Ken Jennings Apologizes To Female Contestant For ‘Problematic’ Answer

During Monday night’s episode of Jeopardy!, host Ken Jennings acknowledged a “problematic” answer when contestant Heather Ryan selected the $400 clue in the category of “Complete the Rhyming Phrase.” After contestant Will Wallace finished the clue “Men rarely make passes at …” with the phrase “Girls who wear glasses.” Jennings swiftly recognized the issue, apologizing to Ryan (who wears glasses, and was the only woman on the panel) for the awkward situation. “Yeah, a little problematic,” the host said. “Sorry, Heather.” Wallace agreed. The quote was attributed to poet Dorothy Parker, and despite the moment, Ryan continued with the game and ultimately placed second in the episode, narrowly losing by just $1 to another contestant named Ian Taylor.