Charles Teves
The latest episode of the American game show Jeopardy! featured President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as someone who had “taken so many foreign trips.”
During the Current World Leaders category, host Mayim Bialik gave contestants clues that led to the name of the country that has a president “in office from 2022,” who went on a slew of foreign trips, and a play on his name is “Ferdinand Magellan Jr”.
Contestants on Jeopardy! are not asked questions, but rather are given clues about a person, place, thing, or event. They must then respond with questions.
Avi Gupta of Stanford University responded with “What are the Philippines?”
“Ferdinand Marcos Jr., also known as Bongbong,” Bialik noted.
Richard Heydarian, an academic and columnist, heard about the episode and tweeted that Jeopardy! owes him credit for the moniker.
WAIT! Ako yun ah — nag popularize ng "Magellan Jr."!!!! 🙃🙃🙃 https://t.co/2j6nsuNdSO
— Richard Heydarian (@Richeydarian) February 22, 2023
Hey @Jeopardy ! Me thinks you owe me some ATTRIBUTION on this!!! 😉 pic.twitter.com/rYGNhW3r64
— Richard Heydarian (@Richeydarian) February 22, 2023
Heydarian noted in a Jan. 14 tweet that Marcos Jr. is already on his eighth foreign trip seven months after taking office, referring to him as “Ferdinand ‘Magellan’ Jr.”
Nag leave na for 8th FOREIGN TRIP in 7 months si Ferdinand “MAGELLAN” Jr!? Switzerland pa! So cold, so sosyal 😉 ✌️
— Richard Heydarian (@Richeydarian) January 14, 2023
Netizens also made fun of Marcos.
pinoy pride ✌️👊♥️💚 https://t.co/CkstlLnBTb
— Malacañang Events and Catering Services (@MalacananEvents) February 22, 2023
I mean… where do I even begin? The thumbnail? The tweet itself? https://t.co/ztcSfAPV1h
— Karmina Constantino-Torres (@ConstantKC) February 22, 2023
Jeopardy! Feb. 21, 2023 Episode. Hahaha. 😂🥴🤣 pic.twitter.com/finzoT8cc0
— Bart Guingona (@guingonabart) February 22, 2023
Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who led the 1519 Spanish circumnavigation of the globe. After an encounter with the tribe led by Lapulapu, he was killed during the Battle of Mactan in Cebu.
Heydarian expanded on the nickname in his Jan. 17 column, “Marcos Jr.: A world traveler?,” noting that “some netizens have begun to describe the President as Ferdinand ‘Magellan’ Jr.”
Marcos has already traveled to Indonesia, Singapore, the United States, Singapore again, Cambodia, Thailand, Belgium, China, Switzerland, and Japan.
His unannounced return to Singapore last October to watch the elite car racing Formula 1 Grand Prix elicited mixed reactions.
Malacañang, for its part, stated that the president’s foreign trips helped establish ties with world leaders, resulting in 116 investment projects worth P3.4 trillion.
