In 2021, this VIP visitor judge on “Jeopardy!” was designated “a slap in the face to all involved” by a former contestant of the show.
What is Dr. Mehmet Oz?
“Jeopardy!” has enlisted an star-studded cast of substitute hosts including Katie Couric, Mayim Bialik and Aaron Rodgers to play quizmaster following the passing in November of legendary host Alex Trebek, who had helmed the beloved game show since 1984.
In any case, the new declaration that VIP M.D. Dr. Oz would be taking over the fact-
based game show this week has got fans questioning whether “Jeopardy!” producers have lost their way.
In an open letter distributed on Medium.com a month ago, a consortium of previous “Jeopardy!” champs and contestants urged the show to rethink the choice, claiming that casting the “dubious” doc in the role would celebrate “the elevation of … talking head[s] at the expense of academic rigor and consensus.”
“When we heard that Dr. Mehmet Oz was slated to be a guest host, agreement came quickly — we were opposed,” they began in their letter, published Feb. 24. “Dr. Oz stands in opposition to everything that Jeopardy! stands for.”
The exposition cites to various instances in which Dr. Oz, who started his career as a guest medical expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show, was openly censured for his un-investigated and conceivably “dangerous” claims.
“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. These ideas include promoting supplements that do nothing, legitimizing gay conversion therapy (which is banned in California, as well as 19 other states), dangerous ‘cures’ for autism, and, most recently, the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19.”
“None of these things is backed by any scientific fact and by promoting them he is actively putting his viewers in danger,” they added. The authors likewise referred to a 2014 letter wrote by Columbia Medial School staff, where Dr. Oz likewise instructs, requiring his removal from the program.
“‘Jeopardy!’ is known for being incredibly rigorous; a well-deserved reputation,” they concluded. “To then invite Dr. Oz to guest-host is a slap in the face to all involved.”
Fans have since taken to social media to repeat the letter’s assertions, refering to a recent report that discovered “half” of all Dr. Oz’s medical advice to be “baseless and wrong.”