I just noticed that Dana Stevens at Slate.com has created a set of rules for the Ken Jennings Jeopardy drinking game. (Scroll down, it’s the second item on the linked page). Among the rules:
1) If KenJen misses a question, everybody drinks once. If one of his opponents gets that same question right, drink again.
2) If KenJen misses a Daily Double, drink twice. . .
Everybody drinks once whenever: a) Alex Trebek mentions Ken’s affiliation with the Mormon church . . .
This creates some fun questions. Can Ken get in trouble for any drinking that he inspires? (Does this create a religious duty not to answer wrongly?) And does anyone else think it’s kind of strange to have a drinking game inspired by a Mormon?
On the other hand (given that we can’t exactly support Ken in this particular manner), perhaps we need to adapt the idea. It could become the LDS KenJen Ice-Cream game, or perhaps the (non-alcoholic) Jello game. Or, maybe the cheese game. If KenJen misses a question, have a piece of Gruyere. If he misses a daily double, have some Gorgonzola. Hmm, I think I could live with that.
Note: Dana also explains that:
The guiding principle of the game is elegantly simple: The worse Ken does, the drunker you get. This structure satisfies both KenJen fans (who can regard their increasing inebriation as solace for their hero’s downfall) and the anti-Ken contingent (who can jubilantly toast the demise of their foe).
No, Ken cannot get in trouble for having other people use him for a drinking game.
No, it does not create a religious duty to answer (or question) correctly. It is not our religious duty to make those who are not LDS adhere to LDS standards.
Yes, I do think it’s strange to have a drinking game inspired by a member of the LDS church, but stranger things have happened.
When I was at BYU I’d hear of people who played drinking games with water rather than alcoholic beverages. From what I was hearing, the idea was simply to get the others bloated and feeling sick to the point of spillage. One person I had actively practiced bouncing quarters into a glass so that they could force others to drink all the water while keeping themselves exempt from the requirement.
So maybe Mormons somewhere will be playing this drinking game. Seems like a waste of time to me though.
Ice cream is a good one, but it melts.
Clearly caffeine, either in the form of chocolate or caffeinated soda, would be the most appropriate drug for use in a consumption game. Or, you know, carob for those who are on the LDS version of the health foods kick.
Methinks no one’s going to be getting sloshed because Ken misses very few questions. As a former imbiber, I’d say that’s a lame drinking game as it doesn’t quickly produce the desired effect.
It could be good for dieters though. Eat one bite of dinner whenever Ken misses a question. You’d be fit and trim in no time!
Tab Soda. I’d do anything to make an opponent drink Tab Soda and anything to avoid having to drink it.
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