Monday night’s episode of “Jeopardy,” as always, featured three highly-intelligent contestants, but one in particular stole the spotlight.
But it had nothing to do with her intelligence or winning streak as one might assume – it was all about her voice.
Laura Ashby is the culprit who caused the social media uproar, and her “upspeak”— inflecting up at the end of her sentences -- is to blame. The Vanderbilt and Yale educated law associate first appeared on the show Nov. 6, so some viewers knew what to expect.
Laura Ashby is BACK on jeopardy great now I have to listen to her sing the last word of every sentence/ statement she makes
— Amanda Lambden (@amandalambo) November 24, 2015
Laura Ashby is back on #Jeopardy tomorrooooo-oooow.
— Notyalc A. Trebor (@RA_Clayton) November 23, 2015
But that didn’t stop the Internet from quickly reacting with a combination of humor, irritation and even complete anger.
Meanwhile, some online troll even created a Twitter account dedicated to Ashby’s voice.
Good Morning, Jeopardy Fans! Laura and I can't wait for the show tonight. She's still sleeping. Yes, a voice can wake up before its owner.
— Laura's Voice (@LauraJeopardy) November 24, 2015
But is Ashby really to blame for the annoying inflection?
The Huffington Post explains that upspeak typically happens when a person is unsure or unconfident, noting, “The use of upspeak on ‘Jeopardy’ makes perfect sense, considering contestants are answering questions to win money, something that's sure to make anyone uneasy.”
