“From the moment of his announcement, Richards was a deflating choice. “His status as the show’s executive producer lent the sense that the months of host auditions had been rigged in his favor from the start. And his amiable blankness behind the podium suggested an empty sort of careerism that seemed to run counter to what “Jeopardy” is and does…. What Richards seemed to see in “Jeopardy,” a show he already ran, was an opportunity to put himself on camera above all else.”
“A Smile With Sharp Teeth”: Mike Richards’s Rise to ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Sparks Questions About His Past
“One of Trebek’s preferred quips about Jeopardy! was that he was simply its host and not its star; the stars, he often said, were the contestants. To the show’s community of longtime viewers and former contestants, this has long been part of Jeopardy!’s magic. It’s not just a wholesome pop culture fixture; it’s a celebration of learning, an identity, a way of life.
After months of auditions, focus groups, and roiling comment sections, Sony has decided that Richards is not just capable of keeping that magic alive—he is the best person to do it. On the eve of taping his first episodes as permanent host, it’s clear that not everybody feels the same way.
“I think that one reason why Jeopardy! was aspirational for many of its contestants was its sense of integrity,” says Sausville, the 2015 champion. “There was something intrinsic to the show and Alex Trebek’s hosting of it that elevated it above other game shows. The baggage Mike Richards has brought from his previous experience as an executive producer, as well as the optics of what comes across as his self-selection as host, have tarnished that. I think there’s a real danger of Jeopardy! becoming just another syndicated game show, and that makes me concerned for its longevity and standing.”
‘Jeopardy!’ host Mike Richards is exactly who you think he is
“Richards said exactly the type of things on “The Randumb Show” that you might expect from a generic 46-year-old Ken doll who fancies himself an “edgy” amateur comedian. According to the Ringer report, Richards frequently commented on the appearance, height and professional history of his co-host and former assistant, Beth Triffon. He called her a “booth ho” and a “booth slut” for having previously worked as a model at the Consumer Electronics Show (an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association). He uses a derogatory slur for little people to describe her and suggests that she audition for “Taiwanese roles” because of her short stature.
He also denigrates government assistance programs and unhoused people, invokes the r-word to question other people’s intelligence, uses a stereotype about Jews and big noses, comments on the weight a colleague will gain once she takes up baking, proclaims that women dress like “hookers” on Halloween and says one-piece swimsuits are “genuinely unattractive” and make women “look really frumpy and overweight.”
The fact that he said all of these things — out loud, on a public podcast, recorded on the premises of his workplace, without fear of retribution — signals how little these comments struck him as problematic.”
With Richard’s departure, the search for a new host will resume. Gritty is down for the job.