As we all know, Jeopardy! fans aren’t the type of people to hold their tongue when it comes to their favorite trivia game show. Whether it’s the contestants or the hosts, fans at home love to sound off their thoughts on social media, even though it’s causing a bit of a division in the fanbase. The rivalry between fan factions who support host Mayim Bialik and the faction that wants Ken Jennings as a full-time host is heating up now more than ever, especially on Twitter.
Fans Have ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Showdown
The new permanent host search following the death of beloved longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek wasn’t without its controversies, but the installation of two popular candidates, Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, as co-hosts was supposed to solve the show’s host problem. Instead, the move appears to have divided the trivia game show’s dedicated fan base into two separate camps: those who support Bialik and those who want Jennings to take on the job full time.
The best place to watch these discussions play out is on Twitter, where fans haven’t held back on their complaints about Bialik’s performance during her first year as co-host. While the majority of the Twitter comments seemed to come from men, there appeared to be some women chiming in with an anti-Bialik sentiment as well, though in markedly far fewer numbers.
The most common complaint seemed to be that Bialik came across as “condescending” to them. Another common thread was the stated preference for Jennings over the former Big Bang Theory star. Many of the comments got very personal against Bialik outside of her duties as host.
Bialik Haters Sound Off On Twitter
Not every post on social media was so personal, however. Some people outlined specific instances where Bialik made mistakes as examples of why they preferred Jennings over her.
Supporters Quick To Chime In
Despite the seemingly endless deluge of criticism against Mayim Bialik, there were plenty who supported her. Unlike their counterparts, these Jeopardy! fans didn’t feel the need to disparage Ken Jennings to voice their preference for Bialik. Many tweets about Bialik are just a statement of support without mention of the fervid anti-Bialik sentiment voiced by a vocal segment on Twitter. Other responses took direct aim at Bialik’s critics.
One post that caught our attention compared Bialik’s treatment over her flubs and mistakes to the way Alex Trebek and Jennings are treated for making similar missteps as hosts. Trebek and Jennings had the advantage of simply having more experience on the show, both as a host and as a contestant where Jennings is concerned, but both men were still only human. They seemed to be given far more grace in regards to those mistakes than Bialik has been afforded, the Twitter user insisted.
Bialik has certainly not been a perfect host, but that’s to be expected. It’s only been a little over a year since Trebek’s final episodes, so viewers are still adjusting to the game without the iconic longtime host. There will be some growing pains as all involved, including both the audience at home and co-hosts Jennings and Bialik, adjust to the show’s changes. At heart, however, it’s still the celebration of knowledge that fans keep tuning in year after year.