Arthur Chu Article ("Jeopardy!")

[knagl]

//Didn't Jeopardy make a change to their signaling system early on precisely due to viewer complaints? Either there was a tone to go with the lights or they changed when you could buzz or when Alex would recognize a signal.

I remember from watching an early episode that there was a tone, and they could also buzz in mid-question.  It was irritating all around.

[rjaguar3]

//Didn't Jeopardy make a change to their signaling system early on precisely due to viewer complaints? Either there was a tone to go with the lights or they changed when you could buzz or when Alex would recognize a signal.

I remember from watching an early episode that there was a tone, and they could also buzz in mid-question.  It was irritating all around.

So here's my understanding of the lockout system changes (correct me if I'm wrong):
Start of Season 1: can buzz anytime once question is exposed, sound effect when player buzzes in, no lockout delay on the rebound
Sometime during Season 1: sound effect when player buzzes in is removed, lockout delay added on the rebound (to prevent players who weren't first from mashing the button to get in)
Season 2: must wait until question is read to buzz in, lockout delay both on the first buzz (after the question is read) and on the rebound

[trainman]

Alex mentioned Arthur got a three-week break but there's only this week of Decades play; is there a Teen tournament on deck?

College tournament.

[Mr. Armadillo]

All I know is that it's quite amusing that this guy's catching flak for jumping around the board right as his run was interrupted by, of all people, Chuck Forrest himself on Monday.

[Offshored2007]

There was a story on "ABC World News Tonight" yesterday about the unorthodox Mr. Chu. It should be interesting to see how many games he wins.

[tomobrien]

So here's my understanding of the lockout system changes (correct me if I'm wrong):
Start of Season 1: can buzz anytime once question is exposed, sound effect when player buzzes in, no lockout delay on the rebound

I admit my memory's not 100%, but I recall there being a series of "countdown" lights on the inside of the podia that the players could see.  The lights started when Alex read the question and you couldn't buzz in until after the lights had gone out, which was usually sometime mid-question.

[Bryce L.]

So here's my understanding of the lockout system changes (correct me if I'm wrong):
Start of Season 1: can buzz anytime once question is exposed, sound effect when player buzzes in, no lockout delay on the rebound

I admit my memory's not 100%, but I recall there being a series of "countdown" lights on the inside of the podia that the players could see.  The lights started when Alex read the question and you couldn't buzz in until after the lights had gone out, which was usually sometime mid-question.

And isn't there also some sort of perimeter light on the outside of the board that comes on to show that the players were free to buzz in?

[Nick]

And isn't there also some sort of perimeter light on the outside of the board that comes on to show that the players were free to buzz in?

Affirmative.

The only thing I don't like about use of the Forrest Bounce is in this day and age where Jeopardy! games run much tighter than they used to and with a stronger emphasis on finishing the board, there tends to be a lot of jarring edits between the calling of the next answer and the revealing of it.

A minor quip either way.  I enjoy seeing strategic play such as this; though would the game be as interesting if it was done everyday?  Probably not.

[colonial]

Speaking as a "fourth estater", I've been somewhat surprised with J! allowing Arthur Chu to participate in so many interviews while still champ.  The show was a stickler for decades about contestants doing media interviews -- the show's unofficial policy always seemed to be "local media can chat with area contestant ahead of first appearance.  Don't ask about how the contestant did or the interview ends."  IIRC, Ken Jennings really didn't start doing interviews until J! hit the summer hiatus, when his winning streak was, I believe, 38.

With Arthur sitting out until February 24, and that game determining whether he gets a slot in the TOC, I can't blame J! for loosening up their media restrictions to go for ratings gold.


JD

[CarbonCpy]

If there's one thing I've learned in this internet age, its that you've *really* made it when Taiwanese news animators make a video about you:

[MikeK]

I laughed quite hard at the 54 second mark.

[Matt Ottinger]

Nifty article from a viral-media researcher about what's up with all the Arthur Chu attention.  Short version is that he shamelessly self-promoted on Twitter, and got a couple of lucky breaks, including a big one from the folks at Mental Floss magazine.

https://medium.com/p/50035702ec31

[TLEberle]

If he doesn't win tonight that's probably the last we hear from him. He's joint 11th on the leader board and the last three spots are taken up by other tournament winners.

[Kniwt]

He's written a piece for The Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/25/jeopardy-champion-arthur-chu-its-about-intimidation

The haters online are right to an extent. I'm just up there being a machine, playing the game. Mowing through the questions mechanically with this detached mien like a crazy person. That is not the most likable side of me on TV; that's the side of me I had to let out in order to win.

[TLEberle]

It sounds like he's admitting if he had to play the traditional way that his knowledge just by itself wouldn't carry the day. In Trebekistan Bob goes on about the little mental jiu-jitsu moves he would carry out on the next opponents in order to put them off balance because Bob admits that his knowledge wasn't up to snuff and therefore he had to take whatever advantages came his way. Roger Craig used data-mining to figure out what would come up and he studied predictively, and it worked.

The thing that's offputting to me (if I have to choose) is that what I like about Jeopardy is that it rewards normal people who like to learn stuff about the world around them. Sometimes you get creeps or a-holes but most of the contestants are pleasant people there to have a good time, win some bucks and show off a little. I would prefer that Arthur didn't apologize for what he's doing. It's legal, it's working, own it. Embrace the villany within.