Jeopardy! is a thinking game for trivia-savvy people, and I hope we can all agree on that as key to the show’s recipe for success. Another thing we might be able to come together on is that it’s not the most accessible game show to appear on, which is something I just learned from five-time champion Ben Goldstein. If you want to be on Jeopardy!, you have to pay your way to appear on the show, and Goldstein recently pointed out that’s not exactly viable for all potential contestants.
Ben Goldstein challenged the show’s longstanding policy on Twitter after reading a Jeopardy! blog explaining why the show doesn’t pay for airfare and accommodations. According to the post, the tradition started originally because the contestants were a mixture of people from the local area and people from out of town. It was believed that in paying for those out-of-towners to compete, the show was unfairly giving away money that locals who only had a short travel distance weren’t receiving. Goldstein shared the article and added why he felt it wasn’t the best course of action for the game show:
Interesting discussion of the “Why doesn’t #Jeopardy pay airfare and accommodations” question here. Personally, I think covering travel/lodging would make the show more accessible to a wider range of contestants. Not everyone can afford a trip to LA with no guarantee of payback. https://t.co/C317e7kAroJune 25, 2023
Accessibility can often be seen as a marker of fairness, and could perhaps guarantee that Jeopardy! truly welcomes the best and brightest from all over. To Ben Goldstein’s point, there might be many potential Jeopardy! champions invited to the show who were unable to make their way to the studio for a chance to win enough money to justify the trip.
And if Jeopardy! isn’t a show that allows anyone to compete regardless of if they can pay their way, how can we be sure that we’ve truly seen the best of the best? Is there a potentially more dominant player than Ken Jennings or any of the other biggest winners out there who can’t get the airfare to start their major streak? This is just one example of why accessibility is important and certainly a compelling argument for why Jeopardy! should alter the rules to pay for all contestants to attend.
It is worth noting that while Jeopardy! does not foot the travel bill for regular contestants, it does provide airfare and accommodations for the competitors in the tournament editions of the show. So on the off chance that someone is strapped for cash but still wants to be on Jeopardy!, they can always try and go for a specific tournament and get their travel taken care of.
It’s kind of hilarious to hear this type of commentary from Ben Goldstein, as he notes on his Twitter bio that he has the lowest cash total for a five-time champion in the modern era of the game. I can understand why he’s inclined to think of the money element of the game and how it may not be worth the trip for some. I fully support his position about the show accommodating travel, about as much as I agree with Ken Jennings that interviewing contestants is often cringe.
Now I’m just wondering if there’s ever been a Jeopardy! winner whose winnings were less than what they spent to fly out and be on the show, and how disappointing that would be. Suddenly, I feel much more inclined to appear on Wheel Of Fortune when Ryan Seacrest takes over. They don’t pay for travel either, for the record, but at least I’d feel more confident about winning money!
Jeopardy! airs on weekdays, but readers will need to check their local listings for the channel and times. Those looking for other shows this summer are in luck because the 2023 TV schedule is just brimming with quality content looking for an audience.