Three-dayJeopardy!champion Brendan Liaw was introduced as a stay-at-home son during his time on the show, and he’s now revealing the truth about this description, which went viral. During hisJeopardy!run, Brendan, 27, called himself a recent graduate and stay-at-home son. He recently earned his Master’s degree in political science, and he lives at home with his parents while he looks for a job.During hisJeopardy!run,Brendan earned a total of $61,398 in his four games, losing the last one after a heartbreaking Daily Double mistake that led to him not even participating in Final Jeopardy!
Three-dayJeopardy!champion Brendan Liaw was introduced as a stay-at-home son during his time on the show, and he revealed the truth about this description, which went viral.
In an interview withWSJ,Brendan revealed that he calls himself a stay-at-home son because he’s currently unemployed, and he wanted to find a funny euphemism for his current situation. He explained,“It’s tongue-in-cheek, and it sounds better than ‘unemployed.’ It’s tough times right now, so let’s try and get some laughter out there.“Brendan said,“I figured even if I lost my first game, at least I could make people laugh.”
Brendan added thathis stay-at-home son description also reflects the trend of rejecting hustle culture. He said,“I think that is more typical of my age cohort. My career doesn’t really define me, and it should just be a thing where I’m okay with what I do and make enough to pay the bills.”
By embracing his current situation,Brendan hopes to inspire others not to give up. He said,“It can get a little dark at times when you’re just, like, what am I doing? I’m just here at home. I would tell people to keep the faith, hang in there. Maybe study for Jeopardy!”
Brendan also shared that his family doesn’t have generational wealth, so he wants to start his career. In fact, he was studying for the LSAT, the law school admission test, when he received the call forJeopardy!Brendan said,“I’m not a trust-fund kid. My parents emigrated from Brunei. We’re solidly middle-class, maybe even lower-middle. I wouldn’t be comfortable just lounging around all day. I feel like at least I should be productive while I’m home.”
Although he’s a stay-at-home son now,Brendan does have some big goals for his future, including possibly delaying his original plan to go to law school. He shared,“I don’t know what’s going to happen with all this Jeopardy! stuff and newfound publicity. If something better comes along, I’m not opposed to shelving law school for a bit. In the long run, government work or politics. I wrote my Master’s thesis on the House of Representatives, and I really want to work on the Hill. Working in the Senate as a staffer would be my dream job, basically.”
It’s tongue-in-cheek, and it sounds better than ‘unemployed.’ It’s tough times right now, so let’s try and get some laughter out there.
What Brendan Liaw’s Viral Introduction Means For Jeopardy!
Brendan Appeals To The Younger Generation
Jeopardy!is the most prestigiousand highbrow game show on television, and it appeals to a very specific audience, usually made up of intellectuals with advanced degrees and successful careers. However, Brendan’s stay-at-home son introduction brought awareness to the reality that younger generations are struggling, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of. This means thathe could bring a whole new audience toJeopardy!, as fans relate to his current situation. Brendan isn’t ashamed of being a stay-at-home son, and he’s making it more acceptable.
Although Brendan’s initial run onJeopardy!has ended, it’s almost certain that he’ll return for Champions Wildcard, during which he’d compete for a spot in the Tournament of Champions. There’s even a possibility that he could automatically qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Since he’s so relatable as a stay-at-home son,Brendan has developed a fan following who’d surely tune in just to watch him play again, which means thatJeopardy!might gain even more viewers.
Our Take On Brendan Liaw’s “Stay-At-Home Son” Label
Brendan Is A Fan-Favorite Contestant
I love the fact thatBrendan embraced his current situationof being unemployed and reframed it as being a stay-at-home son. He has the right attitude about it, especially during these difficult financial times. Brendan is breaking the stereotype of a person who lives with his parents while searching for a job, and even making a joke of it with his fantastic sense of humor. I find his candor about his situation refreshing becausehe has nothing to be embarrassed about.
Brendan lost his finalJeopardy!game after making it a true Daily Double but getting the answer wrong by one word (he said,“The Girl with the Pearl Earring,“while the answer was"Girl with a Pearl Earring”). It was so heartbreaking because he knew the answer, and he’d made a gutsy move by betting all of his money.That’s the kind ofJeopardy!player that I enjoy watching, and I hope that Brendan comes back better than ever.
Brendan’s stay-at-home son introduction most likely went viral because so many people could relate to it, and, because of that, he’s now a fan-favorite. I hope that Brendan achieves all of his personal goals, but I’d really love to see himcome back toJeopardy!in a tournamentand go on to become a legend of the game.TheJeopardy!Tournament of Champions is calling his name.
Jeopardy!airs weeknights. Please check your local listings for time and channel.
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Jeopardy! (1984) is a long-running quiz show where contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of answers and must phrase their responses in the form of questions.
