Former ‘Jeopardy!’ Contestants Raise Concerns After Player Appears to Use White Power Sign
Hundreds of former Jeopardy! contestants are raising concerns about a recent champion’s on-air actions in an open letter to the game show’s producers.
Kelly Donohue allegedly flashed a hand symbol resembling the white power sign while competing on the show.
Now, other Jeopardy! contestants are calling for action and an apology. In the letter they also mention Donohue’s response for one of the clues which included a slur against the Roma people.
Intentional or not, guest host Anderson Cooper corrected Donohue, but the moment wasn’t edited to keep the term “gypsy” off the air.
“A recent contestant has caused concern among Jeopardy! viewers for two separate occurrences, and we, as former contestants, feel the need to speak out against the messaging that these choices communicated — either intentionally or unintentionally — by the contestant Kelly Donohue and, implicitly by association, the producers of Jeopardy!,” the letter begins.
The biggest issue raised regards Donohue’s alleged use of the white power sign which is associated with racist supremacist groups. During his appearance in the April 27 episode, the former contestants stated he “held his thumb and forefinger together with his other three fingers extended and palm facing inward, and he tapped his chest.”
Donohue claimed in a since-deleted Facebook post that the gesture was a symbol signifying his three-day winning streak, noting he had done it after his first and second wins. And while it might be a valid explanation, the letter questions why Jeopardy! producers didn’t wipe the brief segment from the episode before airing it, noting it could have prevented the show’s association to such symbols.
(Credit: Jeopardy!, Inc.)
“A couple of years ago, a contestant unintentionally wagered a monetary amount that used numerical values coopted by white supremacist groups and, since the total didn’t affect the outcome of the game, Jeopardy! digitally altered the numbers in the version that aired,” the letter pointed out.
“This should have been done in this case,” they argue. “Intentional or not, the burden was on the production team to catch the similarity to a hate symbol and make sure it didn’t end up on air.” Ultimately, the letter wishes Donohue would offer a more genuine apology and asks that the show’s producers be more mindful moving forward.
“We hope to see changes made so that future mistakes of this magnitude never make it on air,” the letter stated. Over 500 former competitors signed the statement, acknowledging that their views on the matter concerning Donohue and production are the same. Jeopardy! has yet to issue a response.
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Conversation17 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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M
Just how crazy are we getting to be? What "mistake?" It would be great to see some concentrated helpfulness rather than all this alarmist hysteria. Geez!
19 1
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P
Please just stop!
20 2
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G
This is totally ridiculous! Get over it people. There's nothing there to even think about!
15 2
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P
You have got to be kidding me. Really? This is not a symbol of anything but maybe OK.
He won three games, many can't say they won, one.
15 2
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B
How many times do we see the black power sign at sporting events?! Get over it people and get along!!
13 3
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C
This is just crazy. Rights are being taking away from us. You can't do anything anymore
11 3
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O
If the player made the sign of the cross(forehead, chest,/right and left shoulders, would that be objectable? chattycathie54@
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O
I'll take absolutely asinine for $300 Alex.
5 1
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B
Bring on the langoliers....next, that Cher song....
4
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G
I’m white and I’ve never heard of or seen that symbol before 🤦♀️
3
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G
This is ridiculous! Congratulations on your 3 wins! I watch every episode of Jeopardy and did not even think twice about the gesture. But then I guess I’m not sitting watching TV to find something to be offended by.
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R
First off, Jeopardy should not have used a question with a potential answer of "g*psy". Second, the symbol is the german version of the number 3, which I learned watching Inglorious Basterds. I think the first was just a flub, because most people are not educated that Roma is the proper term. The second, he was just being pretentious.
2
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R
I think it's time to pick a new host. Enough already. Any one but Katie Couric or
Dr. Oz. Jennings was great. Also Aaron Rogers.
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P
What a pack of idiots. Do you have nothing better to do than make something out of nothing. MORONS!!!
2 1
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R
I know of this symbol, I know how it is injected, I know it is because it seldom gets noticed that it is used. It is an OPEN secret for white supremacists who photo capture the use and post it up on chat boards and such.
In this case it has been posted as deliberate, the guy (Kelly) has been claimed to be a visitor to one of the chat forums that the hand symbols are posted to.
Even if he did not intend it, it should have been know to him what it meant. He is on Jeopardy "because he is suppose to be a smart guy".
As far as Jeopardy being at fault in some way, that is like holding the North Vietnam soldiers responsible for our soldiers flipping the bird in their prisoner photos.
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R
Was that open letter really written by former Jeopardy champions? Or is it a hoax?
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P
I call BS because most people hold up 3 fingers while holding their pinky down with their thumb. This clown knew he would get called out and had a prepared answer.
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