❓ What’s wrong with Jeopardy?

Happy Monday! It’s September 18 — people are talking about Jeopardy’s declining entertainment value, the F1 vs. Nascar debate, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly.

❓ In the news: What’s wrong with Jeopardy?

Since the death of legendary host Alex Trebek, many think Jeopardy has struggled to hold its entertainment value. Is there cause for concern?

❓ Former Jeopardy champion Tom Nichols says it's time for the great show to retire. Getting rid of the “maximum 5 wins” rule was the beginning of the end.

❓ A Reddit thread on r/entertainment thinks new host Mayim Bialik is the problem. Obviously replacing Trebek was hard, but Bialik was the wrong choice.

❓ Fox News says the contestants are the problem. They keep flubbing easy answers, making the show unwatchable.

❓ But EW doesn’t see cause for concern: The ratings for Jeopardy are still great. As of late 2022, it was the most watched show on television (thanks to Amy Schneider's huge winning streak).

🏎️ Cultural trend: F1 vs. NASCAR

Formula One (aka F1) and NASCAR have massive viewership and appeal, and have both been around for over 70 years. Which is better?

🏎️ Essentially Sports says they're hard to compare. F1 cars are faster & lighter, while NASCAR’s are heavier & sturdier. Both require insane driving skill.

🏎️ Bleacher Report thinks F1 is better — it has a larger following, the tech is way cooler, and the tracks are more exciting. NASCAR’s oval racing is boring!

🏎️ The Sportster disagrees: NASCAR is better. The track makes for an awesome viewing environment, and the crashes are more exciting. Plus, F1 has become elitist.

🏎️ The Crimson says they're both cool, but NASCAR is definitely losing right now. Its viewership has been declining since 2005, while F1 keeps growing. It might be happening because NASCAR abandoned their core audience.

Quick hits

👨‍🎓 US News released its new college rankings. Princeton took #1, MIT was #2, and Harvard was #3. (NYT)

🏛️ The US Attorney General said Mexico extradited the son of drug lord “El Chapo” to the US to face drug trafficking charges. (CBS News)

🇰🇵 After visiting Putin in Russia for six days, Kim Jong Un departed on his armored train back to North Korea. (Politico)

🚔 Police said they captured nine juvenile inmates who had escaped from a Pennsylvania detention center during a riot. (ABC News)

That’s it for today. Reply at [email protected] to let me know what you think of our newsletter, or to suggest a topic for next time.

Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We think it’s a better way to stay informed and see the big picture. Please reach out if you’re curious to learn more!

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)