As truth is undermined by spin, we will miss Alex Trebek seeking the one right answer

“What is today’s saddest news?” might be the response to the clue “Alex Trebek has died.” The long-time, well-mannered host of “Jeopardy!” announced in early 2019 that he suffered Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but his continued presence—always looking pretty good—belied the serious illness, and his death on Sunday was shocking.

I was a contestant on “Jeopardy!” in 2014, having made the cut after numerous tries and one audition in person. As a lifelong fan of the program, it was only natural that I wanted to be on it and show my mettle. I had no idea what a nerve-wracking experience it would be.

I was in the first game of five to be taped on a Tuesday in Culver City, Calif. I stood at the middle lectern, after getting makeup and a reminder that the broadcast was to be in high definition. To my left was Sarah, a lawyer from Canada, and to my right was Julia, who turned out to be the second-winningest contestant ever on “Jeopardy!” Because of the lengthy delay between taping and broadcast, I had no idea.

It was almost impossible to believe I was on the bright, colorful set that I had seen so often. Until the actual start of play, Alex Trebek had remained out of sight. Then the theme music began, the voice of Johnny Gilbert announced the start of the game, and Trebek walked out.

He looked great, handsome in one of his dozens of suits and colorful but reserved ties. As for me, in my suit and tie, I was quaking inside but managed to hang on as the game began. After a few opening clues and answers, Trebek walked over for his famous small talk with the players. We had to provide a few ideas for him, and then he picked one.

I am a private pilot, and the question he asked was why I had purchased an airplane before I had my license. I stammered through an answer, but my normal energy had evaporated under the hot lights and stunning reality of actually standing there, talking with Alex Trebek.

Things went pretty well at first—I ran a category on tennis even thought I do not play—and I was ahead at the intermission. After that, though, things went to pieces fast. The categories were terrible for me and my nerves were shot. My peripheral vision narrowed and the only things I saw were Trebek and the clue board. I even misread the Final Jeopardy clue and was spectacularly wrong.

But that is the great thing about “Jeopardy!” If you are wrong, you are wrong. It is a game of facts, accuracy, answers, clarity and knowledge, and if you miss something, that’s it. The ongoing value of facts is never greater than when you are facing Alex Trebek.

Last July, he told the New York Times, “There is reality, and there’s nothing wrong with accepting reality. It’s when you try to distort reality, to maneuver it into accommodating your particular point of view, your particular bigotry, your particular whatever — that’s when you run into problems.” Words to ponder today.

Trebek was too clever and too self-contained to ever go on record regarding the distortions that Americans have seen by the thousands in the last few years. I think one reason for the popularity and long life of “Jeopardy!” is that the facts don’t change. The show relied on them and Trebek’s slightly aloof nature.

To see contestants being either happily right or painfully wrong—no gray allowed—was reassuring in a way, showing viewers that yes, there are standards and the show was going to enforce them. I know that every time I made a mistake it stung, but the next clue came right along and I got another chance.

Things in the reality world started going downhill in January 2017, right after Donald Trump’s inauguration, when his adviser Kellyanne Conway coined the term “alternative facts” to explain why he could claim the largest inauguration crowd in history, even thought it plainly was not.

Alex Trebek would have scoffed at such language and such thinking. His show’s devotion to facts and accuracy will be a great model for Joe Biden’s administration. The facts might hurt, and they might even be destructive, but they will always be reliable markers for policy and relationships in the new administration.

This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 2:05 PM with the headline "As truth is undermined by spin, we will miss Alex Trebek seeking the one right answer."