'Jeopardy!': Ken Jennings Issues Apology After Clue Sparks Backlash
The popular quiz show Jeopardy! found itself facing criticism after a clue about the viral internet persona John Pork caused confusion among viewers. Host Ken Jennings publicly apologized following the misunderstanding.
"I hope you'll forgive me," Jennings said in a TikTok video, acknowledging the backlash after admitting he didn’t understand the clue during the show.
The Controversial Clue
On Friday, October 24, the episode featured the category “Daddy is there really a…”. The clue read: “No: A.I. Generated The TikTok Image of this pig/human eventually killed by Tim Cheese.” None of the contestants responded, and the correct answer turned out to be “Who is John Pork?” Jennings commented, “I didn’t understand any of that,” which resulted in laughter from the contestants.
Who Is John Pork?
John Pork is a digital character resembling a man with the head of a pig. The internet personality became popular on TikTok, where users jokingly spread rumors of his “death,” sparking the “RIP John Pork” meme. Although speculation arose in 2023 that he had been shot, the creator continues to post content online.
The Apology and Clarification
"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."
Jennings explained that while artificial intelligence tools are often used in John Pork’s videos, referring to him as fully AI-generated might have been inaccurate. The show clarified its wording to avoid future misunderstandings.
Author’s Summary
Ken Jennings apologized for Jeopardy’s mistaken AI reference to John Pork, clarifying that while AI is part of the character’s content, his original form was not fully AI-generated.