‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant At Center Of Sexist Clue Controversy Speaks Out

A “Jeopardy!” contestant who got an on-air apology from host Ken Jennings for a sexist clue has some thoughts on the matter.

On the show’s Oct. 28 episode, the game board featured a cliche about girls not being as attractive in glasses, turning the awkward focus on player Heather Ryan, who was wearing glasses.

Viewers accused “Jeopardy!” of cluelessness and insensitivity. Some wondered why Jennings or someone else couldn’t spot the potential for embarrassment before the cameras rolled.

“I think it made everybody in the audience and on stage, and Ken Jennings too, a little uncomfortable,” Ryan told Pipe Dream, a Binghamton University student publication, for a story published this week. “It was like, ‘oh, that was unexpected.’”

In the category of “Complete the Rhyming Phrase,” Ryan picked a clue that read, “Men seldom make passes at…”

Defending champion Will Wallace buzzed in first, correctly answering, “What are ‘girls who wear glasses’?”

“A little problematic. Sorry, Heather,” Jennings said to the bespectacled player.

“Very,” Wallace chimed in.

Although the verse is attributed to feminist writer Dorothy Parker, the viral moment not only leaned into an outdated stereotype but also reminded Ryan that girls continue to be affected by it.

“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 told Pipe Dream. “So, I think it’s much better to be able to see than anything else.”

Ryan, who lost to eventual winner Ian Taylor by $1, had a pro tip for the venerable game show: “Maybe we choose better rhyming phrases in 2024.” Check out the replay below: