Being on television can be incredibly stressful. Depending on the show, millions of people may be watching you, or judging you at once -- it's enough to put anyone who's not used to such attention on edge. That being said, it's always good to put your best foot forward; if you don't, it's quite possible that countless people will remember you based on one moment for the rest of your life.
For one Jeopardy! contestant, making a good first impression was clearly not a concern. Physics student Dan Tran appeared on the show last night, and while his performance was noteworthy, it's the last thing that anyone will remember him for. What they will remember is the story Tran -- a physics student -- told about one time getting the sun and the moon mixed up. Again, a physics student.
It's tradition for Alex Trebek, long-time host of the show, to interview contestants during the program. It familiarizes everyone with who the contestants are; it makes people sympathetic and root for their favorite player. It's been around for ages, and it's amazing that Tran would even considering telling anyone that story, let alone millions of people. Reminder: Tran is a physicist-in-training, meaning that such basic concepts as which celestial body is overhead should be common knowledge. Not only that, but why would anyone ever tell a story that embarrassing to anyone, let alone millions upon millions of random viewers?
If you can't watch the video, here's a breakdown: during a trip to Paris, Tran and his fellow students were 'jet-lagged.' During an open-air tour in the middle of the afternoon, Tran commented that "the moon is bright out today" and proceeded to argue with his fellow classmates about whether or not it was the sun. Granted, Tran was in high school at the time, though most people know what the sun is before they hit elementary school.
All things considered, it's amazing that Tran managed to end up as the night's co-champion. This means that, not only will Tran return for tonight's broadcast, but he'll have a chance to redeem his terrible story from last night's show. Hopefully, it's a story that makes him look like more of a physicist and less like a drunken highschooler.
Photo: Steve Jurvetson (cropped)
