'Jeopardy!' Journo Proves a Winner

By: Mark Fitzgerald This Wisconsin arts and entertainment editor was a one-day winner of $21,600 on the TV quiz show "Jeopardy!"

Question: Who is Kenneth Burns?

Burns, who works for the alt-weekly Isthmus in Madison, realized a longtime dream by not only winning at "Jeopardy!" but also staying cool enough to wager a "true" Daily Double, risking all his money on an answer without blurting out anything embarrassing. "I also resisted the urge to address Alex by name, like 'I'll take that category for $200, Alex,'" says Burns, referring to host Alex Trebek.

Newspaper journalists are rare contestants on "Jeopardy!" despite their know-it-all reputation among the general public. But Burns said being an arts editor who has to keep up with popular entertainment proved helpful. That's why, when the clue to a question about popular Yahoo search terms was "Womanizer," Burns instantly knew the answer was "Britney Spears," who had a hit with the song and video of that name.

Burns' Daily Double, however, was a bust. He lost all $1,400 on a clue about a Southern Hemisphere country named for a location in The Netherlands. Burns guessed Indonesia; it was New Zealand.