From Deseret News archives:
'Trebekistan': Zany book takes on 'Jeopardy!'
Contestant writes each chapter as a stand-up routine
Bob Harris, who was a five-time "Jeopardy!" winner, cannot remember exactly how many times he flunked the "Jeopardy!" audition. "I'm pretty sure it was five," he writes. Nor can he remember the exact year it happened, "well over a decade ago."
This would seem to be a curious lapse for a person gifted in remembering detail. Maybe all the bad things slip away into the cracks.
Harris' college degree is in electrical engineering, and he had "a little real knowledge" about the liberal arts. Yet he had some impressive wins and some embarrassing losses on "Jeopardy!"
Like Ken Jennings, whose "Brainiac" was just published, Harris has written a book about "Jeopardy!" and trivia, with his personal story woven through it. He coined a new word, "Trebekistan" for the title — "Prisoner of Trebekistan" — to symbolize the huge role of "Jeopardy!'s" host, Alex Trebek. A disclaimer at the beginning says, "When informed of the title, Alex is said only to have smiled inscrutably."
Harris writes that "Trebekistan" is a mental state in which "art and math and geography and science stop pretending to be separate subjects and converge in a glorious riot." Harris was a struggling stand-up comic before he appeared on the television program, which accounts for the often zany nature of his book.
Since his TV appearances, Harris has been a radio humorist and has written articles for National Lampoon and Mother Jones online — and the TV show "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." He has also established relationships with other former "Jeopardy!" contestants and traveled with them.
Combined with the "Jeopardy!" tips given here and those that Jennings offers in his book, Trebek and company probably ought to scour them to see what parts of the show should be changed. For instance, Harris lists "hidden tactics" Trebek uses, such as the rhythm of his voice.
Overall, Jennings' book is better, both as a handbook and as an exploration of trivia; Harris seems to be doing more of a personal pitch with stories about himself that he would like to result in a writing or a stand-up contract.
Harris even compliments Jennings, "a sweet-faced young feller with an open-eyed smile" who "remained humble and kind" in spite of his 74 wins. "The show was lucky for his lighthearted presence. ... We've exchanged a few e-mails and he is funny and modest beyond all expectations."
Each chapter is written as if it were a stand-up routine, from the title on down. Chapter 10, for instance, is titled "The Longest Day — Also, I am Attacked by Ravenous Badgers." In the opening text, he writes, "I had three changes of clothing with me, as contestants are always asked to bring. All three of my sport jackets had Kleenex stashed in the right pocket."
A bit overdone at times, often written in fragments, but on the whole, 'Trebekistan" isn't bad.
E-mail: dennis@desnews.com
