ALEX TREBEK:
Game Show Icon and Pop Culture Prince
By Alec Bojalad
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek was a television titan and the patron saint of trivia.
Alex Trebek died on Sunday at age 80 following a battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Following Trebek’s death, countless Jeopardy! fans, contestants, and general well-wishers paid their respects on social media, including GOAT contenders Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer, and Brad Rutter.
The legacy he leaves behind is enormous. As the host of Jeopardy! for 35 years, he was among the most trusted and beloved people on television.
By coming to work everyday and treating the pursuit of knowledge as a worthwhile ideal he was a steadying presence through turbulent times.
He was also behind some of the best moments in game show history.
Who could forget the time Alex roasted Susan for her love of nerdcore hip hop?
Or when he correctly diagnosed that all three of his contestants knew very little about sports.
One time, Jeopardy! GOAT Ken Jennings scandalized Trebek with his interpretation of a certain question.
Trebek and Celebrity Jeopardy! Were infamously parodied on SNL, with Will Ferrell portraying a Trebek exasperated with the celebs dumb answers and with Sean Connery’s outright hatred of him.
But the best Alex Trebek moments involve Jeopardy! fans and contestants sincerely letting the Canadian host know how much he means to them.
Shortly after Trebek’s cancer diagnosis, contestant Dhruv Gaur used his Final Jeopardy! slate to deliver a touching message.
Just last week, contestant Burt Thakur shared with Trebek how watching Jeopardy! with his grandfather taught him English.
Trebek’s impact will never be in doubt and his legacy will live on with every answer phrased in the form of a question on Jeopardy! for years to come.