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When you're a legend of Diana Ross' stature, becoming the basis of a question on Jeopardy! is par for the course. Unfortunately, becoming a wrong answer—like very wrong—is too.
The latter happened just the other day, when a Final Jeopardy! question in the category of "Singers" brought Ross to mind for two contestants—for all the wrong reasons.
After the contestants drastically miscalculated Ross's age, people on Twitter got so up in arms the iconic singer even trended on Twitter for a while.
Diana Ross, aged 77, watching the Final #Jeopardy answers today:pic.twitter.com/2adBPreQYe— Nicole (@Nicole) 1647907218
It all started with the following Final Jeopardy! clue:
"In 2021 at age 95, this singer achieved a Guinness World Record for the oldest person to release an album of new material.”
Quite an achievement, whoever it is!
Of course "95" and "oldest person" narrows the field of who this could be pretty significantly, and for one of the three Jeopardy! contestants, the answer was obvious—as the singer himself even posted on Twitter during the show.
Who is\u2026? @Jeopardypic.twitter.com/GTwiXDljG7— Tony Bennett (@Tony Bennett) 1647905907
It's Tony Bennett, who is all but singular among his peers—there aren't many crooners from his age group still trucking along with us, right? Well, for not one but both of the other Jeopardy! contestants that evening, there was one other option besides Tony Bennett.
Motown icon Diana Ross.
Diana Ross, who launched her career as the former lead singer of 60s girl group The Supremes.
Diana Ross, who is nearly 20 years too young to have been the answer to this Jeopardy! clue, at only 77 years of age.
Oh boy.
Now in their defense, Final Jeopardy! is a high-pressure moment. And the contestants in question, Finn Corrigan and Karen Johnson, addressed their gaffe afterward, tweeting they knew Ross was the wrong answer but they needed to write something down and were running out of time as the show's buzzer approached.
Me too! I knew she was not nearly that old but better to write something than nothing. Just glad we\u2019re in this together hahahaha— Finn (@Finn) 1647930105
But Twitter wasn't about to let them off the hook.
A wave of tweets defending Ross' honor came rolling in.
Last week, a Jeopardy contestant thought Aretha Franklin was in the Supremes. Tonight, two out of three contestants thought Diana Ross was the answer to: In 2021, what 95 year old singer released an album of new material? \nThese are surely signs of the apocalypse. #Jeopardy— rick gamache (@rick gamache) 1647907510
They think Diana Ross is 95??? #jeopardypic.twitter.com/9YgB8uSZXG— Annie (@Annie) 1647905284
Diana Ross when she finds out why she's trending. #Jeopardypic.twitter.com/HzQJ2F31a2— Jay O'Brien (@Jay O'Brien) 1647907313
Whew! The disrespect!!https://twitter.com/rgamache1/status/1506059374573367299\u00a0\u2026— Dr. Openly Excessively Black & Disabled (She/Her) (@Dr. Openly Excessively Black & Disabled (She/Her)) 1647910125
Diana Ross after #Jeopardypic.twitter.com/plUkHCBCt9— For what it\u2019s worth. (@For what it\u2019s worth.) 1647907125
two people on jeopardy! just thought diana ross is 95 years old and I do despair for this country— russbengtson.eesh (@russbengtson.eesh) 1647905316
Man, Diana Ross is gonna be pissed after Jeopardy tonight— Tom Nichols (@Tom Nichols) 1647907060
Lol YOU tell 77 y.o. Diana Ross that two #Jeopardy contestants think she's 95.\nAnd then tell her someone last week said Aretha Franklin was the lead singer in The Supremes.pic.twitter.com/anxmaQQLAs— JemappelleAmie \ud83c\udf3b (@JemappelleAmie \ud83c\udf3b) 1647907221
The fact that two people on Jeopardy tonight thought Diana Ross is 95 is giving me anxiety!!! SHE IS NOT. - J— Heather & Jessica (@Heather & Jessica) 1647916279
In Final Jeopardy tonight, TWO #Jeopardy contestants thought Diana Ross was 95 years old in 2021....\n\n95. years. old.\n\nI assume they went straight to jail??pic.twitter.com/25wT8DRlP3— RowerGirl (@RowerGirl) 1647906566
Johnson and Corrigan's gaffe is one thing, but at least they weren't the Jeopardy! contestant from last week who thought Aretha Franklin was in The Supremes with Ross.
Come on, folks.
Learn your legends.