What’s: “A case of horrible timing”?
An sadly dated clue in Friday’s episode of “Jeopardy!” — which alluded to “critical border points” relating to Ukraine and Russia — was recorded on Jan. 11, 2022, greater than a month earlier than Vladimir Putin invaded that country on Feb. 24.
Host Ken Jennings read the $800 clue within the class “Bordering Russia”: ”The Kerch Strait — together with critical border points — separates Russia from this nation on the Black Sea.”
The reply, after all, was Ukraine.
The 1.9-mile-long strait separates Russia from Crimea to its west and Ukraine to the north. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and subsequently built a bridge throughout the strait to attach the 2 in 2018.
The long-running sport present apparently tried to get forward of any potential outrage in regards to the phase by tweeting a warning message at 5:11 p.m. ET Friday.
“Please observe the clue in immediately’s present regarding Russia and Ukraine was recorded on Jan. 11, 2022,” the present wrote within the publish, though it didn’t specify what was within the clue on the time.
The Submit has reached out to Sony — which produces the present — for remark.
One commenter discovered the timing to be eerie. “Who would [have] thought they might be a serious matter within the every day information only some weeks later,” they offered. “Spooky.”
One other thought that the present should have known {that a} warfare is perhaps occur, writing, “Y’all didn’t know an invasion was imminent? I knew final 12 months it was a risk.”
Nevertheless, many tweeters appeared unbothered by the clue.
“Nothing offensive was mentioned or written. No want for any type of clarification or clarification,” wrote one commenter, who added — in a nod to the present’s late, beloved longtime host Alex Trebek — “Facet observe: I miss Mr. Alex.”
“The actual fact they felt the necessity to ‘get in entrance of it’ is a transparent indication for a way delicate and ridiculous cancel tradition may be,” one unconcerned person responded, while another suggested, ”That is the way you juice the f–king rankings proper right here.”
Greater than 1.2 million determined Ukrainians — greater than 2% of the nation’s inhabitants — have attempted to flee the horrors of their nation since Putin’s invasion one week in the past. In the meantime, on Friday, Russia was accused of utilizing brutal “cluster bombs” to assault targets — together with the northern metropolis of Chernihiv, reportedly leading to not less than 33 civilian deaths — a declare it has denied.
Sadly, the Ukraine-Russia clue debacle wasn’t the one concern viewers had with the “Jeopardy!” episode.
In one other class, a clue about Sam Smith misgendered the singer as “he” — despite the fact that “Keep With Me” crooner famously came out as non-binary in 2019 and now makes use of the pronouns “they/them.”
“Upset” viewers piled on the present, with some noting that Smith’s Twitter bio explicitly states “They/Them” and saying that Smith’s pronouns are “fairly broadly identified and simply confirmed.”
“Sam Smith makes use of they/them pronouns, and I actually don’t know the way this was missed by their writers and researchers,” one other critic tweeted. “Do higher.”
