Asian-American Contestant, 'Villain' Of 'Jeopardy,' Set To Return
If there are any unwritten rules to playing Jeopardy! Arthur Chu may have broken them all.
During his four-day winning streak in late January, he sometimes interrupted host Alex Trebek and cut in before the host could finish a sentence. He often jumped to the hardest clues on the board first and furiously tapped his buzzer whenever he knew the answer.
The Jeopardy! contestant is set to return to the show on Monday, after making headlines and causing a frenzy on social media for his aggressive playing style and use of game theory.
Tweeting About Arthur
Chu has been called many names on Twitter, including "the worst [Jeopardy!] contestant of all time" and a Jeopardy! "villain." And some viewers have tweeted at him directly:
@arthur_affect you are the biggest tool I have ever seen grace the Jeopardy stage. I hope Trebek knocks you out cold.
— Nico Helems (@CheeksAndDekes) January 29, 2014
Chu replied:
@CheeksAndDekes He knocked me out from the moment he walked out on stage! *swoons*
— Arthur Chu (@arthur_affect) January 29, 2014
Other Twitter musings about Chu have been a bit more personal. "So I ruined family dinner by calling my mom and stepbrother out for saying [expletive] things about the winner on Jeopardy ([because] he was Asian)," wrote another tweeter.
And to his surprise, Chu thanked him for "getting [his] back" and later wrote back:
@Memenaar No worries, tell the fam I'm sorry for coming over and taking their jobs
— Arthur Chu (@arthur_affect) January 29, 2014
Chu says the de facto job for many contestants after they appear on Jeopardy! is dealing with the peanut gallery.
"People always make fun of the people on Jeopardy! And they don't realize [that] when you're on Jeopardy! you have 20 minutes, and there's this really high-stakes prize," says Chu, whose prize currently totals $102,800.
Embracing The 'Asian Nerd' Stereotype
The son of immigrants from Taiwan, Chu was born in Albany, N.Y., and later moved with his family to Rhode Island and Los Angeles. (Full disclosure: Chu and I both attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. We overlapped a year on campus.)
Now at age 30, he works as a compliance analyst at an insurance company near Cleveland, and on the side, he does community theater and some voice-over work.
Chu says he can understand why his Jeopardy! appearances may have gotten some of the show's fans so upset.
"I kind of fit a certain stereotype of the hyperfocused, unlikable Asian nerd," he explains. "And the fact that I'm the Asian guy means that I'm not the underdog, that I'm the bad guy. And some regular person who the audience can identify with is the underdog."
Underdog or not, Chu says he decided to not take the online chatter sitting down.
"I think we've reached the point where someone like me can stand up for myself and say, 'You know, I'm not ashamed for being the kind of person that I am. And if you try to shame me about it, I'll hit back,' " he says.
Chu will be back on Jeopardy! next week in a show prerecorded last November, before the social media backlash. But even if he could change his playing style or how he looked on the show, he says he wouldn't.
"You know, if it ain't broke, don't fix it," he says.
The last words of a soon-to-be Jeopardy! has-been?
We'll find out Monday.
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Transcript
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Let's play a little "Jeopardy" now. I'm going to take most polarizing "Jeopardy" players for 800, Robert.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
OK. This "Jeopardy" player has been making headlines and causing a frenzy on Twitter for playing aggressively and using game theory to fuel a four-day winning streak.
CORNISH: Who is Arthur Chu?
SIEGEL: That's right. And he returns to "Jeopardy" Monday. NPR's Hansi Lo Wang has more.
HANSI LO WANG, BYLINE: If there are any unwritten rules to playing "Jeopardy," he may have broken them all.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "JEOPARDY")
JOHNNY GILBERT: A compliance analyst and voiceover artist from Broadview Heights, Ohio, Arthur Chu.
WANG: Sometimes he interrupted Alex Trebek and cut in before the host could finish his sentence.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "JEOPARDY")
ALEX TREBEK: Bullock. Arthur, back to you.
ARTHUR CHU: Bible violence, 800.
WANG: Not to mention, he jumped to the hardest clues on the board first, and he furiously tapped his buzzer whenever he knew the answer. Arthur Chu has been called many names on Twitter. I asked some colleagues to read some.
KASIA PODBIELSKI: The worst "Jeopardy" contestant of all time.
WANG: And some viewers have tweeted at him directly.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: You are the biggest tool I have ever seen graced the "Jeopardy" stage. I hope Trebek knocks you out cold.
WANG: And Chu replied.
CHU: He knocked me out from the moment he walked out on stage. Swoons.
WANG: Other Twitter musings about Arthur Chu have been a bit more personal.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: So I ruined family dinner by calling my mom and stepbrother out for saying (bleep) things about the winner on "Jeopardy" because he was Asian.
WANG: And to this tweeter's surprise, Chu replied...
CHU: Thanks for getting my back. Tell the fam I'm sorry for coming over and taking their jobs.
WANG: Chu says the de facto job for many contestants after they appear on "Jeopardy" is dealing with the peanut gallery.
CHU: People always make fun of the people on "Jeopardy" and they don't realize, like, when you're on "Jeopardy," you have 20 minutes, and there's this really high-stakes prize.
WANG: So far, his prize totals more than $100,000 from a four-game winning streak in late January. Chu was born in Albany, New York, the son of immigrants from Taiwan. He later moved with his family to Rhode Island and L.A. And you went to Swarthmore College?
CHU: Yes.
WANG: Like me.
CHU: Yes.
WANG: Now, age 30, he works at an insurance company near Cleveland. And on the side, he does community theater and some voiceover work.
(SOUNDBITE OF COMMERCIAL)
CHU: That's right. The advanced protection of Shell Rotella T now comes...
WANG: Still, Chu says, he can understand why his "Jeopardy" appearances may have gotten some of the show's fans so upset.
CHU: I kind of fit a certain stereotype of the hyper focused, unlikeable, Asian nerd, and the fact that I'm an Asian guy means that I'm not the underdog, that I'm the bad guy and that some regular person who the audience can identify with is the underdog.
WANG: Underdog or not, Chu says he decided to not take the online chatter sitting down.
CHU: I think we've reached the point where someone like me can, you know, stand up for myself and say, you know, I'm not ashamed of being the kind of person that I am. And if you try to shame me about it, I'll hit back.
WANG: Chu will be back on "Jeopardy" next week. The show was pre-recorded in November before the social media backlash. But even if he could change his playing style or how he looked on the show, he says...
CHU: No, I don't know. I mean, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, you know?
WANG: Last words of a soon-to-be "Jeopardy" has-been? We'll find out Monday. Hansi Lo Wang, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
CORNISH: You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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