Mayim Bialik, who was recently announced as one of the new Jeopardy! hosts, is getting roasted online for her vaccine stance, and more.
Alex Trebek, the beloved host of Jeopardy! passed away in November 2020 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. On August 11th, it was revealed that two hosts will be on Jeopardy! for the first time in the game show's history: Bialik, and longtime producer, Mike Richards. Richards will be hosting the daily show and Bialik will be hosting the spin-off series, Jeopardy! National College Championship.
Both of these choices, however, are controversial. Richards recently came under fire for sexual harassment claims on The Price is Right; and Bialik, who is known for playing Amy Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, has been getting heat for her vaccine stance, and the products she promotes.
Bialik wrote in her 2012 parenting book, Beyond the Sling, that she hadn't gotten a vaccine in 30 years. At the time, many questioned whether or not she was anti-vax. She received backlash for the statement recently, given the stuation with the pandemic.
However, she later clarified that she and her kids have gotten their shots, including their Covid-19 vaccinations. Still, some label her messages to the public as "mixed."
Bialik was also called out for the supplements she promotes. In particular, she promotes a product called Neuriva, which claims to enhance brain functioning - however, this claim is not backed by science.
Bialik was also criticized for her op-ed on the Harvey Weinstein case in the New York Times, in which she implied that the victims were to blame for representing "an impossible standard of beauty" or that they somehow went looking to be sexually assaulted.
Bialik is perhaps more staunchly criticized than most celebrities would be for these stances, because she holds a doctorate in neuroscience from UCLA. One may expect that someone with such an accolade would speak on the evidence regarding her claims and the claims of the products she promotes, but a common thread in these complaints is that she has not done so sufficiently.
Jeopardy! has not responded to the social media protests.