June 23, 2021
Jeopardy! Game show apologized after an offensive and out of date reference of heart disease on social media hit a nerve.
According to Yahoo Entertainment, presenter Savannah Guthrie delivered this notice on Monday: “Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is also known as Grinch syndrome because this organ is too small.”
The correct answer – in the form of a question – was, “What is the heart?”
POTS is a debilitating condition that causes your heart to quicken at least 30 beats per minute after you transition from sitting or lying down to standing. This happens when your body’s autonomic nervous system, which should be working automatically, cannot control your blood pressure and heart rate to compensate for your change in posture.
The Grinch reference (the Dr. Seuss character had “a heart two sizes too small”) offended some people. POTS has nothing to do with a tiny ticker, noticed a number of people on social media.
“#Jeopardy is wrong. The #POTS condition does not change the size of the heart. I know because I have it! was diagnosed in 2007. I’ve never heard of it being referred to as the “Grinch” condition! Big mistake, ”tweeted a woman
“Oh @Jeopardy, this is shameful. I have POTs and I am sorry you would resort to them. How low. And I would add, incredibly wrong. Would you seriously tell a child that they have a disease that makes them a Grinch ?! I just can’t believe it, ”tweeted one person.
Dysautonomia International, which raises research funding and promotes awareness of autonomic nervous system disorders, tweeted, “Nobody with any credibility calls POTS ‘Grinch Syndrome.’ It’s not cool promoting outdated misogynist terms to describe a debilitating autonomic nervous system disorder that affects millions of Americans. We apologize on behalf of our community. Do it better.”
On Tuesday the show tweeted, “Yesterday’s program contained a reference to Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). After hearing from the community, we realized we were using an outdated and imprecise term for this disorder and we apologize for it. “
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Yahoo Entertainment: “’Danger!’ Viewers upset by inaccurate and offensive medical response “
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Twitter: @Jeopardy June 22nd
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