‘Jeopardy!’ Player Involved In ‘Uncomfortable’ Clue Breaks Silence
There was a Jeopardy! question that many fans deemed “sexist” last month. While the question was about a famous poem written by a woman, many fans felt the poem was sexist and demeaned women, and many reacted in anger when it was on the show. Now, the woman playing that game has opened up about the experience.
Here is a look at what made the poem’s line so “sexist” and what the contestant had to say about it.
Jeopardy! Question Deemed ‘Sexist’ By Fans
Last month, there was a clue on Jeopardy! that many fans deemed “sexist.” The clue was under “Complete The Rhyming Phrase.” The start was, “Men seldom make passes at…” Will Wallace got the right answer when he said, “What is Girls Who Wear Glasses.”
The problem is that one of the contestants, Heather Ryan, was a woman who wore glasses. Ken Jennings looked at Heather after the question and said: “Sorry Heather.” Wallace then added: “Very.” This caused players to jump onto social media and blast the question, saying it was a “sexist” saying.
However, what most people at home didn’t know was that the poem was written by a woman. Dorothy Parker was a fierce supporter of civil rights and social justice, and she penned this line. She was also a two-time Oscar winner who bequeathed her entire estate to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and ordered that it be passed onto the NAACP upon his death (via NAACP).
While the line might sound “sexist” without context, Parker was far from that.
Heather Ryan Talks ‘Sexist’ Jeopardy! Question
Heather Ryan was the contestant who wore glasses during that Jeopardy! episode. She is a health program director from New York and she spoke about the question, and the reaction to it after the moment passed.
“It is definitely an odd choice,” Heather said (via Us Weekly). “I think it made everybody in the audience and on stage, and Ken Jennings too, a little uncomfortable.” She said there are girls in middle school who won’t wear their glasses, and it hurts their education.
Heather ended up losing the game, but she said she “had a great time” on the show. She said, “everybody there was very welcoming.” She admitted that it was a dream and “a big part of American culture,” so she was more than excited to go on the show.
Some people compared the clue about Dorothy Parker’s poem to a moment on the show from the past when an answer to a question about a gardening tool was compared to a “hoe,” a derogatory term for a woman. Of course, the two are completely different.
What are your thoughts on the Jeopardy! moment? Let us know in the comments below.
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