ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

'Jeopardy' contestant 'Karen' called out for her bizarre remark on Queens, New York: "Terrifying..."

While the player did not seem to suggest anything, fans immediately raised concerns on social media.
PUBLISHED JAN 16, 2025
 Ken Jennings and Karen Ellestad who made the controversial statements (Cover image source: ABC| Jeopardy)
Ken Jennings and Karen Ellestad who made the controversial statements (Cover image source: ABC| Jeopardy)

One of America's favorite game shows, "Jeopardy!" has seen a fair share of controversies lately. From sexist clues to borderline racist comments, host Ken Jennings has been forced to do damage control, ever since he took over. In one instance, a contestant came under fire for sharing what was according to her a "terrifying story" related to Queens, New York, as viewers considered it to be racist.

Screenshot showing the contestant on Jeopardy! (Image source: YouTube/KiSS 92.5/Fox News)
Screenshot showing the contestant on Jeopardy! (Image source: YouTube/KiSS 92.5/Fox News)

Back in the day, when Jennings was featured as an interim host, he was carrying out his duties of introducing the contestants. As it is common for the host to engage in casual conversations during the introduction, Jennings asked the contestant named Karen Ellestad, a Frankfort, Kentucky to narrate a terrifying incident from her childhood.

“[You] had a troubling experience as a 15-year-old in Queens, New York,” explained Jennings. “What happened?”

Screenshot showing Ken Jennings talking to Karen
Screenshot showing Ken Jennings talking to Karen (Image source: YouTube/KiSS 92.5/Fox News)

Ellestad, who worked as a chaplain at a Christian school in Georgia, at the time, went on to share the weird story. She explained that when she was 15 years old, she was doing a summer program in Manhattan and “didn’t know a single person in New York City". She added that she "shockingly" didn't make any friends either and spent most of her time riding the Subway around the city.

One day, the educator from the city of Frankfort said she “wasn’t paying attention” and accidentally found herself in Jamaica, Queens. “I had no idea how I got there,” she said. She explained that it was a pre-Uber, pre-smartphone era, so she had no external help. "So, a terrifying moment. Just me in abject fear," she said, concluding the story. 

Screenshot showing Karen telling her story
Screenshot showing Karen telling her story (Image source: YouTube/KiSS 92.5/Fox News)

While, Ellestad, who is passionate about modern European history, graphic design, and cheese did not seem to suggest anything with her story, viewers immediately took to social media to raise concerns about her comments.

After listening to her story, fans of "Jeopardy!" made a few troubling observations. They questioned why it was so terrifying for her to end up in Queens and suspected that the reason could be because it was a predominantly 'black' neighborhood. Thus, her story seemed rather racist than terrifying.



 

"A #jeopardy contestant named #Karen told a story on the show about how she accidentally took the subway into Jamaica, Queens and she was "terrified." That is called racism," @LBTman wrote on X (formerly Twitter).



 

"Watching Jeopardy and this lady told her little story about how she interned in NYC and once took the subway and ended up in Jamaica, Queens and it was the most *terrifying* thing. Her name is actually Karen... and she lives up to it," suggested @QueenBeena. 

However, there were some including the guests of the KiSS 92.5's podcast, who gave her the benefit of the doubt, claiming that for a 15-year-old, getting lost in the subway with no internet or a way to get back home could be terrifying in itself. 



 

Nevertheless, Ellestad failed to win the game that day, thus, nobody ever had the chance to follow up on the story again.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Reports suggest that the anti-theft measures are causing hostility between shoppers and workers.
12 hours ago
Seemed like inflation has been eating into the nuggets sold by Walmart under Great Value.
13 hours ago
The entrepreneur shared that it was a habit of his to reward the people who worked hard for him.
1 day ago
Pointing at the shelf full of Great Value Orange Juice, the creator said that the brand is trying to fool people.
1 day ago
For the contestant named Linda, the deal was further sweetened as she got to meet a celebrity.
2 days ago
When it was her turn to play, Mama Doris went blank on the fifth answer costing her team.
2 days ago
She herself couldn't believe that she had come up with a solution that seemed impossible.
2 days ago
Carey called the aspiring actor a 'future star' while celebrating his win on the show.
2 days ago
Kimmel successfully bagged a multimillion dollar deal as well.
2 days ago
He got too close to the contestant but she played along while the audience laughed awkwardly.
3 days ago
The answer is one of the most absurd things that a contestant has said on the popular game show.
3 days ago
The farmer did admit that he could be biased in his explanation but made points many agreed with.
3 days ago
Fans joked that the host had a "senior" moment on the show while Carey also took it in a light-hearted way.
3 days ago
While Steve Harvey was eager to start the Fast Money round, the players were busy dancing.
4 days ago
The woman shared that one package had a single banana and an industrial size box of ramen.
4 days ago
Seasoned viewers took to the internet to call out the blunder while the woman seemed unaware.
4 days ago
His mother also joined him in celebration and walked right to the car.
4 days ago
Belz later said that nothing is as good as the win and it was his dream to be on the show.
5 days ago