Answer: What wins the prize for most ill thought out
game show question.
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The Category is OPPOSITES
The Category is SYNDROMES
Yes, that is the appropriate answer, but sadly, it is also factually incorrect and insensitive. Go to jail. Oh, wait, sorry - wrong game. But, hey, this is my blog and my rules. The jail is quite crowded because it is where the Jeopardy writers landed after their original Grinch clue. They will remain there until they apologize to those suffering from this debilitating condition and promise to demonstrate a higher emotional IQ when writing Jeopardy clues in the future. The Eeyore clue was written solely to provide a comparison to the Grinch clue, in hopes of helping some see the insensitivity as it is applied to another debilitating medical condition. Honestly, it was written to drive my point home.
This Jeopardy kerfuffle illuminated the current polarization within our society. Taking Jeopardy out of the picture, let's look at the reactions of the public to the gaff itself. Let me just emphasize that it was a gaff. The clue contained admittedly incorrect information that was corrected by Jeopardy.
There seemed to be two schools of thought surrounding the hurly-burly (a cool synonym of kerfuffle). Basically, they are: the outraged and the get over it, the insulted and the get over it, the left wing PC hounds and the I don't give a flying left wing and neither should you, the informed and the ill-informed, and finally, the I'm a little bit country, and I'm a little bit rock and roll. I think you get my drift. I was fascinated by a comment thread I found on the subject. It mirrored the two schools of thought. Here is a small sample of the thread. Note to you: if you click on the date, it is a link to the thread in its entirety. It is worth the read. john says: June 23, 2021 at 5:57 AM its was not a major blunder. human make mistakes. get over it. for a show to get near perfect research. is impressive record. (I'm not certain I can take John seriously, due to the simple fact he is a pot calling the kettle black in the category of blunders. His blunder category falls under grammar. If, however, I were to take john seriously, the tone of his comment, and his inability to understand why someone might be hurt by such a description of a disabling condition reduced to a Dr. Seuss character's attribution would be reason for him to "go to jail") The second school of thought is that those thinking POTS should be renamed Grinch Syndrome are insensitive clods who have never lived a day in a handicapped person's mobility scooter - therefore they need to just shut their pie-holes (and go to jail). Responding to AIS, Bea says: June 22, 2021 at 9:43 PM I suspect without knowing it you proved what patients having POTs find so irksome. As a population, we often see more than a few cardiologists to obtain a proper diagnosis-we are also often treated inappropriately, dismissed and lead to the door with the recommendation that we lose weight (even if we are not overweight) and exercise (even though it was those heart muscle building exercises that triggered the need to pass out in the first place). Call me a Grinch, but maybe those were the docs that put such an inept description in a medical journal. There are some things that are just legit offensive; incorrect information touted as correct, the assumption that it is ok to label a disability in a derogatory fashion or worse, to be judged by a mind two sizes too small. It is the complex nature of POTS that leaves us all a bit starved for an accurate depiction. The last thing I need is another person lashing out at me because I parked in the handicapped spot they think I don’t deserve- after all, you can’t see a tiny Grinch heart, even if that nonsense were true. Although this is a well-spoken thought, Bea goes to jail for the degree of snark disguised as humor. Bea also says: June 23, 2021 at 6:09 AM Important P.S. I applaud Jeopardy for their apology. People make mistakes, and those with character make amends. The amends set the show apart from those who say “just get over it”. Thank you, Jeopardy. (Full disclosure, Bea is actually yours truly. POTS runs in our family and I am well versed in the syndrome as well as its devastating and handicapping symptoms, which BTW, are largely invisible.)
What was so fascinating about the thread was the tone of the persons chiming in. There was disgust, vehemence, judgement , occasional kind tones with sprinkles of empathy. It was as if some people writing truly had hearts two sizes to small and enjoyed the chance to skewer others using their word-sword.
PEOPLE, PEOPLE...
Jeopardy made a mistake which offended some of its viewers and was also factually incorrect. However, they wasted no time listening to those they offended, and made amends, showing a heart-warming strength of character. They apologized as fans were doubling down in judgement of those upset by the "cluelessness" of the clue. Would this have been you? If it is, maybe it is time to see a cardiologist to diagnose whether your heart is two sizes too small. For goodness’ sake, just not the ones who wrote that study mentioned above-I don't like their methods.
The moral of this blog...
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