Buzzy Cohen's presence on Jeopardy! caused the internet to erupt into chaos. Aside from his memorable name (which is a nickname; his birth name is Austin David Cohen, according to USA Today), Cohen drew attention for his good looks and charm — while others despised him for his bravado and "punchable" face. "Has there ever been a more punchable @Jeopardy champion than Buzzy Cohen?" one Twitter user shared in 2016. Another user added that Cohen looks like "a kid I would push into a locker."
However, large swaths of the internet dubbed him a heartthrob and many fans even reached out to him personally — despite the fact that he's a married man. In a 2016 interview with The Cut, Cohen said, "There are some really interesting, very forward people that have messaged me things you can't print on your website." When asked what his wife thought of the whole thing, Cohen told the outlet that she thought it was "hilarious." "Whenever people are like, 'Oh, Buzzy's so hot and smart and funny,' she's like, 'Yeah, I know. I agree with you,'" he said.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the contestant was asked why he thinks he's so polarizing. "People just go to extremes," he replied, noting that having fun is a part of the game. "When I have opportunities to inject a little bit of personality, I don't see the harm," Cohen said.
