'Jeopardy!' Gets Backlash for Naming Dr. Oz a Guest Host

The official Jeopardy! Twitter account announced a slate of upcoming guest hosts for the show on [...]

By Michael Hein

The official Jeopardy! Twitter account announced a slate of upcoming guest hosts for the show on Tuesday, but fans took issue with one name on the list: Dr. Mehmet Oz. The talk show doctor has a bad reputation when it comes to scientific accuracy, and has promoted some legitimately dangerous theories — especially since the coronavirus pandemic began. Considering Jeopardy!'s focus on objective facts, many fans complained that he is a bad fit for the show.

Oz is the next host in line on Jeopardy!'s list of upcoming appearances, followed by Anderson Cooper, Savannah Guthrie, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Katie Couric, Aaron Rodgers, Bill Whitaker, Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings and Mike Richards. Out of all of them, viewers took the most issue with Oz. Many of his most inflammatory statements over the years have resurfaced in the wake of this announcement.

As appalled as fans were, their tweets seem unlikely to change the show's line-up. Many of those posting on social media are relatively young, at least compared to the game show's target audience. A source close to the production told Page Six that viewers' median age is 64.2 years old. "The Jeopardy! audience is very conservative. And the show has always steered clear of politics," the insider said. "Jeopardy! viewers are quite a traditional bunch."

Tradition is not a big part of Oz's brand either, but it makes sense that he would be popular with this older, more conservative crowd. Still, that did not stop fans from making themselves heard on social media. Here is a look at what they had to say about Oz guest-hosting Jeopardy!

Not Watching

Many people used social media to declare that they will simply not watch Jeopardy! on the week that Dr. Oz is the host. It was not an organized call for a boycott, but it may get the point across to producers.

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COVID-19 Comments

Many critics brought up Dr. Oz's commentary from throughout the coronavirus pandemic, saying that they did not want to see him on Jeopardy! after hearing him share questionable information about COVID-19 on the air.

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Facts

Jeopardy! fans pointed out that part of the show's strength is its emphasis on facts — objective and indisputable trivia. By contrast, Oz's reputation mostly concerns unproven and extreme theories that will grab his viewers' attention.

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Past Stunts

With Dr. Oz back in the headlines, some critics took to mocking him for his past stunts gone awry. Comedian Daniel Kibblesmith revived a 2013 tweet that seemed awkward in hindsight to many readers.

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Alternatives

Many users proposed alternate guest-hosts for Jeopardy!, including self-made stars in the S.T.E.M. sphere on social media like Raven Baxter.

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Format

Jeopardy! fans phrased their complaints about Oz in the show's iconic format — the answer followed by the question. Many used this phrasing to devastating effect on Oz's reputation.

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Alex Trebek

Finally, many critics could not help but compare Oz to the late Alex Trebek, and they found him wanting. Some argued that it was an insult to Trebek's memory to replace him — even temporarily — with Oz.

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