Ken Jennings Embraces ‘Slut Gnomes’ Meme in Jeopardy! Categories

Ken Jennings might just be the first Jeopardy! host who can be described as “terminally online.” Not only does he engage actively on social media, particularly on Bluesky, but he’s also found a way to weave the platform’s memes into his hosting duties. Recently, Jennings shared that while he typically stays out of the writing process for the show, he collaborated with the Jeopardy! writers for a special project. It seems the urge to slip in a clever joke that only the internet-savvy users of Bluesky would get was too tempting to resist.

“I don’t usually meddle on the writing side of Jeopardy!,” Jennings noted. “But tonight I called in a favor for our Bluesky viewers.” He then shared an image of the Jeopardy! board showcasing two categories: False Berlin and Bizarre Little Men.

For those in the know, this was a delightful nod to one of Bluesky’s iconic memes, akin to Twitter’s Milkshake Duck or anything from Dril. However, those unfamiliar with the reference might have been puzzled, so here’s the backstory. Back in 2023, Bluesky user @lowbeetle crafted a fictional dialogue between Alex Trebek and themselves as a Jeopardy! contestant.

Trebek: Feel free to ask these diminutive spirits for sexual favors, but don’t say “Guten Tag”— they’re not actually German!
Me: Who are the slut gnomes of False Berlin?
Trebek: Bizarre little men. You’re still in control of the board.

This meme operates on multiple levels, parodying the SNL Jeopardy! skits featuring a hilariously crude Sean Connery while also maintaining a strange sense of plausibility. Personally, I can’t help but chuckle whenever I see this meme, as I can vividly hear “Bizarre little men” in Trebek’s calm voice. Jennings somehow managed to persuade Jeopardy!’s writers to create two entire categories that pay tribute to this legendary post.

While it’s understandable why it didn’t happen, it would have been even more hilarious if Jennings had managed to sneak “slut gnomes” into the episode. It’s a shame that the @lowbeetle account appears to be inactive now, but I hope the creator knows they’ve achieved a kind of immortality in Jeopardy! history.