'Just sign John O’Hurley': Jeopardy's Ken Jennings apologizes for his 'unartful and insensitive tweets'

When news got out that Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings would be hosting the game show in the wake of Alex Trebek’s death, a lot of people who’d been burned by Jennings on Twitter began pulling up some of his classics, like, “Nothing sadder than a hot person in a wheelchair.” We’ve done quite a few posts on Jennings’ more outrageous tweets, which he now claims were all supposed to be funny.

After Kathy Griffin held up President Trump’s bloody severed head, Jennings mocked his son Barron’s reaction: “Barron Trump saw a very long necktie on a heap of expired deli meat in a dumpster. He thought it was his dad & his little heart is breaking.” He made fun of “an awful MAGA grandma” whose son died at 24. He resorted to Islamophobia to slam Brett Kavanaugh: “when you know you have a 1982 calendar page labeled ‘Rape-adan: The Month When I Don’t Rape Anyone.'”

Those are just a few. But now, with a hosting gig on the line, Jennings has cleaned up his Twitter feed and apologized in a tedious thread:

Hey, I just wanted to own up to the fact that over the years on Twitter, I've definitely tweeted some unartful and insensitive things. Sometimes they worked as jokes in my head and I was dismayed to see how they read on screen. 1/x

— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) December 30, 2020

In the past, I'd usually leave bad tweets up just so they could be dunked on. At least that way they could lead to smart replies and even advocacy. Deleting them felt like whitewashing a mistake. 2/x

— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) December 30, 2020

But I think that practice may have given the impression I stand by every failed joke I've ever posted here. Not at all! 3/x

— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) December 30, 2020

Sometimes I said dumb things in a dumb way and I want to apologize to people who were (rightfully!) offended. It wasn't my intention to hurt anyone, but that doesn't matter: I screwed up, and I'm truly sorry. 4/x

— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) December 30, 2020

KEN JENNINGS IS THE WORST. This guy is the most annoying and arrogant jerk — and so hostile to the half of the country that doesn't enjoy his deeply held, anti-conservative screeds. Excuse me for not buying the too-convenient and desperate timing of his "please hire me" apology. https://t.co/v37nUOCbgb

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) December 30, 2020

I will take insincerity for $500 Ken

— DLW_FLTRXS (@DLW_FLHTC) December 30, 2020

I was so disheartened to hear he was replacing Alex. Hopefully it really is temporary. Ugh.

— Betty (@Betty2319) December 30, 2020

I’m with you. One of the most wonderful things about Alex was that he never never ever showed his politics and he was never ever unkind. Ken Jennings has done both and I can’t forget that and won’t watch @Jeopardy if he is ‘it.’ Can say same about other contenders.

— Dr. 2020:Ph.D. Computational & Applied Math? (@CatLvr5303) December 30, 2020

I’d have more respect for him if he said, “I stand by what I have said.”

— Matt Wilson (@lawyermatt) December 30, 2020

If they choose him as host of @Jeopardy I will no longer watch it. He is despicable. I laugh at his attempted resume building this past year and now trying to apologize for hatred toward half the country. A user and insincere to try now to get what he wants. @KenJennings

— Kimono ???? (@kimonogirl214) December 30, 2020

Too many people use "intelligence" and "knowledge" interchangeably. Jennings definitely has knowledge, but gauging his tweets, he struggles with intelligence (certainly bad judgment). He's just another liberal.

— Brian W. Peterson (@cybrpete) December 30, 2020

Just because you were a successful contestant doesn’t mean you have the chops or disposition to host. Alex was affable, never sneering or condescending. Jennings would be a mistake, regardless of his mea culpas.

— Julia G. (@JuliaGulia809) December 30, 2020

He's an ass and I will never watch Jeopardy if that dork is hosting.

— Dr. Carl Cruise MD PhD EdD DDS (@cruise_carl) December 30, 2020

He's not gonna be able to pull it off on live T V. Arrogance and jerkiness are more than skin deep. It comes from deep within.

— VIKING ☦ (@Tinqsam) December 30, 2020

@KenJennings should be cancelled radical dem style

— President- Elect Clay Jones (@ClayJon71105147) December 30, 2020

Isn't he still in the running to replace Alex? If so, that would explain his retreat to sucking up/begging for foregiveness.

— Al_Gore_Rhythm (@honornc) December 30, 2020

He can go work at Walmart. There’s an opening in their social media dept.

— Ghost17?? (@GhostRI1776) December 30, 2020

Apology not accepted.

* * *

Update:

Seriously, this is the guy Jeopardy wants representing their brand to the nation?

https://t.co/6Z8iQ3tXw9 pic.twitter.com/KBcVuFm51W

— Jessica Chasmar (@JessicaChasmar) December 30, 2020

Related:

‘Douchey Takes’ for $500, Alex! Ken Jennings makes Islamophobic joke about rape to slam Kavanaugh, PISSES Lefties off https://t.co/fOd13FmfxT

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 24, 2018