MATT JACKSON WAS ON JEOPARDY AND WAS PRETTY GOOD AND COOL

Cody · Post by **Cody** » Fri Sep 25, 2015 9:14 pm

Jeopardy is being filmed in Suplex City?!

h/t Sarah

bmcke · Post by **bmcke** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 11:02 pm

I like this experiment. Matt is, what, 80% to win any particular game?

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Tue Sep 29, 2015 8:19 am

His incredibly slow-building smile in the introduction gave my daughter bad dreams . . . .

(Just joshing (mostly), fine work, Matt!).

Dead Parrot · Post by **Dead Parrot** » Tue Sep 29, 2015 11:30 am

Folks on The A.V. Club comment section discussing Matt Jackson's performance (and smile) last night (you have to scroll down a bit). Some choice bits, both positive and negative:

"Matt is a Peanuts background character brought horribly to life."

"[Matt]'s like an android assassin programmed for the sole purpose of dominating 'Jeopardy!'"

"I don't think Matt has ever smiled prior to being on Jeopardy. His facial muscles have never been used before due to a lifetime of anger and studying."

"I made a pro-con list for Matt as a contestant. Pros: Very fast on the board, makes up for other contestants' slowness. Cons: I am afraid of him."

"I think it's very possible that [Matt] could be a serial killer. Or at least have some weird/gross/horrifying interests." (On a sidenote, from perusing the History Forum, I was under the impression that quizbowl emerged from its weird/gross/horrifying phase in the early 2000s.)

"Matt is a Jeopardy! machine and has made watching the show a joy again."

"Matt even talks right over Alex to select the next clue. He's there to chew bubblegum and kick

, and he's all out of bubblegum."

Welcome to your fifteen minutes, Matt.

The Stately Rhododendron · Tue Sep 29, 2015 11:48 am

Dead Parrot wrote:Folks on The A.V. Club comment section discussing Matt Jackson's performance (and smile) last night (you have to scroll down a bit). Some choice bits, both positive and negative:

"Matt is a Peanuts background character brought horribly to life."

"[Matt]'s like an android assassin programmed for the sole purpose of dominating 'Jeopardy!'"

"I don't think Matt has ever smiled prior to being on Jeopardy. His facial muscles have never been used before due to a lifetime of anger and studying."

"I made a pro-con list for Matt as a contestant. Pros: Very fast on the board, makes up for other contestants' slowness. Cons: I am afraid of him."

"I think it's very possible that [Matt] could be a serial killer. Or at least have some weird/gross/horrifying interests." (On a sidenote, from perusing the History Forum, I was under the impression that quizbowl emerged from its weird/gross/horrifying phase in the early 2000s.)

"Matt is a Jeopardy! machine and has made watching the show a joy again."

"Matt even talks right over Alex to select the next clue. He's there to chew bubblegum and kick , and he's all out of bubblegum."

Welcome to your fifteen minutes, Matt.

My favorite:

"Can't sleep, Matt'll eat me. Can't sleep, Matt'll eat me."

Post by **theMoMA** » Tue Sep 29, 2015 11:53 am

"A Lifetime of Anger and Studying" is a fantastic team name!

I haven't watched Jeopardy in a long time, but it's been fun to see Matt sweeping up in the few segments I've had a chance to catch (it airs at 4:30pm here).

Skepticism and Animal Feed · Tue Sep 29, 2015 12:06 pm

Make sure to follow the #Jeopardy hashtag on Twitter for more "people reacting to Matt Jackson" goodness, or so-bad-its-goodness at least.

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Tue Sep 29, 2015 3:46 pm

I await the inevitable Vine of that smile.

Skepticism and Animal Feed · Tue Sep 29, 2015 3:51 pm

ValenciaQBowl wrote:I await the inevitable Vine of that smile.

This has been online for 18 hours already, old man:

https://vine.co/v/eQzzEVv1gK2

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Tue Sep 29, 2015 7:23 pm

Outstanding!

The Stately Rhododendron · Tue Sep 29, 2015 7:42 pm

And the Conquerer marches on...

Skepticism and Animal Feed · Wed Sep 30, 2015 7:51 pm

Matt Jackson status: still on Jeopardy

ryanrosenberg · Post by **ryanrosenberg** » Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:01 pm

Boom!

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:01 pm

Skepticism and Animal Feed wrote:Matt Jackson status: still on Jeopardy

boom

naan/steak-holding toll · Thu Oct 01, 2015 2:32 pm

The haters in the comments section on the Jeopardy! Facebook page are amusing. I definitely like the people who can recognize and respect that Matt's a straight-up master, though.

cchiego · Post by **cchiego** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 7:30 pm

Periplus of the Erythraean Sea wrote:The haters in the comments section on the Jeopardy! Facebook page are amusing. I definitely like the people who can recognize and respect that Matt's a straight-up master, though.

Don't check Twitter if you think the FB ones are bad. It's pretty clear that a significant chunk of people watch Jeopardy purely as a way of going "haha, nerds!" and making bizarre insults about pretty much anything.

That said, it's great to see Matt doing so well and I'm sure he can easily shake the haters off. Let's hope that people start to pick up on his copious quizbowl accomplishments if he keeps this up.

ryanrosenberg · Post by **ryanrosenberg** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 7:56 pm

Maybe I'm just out of the loop on this, but why is Matt's nickname not "Matty Ice"?

Victor Prieto · Post by **Victor Prieto** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 8:38 pm

cchiego wrote:
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea wrote:The haters in the comments section on the Jeopardy! Facebook page are amusing. I definitely like the people who can recognize and respect that Matt's a straight-up master, though.
Don't check Twitter if you think the FB ones are bad. It's pretty clear that a significant chunk of people watch Jeopardy purely as a way of going "haha, nerds!" and making bizarre insults about pretty much anything.

On the flip side, the people on the Jeopardy! message boards are fairly impressed with his skill, although a couple were irritated that he tends to sprint through the game faster than other contestants.

Good Goblin Housekeeping · Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:51 pm

Granny Soberer wrote:Maybe I'm just out of the loop on this, but why is Matt's nickname not "Matty Ice"?

because he's Matt "Buzzsaw" Jackson

jonpin · Post by **jonpin** » Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:11 pm

Victor Prieto wrote:
cchiego wrote:
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea wrote:The haters in the comments section on the Jeopardy! Facebook page are amusing. I definitely like the people who can recognize and respect that Matt's a straight-up master, though.
Don't check Twitter if you think the FB ones are bad. It's pretty clear that a significant chunk of people watch Jeopardy purely as a way of going "haha, nerds!" and making bizarre insults about pretty much anything.
On the flip side, the people on the Jeopardy! message boards are fairly impressed with his skill, although a couple were irritated that he tends to sprint through the game faster than other contestants.

Conversely, on tonight's episode, it was obvious he wanted to kill the clock when he switched from "Americans, eight" to "Let's try Greek alphabet puzzles for two thousand, please, Alex." I feel a little bad for Greg, who seemed like a strong player running into a buzzsaw. He knew what he had to do to beat Matt, and for half the game looked like he might pull it off. The look on his face as Matt got the two Daily Doubles in round two bordered on despondent.

Victor Prieto · Post by **Victor Prieto** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:25 am

the internet produced this gem last night

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 9:28 am

Okay, so that little mash-up above is awesome. I haven't watched Jeopardy! in a long time but am enjoying watching Matt's rampage. And after having suffered many beatings from teams he's been on at CO, I get to have little tinges of schadenfreude when he doesn't know things like The Band's "The Weight" (with the "Nazareth" final question the first night). Of course, he's not an old man, so sure.

But seeing last night's competitor (Greg?) slump over in agony after missing the final question on Uranus's moon was nice. Taste the pain!

Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock · Fri Oct 02, 2015 12:12 pm

Victor Prieto wrote:the internet produced this gem last night

That...that's legendary.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:55 pm

Granny Soberer wrote:Maybe I'm just out of the loop on this, but why is Matt's nickname not "Matty Ice"?

because he wins

SIX TIME CHAMP MATT JACKSON

I request everyone change their avatar to my avatar in solidarity with MATT JACKSON

MorganV · Post by **MorganV** » Fri Oct 02, 2015 11:23 pm

My mom, Re: The BOOM

"Probably the second most dorky thing after David Duval shooting 59"

MLafer · Post by **MLafer** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:51 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9G8_2LKPFM

Post by **Auks Ran Ova** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 2:23 am

Victor Prieto wrote:the internet produced this gem last night

That was the first thing I thought of when I saw that clip, but I knew I would be far too lazy to make it. Thanks for having my back, internet.

vinteuil · Post by **vinteuil** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:57 am

MLafer wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9G8_2LKPFM

now all I want is for jeopardy to zoom out...

Ike · Post by **Ike** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 11:29 am

bmcke wrote:I like this experiment. Matt is, what, 80% to win any particular game?

Probably much higher than that. If you think about it, if Matt truly had 80% to win any particular game, the likelihood of winning six games in a row is less than 25%. Obviously determining the exact probability that Matt wins is impossible*, but I think it's incredibly impressive that Matt has such strong performances that he has been able to wither variance.

Back in 2012, after Illinois's game against Yale at ICT, the Illinois team decided to give Matt Jackson the nickname of Action Jackson from that point on: every game against a team with Matt Jackson on it would be electrifying - the high scores + the fervor with which he just gets questions. Glad to see that this is pretty much true in these Jeopardy episodes.

*And I'm not even a frequentist!

Cheynem · Post by **Cheynem** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 11:53 am

The most electrifying man in quiz entertainment today.

ValenciaQBowl · Post by **ValenciaQBowl** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:16 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9G8_2LKPFM

Funny! But I reckon Matt has 12 bodies in his trunk so far . . . .

The Stately Rhododendron · Sat Oct 03, 2015 3:59 pm

Cheynem wrote:The most electrifying man in quiz entertainment today.

Needs to start calling Alex Trebek a "candy-ass".

Cody · Post by **Cody** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 8:05 pm

MLafer wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9G8_2LKPFM

An appearance on The Soup? Matt Jackson has really made it!

Muriel Axon · Post by **Muriel Axon** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 11:41 pm

Matt Jackson hates America: The hottest of takes

Eddie · Post by **Eddie** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 2:06 am

Muriel Axon wrote:Matt Jackson hates America: The hottest of takes

What is going on in the comments section of that article?

Banana Stand · Post by **Banana Stand** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 2:23 am

Spheal With It wrote:
Muriel Axon wrote:Matt Jackson hates America: The hottest of takes
What is going on in the comments section of that article?

Freedom.

Wynaut · Post by **Wynaut** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 10:56 am

Anything to do with history, current events, politics or basic knowledge and they brain fart.

I don't know, was I watching the same Jeopardy broadcast that guy was watching?

But yeah, their almost fanatical devotion to anything involving Chris Kyle is hilarious.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 11:38 am

The real difficult Jeopardy question would be "Is Joe Flacco Elite?"

naan/steak-holding toll · Sun Oct 04, 2015 8:29 pm

I'm far from a lefty and I'd have had no prayer on that Jeopardy question, either.

the return of AHAN · Post by **the return of AHAN** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 8:39 pm

That's hilarious.

That’s the problem with “Jeopardy” today. They have far too many disloyal Lib contestants. I’ll bet if they were asked to name a Lib coffee clutch, they would fall all over the button to pose “Starbucks!”

The screening process for television shows is extensive and contestants must meet certain criteria in order to be selected as participants. The Hollywood agenda is obama’s agenda.

Yeah... I remember that part of the audition process where they dug deep into our political beliefs.

A true representation of American Stupid.

Matt, Tony and Lindsay. Burn in Hell.

It's a bizarro universe out there, kids. Stay safe.

jonpin · Post by **jonpin** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 11:38 am

I'm a lefty, and my thought process was "Yeah, this is probably that American Sniper guy. Chris something? Well, none of them know it either."

Also, lol at the person not watching the rest of the episode, to say "anything about history, they're clueless" as they rocked the "That's History" category. And lol at the notion that "well if they were asked for lefty stuff, they'd get it!" after Matt missed noted not-conservative Eleanor Roosevelt.

Rococo A Go Go · Post by **Rococo A Go Go** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 1:15 pm

One of the most perplexing comments on that article was about how it should have been obvious that it was Chris Kyle because there aren't many women named Taya. Anyway I did manage to figure out the answer to that question despite my liberal brainwashing by Hollywood/Obama/Lizard People so my guess is that knowing the answer had less to do with politics than it did with just keeping up with certain parts of the news media and/or seeing a not that great movie.

sonstige · Post by **sonstige** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 7:36 pm

Hermann Hesse

Pretty sure Matt was reacting to the earlier Turgenev question (that is, Jeopardy docking him for not also saying "Ivan") with his emphasis on "Hermann" during FJ.

I predict he's going to be on there for a while. I just keep wondering what hand gesture he does at 11 wins.

AKKOLADE · Post by **AKKOLADE** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 7:57 pm

Hermann

Hermann

Hermann

Bosa of York · Post by **Bosa of York** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:08 pm

New answerline standard.

Cassian · Post by **Cassian** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 10:11 am

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mat ... a4ce5f59f1

Skepticism and Animal Feed · Wed Oct 07, 2015 1:21 pm

Cassian wrote:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mat ... a4ce5f59f1

For the first time in my life, I read the comments on an internet news story and did NOT immediately regret it! Some woman (who was sympathetic to Matt) suggested that he may have Ausberger's Syndrome. I imagine that means that social norms governing the right of princes to select their religion are not intuitive to him. Poor kid.

EDIT - ah, but then of course this doofus shows up

William Pennat ·
Fitchburg, Massachusetts

I don't need to know anything about Matt Jackson since I don't own a TV. (And am much the better and healthier for it -- mentally and physically)....

Marble-faced Bristle Tyrant · Wed Oct 07, 2015 2:59 pm

Last night I read all of the comment sections I could find because I hate myself. Good to see that the talk on the Huffpo piece only got better. Highlights include people feeding the troll who responded with "He's Black." to every post at the time, at least one person who thinks there's cheating ("No 23 year old with a mid range job is that dogone smart" LOL), and

With his smarts, why doesn't he have a degree in something worthwhile that can help the world? He's completely lacking in social skills but he could be a science researcher or surgeon or something similar!

jeez

jonpin · Post by **jonpin** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 3:18 pm

Marble-faced Bristle Tyrant wrote:Last night I read all of the comment sections I could find because I hate myself. Good to see that the talk on the Huffpo piece only got better. Highlights include people feeding the troll who responded with "He's Black." to every post at the time, at least one person who thinks there's cheating ("No 23 year old with a mid range job is that dogone smart" LOL), and
With his smarts, why doesn't he have a degree in something worthwhile that can help the world? He's completely lacking in social skills but he could be a science researcher or surgeon or something similar!
jeez

LOL. No 23 year old who wasn't born into millions of dollars has anything above a mid range job nowadays.