What is the definition of sassiness?
Dictionary.com could have easily provided the “Jeopardy!” clue to the answer above in a tweet it published Friday after news broke that Mike Richards stepped down as the new host of the iconic quiz show.
“‘Jeopardy’ is a noun meaning ‘peril or danger,’” Dictionary.com tweeted. “Here it is in a sentence: ‘My job is in jeopardy because of my past comments.’”
Last week, “Jeopardy!” announced that Richards, the show’s executive producer since 2019, would succeed the late Alex Trebek as the show’s daily host.
The news uncovered numerous controversies associated with Richards. The Ringer reported that Richard made several sexist remarks while hosting “The Randumb Show” podcast from 2013 to 2014, which include him calling his female co-host Beth Triffon “booth ho” and “booth slut” after she spoke about working as a model at a trade show. He once suggested Triffon try out for Taiwanese roles because of her height. He also made disparaging remarks about women’s bodies and those who seek government assistance.
Several news outlets also resurfaced discrimination lawsuits against Richards soon after he was announced to be the host of “Jeopardy!” Most of the suits allege that Richards led a toxic work environment while he was an executive producer at “The Price Is Right.”
Many had also questioned the seemingly performative nature of auditioning new hosts on the legendary game show when the executive producer was vying for the gig himself.