May 20, 2008

This country's Next Top Despot?

I wonder if John McCain watches Jeopardy!

OK, I love Jeopardy!, it is my favorite TV show for many reasons, but occasionally even they get some facts wrong. A particularly ill-conceived clue in the May 16 game said
Not feeling so tolerant lately? Become Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's successor as this country's "Next Top Despot"

As much as this was in a category that was obviously intended to be humorous ("New Reality Shows?"), it was a bad clue because there is no way Ahmadinejad can be called Iran's "despot". A despot has absolute power; the only person in Iran who can be so described is the Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Well, OK, Jeopardy! is just a game. It isn't like a US President - or a presidential candidate - made such a gaffe, right?

Right... that was Friday. On Monday, this happened:

Oops!

OK, he didn't say "I learned that watching Jeopardy!" but the coincidence is striking.

No comments: