Jeopardy! has a new champion on a hot streak. Matt Amodio, a PhD student from Yale, is on a ten-day winning streak, with a playstyle that has so far rewarded his risky moves.
However, he tends to answer questions in a way that's much shorter and less grammatically correct than a lot of fans would prefer.
The new winner makes a habit out of starting every question with "What..." or "What's...".
This includes when it's a person like "What's Grohl?" instead of the grammatically correct "Who is Dave Grohl?"
And it's driving fans crazy.
Who is the single most unwatchable champion in #Jeopardy history? Answer: What is Matt.— Biscayne Bullies (@Biscayne Bullies) 1627516280
This guy has a PhD and just will not use WHO IS when the answer is a person. I\u2019m slowly going crazy. #Jeopardy— Emma (@Emma) 1627602230
Matt, it\u2019s \u201cwho is Anna Faris?\u201d Not \u201cwhat\u2019s Faris?\u201d #Jeopardypic.twitter.com/FjdQonwvrY— Chern Mathews (@Chern Mathews) 1627513577
Many fans so detest Amodio's answer style, they assume it has to be against the rules. After all, a quiz show that tests your mental abilities would surely consider your ability to follow the rules of English, right?
No such luck.
The official Jeopardy! Twitter account shared a post on the rules of the show.
What\u2019s up with Matt Amodio? A lot of \u201cwhat\u2019s\u201d in his responses \u2014 and that\u2019s totally acceptable! \n\nRead more about other Jeopardy! rules here:https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/behind-scenes/what-are-some-questions-about-jeopardy\u00a0\u2026— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy!) 1627926387
According to the official rules, the answer needs only be "phrased in the form of a question."
This leaves a lot open to interpretation. The article shared even gives the example of using the British rock band "The Who?" as a complete and valid answer.
The revelation didn't please everyone.
Acceptable obviously but proper? Absolutely not for any educated person!— No nonsense (@No nonsense) 1627926940
I will agree that it\u2019s \u201cwithin\u201d the rules, but as a long time fan, I find this lazy, and at times, makes him sound unintelligible. He is very smart, but it certainly bugs me. #whatisirritating— Carl Valdez (@Carl Valdez) 1627929549
If those are the rules, @Jeopardy, then they should be modified. Grammar matters. Think of how many people claim to have learned/practiced English by watching the show, e.g.. Rewarding/disregarding this error detracts from the show & its normal care for precision & excellence.https://twitter.com/Jeopardy/status/1422252470000971778\u00a0\u2026— Connie Ann Kirk \ud83d\udcd8\u270f (@Connie Ann Kirk \ud83d\udcd8\u270f) 1627932645
I disagree! It\u2019s very irritating to those of us who speak proper English!— Laurie Darlow (@Laurie Darlow) 1627928270
But this can work both ways. While a quick and snappy question can help move the game along, it's also possible to ask a very specific question as your answer.
Since you need only phrase the answer as a question, you could ask something ridiculous like:
"Who could have known that it was James A. Garfield?"
However, producers do not recommend this. While it can be funny, it eats up show time since you're taking more time for each question, not to mention it takes more mental power to come up with these types of answers.
To that end, the very short answers Amodio gives means he's allowing more Jeopardy! to be played and saving his brain power for the difficult stuff.
It's a good, and more importantly, valid strategy.
You're 100% incorrect. \nWhen he says "what is" hes referring to the answer. \nIn this case it was "Stern" \nLast names are acceptable. If they're not the host will ask him to clarify.— Jake481 (@Jake481) 1628000325
If it makes you feel any better, some of the people complaining are still doing a double space after their periods.— Mike Rodri Media (@Mike Rodri Media) 1628000509
I started answering back to Matt's misuse of 'what' with no "What's on second". I wondered if the show writers were playing with him by bringing up Abbott & Costello.— invinoveritas (@invinoveritas) 1627929776
With his tenth win, Matt Amodio has raked in a total of $362,400 in winnings. This makes him the 8th-highest winning champion so far. He'll also be going to the Tournament of Champions since he's won more than five games.
@sydney_sweeney/Instagram
@HawleyMO/X