LeVar Burton Responds To Petition Calling For Him To Be The New Host Of “Jeopardy!”
Just in case you’ve forgotten, 2020 sucks (but still survive though!). If you need any further proof for my indifference towards this year look no further than the fact it snatched away Alex Trebek after his valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. That news still stings, however in an attempt to not feel how huge the loss is people have been circulating a petition to have LeVar Burton, of Roots, Reading Rainbow, and Star Trek, take the reigns as host of Jeopardy!, where Alex began his hosting duties in 1984 up until his passing. So far LeVar has been quiet about the petition but is now responding.
USA Today reports that there is currently a petition going around for LeVar to live up to the Reading Rainbow lyrics by flying twice as high as the supreme all-knowing host of Jeopardy!, a job he lobbied for in the past prior to Alex’s transition. However, this petition comes from an outside group of people and as of Friday, it had already amassed 75,000 signatures. Cut to George Stephanolopulous screaming, “What is NOOOOOOOOOOOoooOOOOO!”
“LeVar Burton has inspired and shaped the minds of several generations of trivia-loving nerds,” the petition on Change.org reads after listing his accomplishments, which include playing the “brainiac engineer Geordi La Forge on ‘Star Trek’.”
It continues: “This petition is to show Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and producer Mike Richards just how much love the public has for Burton, and how much we’d all love to see him as the next host of Jeopardy!”
I, for one, 100,000% cosign this, and apparently, so does LeVar. Although he didn’t create the petition himself he lent his support to potentially becoming the next Jeopardy! host by retweeting it.
Even if nothing comes from it, I can’t tell how much how I appreciate all y’alls love and support! 🙏🏾♥️
Petition · Make LeVar Burton the next host of Jeopardy! · https://t.co/60lC1WCD61 https://t.co/QFxedpuWpU
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) November 12, 2020
And also, because he’s such a classy dude, LeVar gave a shout to Alex as well.
“Of course while I’m very flattered by the petition, my thoughts are definitely with Alex Trebeck’s (sic) family and his millions of fans and the devastating loss of this irreplaceable legend.”
Apparently, there’s already a list of potential hosts for the new era of Jeopardy! and it includes George Stephanopoulos and Ken Jennings. But well, if we get LeVar Burton as host, we can smile knowing he’s a national treasure and will more than likely suggest books for us to read so we can feel better about ourselves after we get every question wrong during the entire episode.
Pic: Wenn.com