‘Jeopardy!’ Champion Amy Schneider Reveals Her Pre-Show Rituals
Amy Schneider continues to set records as the reigning Jeopardy! champion and is now opening up about some of the pre-show rituals that have led to her success.
The engineering manager from Oakland, California, who surpassed $1 million in total winnings earlier this month, revealed that Eminem is what gets her into the right headspace before a game. On the January 19 episode, Schneider told host Ken Jennings that her inspiration comes from the rapper.
“Right before the taping starts when they’re doing the countdown, I will get the song ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem going in my head,” said Schneider in response to Jennings’ question of what gets her into “fighting shape” for the show. “It’s just a reminder that this is my one shot at Jeopardy! and it’s staying in the moment, and there’s no excuse for thinking about anything else. This is the only thing I need to think about right now.”
Jennings, himself the all-time winningest Jeopardy! contestant, said that Schneider’s strategy “appears to be working out” before offering advice to future players: “If you’re going to be on Jeopardy!, think about mom’s spaghetti, and you may win 35 times in a row.”
Schneider stood at 36 wins after Wednesday’s show, putting her just two wins shy of Matt Amodio in all-time consecutive wins, though still a ways off Jennings’ 74 straight victories. With earnings of $1,181,8000, Schneider is the most successful female contestant in Jeopardy! history and the most successful transgender contestant ever.
The current champ is aware of the history she’s making, both in terms of gameplay and representation. “To know that I’ve been able to provide that experience to people in the trans community is just the best thing I can hope for,” she told the Los Angeles Times, adding that it’s important to show people “being trans isn’t a limitation” and shouldn’t prevent anyone from “pursuing anything.”
Whether or not that includes pursuing the job of Jeopardy! host is still up in the air, but Schneider revealed she is open to the possibility. “It would certainly be a cool experience,” she said. “It’s a lot harder than it looks. Whether I’d actually even be good at it, I don’t know… but yeah, I‘d certainly consider it if somebody asked.”
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O
Live and let live. It’s that simple.
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G
Until it begins to negatively affect others such as male to female trans competing in women's athletics. Then it's time to draw the line.
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G
Why creepy? Nature makes mistakes sometimes; some things we can fix, and some things we cannot. (and before I get hate mail, I would like to say that I believe that God
allows these mistakes to happen. Probably to see how much love and compassion we have for those who are "not like us.")
7 4
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G
She reads the whole clue and knows it before Ken reads it all out loud... So while others wait for Ken to read it to them she already has read it and buzzes in........ smart move...
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G
It’s my understanding that a contestant can’t buzz in until a light they can see goes on or off, can’t remember which way.
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B
That timing, that muscle-memory that comes with use --- just a fraction of a second makes all the difference in how many questions you can harvest --- and leave the other players in the dust. Success builds upon success.
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G
That's what I meant. She has it down to a micro-second. As soon as that light goes off she buzzes in.....
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O
What is she trying to prove?
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P
Oh, you don't know? The narrative on display is, "look at me, I am mentally imbalanced, but I can still be smart, that makes me normal". 🤦
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G
Totally agree, so tired of her I am not watching any more
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P
A brilliant though creepy individual; used to be a married man, now a single 42 year old female with a 25 yr. old "girlfriend". Curiouser and curiouser.
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P
Creepy doesn't begin to describe this lunacy.
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B
What I find strange, knowing what I know about the transition surgery, is what motivates the girlfriend?
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R
He is not a woman or a SHE so let’s get that straight, AND there is no Gender other than Male or Female, in other words you are what you were born as based on your Biological make-up!
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R
Definitely agree with ya. When you're born your sex is Male or Female. No transgender this or that. Sorry, there is definitely some kind of brain imbalance. Also, weird she was a man married & now a woman. Did that happen overnight? Has a girlfriend. Too, too, crazy for me. Don't watch jeopardy since she/he been champ. Just can't.😭🌈
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P
A male, attracted to a female, that dresses like a female, themselves. Sounds like a heterosexual transvestite. 🤷
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R
That generally doesn't include surgical sexual reassignment.
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P
Well, that's easy. He puts on a dress, throws on some makeup and pretends he's a woman.....🤷
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