Jeopardy! Apologizes for Controversial Clue Featuring John Pork
Jeopardy! issued an apology after a clue about the viral figure John Pork sparked backlash from viewers. The game show's host, Ken Jennings, shared a video on TikTok expressing confusion over the clue.
The Controversial Clue
On Friday, October 24, the category titled “Daddy is there really a…” included the clue:
No: A.I. Generated The TikTok Image of this pig/human eventually killed by Tim Cheese.
None of the contestants buzzed in. The correct answer was:
Who is John Pork?
After reading it, Jennings admitted, “I didn’t understand any of that,” which amused the contestants.
About John Pork
John Pork is a digitally created internet figure portrayed as a pig-like human hybrid, combining a man’s body with a pig’s head. TikTok users joked that he had “died,” fueling the “RIP John Pork” meme trend.
Despite rumors in 2023 that he was shot and killed, John Pork continues to post videos on TikTok.
Response to Backlash
Fans pointed out that John Pork existed before AI became widespread, criticizing the clue's description as incorrect. In response, Jeopardy! released an apology video:
“When we played a clue recently on Jeopardy! about John Pork, I remarked that ‘I didn’t understand a word of it.’ Well, I’ve had the chance to learn quite a bit since that clue aired about the late Mr. Pork, including the fact that some viewers took exception with our description of him as AI-generated.”
“Now, even though AI is used heavily in many of his TikToks, it’s possible that wasn’t the best wording to refer to his original appearances.”
Summary
Jeopardy! acknowledged the mistake in describing John Pork and clarified the role of AI in his content, apologizing for the confusion caused.
Author’s note: This incident highlights the challenges of blending internet culture and AI references accurately in mainstream media.