‘Jeopardy!’ Player From ‘Girls Who Wear Glasses’ Incident Criticizes Show
Jeopardy! fans seemingly all had an opinion about that controversial clue from last week, which came off as “sexist” to some and involved Ken Jennings apologizing to a female contestant on stage. Now that contestant, Heather Ryan, is sharing her opinion for the first time.
During October 28’s episode, the players had to complete the $400 rhyming phrase “Men seldom make passes at…” Returning champ Will Wallace correctly responded, “Girls who wear glasses,” — but things got awkward because Ryan was wearing glasses. Host Jennings apologized for the phrase coined by famous poet Dorothy Parker. “A little problematic, sorry, Heather,” he said. Wallace agreed with a nod and sternly said, “Very.”
On Monday, November 4, Ryan, a health program director based in Binghamton, New York, spoke to Pipe Dream, the student-run newspaper of Binghamton University. She told the paper that the moment was as “uncomfortable” as it seemed.
“It is definitely an odd choice,” Ryan said, referring to the clue. “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.’”
Ryan argued that, even if the clue came from a feminist poet, it didn’t hold up today and may have hurt the confidence of younger girls who are prescribed glasses.
“Maybe we choose better rhyming phrases in 2024,” she continued. “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. So, I think it’s much better to be able to see than anything else.”
That said, Ryan otherwise had a positive experience on the quiz show. “It was very fun. I had a great time. Everybody there was very welcoming. 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.”
“‘Yeah, a little problematic’ — Ken Um, then why didn’t you bring that up to the writers before the game?,” another post read.
Other fans later defended the quiz show after seemingly every major publication picked it up, and chalked up the backlash to people not knowing the quote’s origins. As did longtime Jeopardy! producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss who discussed the clue on the latest Inside Jeopardy! podcast.
“I think many people thought the Jeopardy! writers wrote this, or thought this,” she said. “But in fact, Dorothy Parker wrote this, about 100 years ago, in a 1926 book. We were simply, just, filling in the category.”
“And Ken in the moment was like, ‘Oh gosh, woah that’s harsh’ to Heather, because he was just being a host in the moment.”
“But I really think that people out there are convinced that Jeopardy! writers pinned this because they think ‘men seldom make passes…’” Foss added. “I don’t know! Sometimes the clickbait, it’s too much.”
Neither Ryan nor the returning champ won the game; Wallace lost his four day, $79,998 winning streak to the third contestant.
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Conversation25 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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C
From a "girl who wears glasses" -- get over it! The clue fit the category... move on!
25 5
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R
If Heather were a little quicker on the comeback, she could have retorted: Definitely NOT in my experience, Ken.
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O
Shakespeare said it best, "Much ado about nothing."
19 3
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C
Cry me A river. Get over it.
16 5
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O
Poor little snowflake.
19 8
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C
This coming from a man who's like a fart in a windstorm
1 8
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M
It’s just a phrase… what is so wrong with that? Your mind can make clean things dirty and dirty things clean. It’s how you think!!!
12 2
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O
Give me a break!! It's a famous quote...not a reflection on the contestant. She should not have been offended but thought it was clever (and maybe humorous)since she was wearing glasses!! Get over it!!
13 3
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G
As a girl who wore glasses since I was 9, let me tell you, men DO make passes, and it’s the ones who are worth it. I wouldn’t have those guys shallow enough to ignore a woman because she wears glasses.
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G
Honey, you gals need to get your bloomers out of a bunch and get over yourselves.
11 4
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O
Grow up. It's an old saying. Not a big deal.
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C
I'm a man that has worn glasses all my life 75 years and they never slowed down my love life, so that wouldn't have made me uncomfortable.
7 3
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P
Well that's because it's men seldom make passes at girls wear glasses you're a guy if you wear glasses and you want to pass from a man you better go to a gay bar
1 8
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P
This is the most retarded thing ever said. You just desperately want to be the sore thumb in the comments.
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B
Lighten up!
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O
It's a line from a movie. I wear glasses and I say lighten up people
3 1
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P
Whining is never good. Get a life and stop worrying about nonsense.
3 1
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C
Ironically, given her performance, there's a good chance she was only on the show BECAUSE she's a woman. But, of course, still found something to complain about
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R
The world has gone crazy! Every little thing offends someone. Geez!
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P
That's due to the "everyone gets a trophy" style of parenting that never teaches young ones how to lose gracefully and adjust.
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P
People need to get a grip. It's a game show that's been around longer than she has, going all the way back to 1964. There's far more important social battles to fight than a famous passage from a popular book nearly 100 years ago. Girls who wear glasses are freaking cute.
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R
Who needs men making passes at anyone? Remember the ME TOO movement? Grow up!
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A
It's problematic to assume that women WANT men making passes at them; maybe Heather was wearing glasses for that reason. Even if it were true (which it's not), glasses are optional anyway. If you want men making passes at you, throw on some contact lenses.
Much ado about nothing.
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C
Love these "get over it" comments. It was a stupid clue based on a stupid quote that has no place on a game show. How about "getting over" insulting people over their looks?
1 5
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R
There are some clues that seem to be written or picked by a single writer who is less than sharp. This seemed like one of them, there are so many other rhyming phrases that could have been used, this was a very poor choice that should have been caught and thrown out, with prejudice.
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