The most intelligent and informed participants on Jeopardy! respond to hints that most home viewers find confusing. Jeopardy! is the most watched quiz program on television.
To the amazement of many Christian viewers, all three finalists in a recent program were stumped by one ostensibly straightforward hint referencing the Lord’s Prayer.
During the June 13 episode, host Mayim Bialik read the clue for $200, the lowest and frequently easiest number on the board, under the heading “Dadjectives.”
“This “Be Thy Name,” says Matthew 6:9, ‘Our Father Who Art In Heaven.'”
The response, “hallowed” (or rather, “what is hallowed,” per Jeopardy! rules), will be well-known to anyone who recalls studying the Lord’s Prayer in Sunday school.
Even the seemingly easy Jeopardy! Participants can occasionally be perplexed, but the fact that nobody could understand one of Christianity’s most well-known prayers seemed to hit a nerve with the faithful.
“On Jeopardy last night, not a single contestant understood the solution…Are you awake yet? a Twitter user questioned.
Knowing the Lord’s Prayer as a child was similar to learning the Pledge of Allegiance. You simply did,” reads one tweet.
Although it might not be a sign of the end times, another commenter said that it “definitely speaks volumes about Americans and their faith…or lack thereof.”
Some viewers saw it as a sign of declining confidence in the US, while others were merely surprised they did not notice what should have been a very obvious sign.
One Twitter user said, “I’m an atheist yet even I knew the answer to the lord’s prayer question.
“My 4-year-old niece correctly answered this Jeopardy question! Could it be that the participants have never heard of The Lord’s Prayer? another composed.
What kind of Jeopardy! Nerds wouldn’t know the solution. Are they unfamiliar with Iron Maiden?In jest, another user alluded to the Iron Maiden song “Hallowed Be Thy Name.”
The fact that every contestant couldn’t answer a seemingly simple question surprised some viewers, but others remained more composed. Two of the contestants may have chosen to play it safe rather than take a chance of falling further behind due to their low scores.
It’s also crucial to remember that Jeopardy! frequently asks questions about Christianity and the Bible, and contestants frequently correctly answer issues that even devout Christians would find challenging. In fact, it’s such a common topic that some have criticized the show for including too many questions on Christianity.
These three candidates most likely did not grow up in the same Christian context as many viewers because Jeopardy! admits contestants from diverse backgrounds and religious beliefs.
The Final Jeopardy response was “He starred in the 2 films whose soundtracks were the top 2 bestselling albums of 1978.” The participants struggled with the Lord’s Prayer, but they performed a little bit better with ’70s films.
The proper response? John Travolta (the soundtracks for Saturday Night Fever and Grease). Competitor Suresh Krishnan triumphed, extending his winning streak to six games.
