Alex and the Sony Email Leak

[aaron sica]

Another game-show related fallout from the Sony hack - unlike Pat Sajak's episode (which of course wasn't really one at all), apparently Trebek was a bit peeved for reals - http://pagesix.com/2014/12/16/alex-trebek-threatened-to-quit-jeopardy-sony-emails/

[TLEberle]

Another game-show related fallout from the Sony hack - unlike Pat Sajak's episode (which of course wasn't really one at all), apparently Trebek was a bit peeved for reals - http://pagesix.com/2014/12/16/alex-trebek-threatened-to-quit-jeopardy-sony-emails/

This is indeed a red letter day: I agree with internet commenters.

[rebelwrest]

Another game-show related fallout from the Sony hack - unlike Pat Sajak's episode (which of course wasn't really one at all), apparently Trebek was a bit peeved for reals - http://pagesix.com/2014/12/16/alex-trebek-threatened-to-quit-jeopardy-sony-emails/

I started not to believe the story because the link included the words "page" and "six" consecutively.

[SamJ93]

On the one hand, the girl was definitely a sore loser (what did her mother expect, for Trebek to pull a unicorn and an ice cream sundae out of his suit jacket right then and there?).  But on the other hand, threatening to give up not just a job, but the status of being the public face of a beloved institution, over one incident strikes me as an equal overreaction on Trebek's part.  I don't want to judge too much as we don't know the full story (and it is the NY Post, after all), but Trebek always struck me as a good-humored, level-headed person, which is why I was surprised to read this.

[brianhenke]

  J! Archive has the synopsis of the game in question:

  http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=4740

  Brian

[WarioBarker]

Looking at Alex's comments in that article, I don't think he's upset about this specifically but rather that this kind of stuff's been happening for a while -- the "Emanciptation Proclamation" blowup comes to mind from the "vilified" comment.

If I'm making mistakes and saying things you don't like, maybe it's time for me to move on. It's not a threat, but I want to let you know how I'm feeling.

But I want to say that for 30 years I've defended our show against attacks inside and out. But it doesn't seem to operate both ways. When I'm vilified, corporate (and certainly legal) always seems to say 'don't say anything and it'll blow over,' and I'm not feeling support from the producers, and that disappoints the s—t out of me.

...and honestly, these remarks sound like either Pat or Alex said them.

[TLEberle]

I thought it was more of a Lietenant Murtagh moment: he is tired of dealing with this stuff. (Well guess what Bunky, social media is a thing now and there's a big fat news hole that bloggers and cable news outlets have to fill.) But he's got a point: why get up to work if he has to deal with this sort of thing? Or more specifically, cut out the Kids Week shows.

I'm guessing he has plenty enough money saved up and could retire to his garden and truck and could choose to leave it as a career at whatever the next contract signing is.

[chris319]

what did her mother expect, for Trebek to pull a unicorn and an ice cream sundae out of his suit jacket right then and there?

Yes.

It's saber-rattling on Alex's part, but he is justified in doing so. What did he do wrong that would warrant retaping? He was a consummate pro, as always.

[chris319]

Brenda Lee can fix it all up:

[WarioBarker]

But he's got a point: why get up to work if he has to deal with this sort of thing? Or more specifically, cut out the Kids Week shows.

I don't think removing the Kids Weeks would solve anything, primarily since it'd be kowtowing to a complaining mother who's overreacting and a mass media that can't do math.

I'm guessing he has plenty enough money saved up and could retire to his garden and truck and could choose to leave it as a career at whatever the next contract signing is.

...2016, I think?

What did [Alex] do wrong that would warrant retaping? He was a consummate pro, as always.

"He was a consummate pro instead of tending to my poor baby backstage!" ...Even though the article makes it clear that Gabby was upset at first (totally understandable, IMO), but then recovered and stayed around to watch another episode's taping.

I think the thing that bothers me the most about this is that (per this article) a producer wanted him to retape the segment "to appease an upset mother who could start another feeding frenzy about Alex's perceived insensitivity." How about, oh I don't know, actually responding to such media blowups if and when they happen?

(No, wait, I know why -- because that'd mean you think bad publicity is bad.)

[Jimmy Owen]

Stage mothers should be vetted by the production staff long before the kid gets on the air.

[JepMasta]

Or, he could just have been having a really bad day and was venting his frustrations...happens to the best of us.

[whewfan]

Did Alex actually re-tape his comments? It doesn't look to me like anything changed outside of editing out when she ran off the stage. If he DID, then what did he say originally?

This isn't like the time Trebek pointed out the boy's misspelling of "Emancipation". I felt him saying "Well, it's misspelled badly" was a poor choice of words, and unlike Gabby, this guy had a MUCH harder time keeping it together as the cameras kept rolling during the credits.

[TLEberle]

I felt him saying "Well, it's misspelled badly" was a poor choice of words,

As opposed to what, then?

and unlike Gabby, this guy had a MUCH harder time keeping it together as the cameras kept rolling during the credits.

Which makes sense because she was offstage for the final act.

[Dbacksfan12]

I felt him saying "Well, it's misspelled badly" was a poor choice of words, and unlike Gabby, this guy had a MUCH harder time keeping it together as the cameras kept rolling during the credits.

What exactly would YOU have said?