Mayim Bialik

[tanyak]

Aug 16, 2021 12:45:17 GMT -4 lpatrice said:

Eh. I cannot with all of the revisionist history and performative outrage over who is the host of Jeopardy. When Richards hosted folks were raving about him and many people at that time considered him a frontrunner if not the frontrunner. I would also like to take some time to point out that the folks at Jeopardy never sold this as an American Idol/Dancing with the Stars type of competition where the viewers would have a say about the final outcome. They had a series of rotating hosts, some that were likely in consideration for the gig, and some that were likely not: Dr. Oz, Aaron Rodgers, Katie Couric, etc etc.

All of the people I know who religiously watch the show, liked Richards, and don't seem to have a problem with the pick. It's mostly folks on Twitter throwing hissy fits and being outraged, OUTRAGED, I tell you. That being said, in my humble opinion the best guest hosts were Robin Roberts and Ken Jennings - I would have loved to see one of them land the gig (but again, I don't know if Roberts would have even wanted it - she's busy) and I really wanted to like LeVar but he just wasn't that good.

Again, I didn't watch a minute of it, but that was my question. So much of the angst seems to stem from Richards being an executive producer of the show. But I guess I'm not bothered by that -- people find new positions in their companies all the time. But out of the celebrities, who was really, really interested in taking over as permanent host?* And is it possible it was offered to someone else and they declined?

Leaving room to acknowledge some celebrity might have expressed this interest. lol

[dragonflie]

I think some of the outrage (I use this term VERY loosely! No one is really tearing their hair out or going to be protesting in the streets- and if they are... ok then :/) comes from yet another uninteresting white male in power taking the job- when Alex himself explicitly stated he did not want that to happen. That's all. This was an opportunity to be more inclusive, to get people excited... but- well- it just seems like a missed opportunity.

That coupled with the allegations against Richards (they are from long ago- and I don't know all the details- but anything like this that has actual legal filings does not look good), coupled with them oddly choosing to give Mayim the side gig- a problematic position and a problematic choice in these times. It just feels like a series of missteps in what was kinda supposed to be a fun exciting hopeful choice. IMHO

[famvir]

So weird. Richards claims Jeopardy tapes with different hosts were shown to different focus groups. His reel was just in the mix, and he was honored to be included.

He was then selected by a completely unbiased process that he had nothing to do with. These random people in the focus groups just thought he was the best replacement for Alex Trebek! Who would have thought?

[Ginger]

I can believe that the show was relying more on focus groups than ratings to select the host. I can also believe that a focus group preferred a generic sort of host with gameshow experience over a celebrity with more personality. Jeopardy is really about the questions.

I once had a history teacher who everyone always thought would be an amazing jeopardy contestant. He was about 40, good looking, quick, and just knew everything. He auditioned and got turned down. There was just something his demeanor that the producers didn't think would televise well. They really know what they are looking for and what their audience wants to see.

[lpatrice]

I’m curious and would like to hear from someone who was bothered by the Jeopardy choice, why? I mean it’s not as though Mike Richards stole an opportunity from some unknown BIPOC or someone else holding a marginalized identity or got promoted over someone more qualified. This job was never going to go to some unknown. Every last one of the people who was given a chance to guest host was already famous, wealthy, privileged, and well-connected. It was legit past contestants, celebrities, athletes, journalists, and other entertainers. Would picking a former Jeopardy contestant or a famous TV star have been any better than picking someone who was a producer on the show for 15 MONTHS. Are people really that upset that their choice of (insert well known person here) hosts was not selected? What’s the angle? It sounds like the guy might be a douche but this actually seems like a minor win for someone who wasn’t already famous to host.

[lordofthefries]

Aug 19, 2021 16:12:38 GMT -4 lpatrice said:

Every last one of the people who was given a chance to guest host was already famous, wealthy, privileged, and well-connected. It was legit past contestants, celebrities, athletes, journalists, and other entertainers.

RIGHT?!? I'm all about increasing inclusiveness and diversity in casting, but for starters, let's move away from hiring celebs and celeb children for everything.

[Marie De Salle]

I never knew much about this guy but based on this article, I don't want to. Mike Richards's Rise to 'Jeopardy!' Host Sparks Questions about Past. 

Here's an excerpt: 

"One suit was filed in 2010 by Brandi Cochran, who worked as a model on the show. It centered on the discrimination and harassment she said she experienced after becoming pregnant. At the time, The Price Is Right had recently laid off several models; the suit says that after Cochran informed Richards of her pregnancy, he “said to her, ‘Go figure! I fire five girls ... what are the odds?’” which Cochran understood “to mean that Richards would have selected her for layoff if he had known that she was going to get pregnant.” After giving birth, she learned that her contract had been terminated.

Cochran’s lawsuit also detailed Richards’s input on what the show’s models should wear. “Richards decided that the models’ skirts should be shorter and said that he liked the models to look as if they were going out on a date,” the suit says. “At his suggestion, models wore bikinis more frequently."

I highly doubt Alex Trebek would have liked him to be his successor.

[Millis]

I'm bothered by it in the sense that it would have been nice to see a POC, or a woman, or ANYONE other than a white male. Though I also don't like Mayim, so my preference would have been an unknown POC or woman.

[dragonflie]

Aug 19, 2021 16:12:38 GMT -4 lpatrice said:

I’m curious and would like to hear from someone who was bothered by the Jeopardy choice, why? I mean it’s not as though Mike Richards stole an opportunity from some unknown BIPOC or someone else holding a marginalized identity or got promoted over someone more qualified. This job was never going to go to some unknown. Every last one of the people who was given a chance to guest host was already famous, wealthy, privileged, and well-connected. It was legit past contestants, celebrities, athletes, journalists, and other entertainers. Would picking a former Jeopardy contestant or a famous TV star have been any better than picking someone who was a producer on the show for 15 MONTHS. Are people really that upset that their choice of (insert well known person here) hosts was not selected? What’s the angle? It sounds like the guy might be a douche but this actually seems like a minor win for someone who wasn’t already famous to host.

I think (for me) it's a general sense of inclusion and visibility. More so though that Alex himself outright said he did NOT want another powerful white male to replace him. That's what bothers me. (in fact Alex even mentioned a possible replacement: Laura Coates- that they didn't even consider). I never expected them to get some unknown person from off the streets. It would be nice to have a visible presence of a non white male host though. Visibility has power. Seeing a black woman (Trebek's "choice"), an Asian man, heck anything but another white male- hosting a major television show would be powerful and moving. Couple that with the choice they did make has a history of bullying/sexist behaviour, on record. It's nothing to take to the streets about- but it is also certainly not an inspired or exciting choice.

[kostgard]

It was just announced that Mike Richards is stepping down as host because on top of the stuff already revealed, podcasts of him saying extremely sexist crap have surfaced.

I’m just saying, this probably wouldn’t be a problem with LeVar.

So until the next hire, they are down to just one kinda problematic person.