Wheel of FortuneAfter a recent episode in which a few wrong guesses led t to an unfortunate ending, Pat Sajak made it a point to encourage viewers to be kind to him. Two minutes of tortureThe game show. Sajak was inspired by a contestant’s story to call it bluntly after Sajak called it. “the most pointless story ever told,”On the March 9th episode, fans criticized the long-time host for not heeding his own advice.
Pat Sajak was asked by producers to question Scott about the cutting of his big toe when he introduced contestants. Scott told the host that 30 years prior, he’d fallen off of his bike and caused the top of his toe to be sliced off. Two paramedics witnessed the accident and quickly helped Scott reattach his foot. Scott wanted to make the most of his TV moment to publicly thank first responders. The stunned audience began applauding, but the host cut them off and declared:
This may have been the most absurd story ever told. Scott, that was a great story. You deserve congratulations.
Yikes. As if the insult weren’t enough, Pat Sajak also sarcastically felicitated Scott for the absurdity of the story. Wheel of Fortune fans immediately made the connection between Pat Sajak’s comment and his previous call for fans to cut the contestants some slack. Some TweetScott was due an apology from Sajak
So @patsajak got on his @WheelofFortune high horse a week ago & lectured everyone to be nice to contestants who couldn’t solve an easy puzzle, but tonight he had no problem belittling and insulting a contestant who told their intro story. Scott should be reprimanded. #WheelOfFortune
Twitter went wild after contestants failed multiple times to solve the puzzles on March 1, just one week prior. “Another feather in your cap.”Pat Sajak addressed hypercritical fans in an a A series of tweets asking viewers to “have a little heart”and how stressful it can be for contestants on stage. Following Sajak’s seemingly hypocritical comment on March 9, Some fansWe called for Sajak’s replacement:
So it’s not okay for viewers to laugh when contestants miss an obvious answer but it’s okay for the host (@patsajak) to not pay attention to a contestant, completely dismiss his story & call it pointless on national TV? @WheelofFortune is in dire need of a new host
It’s not going to happen, but it would be nice. Other viewers saidIt is not a sin to say thank you to those who have helped you in your time of need.
Is it really necessary to publicly express gratitude to first responders? It doesn’t matter how long ago the incident occurred, it is important to do so in these times!
In his TweetsPat Sajak has admitted that he was involved in the March 1 incident. “teasing the players occasionally,”But he says he feels bad for contestants who have to go through difficulties during the game. He also tries his best to offer comfort and support when needed. Even though the episodes were recorded months ahead, and he could not have predicted how people would react, it seems that he forgot his own rude remarks when trying to correct rude viewers.
One Twitter user said he doesn’t see that kind of comfort from Pat Sajak as much as he used to:
@patsajak Your kindness to contestants on @WheelofFortune was a great thing. You made them feel at home and calmed their nerves. You try to be funny more and more, and I think you are a complete scumbag. I’m changing my mind.
Pat Sajak is known for teasing the players, as he admits. These zingers are often taken in the same tone that the host intended. However, this episode definitely suffered unfortunate timing issues for airing so soon after the show’s 40-year-strong host chastised fans for very similar behavior.
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