ENTERTAINMENT'Jeopardy' Fans Slam 'Tasteless' Question With A Creepy Reference To Brian Laundrie
Nov. 14 2022, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
I’ll take How To Anger Jeopardy Fans for $500, Mayim!
Long-running trivia show Jeopardy found itself in just that over the weekend, sparking backlash among viewers after airing a question some have slammed as “tasteless.”
During an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy on Sunday, November 13, the series’ high-profile players, John Michael Higgins, Wil Wheaton, and Joel Kim Booster, were presented with a category entitled “The A-List,” in which all the answers began with the letter A. Though seemingly innocuous, one question in the category spurred controversy for featuring a strange callback to the killing of Gabby Petito.
"In 2021, fugitive Brian Laundrie ended his days in Fla's Myakkahatchee Creek area, home to these long & toothy critters,” read the prompt, orated by Jeopardy co-host, The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik.
Though the correct response to the prompt was “Alligator,” this answer left several fans with even more questions surrounding the series’ decision to add a reference to the chilling criminal case.
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“This is the most tasteless and insensitive answer I've ever seen on any Jeopardy!,” mused one fan on Twitter. “What the hell were they thinking? Making light of that tragic situation is repugnant. Damn.”
“Yikes, what the f**k was that clue referencing Brian Laundrie to get to the response of ‘alligator’?” questioned another, slamming the prompt as being “so unnecessarily morbid.” “Could have said anything related to Florida and gotten there.”
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"That Jeopardy! question mentioning Brian Laundrie and the answer was alligators?? What the actual hell, that was so… out of line. Not necessary! There was no reason to mention him at all,” reiterated another fan.
In September 2021, Petito, 22, was reported missing after embarking on a trip with her fiancé, Laundrie, 23. She was later found dead in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Forest, authorities citing strangulation as her cause of death. After a long manhunt, Laundrie was later found dead in Florida from a gunshot wound to the head.
