Jeopardy!Revisited
By Linda Jensen
Jeopardy! is the highly popular television game show where clues
are given to contestants in the form of answers and responses
must be in the form of questions.
Example: Category is 'Transgender Personalities; Clue "He/she
wants to be the first crossdresser to appear on Jeopardy!"
The knowing contestant responds, "Who is Linda Jensen."
Correct for $1,000.
The show sometimes seeks contestants in searches across the country
and in Canada but most often they are holding their tryouts at
the Sony Picture studios in Culver City. Recently TG Forum carried
an account of my first attempt as Linda to pass the test and get
on the show. This is the sequel.
In mid March I lucked in to a week in Southern California. The
first weekend I played golf in Los Angeles and partied at the
Queen Mary. I also learned that on the following Tuesday Jeopardy!
would be holding a contestant search at the Sony studios. I couldn't
resist.; I would be there.
How does one prepare for a Jeopardy! tryout? I suppose some read
up on current events, some study literature anthologies. I spent
the day before the test playing 36 holes of golf, shopping for
a new bikini and then being taken out for the evening by Sheila,
a new friend from Massachusetts who was in male mode that night.
Despite the late evening I was up early to prepare for the tryout.
Preparation would be extra important as after the event I was
going to travel to San Diego and check in to a motel there en
femme. I loaded my car and finished my makeup, checked out of
the Days Inn in Studio City and headed to Culver City.
There was a large group of people waiting at the Sony main gate
for the Jeopardy! test and I tried to blend in with the others.
I got a few looks but most seemed concerned with collecting their
thoughts for the test ahead.
Soon one of the contestant coordinators arrived and invited us
to follow the now familiar Jeopardy! limousine (er, golf cart)
to the studio. In the studio, Glen, the chief contestant coordinator,
went through his spiel, explaining how the show was doing well
and had just been renewed for another five years which was great
because he had a job (laughter). He also said the test would be
tough so if we don't do well we might want to try out for Wheel
of Fortune, considered a low brow show (more laughter). Glen went
on to explain that we would do a fifty question test made up of
$1,000 type questions. A minimum score of thirty-five would be
required to advance to the next round. We would not be told our
scores so if not successful we could tell our friends we missed
by just one point (laughter again).
While all this was being said I found myself fidgeting with my
skirt and checking my hair bangs. I also looked around to see
if anyone was looking at me. I still didn't seem to be attracting
any attention.
The test took about ten minutes and soon Glen and his partner
had collected the tests and left to mark them. While we waited
I asked one of the men sitting near me to take my picture with
my camera. He obliged. When Glen returned I found out what I expected;
the test went well but not well enough for me. I missed by one
point. Twelve people were asked to stay for the next round. The
150 rest of us were ushered off the lot.
I consoled myself by looking for a new wig at the nearby Culver
Center, because it must have been my blondness that had caused
my temporary lapses of memory. I decided
to try life as a brunette for surely a brunette would have known
the name of a Spanish cubist painter or the name of the new Secretary
General of the United Nations. Wouldn't she?
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