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IS YOUR HEART TWO SIZES TOO SMALL?

6/27/2021

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Answer: What wins the prize for most ill thought out
​ game show question.
Welcome readers, I am your guest host.  ​ Buzzers ready, good luck. 

The Category is OPPOSITES
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BUZZ! What is INCORRECT
That is correct, nicely done
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BUZZ! What is INSENSITIVITY
Correct again, next category
The Category is SYNDROMES
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BUZZ! What is DEPRESSION
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Go To Jail
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.


The apology and response

Thank you @Jeopardy. We accept your apology and appreciate that you were willing to listen to our patient community. We'd love to see some autonomic nervous system clues in the future! We encourage everyone to learn about POTS by watching this brief video: https://t.co/BYH9JsedgZ

— Dysautonomia Intl. (@Dysautonomia) June 22, 2021

Oh, gosh, Jeopardy writers, you did apologize and publically correct your mistake. Darn, look who's in jail now. It is a bit lonely here, but not for long...


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I need a "get out of jail" card.
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.​
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Spoiler alert: Many of the people needing to comment, needed to "go to jail"

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.)
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Kudos Bea -Get out of jail
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.
So, what's this got to do with poetry and kids. Well...

Roses are red
Violets are blue
If you use a word sword
Your kids will too
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PEOPLE, PEOPLE...

How have we come to think it is just dandy to belittle those who are suffering from a disease many of you had to google to learn about. Why not learn about it from the people who have it and trust that if this population has something to say, it might be worth listening to? Maybe if we all did this routinely, we might enjoy more cumbyah moments in life. Try walking in your neighbors shoes. See if you can muster up some emotional IQ and exhibit empathy. I really believe that when you do so, you make a concerted effort to choose kindness over judgement. The ability to see a person for what they are is a learned skill. Imagine a world where adults dared not put words in print that they dared not speak in person. Imagine the implications for the child sponges who constantly soak up the behaviors we spilled for them. I think we adults are going to be very crowded together in jail if we don't start modeling the better behavior.
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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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Let your heart
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grow two sizes
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too big
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instead letting your mind
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become two sizes
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too small
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