Everyone knows someone who thinks they could do better at Jeopardy! than the contestants on the screen. But, in the case of an episode that aired on Monday, September 15, it’s very reasonable to think that yes, many people with even a passing interest in pop culture would have responded correctly to this clue because all that was required was for one person to correctly identify a very famous actor, based on a photograph of that actor.
In essence, none of the three contestants recognized who James Earl Jones was based on a photograph of him.
The Straightforward Jeopardy! Clue that Nobody Got
In a category about Sesame Street, various famous muppets from the long-running children’s show introduced clues that also incorporated photographs. In a clue worth $400, Oscar the Grouch asked the contestants to name the very first celebrity who stopped by Sesame Street and “recited the alphabet for us.” Now, if you don’t know who first recited the alphabet on Sesame Street, that’s fine. But the segment also included a photograph of James Earl Jones, circa 1969.
After this clip was posted to social media on Tuesday, September 16, some viewers replied with shock and anger. How could someone not recognize the legend that was the late James Earl Jones? One user wrote, “straight to jail.” While another wrote: “nobody wins! I demand a rematch!”
James Earl Jones worked on Sesame Street long before his Star Wars fame
Famous for playing the voice of Darth Vader in the 1977 film Star Wars, Jones recited the alphabet for Sesame Street in a segment that viewers later claimed was ” hypnotic.”
At the time, Jones would have already starred in the films Dr. Strangelove and The Comedians.
Jones passed away last year, on September 9, 2024.
Jeopardy! airs new episodes on weeknights at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC.