Jeopardy! Apologizes for Controversial Clue
Jeopardy! issued an apology after a clue in the October 24 episode sparked backlash online. Host Ken Jennings shared a TikTok video admitting confusion over the clue, which referred to a viral internet figure known as John Pork.
The Controversial Clue
The category was titled “Daddy is there really a…” and the clue stated:
No: A.I. Generated The TikTok Image of this pig/human eventually killed by Tim Cheese.
The correct response was “Who is John Pork?” but no contestant buzzed in. Jennings commented, “I didn’t understand any of that,” prompting laughter from the contestants.
Who Is John Pork?
John Pork is a digital creation featuring a man’s body and a pig’s head, and became a viral figure on TikTok. Users jokingly claimed he had “died,” leading to the “RIP John Pork” trend online. Rumors that he was shot in 2023 are false, as he continues posting videos.
Fan Backlash and Apology
Fans criticized the clue for inaccurately describing John Pork as AI-generated, pointing out that the character existed before AI was heavily used.
“When we played a clue recently on Jeopardy! about John Pork, I remarked that ‘I didn’t understand a word of it.’ Well, I’ve had the chance to learn quite a bit since that clue aired about the late Mr. Pork, including the fact that some viewers took exception with our description of him as AI-generated.”
“Now, even though AI is used heavily in many of his TikToks, it’s possible that wasn’t the best wording to refer to his original appearances.”
Summary
Jeopardy! acknowledged the confusion and apologized for the misleading AI reference related to the John Pork clue after fan backlash.
Author's Summary
The Jeopardy! team issued a sincere apology for a misleading clue about John Pork, clarifying the timeline of AI’s role in the viral character’s creation.