We say goodbye to Paul Clauson, who seemed poised to go deeper than he did, and we end the week with a new champion in Adam Hersh, who thankfully didn't throw up. Plus, Jeopardy! fans have finally had enough of video categories (and so have we!), we go deep on Carrie Nation, and we find out who will be in the Champions Wildcard and Tournament of Champions fields, which provokes some...thoughts.

SOURCE: Kansas Historical Society: "Carry A. Nation, Parts 2-8".

Special thank you as always to the Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art is by Max Wittert. Music is by Nate Heller.

Week of November 11: Dan...Delete That Nov 19, 2024

It's an up-and-down week on the show as Joey DeSena goes on a brief run before succumbing to the powers of women's tennis, Evan Dorey can't quite mount a run, and we end the week with "lovable nerd" Paul Clauson looking like a future contender. We also start a brand-new feud with Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, Jeopardy! Fans Are Fuming about the topography of Scotland, we dive deep on the quietly sinister Sarah Polk, and Steven Czekala pulls off a rare feat...actually landing a joke on Jeopardy!.

SOURCE: Smithsonian Magazine: "How First Lady Sarah Polk Set a Model for Conservative Female Power" by Anna Diamond; Tennessee State Museum: "Sarah Polk: A Natural Politician When Women Couldn't Vote" by Peggy Burch.

Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller. Additional material by Chris Thayer.

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Week of November 4: Getting Nailed Nov 12, 2024

Keep on Jolin, baby! Greg Jolin cements his place in the Tournament of Champions as we cement our place as a Jeopardy! podcast of note, hearing from both a past contestant about last week's episode, and a contestant who was on this week's episode, and both have some great intel for us you won't wanna miss. It's also a great week of games, as some really tight games get our blood pumping, Sammy Sanchez perhaps ushers in a new era of anecdotes, and Jeopardy! fans (and us!) are talking about this year's Second Chance Tournament contestants. Plus, we strap on a bulletproof vest and dive deep into Kevlar.

SOURCE: Inventing Modern America: "Insight: Stephanie Kwolek" by MIT.

Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of October 28: Remember Your Phrasing! Nov 05, 2024

As Emily so aptly puts it, we have a game this week that justifies this podcast's entire existence. A wild cast of characters, a raft of missed clues, and a Daily Double mishap create the type of drama that can only be found on the J! stage. It's a great week overall with some fun new champions, a category so nasty our "Nasty Clue of the Week" becomes our Nasty Category of the Week, and Jeopardy! fans fume about one clue so vehemently it makes it all the way to the pages of People magazine. Plus, we dive deep on Berlin's famed Eldorado nightclub.

SOURCE: New Histories: "Hope Between the Horrors: The Forgotten LGBTQ+ Firsts of Weimar Germany" by Hannah McCann; Advocate: "A Peek Inside Berlin's Queer Club Scene Before Hitler Destroyed It" by Clayton J. Whisnant.

Special thank you as always to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Additional material by Chris Thayer.

Week of October 21: You Kill My Father. The Princess Bride. Oct 29, 2024

It's a delirious episode of the show as we record this late on a Monday and just squeeze it in for your Tuesday morning commute, and what a week it was! We have a new 4-day champion in Will Wallace who is like the William Wallace from Braveheart, only 1000 times more chill. We are chill too as a contestant has an interesting call sign, we both reveal some decently poor singing impressions, and Jeopardy! fans are very upset that Dave Matthews was referred to as a pop star. Plus, we dive deep on one of the worst songs of all-time. It wasn't one of the ones we sung. But those were very bad too.

SOURCE: Rolling Stone: "Flashback: Band Aid Raises Millions With 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'" by Jordan Runtagh.

Special thanks as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of October 14: Marineland Blows! Oct 22, 2024

For perhaps the first time in the podcast's history, Emily and John side with the Jeopardy! fans who are fuming this week, as Ontario-born John is completely baffled that Jeopardy! clue writers used Marineland as a scientific reference for anything. We go off on that and a lot of other fun stuff this week, as we have a couple very close games, a friend of John's from the J! Discord has a great run on the show (and wears a great shirt), and it's a second consecutive week with a curling anecdote. God bless. We also dive deep on Grimace, everyone's favorite unknown species/taste bud/milkshake/embodiment of a milkshake headache/Gritty's cousin.

SOURCE: The Takeout: "Defiant McDonald's Manager Spits in the Face of Grimace Canon" by Lillian Stone; McDonald's Wiki: "Grimace"

Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Week of October 7: Dammit, Bobby Oct 15, 2024

We have another Tournament of Champions entrant and perhaps the final ToC entrant of Season 40 (despite this being Season 41), as games taped from last season wrap with Mark Fitzpatrick picking up his 5th win and then subsequently having a great time through his "tired game" that has plagued so many past champions. It was a great week full of curling, nasty clues including a couple tough FJs, and a category that doesn't help Jeopardy! duck the horny allegations. Plus, Jeopardy Fans are Fuming over Ryan Seacrest's performance as the host of Wheel of Fortune and we go deep on the Coca-Cola logo's inception.

SOURCE: ThoughtCo: "The History of Coca-Cola" by Mary Bellis; CITMA: "The Evolution of the Coca-Cola Logo" by Laura Morrish

Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Additional material by Chris Thayer.

Week of September 30: Hornier and Hornier Oct 08, 2024

Jeopardy! continues its slow descent into horny madness and we can't help but follow them there with the absolutely ridiculous category, "An Ocean of Lotion". There's an ocean of great content on this episode too as John records at 1 am in Charlottetown, PEI and we get delirious. It's a slow week for anecdotes and JFAF, but the horniness comes to save us all. Plus, John visits a legendary literary locale, Emily celebrates her birthday, and we dive deep on the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe, Alexander Selkirk.

SOURCE: Smithsonian Magazine: "The Real Robinson Crusoe" by Bruce Selcraig.

Special thanks to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Week of September 23: [three woman symbol emojis] Oct 01, 2024

It's a delightful week on Jeopardy! as we meet one of the most likeable contestants in recent memory and surefire Second Chancer Drew Goins. And this is not to mention a very sharp 3-game run from surefire Champions Wildcarder (or maybe direct-berth TOCer) David Erb, who also reveals he's led a very interesting life from being an astrophysicist and making key discoveries to his wife being the author of the revered "Lessons in Chemistry". Plus, Jeopardy! fans point out a "rare occurrence" that actually isn't rare at all in JFAF, John turns even more Canadian, and we dive deep on the life and times of Mae West.

SOURCE: Criterion Collection: "The Self-Created Immortality of Mae West" by Farran Smith Nehme.

Special thanks as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Week of September 16: Oh Cool. Awesome. Sep 24, 2024

It is a cool and awesome week on the show as we rue the fact that we got two candidates for Anecdote of the Year last week and then a whole lotta duds this week. But that's ok! We have a ton of fun with Aiden's three appearances on the show, we beg for a Second Chance for Will, and Jeopardy! gets its own "Hot Priest". Plus, we continue our investigation into Jeopardy's increasing horniness, we go deep on Fantasia, and Emily claims the ultimate triumph: a successful Blind Final Jeopardy guess at home.

Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast for more news and updates about the show.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times: "Fantastic 'Fantasia': Disney Channel Takes a Look at Walt's Great Experiment in Animation" by Charles Solomon.

Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of September 9: Fruit in the Toilet w/ Tawny Newsome Sep 17, 2024

We're back, baby! It's Season 41 of Jeopardy! and Season 2 of our little show about the smartest show on television. Of course, all your favorite segments are here and as good as ever. It's a wild week that accurately mimics the start of a new season, with some nervous energy from a lot of contestants, some weird buzzer form, and two anecdotes that will almost surely be in contention for Anecdote of the Year in the 2025 Jeoppys. Plus, J! fans (and us) are rightfully upset about a particular figure showing up as a J! clue, we go deep on Ringo Starr, and Tawny Newsome joins us to give us her insight into being a Jeopardy! clue for the first time.

Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: "Ringo Starr: The Hall of Fame Essay" by Parke Puterbaugh.

Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

The 2024 Jeoppys Aug 29, 2024

It's time to celebrate! Season 40 of Jeopardy! and Season 1 of our podcast is in the books, and while it was a strange season full of tournaments and this podcast didn't start until halfway through it, we are still giving out awards! It's a look back at the wildest anecdotes, responses, and headlines of the year as we crown our first-ever Jeoppy award winners. And yes, we are going to make physical trophies and give them out to the winners.

Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

Produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

The 2024 WIAJP Player of the Year: Isaac Hirsch Aug 06, 2024

Jeopardy! is off for the summer, but we aren't! At least not yet, as we crown our first-ever Player of the Year, Isaac Hirsch, and sit down for a lengthy chat with the 9-game champion. We ask about everything you've been dying to know, including his Tournament of Champions preparation, his bad math that cost him his 10th win, and how it felt when Ken said he had sex appeal. Plus, we commiserate about our comedy careers and IBS, discuss some of Isaac's more memorable anecdotes, and finally get the answer to the question everyone has been dying to know: how did it feel to become a gay icon? And lastly, everyone's favorite WIAJP game returns: do you remember the questions you got wrong on Jeopardy!?

We will be back at some point in the next few weeks with our Season 40 Awards, and then the show won't return until regular play resumes in the fall. So stay tuned for that and in the meantime, follow the damn show! We are on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

Week of July 22: The Leftovers Jul 30, 2024

It's the final week of Season 40 and everyone has Senioritis, including your hosts! It's a strange week of games that sees a couple runs end just when they looked like they were heating up, some weird clues have us a bit confounded, and Ken gets just a little bit horny. It is brat summer, after all. Plus, we discuss WikiFeet, Jeopardy! fans are upset about a Carol Burnett Show Triple Stumper, and we go deep (no pun intended) on the life and times of the Unsinkable One, Molly Brown.

Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: Molly Brown House Museum: "The Many Myths of Molly Brown" by Heather Pressman, National Endowment for the Humanities: "Beyond Unsinkable" by Laura Harbold, and Kansas City Times: "Deeds of Heroism Seemed the Natural Action of 'The Unsinkable Mrs. Brown'" by Gene Fowler.

Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of July 15: The Tournament of Sweeties Jul 23, 2024

We don't have too many good ideas on this show, but we may have stumbled upon one this time around, as we demand the J! producers bring back all the contestants we think are the nicest and gentlest to play their own, quiet version of the game without being pestered by all the brash trivia mavens that grace the Alex Trebek Stage. Make it happen, Davies! Plus, Micah Had F, we say goodbye to Isaac Hirsch, J! fans are upset about math, and we dive deep–like way deep, man–on the life and times of Timothy Leary.

Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: Vice: "Timothy Leary Turns 100: America's LSD Messiah, Remembered by Those Who Knew Him" by Ed Prideaux, and Wired: "Timothy Leary's Transformation From Scientist to Psychedelic Celebrity" by Greg Miller.

Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of July 8: Three Kinds of Joshes Jul 16, 2024

Which kind of Josh are you? It's the question on everyone's mind this week as John records in a foreign land (his parents' basement) and we see another man added to the Tournament of Champions invite list as Isaac Hirsch punches his ticket with another delightful week of play. Isaac also continues his great run of anecdotes and we get a surprise contender for "Anecdote of the Season" when Stephanie describes her unfortunate run-in with glow sticks. Plus, Emily has a unique week ahead at work due to being close to an adult toy trade show, we dive deep on the tales of Sinbad the Sailor, and Jeopardy! has a major scoring correction moment that leaves John and Emily dizzy with excitement.

Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: Britannica: "Sindbad the Sailor", and Library of Congress: "The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor" by Anchi Hoh.

Special thank you to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of July 1: Turns Out, Karma Isn't Real Jul 09, 2024

Isaac Hirsch tempted fate with a Wednesday anecdote about his Jeopardy!-losing father, but it mattered not, as he rattled off three straight wins and has the look of a potential ToC entrant, leisure suit and all. It was a fun week on the show as Emily wonders if Canada Day is real and John is furious when the contestants treat a Canadian category like it isn't. We also get one of the responses of the year in a French slang category, Parade Magazine enters the fray in the J! Fans Are Fuming segment, and we dive deep on the "Most Beautiful Woman Slayer", Beulah Annan.

Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: Chicago History Museum: "True Crime in the '20s: The Beulah Annan Story" by Jojo Galvin, and Chicago History Magazine: "Jailhouse Makeovers" by Douglas Perry.

Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Additional content by Chris Thayer.

Week of June 24: Not Just the Name of a Cake Jul 02, 2024

It's a full week of Drew Basile on the podcast, as he wins his way into the Tournament of Champions, finds himself exhausted on Friday and his streak ends at 7 days. But what a week it was, and we run it all down here, from Jeopardy! clue writers picking a hilarious category name to John learning that Duncan Hines was a guy who did some other stuff also. Plus, J! fans are upset and just a little bit pedantic about a clue, we hear a perfect Jeopardy! anecdote, and we dive deep on the legend of Colonel Harland Sanders.

Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. And if you like the show...tell a friend!

SOURCE: The New Yorker: "Kentucky-Fried" by William Whitworth.

Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of June 17: John Meets Fred Durst Jun 25, 2024

John is BACK from his European vacation where he gets revenge on Katie and Emily making fun of him by actually meeting Limp Bizkit's lead singer Fred Durst, and having a lovely time seeing them in Belfast. We go super long on this one as the week has so much to offer, from the end of Adriana Harmeyer's run to a potential new streak as Drew Basile stacks up three wins. One of those wins? It's in a TIEBREAKER, folks. What a week! Plus, John finds some commonality with one of Drew's anecdotes, Emily finds some more J! fans FUMING over the use of new slang, and we go deep on Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: Music History Monday: "The Miracle at Bayreuth" by Robert Greenberg.

Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Rob Pera. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of June 10: TMI? w/ Louis Peitzman Jun 18, 2024

Surprise! In more ways than one. With John still away on vacation, writer, editor, Jeopardy! fan, Ken Jennings twitter mutual, and friend of the pod Louis Peitzman is formally invited to guest co-host the show. We recap another week of Harmeyer dominance, only slightly overshadowed by the best anecdote of the season. All my IBS girlies, rise up! Plus, famous fingers and nipples get discussed. And we were so busy incepting ourselves into the JFAF segment that we didn’t even notice a huge change to our favorite show!

Special thanks to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan for the data.

This episode is produced by Producer Rob. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of June 3: Kippers on a Limp Bizkit w/ Katie Nolan Jun 11, 2024

While John’s away for not at all embarrassing reasons, Celebrity Jeopardy! finalist Katie Nolan steps in to fill his shoes. We hear some juicy BTS gossip about her time on the Alex Trebek stage, before celebrating the (so far) unstoppable force that is Adriana Harmeyer. Some absolute cuties got fed into the Adriana wood chipper this week, and we try to give them their due. Emily did some killing this week, and not in the comedy way. And did you know you can negotiate with your dentist? Katie tells you how! Plus: what *is* chili? And where *is* Detroit? Special Hot Dog Correspondent Jamie Loftus helps us out via text to set the Jeopardy! fans at ease.

Special thanks to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Rob. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of May 27: It's Awesome to Have a Potato Jun 04, 2024

We're back to our regularly scheduled programming with our weekly recaps and the season of the just-shy-of-five-day champions continues, as we wave goodbye to 4-day champ Amar Kakirde and say hello to current 3-day champion Adriana Harmeyer. It's a very fun week on the show as Emily forgets to provide an anecdote so John gets to freelance, Jeopardy fans (and John!) are fuming about the attribution of a song, and we learn a bunch about Magellan's death at the hands of Lapulapu.

Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: History Extra: "Dire Straits: The Story of Ferdinand Magellan's Fatal Voyage of Discovery" by Pat Kinsella.

Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

BONUS: The 2024 Masters w/ Juveria Zaheer Jun 03, 2024

As promised, we recap the entire 2024 Masters tournament in one episode with none other than Second Chance and Champions Wildcard winner (and ToC quarterfinalist!) Juveria Zaheer! While we do discuss the Masters and Victoria proving she is truly the Queen of Quiz, this episode is so much more than that as we dig into Juveria's Jeopardy! journey, what J! fame can mean and how to deal with it, game theory, and Juveria wildly impresses us with a game we invented just for her. It's an episode you absolutely do NOT want to miss!

Week of May 20: Ham Kinison May 28, 2024

The 3-day curse is broken, but Grant DeYoung runs into the dreaded 4-day curse, falling one win short of a guaranteed TOC invite. But that's ok, as Amar Kakirde is here to pick up the slack and starts a 3-day run of his own, to be continued this week. The games barely matter this week as we are enthralled by Ellen Klages' "Scary Ham" story, one we liked so much that we break the "Final Jeopardy! Deep Dive" to go deep on that instead. Plus, it's a new entry in the "Response of the Year" category as all 3 players can't remember who fronted Van Halen, we learn Ken Jennings and Drew Carey share a birthday, and John finally gets to watch a Calgarian play the game.

And a quick programming note: our Masters recap will be coming out early next week with a VERY special guest. Get excited!

Source: Reactor Magazine: "The Scary Ham" by Ellen Klages.

Virginia Living: "The Ham Man" by Richard Ernsberger Jr.

Special thanks to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of May 13: The Three Game-y Problem May 21, 2024

We are back to start the week with our friend Will Stewart, who succumbs to the same problem that has befallen many a champion to start this Season 40: winning the fourth game. He falls just shy, and passes the torch to a new three-gamer, Grant DeYoung. Will he have what it takes to...break the fourth wall? Plus, it's the mini-return of Emily's Garden Show, we zero in on Will's anecdote where he is forced to do stand-up comedy as a punishment, and we learn about Canada's finest beverage export: Canada Dry Ginger Ale.

Source: Mashed: "The Untold Truth of Canada Dry" by Brian Boone.

The Canadian Encyclopedia: "John J. McLaughlin" by Jamie Bradburn.

Special thanks to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Week of May 6: Cabbage Patch Kidding May 14, 2024

It's a week of almosts on Jeopardy!, as Weckiai Rannila and Alison Gross both have impressive 3-day runs, but ultimately fall short of the automatic entry to the Tournament of Champions. But it's ok, because we love the vibe of Friday's game and we love our new champion Will, who learned everything there is to know from The Simpsons. Emily also learned something brand new about her parents this week, and John got a taste of Alberta living. Plus, we found out that Jeopardy! fans were very upset with a Final Jeopardy clue, and the Cabbage Patch Kids made some people an awful lot of money. Oh, and that Emily looked like one when she was a baby.

Source: TIME: "The Strange Cabbage Patch Craze" by Otto Friedrich.

Associated Press: "Cleveland's Cabbage Patch Kids Turn 25".

Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of April 29: The One Percentie May 07, 2024

Are you rich and got even richer by winning on Jeopardy!? Give us a call! It's a great showing and a sure Second Chance invite for Ferdinand Percentie as Amy Hummel gets the 3rd TOC invite of the season–the second from regular play–and Weckiai Rannila starts a streak of her own after knowing how to dance the Macarena and some poor FJ! wagering from her opponent. We learn a LOT about the Macarena this week including the insane Canadian history of the song, Jeopardy! fans are fuming about a Triple Stumper, and we make a lot of Occupy Wall Street jokes on a podcast in 2024. We get it.

Special note this week: we will be covering the ongoing Jeopardy! Masters, but all at once, when it's over, with a special guest. So stay tuned for that.

Source: Stereogum: "The Number Ones: 'Macarena' by Los Del Rio" by Tom Breihan.

Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Week of April 22: "Oh, the Humanity!" Apr 30, 2024

It's the week of Amy Hummel! We have a new 3-game champion and we also have one of our favorite responses of the week...EVER. We also learn a lot about our contestants' musical pursuits, Ken has a new Final Jeopardy! tic we are enjoying, and we wildly screw up once again in our new closing segment of the show, "Final Final Jeopardy!" Plus, you'll find out why Jeopardy! fans are apparently imagining Alex Trebek rolling over in his grave and we learn a lot about the luxurious and disastrous Hindenburg.

You can follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. And if you like the show, please rate it 5 stars wherever you're listening to it, and tell a friend!

Source: Airships.net: "LZ-129 Hindenburg: A Detailed History" by Dan Grossman.

Special Thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of April 15: Foghorn Leghorn Apr 23, 2024

We have our first entrant into the Season 40 Tournament of Champions, and it's Alison Betts! After a few runaways and one close game, Alison wins her fifth game and punches her ticket to the ToC, but she is dethroned by another strong player, Marko Saric. We break down all the games as usual, plus Emily reveals her history with The Lonely Island, curling gets mentioned on the show, J! fans are Joker-fied after the Harley Quinn FJ! clue, and we conclude it all with a little parley at the Summit.

You can follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

Source: International Churchill Society: "Churchill and the 'German Question'" by Klaus Larres.

Special Thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of April 8: Back to Life, Back to Regular Jeopardy! Apr 16, 2024

It's baaaaaaacckkkkk! Regular games have returned after the completion of the JIT...but the first game back leaves us wondering if maybe the tournaments should come back, actually. We cover Victoria's triumphant victory at the JIT, the emergence of our first great player of the new season, and some hilarities that could only ensue on a regular-play game of J! We also dig into the controversy surrounding the Producer's Pick for the Masters, and we learn about Xolo dogs.

You can follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

Source: American Kennel Club: Xoloitzcuintli Dog Breed Information.

Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

Produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of April 1: Two JIT-Heads Apr 09, 2024

We are back to regularly scheduled programming after last week's first-ever guest, and it's time to start JIT-ting everywhere as we cover the final QF game, all the semifinals, and Finals Game 1. Victoria Groce knocks off Sam Buttrey to ensure the possibility of a new Masters contestant, Amy gets two $400 clues correct that save her tournament life, and Andrew continues true-Daily-Doubling his way to the top, with some great anecdotes along the way. In JFAF, the Canadian fans are pissed off about a Triple Stumper on Gordon Lightfoot and we go deep on The Golden Horde.

Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive.

Produced by Producer Dan, Music by Nate Heller, Art by Max Wittert.

Week of March 25: Game Show Activism w/ Alex Jacob & Laurie Kilmartin Apr 02, 2024

It's our first episode with a guest and we go extra long as Alex Jacob, 2015 Tournament of Champions winner and recent JIT competitor, joins us to break down his game in detail and all of the games last week as the JIT quarterfinals near their conclusion. And if one guest wasn't enough, Laurie Kilmartin (comedian) also very quickly joins us to discuss how good it felt to be a Jeopardy! clue last week, and how she hopes it leads to good things. This episode is full of good things as Chuck Forrest returns to the Alex Trebek stage, a few Chasers return after long layoffs, and David Madden gives one of the best anecdotes in recent memory. In JFAF, Ken shows off his tie collection, and John dives deep into the wild life of Al Capone.

Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

Sources: History.com: "Al Capone - Scarface" and "8 Things You Should Know About Al Capone" by Elizabeth Nix.

The Mob Museum: "Al Capone"

My Al Capone Museum: "Origins of the Scars" by Mario Gomes.

Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

Produced by Producer Dan

Music by Nate Heller

Art by Max Wittert

Week of March 18: Up in This Duncery Mar 26, 2024

It's the tale of two tournaments this week, as we crown our Tournament of Champions winner and immediately move on to the final syndicated competition of the "Jeopardy! postseason", the Jeopardy Invitational Tournament. It's the JIT, folks. But first, we discuss Yogesh's consecutive wins that bring him the ToC crown and discuss more broadly his very impressive ToC run, before we turn our attention to the cavalcade of returning contestants in the JIT. A bunch of our faves are here, we get an early upset, and we look ahead to next week's games. In the JFAF segment, we hear from fans upset that Brad Rutter is not in the JIT, Sam Buttrey has a new occupation, and Mike Richards tries his hand at rehabbing his image through the fine folks at People Magazine. And finally, we decrypt the Rosetta Stone.

Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

Source: ARCE: "The Rosetta Stone: Unlocking the Ancient Egyptian Language" by Foy Scalf.

Archaeology Magazine: "The Race to Crack the Code" by Jason Urbanus.

Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

Produced by Producer Dan

Music by Nate Heller

Art by Max Wittert

Week of March 11: Troy Boys and Ben Friends Mar 19, 2024

The Tournament of Champions final is HERE! After remembering Monday's Semifinal 3, we jump right into what was an absolutely chaotic first week in the "best of seven" Tournament of Champions final between Yogesh Raut, Troy Meyer, and Ben Chan. Yogesh has a costly wager in Game 1, Troy rides a huge Daily Double bid to a win in Game 2, Yogesh has a great game to get on the board in Game 3, and a dollar-perfect scenario happens in Game 4, where Ben is able to come from third-place to snatch a victory and a lead heading into the final games of the series. We also love Ben's ability to come up with great anecdotes, Troy fears the Illuminati and Swifties (are they the same thing?), and Yogesh seems to have nailed the buzzer timing as the week ends, setting up a great finish. We also discuss our Triple Stumper celebrations and the UN's Peruvian Secretary General.

Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

Source: The New York Times: "The U.N.'s Man in the Middle" by Jane Rosen was the feature piece, and a number of New York Times articles formed the other sourcing.

Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

Produced by Producer Dan

Music by Nate Heller

Art by Max Wittert

Week of March 4: Ike is Low-Key Goated Mar 12, 2024

It's another huge week in the Jeopar-verse, as Ike Barinholtz is the first Celebrity Jeopardy! contestant to be granted access into the vaunted Tournament of Champions...and wins a game! And he nearly wins another, as we recap the three quarterfinals and the two semifinals that took place this past week. Yogesh Raut and Ben Chan continue their impressive play, Troy Meyer puts together what is likely the strongest quarterfinal of any ToC player, and all your favorite segments are here as we take a look at the best responses and anecdotes of the week and Emily scours the internet for a Jeopardy! story about...pimento cheese?

Follow us on Instagram: @whatisajeopardypodcast

Follow us on Twitter: @jeopardypodcast

Source: Vulture: "Ike Barinholtz Owes His Big Jeopardy! Victory to Eyes Wide Shut" by Devon Ivie.

Colby College: "Rome's Sick: Ovid's Exile" by Various.

The Jeopardy! Fan: thejeopardyfan.com

Produced by Producer Dan

Music by Nate Heller

Art by Max Wittert

Week of February 26: Tournament of Chaos Mar 05, 2024

It's here! Join comedians and podcasters Emily Heller (Baby Geniuses) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) for the first episode of their new weekly comedy podcast about all things Jeopardy! The Tournament of Champions has started and we recap the first six games here, from the shocking eliminations of Cris Pannullo and Stephen Webb to a perfect game from Yogesh Raut and a dominating victory from Emily Sands...it's all here! We also reveal our favorite anecdote and response of the week, we scour the internet to find out what people are angry about, and the Final Jeopardy Deep Dive tackles the feud between Alaskan politicians Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening. Like, subscribe, share, and tell your friends!

Follow us on Instagram: @whatisajeopardypodcast

Follow us on Twitter: @jeopardypodcast

Source: Anchorage Daily News. "For Alaska's First Senators, An Epic Battle of Ego Came Down to a Coinflip" by David Reamer.

Produced by Producer Dan

Music: Nate Heller

Art: Max Wittert

TRAILER: What Is....a Jeopardy! Podcast Feb 26, 2024

Welcome to the first-ever comedy podcast about Jeopardy! Emily Heller and John Cullen are two (dumb) comedians who have one smart thing in common...they love Jeopardy! So join us every week for game recaps, our favorite anecdotes, responses, and all the other stupid and fun content you crave about America's best game show.

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