'Jeopardy' producers apologize for Church of the Nativity flap
The politics of the answer and question generated a storm of reactions on social media, prompting producers to issue an apology.
By HANNAH BROWNA view shows Banksy's the Walled Off hotel and a section of the Israeli barrier in Bethlehem, October 23, 2018.(photo credit: MUSSA QAWASMA/REUTERS)
“What is a question designed to cause headaches for the producers and generate controversy?” is the answer to: “A Jeopardy clue on an episode that aired Friday where contestants were told, ‘BUILT IN THE 300s A.D., THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.’”The flap began when contestant Katie Needle picked the “Where’s That Church?” category and got the clue mentioned above, to which she answered, “Palestine.”But host Alex Trebek said the answer was wrong, and when another contestant, Jack McGuire, buzzed in and said, “Israel,” he was told his response was correct, and he was awarded $200.During the break, Needle was credited with a correct answer, and her score was raised $200, some observant viewers noted.The Church of the Nativity is located in Bethlehem. Designated as being in Area A of the West Bank, the city has been under both Palestinian civil and military control since the signing of the Oslo II accords between Israel and the Palestinians in 1995. But Israel controls Area C around Bethlehem, which Palestinians view as an illegal occupation. Conversely, many Israelis believe the entire West Bank should be under Israeli control.The politics of the answer and question generated a storm of reactions on social media, mainly outrage from Palestinians who demanded a correction, as well as jubilation from those who see all of the West Bank as ultimately part of Israel.The controversy only intensified over the weekend, and producers offered an unusual apology in a statement on Monday that read: “We became aware that the clue was flawed as written and that determining an acceptable response would be problematic. In accordance with our rules and in the interest of fairness, we voided the clue and threw it out. We restored Katie’s and Jack’s scores to what they were prior to the clue. The outcome of the game was not affected.”The statement went on to explain that a replacement clue about the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe, which is located in Mexico, was filmed and should have aired instead of the Church of the Nativity clue.“Unfortunately, through human error in post-production, the uncorrected version of the game was broadcast. We regret the error and we will make every effort to ensure this never happens again,” the statement said.It sounds like the producers have added a new clue for themselves: “A subject never to be mentioned,” and they already have their answer: “What are Israel and Palestine?”
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