2 weeks Ago
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.”.
