Pat Sajak, longtime host of the game show “Wheel Of Fortune,” seemingly mocked a contestant with a speech impediment on Monday night’s show. Fans took to Twitter to blast him for his offense, but not all fans agree he was being glib.
Did Sajak Mock Contestant’s Speech?
When contestant Chris Brimble told Sajak what he does for a living, it became clear that he has a slight lisp.
The 74-year-old host responded with a question asking if it is a “myth” that older folks are averse to technology. Brimble, smiling, states that it is in fact a myth, and “you’d be surprised how open they are.”
When Sajak concluded the interview, he said “I thee” instead of “I see.”
Did @patsajak just mock one of the contestants?? @WheelofFortune @TMZ pic.twitter.com/brJIMEB4yh
— phil (@nicolegphil) February 23, 2021
Sajak Hit With Backlash
Though Brimble laughed off the comment, fans were outraged, and they made it clear that they felt that Sajak had crossed the line.
@patsajak Hey douchebag, say a cheap shot making fun of a contestant with a lisp. I teach speech therapy. You have been on the air for far too long. It's time for you to retire. Your sarcasm is offensive and only funny to idiots such as yourself.
— Bill Strippoli (@BillStrippoli) February 23, 2021
Hopefully you learned by your mistake and stop making fun of those with a lisp. As a woman who has lived all her life with one (and my parents put me in speech classes when I was first going to school as a youngster), I find it appalling that you do that kind of crap.
— Lissy Dunning (@DunningLissy) February 23, 2021
As someone your age, who grew up with hearing impaired cousins, I was taught that we NEVER made fun of their speech pattern. To this day I wouldn't even think of doing what you did so don't get on your "exemplary" high horse about it. You were 100% wrong. Own it and DO BETTER!
— Joe Cantito (@joecant9) February 23, 2021
But, not everyone saw it that way:
Wow! Just saw a bunch of nonsense about @patsajak supposedly making fun of a contestant’s lisp on @WheelofFortune If you watch the show, Pat always delights in weird words/sounds like myth, isthmus, Antigua and San Pedro. He went from “myth” to “I thee (see).” It’s that thimple.
— Russ Ceccola (@RussCeccola) February 23, 2021
Related: Pat Sajak And Vanna White Discuss Alex Trebek’s Legacy Before His Final Two Episodes Air
Brimble Moves on
Yahoo Entertainment reported that Brimble was not thrown off by Sajak’s comment. He ended the game with $12,250 in prize money. However, he fell just short of winning the entire game and going through to the bonus round.
In another moment from Sajak’s interview that wasn’t controversial, Brimble asked how long one has to be married before they’re no longer considered a “newlywed?”
“You know I’ve been married 31 years and I still feel like a newlywed,” Sajak told co-host Vanna White at the end of the show. “It’s going to be a big night at the Sajak house.”
Sajak has yet to comment on the controversy regarding his mocking of Brimble’s speech impediment.
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