The first thing to know is that I’ve been reading Ken’s blog and posting in his forums.
The second thing to know is that in a recent blog post, Ken poked affectionate fun at the venerable old formula behind Jeopardy!
The third thing is that humorless NY Post reporter Michael Starr has a tin ear for satire and informed the world that quiz-show darling Jennings was now biting the hand that fed him.
The fourth thing is that this story was picked up by the AP and appeared far and wide in the media. A stampede of indignant dittoheads flooded Ken’s site, posting outraged ad hominems on his message boards. Most would make a sailor blush. Ken shut down his message boards and deleted most of the offensive ones, but good-humoredly kept a few of the less stomach-turning ones.
In the aftermath, after message-board access was restored, I posted the following. (Follow the link to see the original on Ken’s message boards and the creative discussion that is now ensuing there.)
Good grief: I got a glimpse of one of the nastier comments last night before Ken took it down, and I gotta say, whether or not people can muster a sense of humor, the very least they can do is to mind their manners.On the bright side, it inspired me to write the following: my bid to make the inevitable Ken Jennings biopic (I see Bruce Willis as Jennings) into a musical. I call this showstopper “March of the Easily Led.”–
Assume the worst!
Assume the worst!
First things first:
Assume the worst!
Is it possible he joked?
Never mind, ’cause I’m provoked
Assume the worst!
“I kid because I love”
Is not something I’ve heard of
Assume the worst!
Assume the worst!
It’s for scandal that we thirst
Assume the worst!
[interlude]
My friend told me a rumor
It was some left-coast thing called humor
Does Ken expect us all to be brainiacs now?
In pop culture he’s enshrined
For the motley in his mind
It’s holy to me but he tipped the sacred cow
The world may be on fire
But the things that raise my ire
Are the ones that I can quickly comprehend
Global warming, Middle East
I can follow not the least
But mess with Jeopardy! and you mess with me, my friend
[spoken:]
And to think I thought I could leave all the thinking to thoughtless over here!
Assume the worst!
Assume the worst!
By the Post I’ve been coerced
Assume the worst!
Should we give him the doubt’s benefit?
I just can’t see the zen of it
Assume the worst!
Must leap to TV’s defense
Into Ken I’ll knock some sense
Assume the worst!
We thought that he was one of us
‘Til he started making fun of us
Assume the worst!
He cashed the check
Then trashed Trebek
He won the prize
Now he cracks wise
A household name
Has he no shame?
His fame must be reversed!
Assume the worst!
Assume the worst!
Except when George Bush does it first…
Assume the worst!
—
Of course these are just lyrics. I would love it if someone played Loewe to my Lerner, Rodgers to my Hart, Rodgers to my Hammerstein, O’Sullivan to my Gilbert, and composed a melody for it.
Cheers,
– Bob
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