
The world lost one of its best beloved television icons over the weekend. Alex Trebek, the host of Jeopardy! passed away at age 80 of pancreatic cancer. His cancer journey, which began in March 2019, served as an inspiration for millions, with Trebek sharing messages of hope and resilience throughout his treatments and continuing to host the show for as long as he could.
Many people have posted tributes to the famously upbeat host, including an in-person thanks from a Jeopardy! episode that aired just three days before Trebek passed.
After being named champion of the show, which was taped in August, 37-year-old Burt Thakur explained what being on Jeopardy! meant to him. Trebek asked if there was anyone special cheering him on at home, and Thakur, fighting back tears, replied:
"You know, here's a true story, man. I grew up, I learned English because of you. And so, my grandfather, who raised me—I'm gonna get tears right now—I used to sit on his lap and watch you every day so it's a pretty special moment for me, man. So thank you very much."
According to TODAY, Trebek had a humorous response to Thakur's touching story. "Without skipping a beat he said, 'I too sat on my grandfather's leg, but he taught me swear words!'" Thakur told the outlet, laughing.
"My grandfather would always look at Alex and say, 'That's a good man and one day you're going to meet him and shake his hand,'" Thakur told TODAY.
Thakur said Trebek was "an absolute gentleman and professional" when he met him. "He was so witty and funny," Thakur told TODAY. "Alex Trebek is a significant reason why I am the way I am."
Judging by his social media posts, Thakur is a kind and humble gentleman, so that makes perfect sense.
Even fans who never got to meet Trebek in person shared their gratitude to the man who they had watched for years.
Kazeem Famuyide wrote, "Alex Trebek did nothing but make you feel cool for being smart for 30 minutes every day for 36 years. Not many better ways to live a life."
Canadian comic strip artist Kate Beaton explained how he felt like part of the family. "Alex Trebek made you feel smart and proud, smarter than your dad or your sister or whoever in the never ending family tournament - or ready to reclaim the crown, and he was always on your side, he was part of the family. He was part of ours."
Two-time Battle Rap World Champion Adam Ferrone wrote, "Alex Trebek's death hit me more devastatingly than any celebrity death this year, maybe because I spent so much time consuming his content or maybe because he just seemed like a really decent, smart, curious man. RIP."
"Alex Trebek made us all feel smart and eager to learn without being condescending," wrote Fawn Moscato. "He was upbeat and enthusiastic and always treated his guests with respect. Truly no one else like him on tv!"
Indeed, those of us who grew up watching Jeopardy! with our families could always rely on that half an hour to be soothing yet exciting, curiosity-inducing, and educational. When you guessed correctly, you felt like a brainiac. When you had no idea, you felt better when the smart people on the show missed some, too. I always wondered how much Trebek himself learned while making that show. He had to be a walking encyclopedia by the end.
But Trebek's legacy will be in who he was, not what he knew. The Canadian who became an American citizen in 1998 was a philanthropist and activist who helped with many different charitable efforts from the USO to education to improving the lives of children in developing countries. He was a father of two and a breeder of racehorses. He was a kind and inclusive man who made everyone who came on his show feel welcome and everyone watching at home feel a part of it. And in his final months, he was an inspiration to us all.
"I'm not afraid of dying," he told CTV News in October 2019. "I've lived a good life, a full life, and I'm nearing the end of that life ... if it happens, why should I be afraid [of] that?"
What a beautiful example. The world will miss you, Alex.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.