What is… offensive?
One Jeopardy! clue raised eyebrows during the Oct. 28 episode, prompting host Ken Jennings to apologize to the episode’s sole female contestant.
The clue in question was located in the “Complete the Rhyming Phrase” category and was worth $400. Contestant Heather Ryan selected the clue, which read, “Men seldom make passes at…”
Heather was unable to answer the clue, which went instead to contestant Will Wallace, who finished the quote correctly, saying, “What are ‘Girls who wear glasses’?”
And notably, Heather was wearing glasses.
In the moment, Ken noticed the statement, which has been credited to late poet Dorothy Parker, admitting, “A little problematic, sorry Heather,” to which Will agreed, replying, “Very.”
Neither Heather nor Will went on to win Jeopardy! with the victory instead going to fellow contestant Ian Taylor.
But plenty of viewers commented on the sexist clue online, with some even feeling that it should’ve have been caught before it went on the show.