Some people have been watching Jeopardy for years. It is one of the most popular game shows of all time, but there are times when it can be problematic.
In October, a woman by the name of Heather Ryan was a contestant on Jeopardy. She received a clue and although she didn’t get the answer, she did get uncomfortable because the clue is considered sexist.
Ryan selected the ‘Complete the Rhyming Phrase’ category for $400. She was given the clue ‘Men seldom make passes at…’ The answer to that question was ‘Who are girls who wear glasses.’ It is a famous quote by Dorothy Parker.
Ken Jennings, who is the current host of Jeopardy was quick to apologize to Ryan. After all, she is a woman who wears glasses, so it was understandably uncomfortable for her.
Now that the show is over and Ryan has left Jeopardy, she is talking about how it was an awkward moment for her. She said: “It is definitely an odd choice. I think it made everybody in the audience and on stage, and Ken Jennings too, a little uncomfortable.”
She went on to say: “It was like, ‘Oh, that was unexpected,’”
Although Ryan isn’t looking for retribution, she does feel that they should choose better rhyming phrases in 2024. She continued: “Unfortunately, there are still girls who are [in] middle school and they don’t want to wear their glasses and they’re losing out on their education. So, I think it’s much better to be able to see than anything else.”
Jennings did apologize, and the other contestants also considered the clue to be problematic.
Many people agreed that it was a quote that should not have been used on the game show but other people point out that it has been used many times over the years. Considering how Dorothy Parker was a well-known literary figure, some don’t have a problem with it being used as material for the show.
Even though the strange moment did occur during the show, Ryan said that she did have a great time. She said: “Everybody there was very welcoming. It’s such a part of American culture that I definitely wanted to go on when I got the call for it.
“It’s just a very special thing to play a small role in this big part,” she continued. “It’s been running for 40 years, and so I got to play my part in it.”
