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A controversial Jeopardy puzzle about pronouns has angered a number of viewers, prompting some to turn their back on the famed game show – possibly for forever.
During Monday’s (Feb. 26) Tournament of Champions quarterfinal, contestant Cris Pannullo chose a $600 puzzle in the “Speech! Parts of Speech!” category. The puzzle simply read, “Xem, Xyrs, Xemself,” to which Pannullo guessed, “What are pronouns?”
Jeopardy host Ken Jennings confirmed the guess. “Those are pronouns,” he said. “Neopronouns.”
Xem, xyrs, and xemself are examples of gender-neutral pronouns that have become increasingly popular in recent years, in addition to ze/zir, or the more commonly used he/she/they.
The puzzle sparked swift backlash after clips of the episode began circulating on X, where many angered fans began using the hashtag #BoycottJeopardy.
Conservatives were vocally against the show’s decision to include the puzzle. “I will NEVER watch Jeopardy after this. After Alex [Trebek], it all went downhill,” one fan wrote.
“Go woke, go broke!” another viewer wrote in response to the clip, echoing a sentiment that many conservatives have been espousing amidst the ongoing culture war between conservatives and progressives.
“You evidently have a radical social activist using Neo-Marxist Newspeak writing for you,” one commenter wrote. “I suggest you stick to reality. It’s just “she” and “he” from the moment of conception & forever.”
“Jeopardy died with Alex Trebek,” another viewer replied, while another user wrote, “Completely unnecessary. Sad to see another mainstay of American culture go woke.”
Despite the conservative outrage, the use of gender-neutral pronouns has certainly become more common in recent years. A 2021 study from the Pew Research Center reports that 26 percent of adults in the United States “personally knew someone who goes by gender-neutral pronouns such as ‘they’ instead of ‘he’ or ‘she.'”
Pannullo’s correct guess was unfortunately not enough to keep him in the Tournament of Champions.
Instead, Jared Watson will be advancing on as a semifinalist after coming out on top with $32,200.
