ON THE RECORD: The answer Man

Alex Trebek is undoubtedly one of the most recognized names in American game shows. He currently hosts Jeopardy!, which, along with Wheel of Fortune, is the most popular game show in television syndication. Trebek was in Philadelphia Friday when Jeopardy! held a tryout for next year's college tournament. He took a few moments to sit down with Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Daniel Gingiss. Daily Pennsylvanian: How did you become a game show host? Where did you start? Alex Trebek: I started in Canada -- way before you were born? I did all kinds of programs. DP: What are the other game shows you've hosted? AT: Classic Concentration, High Rollers, Wizard of Odds, Battlestars, To Tell The Truth, Pitfall, Double Dare -- that sounds like enough for now. [Trebek had said earlier that Jeopardy! is still his favorite game show, but he also really liked To Tell The Truth.] DP: What are your future aspirations? Are you going to continue hosting? AT: I would like to, yeah -- I'll be hosting Jeopardy! for awhile, as long as people keep watching it, and as long as I keep enjoying what I'm doing. And I don't see any reason for that to change in the near future, so yeah, I'll be around for awhile. DP: You always look like you really enjoy yourself on the show. AT: Yeah, I do. Oh sure, why not? It's a challenging program, I enjoy seeing how bright the contestants are and I'm giving away somebody else's money! DP: What do you do in your spare time when away from the cameras? Do you have any hobbies? AT: Oh, I work around the house, I spend time with the kids, I travel, what ordinary folks do. I putter -- I repair things around the house -- plumbing, electrical, whatever. DP: What makes Jeopardy! different from other game shows? AT: It's tougher, and we're unique in that we give you the answer and you have to come up with the question. So that means there's an added step for our contestants. Instead of my just saying, you know, 'What's Columbus' first name?' [he snaps] 'Christopher' -- you have to think, 'ooh, I have to phrase it in the form of a question' so there's that extra step that separates people. You have to be fast in terms of reflexes in order to ring in first and be the first one to come up with an attempt at providing the right question. And people everywhere enjoy being tested -- they want to see how bright they are -- and that work's to our advantage. DP: Do people perceive the difference -- or what do you think of the difference -- between a show like Jeopardy! and a show like Wheel of Fortune, where someone can go on and not really have too much knowledge and still win $100,000 in three days? There seems to be a perceived difference in ability between the contestants. AT: No, I think you're making a mistake in one regard, and that is you seem to be assuming that the kind of skill required of a contestant on Jeopardy! is more valuable than the kind of skill required of a contestant on Wheel of Fortune, and I'm not prepared to accept that premise. There are different skills in life, and the fact that a player for instance would be a Jeopardy! champion doesn't necessarily mean he could win on Wheel of Fortune, because you have to be able to figure out those puzzles. And not everyone can figure out those puzzles -- you can be a very bright person and not be able to do crossword puzzles. You could be a great crossword puzzle solver and not be able to play Jeopardy! very well, or play Wheel of Fortune. You could you be good at Wheel and good at Jeopardy! and yet bomb out badly on The Price Is Right. There are different skills for each show, just as there are different skills required in life. The same skills that will serve you well as a teacher of English literature might not help you at all if you had to fix the plumbing -- that guy has different skills. DP: Do you think that game shows in general -- and Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune in particular -- have the same viewers? AT: I think our viewers -- there are certainly some crossovers between Wheel and Jeopardy -- but I think that we each have a solid core of our own viewers. With Jeopardy! particular, I would think that there are a lot of people who watch us who would not watch other game shows. DP: How are categories selected? Are you worried about potential biases, for instance if a plumber was on the show and a plumbing category came up? AT: That's not a bias. The games are selected at random and the contestants are selected at random. Just as it would be wrong for me to say 'oh, we've got a doctor on the program, let's put a medical category up there,' I think it's wrong for me to say, 'oops, there's a medical category up there and here comes a doctor, we'd better take the medical category out of there.' DP: Can you compare the sample tests used in the tryouts to the actual show? AT: I think they're tougher -- you've got 50 clues and 50 different categories, so you have to have a well-rounded education in order to do well on the tests. In the game, if you know one category you could perhaps run that category and pick up a fair amount of money. It's not that way on the test. DP: How would you do both as a contestant and as a prospective contestant taking the test? AT: I've passed all of the tests since day one, so I've scored pretty well on those. As a contestant, I don't know. I don't think my reflexes are fast enough to help me in a game against a couple of good 30-year-olds?but if I were a contestant in the seniors tournament I would do alright. DP: You said before [when speaking with prospective contestants] that you know 60 to 65 percent of the questions on the show. What types of questions don't you know? AT: I know a little bit about a lot of things, I guess. I don't know if there's any one subject -- the current music scene I don't know much about, but as far as the rest of them I'm usually able to come up with one or two responses in each category. DP: Do you have any favorite categories? AT: Not anymore, I used to like Civil War and Movies, but I don't have any favorites anymore. A lot of them are fun -- it's how they play and how well they're written. DP: To what extent do you see yourself as a cultural icon or a role model to people? AT: I never really think of myself in those terms. There was a survey done not too long ago after the movie Quiz Show came out to find out which quiz show or game show host was viewed as the most trustworthy by Americans and it's nice to know that they think I'm the most honest one. It's nice to think that they like you or they think you're bright or whatever and they feel comfortable with you. All of those things are positives to the extent that in that regard I act as a role model for our youth for instance. And I'm very happy, that's great, that's cool. But I don't go around saying, 'I'm a role model or I should be a role model.' I just try to do the right thing. I try to be honest with the people and not try to con them, not do snow jobs on them. I think that's the best approach. DP: As an icon or celebrity, how do you manage to keep such a low profile? Why don't we ever read about you in the tabloids? AT: I'm happily married, I don't go out much and I don't get into trouble. I don't drink to excess, I don't carry on, I don't do drugs -- never have -- I behave, and in that respect I'm kind of dull. But maybe we need more dull people in this world if that's the gauge we need to use. There are a lot of people out there scrapping and flinging and making noise because they're not at peace with themselves. I think certainly now more than in the past I'm more at peace with myself, I know who I am, I know what I'm capable of, I know what I'm not capable of, and I'm pretty content. I don't have anything to prove. ··· IF YOU NEED TO EDIT, TAKE OUT STUFF BETWEEN THE BULLETS!! ··· DP: Do you like the direction that Jeopardy! is going in? AT: Well, first of all you have to tell me what direction you perceive us going in, because I'm not sure that we're going in a direction. DP: Well, it's a very steady show -- there aren't a lot of gimmicks -- you do have different tournaments which people enjoy, but? AT: We're pretty well the same show we were eight years ago. So we're not going in a direction -- if you mean what we stand for and what we have stood for in the last 10 and a half years, yeah I'm happy with that. DP: But you had mentioned before [to the prospective contestants] about the possibility of a children's Jeopardy!, or on the computer there is a sports Jeopardy! -- any direction like that? AT: Not that I know of -- we wouldn't do a sports Jeopardy! -- it's fine for a computer version of the show I guess. I haven't seen the sports Jeopardy! edition so I don't know. We've had a lot of talk about kids, a lot of interest in us doing a kids' Jeopardy! and that might be a possibility, but not a big possibility for us I don't think. DP: What about any other types of tournaments? AT: No, if it ain't broke don't fix it! That's basically where we approach our current situation. It's a good show, it's solid, we have our core audience that likes us and appreciates what we're doing. We're not going to mess with the show and gussy it up. ··· DP: Do you have any other aspirations for the rest of your life, perhaps post-Jeopardy!? AT: Maybe produce different kids of programming, make some movies, stuff like that. Nothing definite -- I don't tend to plan stuff too far in advance. I let things happen and then I either move on them or I don't, but more short term than long term. I can see myself doing Jeopardy! for another few years, though. DP: To wrap up -- what kind of advice would you give to college students? AT: Don't screw up! Get a good education -- that I believe is very important. Be kind to your fellow man, learn to be charitable, care for the environment. But don't go overboard in terms of your crusades. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because you're very passionate about something, whatever it is, that that must be the world moves, because it isn't. And just be a little more understanding of other people?I find if you try to get as much knowledge as you can, and try to be as charitable and individual as you can, you'll do alright in life.