Austin Powers wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:46 pm
So I will tell you what I heard.
From my understanding, someone made a very concerning wager on a daily double at some point in the season. I’m told it was a cryptic reference to a set of numerals that has meaning to white power nationalists.
I was also told that this was caught in post production. The producers initially were unsure as to what to do, but they talked to Sullivan Compliance about it. After some deliberations, it was decided to edit the bet to change its value, since the bet ultimately did not change the result of the game.
I am unsure as to which episode this may have occurred, only that it happened this season. I was told subsequently that now when you are being prepped for the show in studio, it’s explained to you that certain numbers you are no longer allowed to bet. Three examples are given, one of them being at this set of numbers in question. I’ll let you guess what the other two numbers are.
Anyway, that is what I was told.
Any tidbits about things that happen beyond what viewers see/hear are always great to read about. Thank you for sharing.
The number for the wager can be edited although I don't get how the contestant's voice will be handled for saying one thing while another happens. The powers are wrong that whatever happened won't get out one way or another. You were not there and know about it.
If there is scoreboard monkey business that does not add up it will be noticed. If the change is something that lends itself to an easy to present social media story it will get press.
Putting a ban on certain wager numbers can cut out part of a problem though how do you regulate fall-to/gain-to figures? Someone can make their ending score land on things such as 69 or 666? Has that happened previously?
I do hope the full situation comes to light without doubt to prevent needless speculation such as, "Yeah, he looks like the kind of guy that would that."
Austin Powers wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:46 pm
So I will tell you what I heard.
From my understanding, someone made a very concerning wager on a daily double at some point in the season. I’m told it was a cryptic reference to a set of numerals that has meaning to white power nationalists.
I was also told that this was caught in post production. The producers initially were unsure as to what to do, but they talked to Sullivan Compliance about it. After some deliberations, it was decided to edit the bet to change its value, since the bet ultimately did not change the result of the game.
I am unsure as to which episode this may have occurred, only that it happened this season. I was told subsequently that now when you are being prepped for the show in studio, it’s explained to you that certain numbers you are no longer allowed to bet. Three examples are given, one of them being at this set of numbers in question. I’ll let you guess what the other two numbers are.
Anyway, that is what I was told.
This edit would be interesting to see since it now wouldn’t be the players voice saying what their bet is.
Austin Powers wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:46 pm
From my understanding, someone made a very concerning wager on a daily double at some point in the season. I’m told it was a cryptic reference to a set of numerals that has meaning to white power nationalists.
This is very interesting. I was initially wondering if the wager in question could have been $1,488, but ruled it out given that the person providing the wager would be doing so on a decidedly non-anonymous platform with fairly serious social ramifications once the internet got a hold of said wager. The contestant would struggle to chalk the wager up to a "joke" during the ensuing firestorm, in my estimation, since there are far "funnier" numbers one could select if their intentions were to be a harmless scamp.
Mark raises a lot of good points regarding the feasibility of an unspoken wager adjustment going unnoticed, too. I'm sure that some light voice editing and digital adjustments to the displayed score could be done, but it sure seems difficult to keep under wraps. If I were to offer a suggestion to avoid this issue in the future, I would make the maximum Daily Double wager $100 and only allow wagers in hundred dollar increments so as to avoid $69/$420/$666.
This story is strange. The comment above mine is correct - anyone who dared to bet $1488 would be immediately unmasking himself (or herself) to the whole world as a white power adherent (if the bet aired as originally done, which I assume he would hope to get away with). It would be not just a wicked action but an extremely reckless action in terms of future employment etc. And the technical challenges of changing the bet and the score would be quite difficult. It might be better to just not air the episode (with some kind of appropriate compensation for the other two contestants - in particular the other loser, who would completely lose his or her moment in the spotlight - maybe that person could be exempted from the normal rules and invited back). Unless the white nationalist actually won the game - that would really cause problems.
If it was Final Jeopardy rather than a Daily Double, that would be easier to alter - the contestant never says the number out loud and the exact score becomes irrelevant within seconds. I would consider that more believable.
triviawayne wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 3:50 pm
I’ll believe this one when I see it
The episode in question has already happened.
Stanislaus Jacob wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:05 pm
If it was Final Jeopardy rather than a Daily Double, that would be easier to alter - the contestant never says the number out loud and the exact score becomes irrelevant within seconds. I would consider that more believable.
This is what happened.
(For what it's worth, the contestant claims it was accidental and that he did not realize what he was doing. In light of this, I think that it is best that the contestant not be named.)
Andy Saunders
J! Archive Founding Archivist
Publisher - The Jeopardy! Fan
I would agree. There may in fact be a plausible explanation as to why the bet was made, per the information I was juuuuust given.
I would go so far as to say that there is a more likely than not chance that the contestant is innocent of any wrongdoing based on that additional info.
I will leave it at that, since I think the risk of exposing the contestant and creating a firestorm of controversy is not worth it given that strong possibility. At a minimum, the issue was caught, so no one was harmed or offended.
But it is an interesting footnote nonetheless.
Last edited by Austin Powers on Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.
triviawayne wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 3:50 pm
I’ll believe this one when I see it
The episode in question has already happened.
Stanislaus Jacob wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:05 pm
If it was Final Jeopardy rather than a Daily Double, that would be easier to alter - the contestant never says the number out loud and the exact score becomes irrelevant within seconds. I would consider that more believable.
This is what happened.
(For what it's worth, the contestant claims it was accidental and that he did not realize what he was doing. In light of this, I think that it is best that the contestant not be named.)
I did not know that more than one person had heard this story. I will take your endorsement of the story as verification of its truth. And if the episode already aired, I guess there is no more to say. Maybe the thread should be locked.
alietr wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 5:03 pm
From my admittedly limited knowledge, I have to strongly believe it was a random accident and that should be the end of it on here.
To this point, I can say that, had it been me up there, I would have had no idea of any particular malign significance to that number and would have wagered it without hesitation (though I struggle to imagine a scenario wherein such a bet would occur).
alietr wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 5:03 pm
From my admittedly limited knowledge, I have to strongly believe it was a random accident and that should be the end of it on here.
To this point, I can say that, had it been me up there, I would have had no idea of any particular malign significance to that number and would have wagered it without hesitation (though I struggle to imagine a scenario wherein such a bet would occur).
If said person couldn't win and wanted to acknowledge their child's birthday on January 4, 1988?
triviawayne wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 3:50 pm
I’ll believe this one when I see it
The episode in question has already happened.
Stanislaus Jacob wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:05 pm
If it was Final Jeopardy rather than a Daily Double, that would be easier to alter - the contestant never says the number out loud and the exact score becomes irrelevant within seconds. I would consider that more believable.
This is what happened.
(For what it's worth, the contestant claims it was accidental and that he did not realize what he was doing. In light of this, I think that it is best that the contestant not be named.)
Being a FJ, well that sure changes the believe-ability of a possible edit in post production.
Well I'm learning some weird stuff from this thread . I will now have to use 1488 wherever possible so that the assholes can't own a number. They can have their slave flags and racist statues, but they can't have a perfectly innocent number with 3 prime factors of 2, 3, and 31!!
What next? An FJ with Muhammad as the answer, and someone draws a happy face on it
Disclaimer - repeated exposure to author's musings may cause befuddlement.
Austin Powers wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:46 pmThree examples are given, one of them being at this set of numbers in question. I’ll let you guess what the other two numbers are.
Oh, come on. Anyone good enough to accumulate $80,085 and who would dare wager it should be allowed to do so.
And now you have me searching the Archive for a $7,734 wager.
Today I learned 1488 was a racist number. I looked it up and like most of those things, it is pretty stupid. I hope whoever did it just picked an unfortunate random number.