On Jeopardy! the other day, host Alex Trebek talked to one the contestants, Susan Cole, for one of the short get-to-know-you interludes he does between rounds.
Voice dripping with cynicism, Trebek announced that Cole was
"I think it's very fun. It's called nerdcore hip-hop," Cole responded.
"Nerdcore hip-hop," Trebek responded.
"Yes, it's people who identify as
"Losers, in other words," Trebek said in his trademark deadpan, before insisting he was teasing.
This predictably incensed the nerd community. First off, "nerd culture" isn't really something you can make fun of anymore. Science fiction and fantasy are so mainstream, it's hard to find someone who doesn't at least have some interest in media like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or any number of superhero movies. But it also begs the question, does Alex Trebek even know who watches his show? Trust me, the crossword crowd that tries to out-answer the Jeopardy! contestants while watching from home probably contains a huge swath of self-identified nerds. Trebek's bewildering attempt to get a mean-hearted laugh at the expense of half his audience is a weird, unwelcome throwback to Karate Kid-style bullying.
Local nerdcore hip-hop (we prefer to just call it nerd rap) icon Mega Ran wasn't too happy with what he saw, and he released some quick a cappella bars expressing his displeasure. "Shuck it, Trebek," indeed.
Watch the video below.
Wrote some words for #AlexTrebek on the way from the venue tonight... your move, haha pic.twitter.com/NFzJjRlG9U
— Mega Ran on TOUR (@MegaRan) October 13, 2016