Hosting Jeopardy! for the last three millennia (est.) has given the debonair Alex Trebek a certain cachet where, regardless of what he gets into outside of the show, he has remained the voice of encyclopedic intelligence for decades. And though that voice is often heard dealing out French idioms with a perfect accent, sometimes he uses it to quote the lyrics to Mötley Crüe songs, as seen in the video below.
It would be one thing if Trebek was rattling the lyrics off conversationally, but he adds a theatrical flourish that makes Vince Neil’s lyrics sound almost Shakespearean. Or something. Honestly, the song is taken to a more respectable level as a Jeopardy! clue. It’s like if Leonard Nimoy did a 50 Shades of Grey book reading just after hearing Michael Caine read a condom wrapper.
This of course leads one to ponder what other Mötley Crüe songs Alex Trebek could karaoke at the Globe Theatre. “Shout at the Devil” and “Primal Scream” would be presented as more “calmly recited.” And Trebek’s version would be more “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away with $2,000 for Second Place and $1,000 for Third Place).”
And why stop at Mötley Crüe? I would donate money to a crowdfunded album of Trebek delivering Jeopardy! clue versions of songs like Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer,” Peaches’ “Fuck the Pain Away,” and Eminem’s “Kill You.” If it comes with a mockumentary about Trebek living the debaucherous life of a rock star, all the better.
Trebek, who recently had a bit of on-set trouble that led to inflamed tempers, can occasionally be seen saying inane things as a part of a brilliant segment on Conan called “Alex Trebek has Gone Insane.” There should be some kind of a comedic editing award for these.
Assuming you’re not doing cocaine off of strippers’ hindsides while funneling Jack Daniels on a daily basis, you can find Jeopardy! in syndication nearly every day of the week.
