Final Jeopardy: American Novelists (3-22-23)
Today’s Final Jeopardy question (3/22/2023) in the category “American Novelists” was:
He served with an airman named Yohannan in World War II & despite what readers might think, he said he enjoyed his service
2x champ Melissa Klapper, a professor from Merion Station, PA, has won $42,400 so far this week. In Game 3, she takes on these two players: Karen Morris, a veterinary student from Christiansburg, VA; and Zach Wissner-Gross, a vice president of math curriculum from Roslyn Heights, NY.
Round 1 Categories: Possessive Lit – Long-Lived Critters – Around the House – 4-Letter Sports Terms – Apply the Rainbow Color – At “Last”
Melissa found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Apply the Rainbow Color” under the $800 clue on the 12th pick of the round. She was in second place with $3,000, $600 less than Karen’s lead. Melissa bet $1,500 and was very close but her response was WRONG.
The highest point in South Carolina, the 3,560-foot Sassafras Mountain is part of this Appalachian range show
Karen finished in the lead with $6,200. Melissa was second with $3,500. Zach was last with $2,000. All clues were shown.
Round 2 Categories: 1963 – Making Music – Move that T from Front to Back – Resilience – Plateaus – Hans, Solo
Karen found the first Daily Double in “Plateaus” under the $800 clue with 9 clues left after it. She was in the lead with $14,600 now, $7,500 more than Melissa in second place. Karen bet $6,000 and she was RIGHT.
The vast Altiplano Plateau occupies parts of Peru & this landlocked neighbor to the southeast. show
Karen got the last Daily Double in “Hans, Solo” under the $800 clue with only 5 clues to go after it. In the lead place with $21,800, she had $14,700 more than Melissa in second place. Karen bet $10,000 and drew a blank so she was WRONG.
This artist the Younger was working on yet another portrait of Henry VIII when he died in 1543. show
Karen finished in the lead with $11,400. Melissa was next with $8,700 and Zach was in third place with $7,200. All clues were shown.
TWO of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
WHO IS JOSEPH HELLER?
There’s a page dedicated to John Yossarian, the protagonist of Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel “Catch-22” on Fandom.com, with sections on various aspects of the character. From the Trivia section: “Heller noted that he derived the name Yossarian from a wartime friend and fellow bombardier, Francis Yohannan.”Other entries talk about Yohannon continuing his career in the military after WWII, rather than trying to get out of his duties like the fictional Yossarian. Per another entry, whatever elements in the novel were based upon Heller’s own experiences are revealed in “Now & Then” (1998), Heller’s autobiography
In Heller’s 1999 obituary, the New York Times mentions the author’s own wartime recollections: “Heller knew no fear until he flew his 37th mission. ‘Until then, it was all play,’ he wrote in The New York Times Magazine in May of 1995. ‘I was so brainwashed by Hollywood’s image of heroism that I was disappointed when nobody shot back at us,’ he recalled.” When that did happen on his 37th mission, Heller said “I wanted out.”
Zach got it right but he didn’t bet a penny so his score remained $7,200.
Melissa also got it. She bet $8,000 and finished with $16,700.
Karen wrote down Hunter S. Thompson. She lost $6,001 and finished with $5,399. That made Melissa Klapper a 3-day champion with $59,100 in winnings
2 triple stumpers from the last round:
1963 ($2000) This parachutist-turned-cosmonaut became the first woman in space, orbiting the Earth 48 times
HANS, SOLO ($1600) Even after his wife Cosima left him for Richard Wagner, he continued to champion Wagner’s works
2 years ago: Only ONE of the players got this FJ in “Presidential Elections”
In the 1912 election these 2 parties on the left of the political spectrum finished 2nd & 4th, totaling 1/3 of the votes show
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In her defense, that DD was pretty tough for an $800 clue.
I’m glad you brought that up, William. It made me remember another time a contestant bet a lot on a DD that was in the round 2 $800 row and lost when the clue was unexpectedly difficult.
I did know the DD answer this time though. I’ve read a lot about Henry VIII.
Daily double wagering especially near the end of the game isn’t easy. She was a strong player, hopefully she can come back for second chance.
Worst DD bet ever? 5 low-$ clues left on the board, a nearly $15K lead, and all she has to do to ensure a runaway is make a small bet. The previous wager was pretty daring, and it worked out, but this one was just looney. Karen looked bewildered during the FJ music, so I pretty well knew she was toast. Those of us of a certain age know “Catch-22” and Yossarian pretty well.
Melissa is very sharp on literature, and has proved it all 3 days to her benefit, so today’s FJ had to be a slam dunk. I’d like to know what subject she teaches. Zach rebounded well from those early, goofy guesses in 4-letter sports. His first answer was a 7-letter word and the 2nd was a feeble, 3-letter guess.
Tough stumpers, but I remembered the cosmonaut and the MLB reliever’s non-save. Melissa’s missed DD wasn’t too awfully difficult, and she was on the right track with her answer.
I remembered the cosmonaut too, Howard, but I wouldn’t have buzzed in on that because I wasn”t sure I would say her last name right.
Better not to lose $2K, imo, then risk mispronouncing the name!
Cliff Claven from Cheers would be proud of her!
Answer: The biggest regret of my life.
Question: What is ‘My wager on the last Double Jeopardy’ ?
Hopefully she gets invited back for second chance