Apparently, our country (and the world) started becoming obsessed with celebrities around fifteen to twenty years ago. I suppose with the advancement of the internet, tabloid TV shows, etc., we were told that people couldn't get enough of their favorite stars-pictures, gossip, news. I am not one such person. Like every other human being, I have my favorite actors, actresses, athletes, musicians, etc. and I will pay attention to what they are doing. I do not "obsess" about them, I expend very little of my time finding out what they are doing. But apparently many other people do. We are told that from an evolutionary standpoint, we became more obsessed with celebrities because when we "see" someone, we associate them with our tribe. That makes a little more sense to me. While you will never find me picking up an US Weekly magazine, and I would rather be sentence to solitary confinement than to be forced to watch Entertainment Tonight every weeknight, I do have a certain fondness for people I "see" on a regular basis. And each of those people have made a positive contribution to my life.
Jeopardy in its current form started in the fall of 1984. I was in elementary school. My father grew up with the Art Fleming addition, and he was thrilled to see it back. He and I would watch it every night; sometimes I would be doing my homework, and other times just trying to follow along. I would learn something new each night, even if I didn't understand everything. And then there was Alex Trebek-a kind, friendly man who managed to put the players at ease. He was funny at times, gracious and compassionate when someone blew a Daily Double or bet everything and lost. Alex was soft-spoken yet wise; never scoffed at stupid answers. Jeopardy became a staple in the lives of millions of viewers, and it stayed strong well into the 1990s and beyond. Sitcoms like Mama's Family featured their characters appearing on the show, often to poor results. But no other sitcom could compare with perhaps one of the most famous Cheers scenes of all time. Cliff Clavin decided to become a contestant on Jeopardy and was killing with $22,000 going into Final Jeopardy. None of the other players could catch him unless he did something stupid and bet everything. Well, Cliff did. He did not know the answer, so he wrote, "Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?" Who doesn't remember that? I occasionally joke and say this when I don't know the answer to something. Jeopardy and Alex were one and the same; and they perservered for over thirty years. Each night coming into our living rooms, Alex entertained us, taught us new things, introduced to many memorable contestants. One of my all-time favorites was Eddie Timanus, a sportswriter and 5-time champion on the show. He was born with retinoblastoma, and he was the first blind contestant to appear on the show. Just recently, contestant Burt Thakur told Alex that he helped him to learn English as an immigrant. I don't think that the impact that Alex made not only in the world of entertaiment, but in the world in general can be understated.
In March 2019, Alex Trebek announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I knew from other celebrities such as my favorite television father Michael Landon and Patrick Swayze that the diagnosis was not a good one. But Alex said that he would fight through this, and he did. He sought treatment and said that he was in remission a few months later. Alex went back to hosting Jeopardy and resumed life as normal. We all admired him because of his determination. But eventually, the cancer returned. Alex still continued to host the show, and it meant more to everyone. We knew that each episode with him was a bonus gift. And in the ugly year that was 2020, Alex lost the fight with his pancreatic cancer. I am writing this on the morning of January 8, 2021. Tonight will be Alex's last show. It is going to be a goodbye to a longtime friend. Alex was our friend. Like most viewers, I never got to meet him. But he was a friend indeed. He came into our living rooms every night and helped us learn, made us laugh at times, and was a constant in many of our lives. Like I said, I started watching in elementary school. He was around during my teenage years, when I graduated from high school, college, ventured into the world of adulthood. No matter what was changing, Alex was there every night. And it wasn't just Alex. There are many people who we never meet who make our worlds better. My parents grew up watching the Tonight Show. I was always a bit young for the Carson era, but I came of age with Jay Leno. I would watch him every night after he started hosting. My life got very difficult during my early adult years. There were days I had absolutely nothing to smile about. But at the end of the night, Jay made me laugh. He made us all laugh for over twenty years. When he announced his retirement, I felt like I was losing a friend. Someone who makes you laugh and makes your life easier is a special person, and he did that for me. He tried to help us as a country laugh and make our load a little easier after difficult events such as 9/11. And there was Tom Brokaw. Tom was the face and voice of news for me ever since I was young. I always preferred him to the other broadcasters at the time, although ones like Peter Jennings were equally as talented. I will never forget the morning of 9/11 when I turned on NBC. Nobody knew anything at that time; everyone including the reporters were just trying to get information. I don't thin anyone anticipated both towers falling. After the North Tower fell, Tom's words were chilling: "The World Trade Center is...no more." Tom brought us news and told us the stories we needed to hear as citizens. And he was with us on a very dark day in our history, trying to help us navigate what seemed impossible at the time.
So yes, people that we see on our televisions do make an impact in our lives. They do many things for us, whether it is to entertain, or to inform, they are our a part of our lives. If someone makes your life better, they can be considered a friend. Anyone who can help us forget about our troubles for a little bit, or make our complex lives a little easier can be considered a friend. Soon I am going to say farewell and Godspeed to our friend Alex Trebek. Goodbye, my friend.
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