Jeopardy! Contestant Speaks Out on Sexist Clue After Ken Jennings' Apology
This Jeopardy! contestant will take Reactions for $200.
Heather Ryan is speaking out after going viral in late October thanks to a sexist clue on the hit game show.
In the category of “Rhyming Phrases,” the clue was: “Men seldom make passes at…” with the answer being “at girls who wear glasses.” Noticeably, Heather was the only female on stage and wearing glasses.
"It is definitely an odd choice,” Heather told Binghamton University’s student newspaper Pipe Dream on Nov. 6, per People. “I think it made everybody in the audience and on stage, and Ken Jennings too, a little uncomfortable. It was like, ‘Oh, that was unexpected.’”
In fact, host Ken apologized to Heather in the moment, calling the clue, “a little problematic,” and adding, “Sorry Heather.” Fellow contestant Will Wallace, who provided the correct answer, agreed with Ken at the time, saying, “Very.”
The comment was believed to have come from late poet Dorothy Parker.
As for Heather’s ideas for the game show moving forward: “Maybe we choose better rhyming phrases in 2024.”
Heather added that she was concerned for young girls who might have witnessed the exchange.
“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,” she said. “So, I think it’s much better to be able to see than anything else.”
However, despite the viral moment, Heather enjoyed the experience, despite losing by only $1 in Final Jeopardy.
“I had 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.”
She was also excited to be a part of the show’s prestigious history.
“It’s just a very special thing to play a small role in this big part,” she added. “It’s been running for 40 years, and so I got to play my part in it.”
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