LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The 'Jeopardy! Masters' competition is already in its second week and James Holzhaeur, the self-described show's villain, along with Andrew He, have qualified for the semi-finals, which will take place on May 22 and 23. The most recent episodes of 'Jeopardy! Masters' turned to become a platform for its host Ken Jennings while being a contestant-focused show.
In response to episodes of the normal show being taped during the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, the 'Jeopardy! Masters' host has faced criticism for resuming his role as host. According to Deadline, Ken's co-host Mayim Bialik decided not to present the last episode of the current season of 'Jeopardy!' as a result of which Ken stepped back in.
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'There is no ‘Jeopardy!’ without writers'
After weeks of negotiations with Netflix, Amazon, Sony (the parent company of 'Jeopardy!'), and other companies stalled, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) declared a strike on May 1. The next day, writers formed picket lines to protest their contracts and salaries. Mayim Bialik, who was co-hosting with Ken for the final week of the current season of 'Jeopardy!', opted not to host.
The 'Big Bang Theory' alum is supporting the writers who are striking during the episodes that were filmed from May 16 to May 19 and are typically broadcast two months after they are taped. The decade-long writers and authors of 'Jeopardy!' even praised Mayim on Twitter for her support.
Billy Wisse and Michelle Loud, two seasoned writers who are now on strike, recently stated to Variety: "Our words are on the screen every night. There is no ‘Jeopardy!’ without writers. Without us, it’s just an empty blue screen." Billy Wisse stated that he desires to be "fairly compensated for the labor you give."
The clues were presumably also created well before the strike, and 'Jeopardy!' employs a small crew of WGA writers. Ken has come under fire on social media for going back to the set even though he was supposed to be off the board until the new season started in September.
While encouraging his almost 500,000 fans to purchase it, the affluent game show host also unveiled the cover of his brand-new trivia book in the tweet. Given the state of the TV industry right now, not all 'Jeopardy!' fans were pleased with the message, as reported by The Sun.
'Won't be purchasing'
Fans were not happy with Jennings untimely promoting his upcoming book '100 PLACES TO SEE AFTER YOU DIE' and took to Twitter to slam the 'Jeopardy! Masters' host. One fan wrote, "Reading the ARC now! Makes me want to die." A second fan exclaimed, "Won't be purchasing a book that will benefit a scab. #SupportWAG." A third fan typed, "Oh man. You should have waited until AFTER it came out to scab. Literally turned thousands of potential readers like me onto someone unable to support it." A fourth fan snarked, "If I go to the places you recommend and NOT like it, can I come back for a refund?" A fifth one wrote. "The atheists and die hard materialists won't be happy with you Ken!"
Actor Wil Wheaton, who played on 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' earlier this year, specifically called out Ken on his private Twitter handle. The 50-year-old wrote: "He has the choice to support his fellow workers, or to support management who are exploiting them. He's made his choice. It's like this: did you cross a picket line? If yes, you are a scab who turned your back on organized labor. If no, you're a decent person who stands with your fellow workers."
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