‘Jeopardy!’ boss brushes off sexist clue backlash after host Ken Jennings’ apology

“Jeopardy!” shaper Sarah Whitcomb Foss is speaking retired astir that arguable clue.

On Monday’s section of nan “Inside Jeopardy!” podcast, Foss was joined by erstwhile champion Buzzy Cohen to talk nan infinitesimal connected nan crippled show past week that was deemed “sexist” by viewers.

During nan Oct. 28 episode, nan players had to complete nan rhyming building “Men seldom make passes at…” Contestant Will Wallace correctly answered “Girls who deterioration glasses” — but things sewage awkward because female contestant Heather Ryan was wearing glasses astatine nan time.

Host Ken Jennings was apologetic astir nan building first uttered by celebrated writer Dorothy Parker.

“A small problematic, sorry Heather,” he said.

“Very,” Wallace agreed.

Fans responded to nan incident connected X (formerly Twitter) and slammed nan crippled show for utilizing nan sexist clue.

“Still angry astir this. She’s utilized her intelligence to get connected here, only to beryllium insulted by a sexist and rude comment,” 1 personification wrote.

In a Reddit thread for nan episode, 1 personification said astir nan clue, “It was a weird choice. There are plentifulness of different rhyming phrases to take from that don’t make your contestants, your host, and your assemblage visibly uncomfortable.”

Foss, who has been moving connected “Jeopardy!” since 2001, explained connected nan show’s podcast really nan violative hint ended up successful nan episode.

“I deliberation galore group retired location thought the ‘Jeopardy!’ writers wrote this, aliases thought this,” she said. “But successful fact, Dorothy Parker wrote this, astir 100 years ago, successful a 1926 book. We were conscionable simply filling successful nan category.”

Foss past noted really galore awesome publications covered nan incident, arsenic Cohen shared that he moreover heard astir it successful person.

“Can I show you, personification ran up to maine successful a java shop and was like, ‘what was this going connected pinch nan glasses, making nosy of nan glasses?’ ” Cohen said. “I was for illustration ‘What are you talking about?’ Wild. We gotta publication more.”

Foss added, “And Ken successful nan infinitesimal was like, ‘Oh gosh, woah that’s harsh’ to Heather, because he was conscionable being a big successful nan moment.”

Cohen noted that Jennings, 50, was “having a small fun” by calling retired nan hint correct distant connected nan show.

“But I really deliberation that group retired location are convinced that ‘Jeopardy!’ writers pinned this because they deliberation ‘men seldom make passes…’” said Foss. “I don’t know! Sometimes nan clickbait, it’s excessively much.”

“Jeopardy!” airs weekdays astatine 7 p.m. ET.