Ken Jennings offered an apology to a “Jeopardy!” contestant this week for a “problematic” clue that has been interpreted by some as sexist . However, others took issue with the host’s handling of the incident. On Monday’s episode of the trivia show, the “Jeopardy!” host and game-show G.
O.A.T.
awkwardly delivered a clue in the “Complete the Rhyming Phrase” category. “ ‘Men seldom make passes at,’ ” Jennings said, beginning the irreverent Dorothy Parker quote . “What are ‘girls who wear glasses’?” contestant Will Wallace, a game design director, buzzed in.
“Yeah, a little problematic,” Jennings said on the heels of Wallace’s answer. The contestant agreed with Jennings’ assessment of the famed poet’s 20th-century observation, replying, “very.” Wallace’s fellow competitor, health program director Heather Ryan, who chose the $400 clue, happened to be wearing glasses — a coincidence that prompted Jennings to say, “Sorry, Heather.
” Jennings and the contestants carried on with the game, with Wallace, who had been on a four-game winning streak, in third. Ryan finished the episode in second place, falling short of food-sales rep Ian Taylor. Incidentally, it’s not the first time the adage — believed to be a witticism about Parker’s own romantic foibles — has been used on the show.
The Parker quote has appeared in some form at least a dozen times since 1985, according to the fan-operated J! archive , though it hadn’t bee.
