Fans of the long-running quiz show have joined hundreds of former contestants in opposing Dr. Oz taking his turn as temporary Jeopardy! host. The critics have slammed Dr. Oz’s response to the Covid pandemic and other “misleading medical advice for profit” on his daily talk show as harmful to viewers.
They find it “ironic” that the “snakeoil salesman” is now hosting a show based on facts. A slew of guest hosts have stepped into the late Alex Trebek’s shoes as production tries to decide what should be done about permanently filling the Jeopardy! hosting role.
Jeopardy! Fans and Past Contestants Slam “Snakeoil Salesman”, Dr. Mehmet Oz’s Temporary Host Gig
To date the guest hosts: anchor and correspondent, Katie Couric, Jeopardy! executive producer, Mike Richards and G.O.A.T. Jeopardy! contestant, Ken Jennings have all been well-received (although there were controversies surrounding Jennings’ past tweets surrounding his temporary tenure).
However, fans are strongly condemning the show’s decision to hire Dr. Oz saying that giving the TV doctor even more of a platform is “dangerous.” They join the hundreds of ex-Jeopardy! contestants who had signed a petition over a month ago, when Dr. Oz was added to the guest host line-up.
“Dr. Oz stands in opposition to everything that Jeopardy! stands for,” the letter reads. “Jeopardy! is a show that values facts and knowledge. Throughout his nearly two decades on television he has used his authority as a doctor to push harmful ideas onto the American public, in stark contrast with his oath to first do no harm.”
The petition went on to cite Dr. Oz’s promotion of useless supplements, legitimization of gay conversion therapy, and touting of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for Covid to back up their claims that the doctor, who has become “increasingly dependent on dangerous pseudo-science”, will taint the academically rigorous quiz show.
“We’ve seen writers and judges frantically cross-reference answers in real time to make sure that the facts are accurate,” the letter continued. “To then invite Dr. Oz to guest-host is a slap in the face to all involved.”
It seems though, with Dr. Oz beginning his two week host tenure this past Monday, the petition didn’t, or couldn’t change the Jeopardy! producers’ minds. After all, the contestants would be the ones to suffer most by editing these two weeks out.
All this is good news for quarterback and ex-celebrity Jeopardy! champion Aaron Rodgers when he takes over from Dr. Oz on April 5!
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