The TV show Jeopardy! is one of the most popular game shows across the nation and worldwide. The diverse categories of knowledge-based questions, combined with the practical buzz-in system, competition between three contestants, and increasingly high stakes that come with the Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy! rounds altogether form the game show that many Americans know and love. Even people who have never watched an episode will recognize the iconic theme song. Although Jeopardy! is smartly set up to appeal to its knowledge-seeking audience, the TV show’s wide success can be largely attributed to its beloved host, Alex Trebek.
Even before getting into Jeopardy!, I recognized that white-haired man, looking straight at the viewer with kind, solemn eyes, to be a sort of brand figure. I don’t watch TV much, so it just so happened that I was eating dinner in the living room one evening and I turned on the TV to see if there was anything worth watching. The blue studio with the show title Jeopardy! in white block letters popped onto the screen, and I was introduced to this game of three contestants, a grid of tough knowledge-based questions, and large cash prizes. For the next few months, I would turn on the TV every evening at 7:30pm to watch Jeopardy!, yelling incorrect answers at the screen and celebrating when I got the occasional trivia fact I knew.
Having experienced the thrill of an entranced viewer, and having felt that thrill since fade away, I could never imagine the iconic game show without its host, Alex Trebek. In spite of his ripe age, Alex always gave the impression of a young man. His solemn voice was full of vigor and power as he read the questions, and he kept up witty banter with the brightest of intellects. He made even the most nervous contestants feel at ease with his calming voice and kind smile. Alex seemed to be able to form a bond with every single contestant, even non-recurring ones. No matter how different each person was from the last, he always seemed to know just the right thing to say to make them feel at home.
On March 6, 2019, Alex revealed he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer, a relatively uncommon disease in which pancreas cells have mutated DNA that causes them to grow out of control, which can then form a tumor and spread to organs in the body. Since it shows no symptoms in early stages, this type of cancer is often detected late; in Alex’s case, stage 4 meant the cancer had already spread to organs such as the liver, lungs or bones. Though the prognosis was not very encouraging, Alex assured viewers that he was going to fight it, adding, “Truth told, I have to, because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years” [1]. Even when discussing the likelihood of his own death, Alex never failed to bring a smile to his viewers’ faces. One year and six months later, Alex died on November 8, 2020 from stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old.
The death of the beloved game show host has had a profound effect on me and multitudes of other people across the nation, as seen from the huge wave of respects being paid all over the media. Through a lifetime of passion and work, this extraordinary man was able to bring joy and unity to countless American homes, leaving a mark upon the heart of the nation that will last for generations to come.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cInGyxCY9k
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