Trans ‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Amy Schneider Listens to Homophobic Slur-User Eminem to Get in ‘Fighting Shape'

Schneider has won 36 consecutive games on ‘Jeopardy!’

Published: January 21, 2022 | Last Updated: July 22, 2023

In the most recent Amy Schneider news, the current and reigning “Jeopardy!” champion admits that she draws inspiration from Eminem’s Oscar-winning “8-Mile” theme song “Lose Yourself.” Schneider shared the surprising fact — the Detroit rapper, after all, isn't exactly known for queer-friendly lyrics — after host Ken Jennings asked what gets her in “fighting shape."

"Right before the taping starts when they’re doing the countdown, I will get the song 'Lose Yourself' by Eminem going in my head," she said. "It’s just a reminder that this is my one shot at 'Jeopardy!' and it’s staying in the moment, and there’s no excuse for thinking about anything else. This is the only thing I need to think about right now."

Jennings, who himself is known for his 74-game winning streak on “Jeopardy!,” said Schneider’s technique “appears to be working out, adding, “If you’re going to be on 'Jeopardy!’ think about mom’s spaghetti, and you may win 35 times in a row."

Late last year, Eminem's child Stevie came out as genderfluid . Still, the rapper was likely surprised by Schneider's choice of motivation.

He hasn’t gotten much support from the LGBTQ+ community throughout his career due to a troubling history of homophobic public comments. In his recent 2018 project “Kamikaze,” he took shots at a long list of personalities and artists such as Tyler the Creator, who called himself “gay as fuck.”

On the track “Fall,” Eminem raps, “Tyler create nothin’, I see why you called yourself a f—-t, bitch / It’s not just ‘cause you lack attention, it’s ‘cause you worship D12’s balls, you’re sacrilegious.” The term is bleeped out, but it doesn't change the fact that the lyric is homophobic.

While Eminem isn’t typically welcomed into the community with open arms, Schneider is. If “Lose Yourself” stops her palms from getting sweaty, then we support her technique.

Schneider has now won 36 games, adding $17,800 to her total, bringing her earnings to $1,181,8000. Her 37th appearance will take place Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on WDIV TV (channel 4). If she wins, she’ll be one game away from tying for the most consecutive wins in “Jeopardy!” history.

But whether she wins or loses, Schneider is sure to be proud of her presence on “Jeopardy!” In a recent tweet, after learning about her GLAAD Media Award nomination, she said the following:

“Of all the things that have come out of my Jeopardy run, I will always be most proud of any good that I've managed to do for the trans community, so this acknowledgment means more than I can ever say.”

Of all the things that have come out of my Jeopardy run, I will always be most proud of any good that I've managed to do for the trans community, so this acknowledgment means more than I can ever say
— Amy Schneider (@Jeopardamy) January 20, 2022