Final Jeopardy: Comic Strip Title Characters (1-22-19)
Today’s Final Jeopardy question (1/22/2019) in the category “Comic Strip Title Characters” was:
These 2 were named for a European “theologian who believed in predestination” & a “philosopher with a dim view of human nature”
4x champ John Presloid, a microbiologist from Perrysville, OH, is now up to $92,200. It’s that all-important fifth game for him and he is up against: Haley Zapal, a copywriter from Atlanta, GA; and Julie Bender, a public transportation coordinator from Philadelphia, PA.
Round 1 Categories: Everyone Into the Pool! – U.S. Geography – Taking Stock – Lit-Pourri – Never Gonna Give U Up – Rick Roles
Haley found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Lit-Pourri” under the $800 clue on the 6th pick of the round. She was in the lead with $2,400. John and Julie were in negative territory, (-$600 and -$400 respectively). Haley bet $1,500 and took a guess with “The Reader.” That was WRONG.
The title of this World War II-set novel refers to Liesel Meminger, who learns to read what she has stolen. show
Haley finished in the lead with $6,900. John was second with $600 and Julie, with zero, was last.
Round 2 Categories: 50 Years Ago, in 1969 – Everything’s in Ordinal – Language Families – Musical & Play Settings – Special Days – A Few Good Men
Haley found the first Daily Double in “Language Families” under the $1,600 clue on the 4th pick. She had a bigger lead with $8,500 now, $7,100 more than John in second place. She bet $1,500 and she was RIGHT.
The Athabascan family ranges into Canada & incudes this SW language, the USA’s most widely spoken native language. show
Julie found the last Daily Double in “Musical & Play Settings” under the $1,200 clue on the 15th pick. In third place with $3,600, she had $6,000 less than Haley’s lead. She bet $2,000 and she was RIGHT.
In Act One, Scene 1 of this play, “the curtain rises on Truvy’s Beauty Shop” in Chingquapin Parish, Louisiana. show
Haley finished in the lead with $14,400. John was next with $13,800 and Julie was in third place with $7,200.
ALL of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
On the 30th anniversary of the popular comic strip, ABC News ran an article with six things you didn’t know about Calvin and Hobbes. The first is the tidbit in clue, adding that “both of these philosophers’ beliefs are reflected in their respective characters, with Calvin constantly questioning the state of the universe, and Hobbes commenting on Calvin’s peculiar and eccentric behavior.”
From 2001: FILL THE BILL $1000: “Calvin and Hobbes” creator
Julie didn’t bet anything so she remained at $7,200.
John bet $1,000 and finished with $14,800.
Haley bet $13,000 and won the game with $27,400. Haley Zapal is the new Jeopardy! champ.
2 triple stumpers from Musical & Play Settings:
($1600) This 1988 Tony-winning play is set in a Paris prison in the present & in flashbacks from 1960 to 1970 in Beijing
($2000) A back room & bar of Harry Hope’s saloon is the setting for this Eugene O’Neill play
2 years ago: NONE of the players got this FJ in “Medals & Decorations”
Her husband won in 1927; in 1934 she was the 1st woman to win the Natl. Geog. Society’s Hubbard Medal for Exploration. show
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Congratulations to Haley Zapal as the new champion. A slight miscalculation prevented Mr. Presloid from reaching the magical 5 game plateau, as has happened for several contestants now. I don’t know if this was the 5th taping on the same day, but I imagine that one has to be really psyched up to last that long and maintain one’s mental acuity.
@VJ. I don’t how often you get feedback from your commercial links you put in, but I’ll give you a positive feedback on one. There was Triple Stumper/Stamper on 1-10-19 dealing with Fibber McGee & Molly. I just received from Amazon the revised edition by Clair Schulz on “them there guys”, an am going through it page by page. It was even a few dollars cheaper than other sources, with free shipping included. It’s a very good book, but not completely up-to-date, for 67 full episodes
from 1935 to 1938 have recently been made available. I remember listening to their program growing up in the 1940s, it was a unique program, right up there with Jack Benny and Fred Allen. When the clue was read, I wasn’t surprised that they all missed it. Every household in the US and Canada knew of FMc & M. I’m a collector of many of these programs. I’m sure that Alex Trebek remembers them as well (whose my junior, but only in age). They hold up well, despite many of them being topical, which would probably mystify the present generation anyway. Thanks for the Amazon link.
P.S. I don’t know who could replace Trebek (if that were possible) when he leaves(?), but I think the only one I would accept would be Ken Jennings. I think he could do it, and it would be entertaining. Otherwise, the show might be terminated when the ratings drop far enough. Or they might change the format of the show so badly that I would stop watching it anyway.
Thanks Taiwan Bill, glad to hear you are enjoying that. I got that Fibber McGee clue too. When I was growing up, my father would call us kids by names from all kinds of old time stuff, like Fibber McGee, Skeezix, Skidamarink (only he said Skinnymarink) etc. And they used to sing a lot of old songs that I have never forgotten. My mom used to sing that Look Out for Jimmy Valentine song, allegedly some of the last words of Dutch Schultz.
In general: You also have to take into consideration that a players may miscalculate his/her wager in FJ. This was not the first time and it won’t be the last time. Of course hindsight is always 20/20, but ANY scenario is possible. Well, the game is in the books. Tough break for John, lucky break for Haley. I am sure she will be more careful tomorrow in determining her bet, regardless of her position before FJ, provided she is in striking distance or in the lead.
@William Weyser
John did not realize her mistake or HIS consequence of the bets until the final results were shown either……that’s when he saw that he could have won, had he bet it all…..bummer for John, lucky for Haley. Such is life……for one to win, another one must lose.
Hey, VJ— you forgot to mention that all 3 contestants got FJ.
Thanks a bunch, Cece, it’s fixed now. I guess I was more distracted than I knew today.
You’re welcome, VJ. And thank you for your always great recaps!
Personally, this was probably the easiest FJ I’ve seen, due to my being a Calvinist.
Every once in a while, there is a question that is in your extreme wheelhouse.
Well, Haley could possibly upend here because she finished as the new J! champion with almost $30,000. If Haley plays like John, continuing back-and-forth lead changes, who knows, maybe a spot in the ToC? We’ll see.
Well, what can you say? Congrats to Haley. Still, I will miss John and his big DD bets 😀 I thought for sure, having already made so much, he’d bet the farm in FJ.
LINK: 11 more clues from the game
Well since this month had three four time winners (John Dinerstein, Annecke Garcia, and John Presloid) it seems the five day winner thing isn’t going to happen unfortunately unless Haley does something to increase her chances of building a streak. Glad all the contestants got final correct since I love reading Calvin and Hobbes. I’ve collected a few books of that comic strip and saw that the New Haven Register newspaper has this as well. VJ and John, have you guys considered taking interest in reading marmaduke, Garfield, Cathy or Foxtrot?
What a snafu day, aka “situation normal, all……BUT: CONGRATULATIONS to Haley…a win is a win…
What a bummer for John. The math was off by all 3 players but what a way to crash out!!! The 4 day jinx is alive and well. John could have won because of Haley’s mistake. But then he shoots himself in the foot…
And I still have the “20th century novels” category in the “CotD”
Anyway, I guess Haley has realized by now how lucky she got. And the irony with John: huge DD bet for another runaway yesterday and then today …. had he bet it all, he would have won by 200 bucks……
@VJ
And you are getting a point anyway because of the “Lit-Pourri” category ! And if the “20th century novels” is tomorrow’s FJ you got another one coming, since “The Remains of the Day” is a 20th century novel….Looks like you’re gonna clean up again!
@John B./I. Indeed, a “snafu” day, indeed, as the quest for a 5-day champion remains ELUSIVE. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!
@John Christian Ambion
well, the jinx can show up in a lot of ways. Today it was there because the math was off by John AND Haley. John just covered Haley, maybe thinking she might get it wrong. Haley did not bet enough to cover John (had he bet it all ) but squeezed out a win anyway.The jinx, the jinx, the maximum jinx….
October (Alan) was the last 5 game winner. ……As VJ pointed out, John was expected to bet it all and he had risky, extremely high DDs in the past. Today when #5 was on the line….maybe a player should wear Chanel #5???? Even if it’s a guy??😊
According to another website, I found 1 explanation on why these 4 time champs keep losing their 5th game, and that is that someone put a curse on the set in August. I feel really sorry for these people, but to whoever put that curse on the set, I have 4 words for you: YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS!
Plus, I didn’t realize that Haley miscalculated, and not wagered enough to cover a double up by John, until 25 minutes later.
VJ, please tell the people don’t get upset about this four day streak.
You just told them, Richard
And indeed they will, @Richard.
Yeah.