Photo: Jeopardy
Jeopardy!winner Kelly Donohue is trying to clear up some controversy that arose following his appearance on the game show Tuesday.
In anopen letterwith more than 550 signatures, formerJeopardy!contestants called on the show and Donohue to make a public disavowal of white supremacy and racism regardless of whether the symbol was intentional.
Donohue responded to the controversy in aFacebook poston Thursday morning.
“I’m truly horrified with what has been posted about me on social media,” he began. “I absolutely, unequivocally condemn white supremacy and racism of any kind. People who know me personally know that I am not a racist, but for the public at large it bears repeating: I am not a racist and I reject and condemn white supremacy and all forms of bigotry for the evil they are.”
He continued, “It’s shameful to me to think anyone would try to use the stage ofJeopardy!to advance or promote such a disgusting agenda. During the taping of my fourth episode, I was simply raising three fingers to mark my 3rd win. There was nothing more I was trying to indicate.”
“I deeply regret this terrible misunderstanding. I never meant to hurt a soul and I assure you I am no friend of racists or white supremacists,” he concluded.
In the statement, Donohue also mentioned a previous Facebook post he made in which he denied using the white supremacy symbol and said “there wasn’t a hidden agenda or any malice” behind his gesture.
Representatives forJeopardy!did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
CBS
The open letter, published on Medium on Wednesday, referenced various instances in whichJeopardy!re-recorded or edited moments that would have been “undesirable for broadcast.”
The letter also cited a moment from Monday’s episode ofJeopardy!,during which Donohue responded to a clue with a term for the Roma people that is considered a slur.
Though Cooper noted that the correct term is Roma or Romani, the letter writers said the moment similarly should have been re-recorded to avoid it making it onto the air. (Donohue did not address his answer in his Thursday statement.)
“Yes, it may be an innocent or ignorant reply, and yes, it was technically correct,” the letter read. “But on a television show for an international audience, the impact on a larger stage needs to be taken into account. A search of recent show archives reveals that the writers of clues have used the term ‘Gypsy’ five times in the last two years.”
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It continued, “We ask the writers to remove this word from their vocabulary when it’s not being used in the context of a title of an artwork or a direct quotation. It would be best if they could craft clues that positively showcase the cultural heritage of the Roma and distance the association with hurtful stereotypes from the past.”
“We know that contestants sign morals and ethics-related agreements when they prepare to appear on the show, and we would ask the production team to evaluate this situation within that framework. We would like to know whether a sensitivity and diversity auditor is involved in the show’s writing,” it concluded. “Finally, we hope to see changes made so that future mistakes of this magnitude never make it on air.”
source: people.com
