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Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak cast off his usual sarcasm and sardonic wit aimed at clueless guests on the show to defend contestants who were recently ridiculed on social media for failing to solve what audiences thought was an easy puzzle to solve.
Three Wheel of Fortune contestants from Tuesday night's episode went viral after they failed to solve the phrase, "Another Feather In Your Cap"–with only three letters remaining to complete the puzzle.
The players were stumped as they studied the board that read:
"Another Feather _n Yo_r _ap."
Social media users scorched the players and insulted their intelligence after it took eight turns and 10 attempts–inevitably leading to one player's "Bankruptcy" followed by a "Lose a Turn"–to solve the puzzle.
The woman on Wheel of Fortune got not one but TWO chances to solve this. First time, she said \u201c\u2026in your LAP.\u201d Second time, she said \u201cMAP.\u201d \n\nI am in utter disbelief. #WheelOfFortunepic.twitter.com/MtM3qD7pj6— Blake Oestriecher (@Blake Oestriecher) 1646181891
The next day, Sajak responded to the derision aimed at the contestants and defended them in a long Twitter thread.
"It always pains me when nice people come on our show to play a game and win some money and maybe fulfill a lifelong dream, and are then subject to online ridicule when they make a mistake or something goes awry," he tweeted on Wednesday.
It always pains me when nice people come on our show to play a game and win some money and maybe fulfill a lifelong dream, and are then subject to online ridicule when they make a mistake or something goes awry.— Pat Sajak (@Pat Sajak) 1646236554
The first attempted solve was \u201cFeather in your hat\u201d which, by the way, is how a lot of people say it. So all three players thought it was a good solve, and were stunned when I said it was wrong.— Pat Sajak (@Pat Sajak) 1646236555
Now imagine you\u2019re on national TV, and you\u2019re suddenly thrown a curve and you begin getting worried about looking stupid, and if the feather isn\u2019t in your hat, where the heck can it be? You start flailing away looking for alternatives rather than synonyms for \u201chat.\u201d— Pat Sajak (@Pat Sajak) 1646236555
In spite of being notorious for some good-natured ribbing of the contestants for their humorous lapses in judgment, Sajak explained his genuine intentions.
And, of course, when it\u2019s solved, you want to crawl in a hole. I\u2019ve been praised online for \u201ckeeping it together\u201d and not making fun of the players. Truth is, all I want to do is help to get them through it and convince them that those things happen even to very bright people.— Pat Sajak (@Pat Sajak) 1646236555
He also offered a perspective in an effort to make trolls understand the pressure contestants face in the spotlight and in the heat of the moment.
But mocking them online and calling them names? These are good people in a bad situation under a kind of stress that you can\u2019t begin to appreciate from the comfort of your couch.— Pat Sajak (@Pat Sajak) 1646236556
Good-natured laughter is one thing. Heck, they laughed at themselves. But, hey, cut them some slack. Unless you\u2019re there, you have no idea how different it is in the studio.— Pat Sajak (@Pat Sajak) 1646236556
I have fun with players and I tease them occasionally, but when things go wrong, I feel for them, and I try to salve the wounds on camera and off. So, yeah, it was an oddly entertaining puzzle and it\u2019s okay to laugh at the situation. But have a little heart.— Pat Sajak (@Pat Sajak) 1646236556
After all, you may be there one day. And no one wants to be trending on Twitter.— Pat Sajak (@Pat Sajak) 1646236556
Fans appreciated Sajak for taking the time to show some compassion and offer a glimpse into the minds of players on his show.
I remember you when you did weather for KNBC and have always admired you for your gracious and self-effacing demeanor. Your thread should be read by every keyboard warrior who is quick to pounce on the misfortune of others. Classy response.— Ron Mann (@Ron Mann) 1646251798
This is a great point, when you said it\u2019s not hat their brain thought \u201cit\u2019s feather somewhere other than on something that\u2019s on your head\u201d it\u2019s a mistake anyone can make in the heat of the moment.— The Goat (@The Goat) 1646270942
People sitting at home believe they are perfect and love to belittle others. God forbid someone makes a mistake, they pounce.— Andrea (@Andrea) 1646281501
Thank you Pat. This shows people when not in a stressful situation think differently. That poor lady had so much STRESS on her shoulders, I hope she is ok. \nThanks for being awesome @PatOnWheel— Orlando Ribbons SAY GAY\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Orlando Ribbons SAY GAY\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1646270326
Kudos for your defense. Ashamed of twitter bashing that took place. We laughed, but recognize unless your in their shoes, no judgements.— Martha Ford (@Martha Ford) 1646321542
Hey if you make it on the show \nYou are a better player than most!— jkdjkd (@jkdjkd) 1646264883
What a really, really nice thing to do/say, Pat!! I hope your contestants feel totally supported\u2026. And the bad-mouthers are appropriately chastised!— Darcy (@Darcy) 1646282275
Thank you so much for saying this.\n\nJeez, if you've NEVER HEARD a saying before, how cold you possible KNOW IT?\n\nPeople are mean jerks, and I'm glad you're standing up for the contestant. \n\n#HowCanYouKnowASayingYouveNeverHeard?— Karen H \ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f (@Karen H \ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f) 1646353278
Others joined Sajak in defending the contestants and also explained why the puzzle wasn't exactly a no-brainer to solve.
The only time I've even HEARD the expression "feather in your cap" is the audio book version of Men Are from Mars, Women are from Venus. It's not a very commonly used expression nowadays.— Dave Edwards (@Dave Edwards) 1646271908
Sorry to see there is such nonsense...just to add that most of us grew up with feather in your hat ... as caps have no place to put a feather...and feathers are always on hats...— Rosanna Cholak \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 (@Rosanna Cholak \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6) 1646279066
It is SO DIFFERENT having the lights and cameras and people watching your every move compared to just sitting at home.\nYour brain does not work the same way.\nSometimes the simplest, most obvious answers just don't come to you when you're under that kind of pressure.— Stuart Duncan (@Stuart Duncan) 1646273161
Before the answer to the puzzle was revealed, Tuesday's contestants guessed "Another feather in your hat," "Another feather in your lap," and "Another feather in your map."
The subsequent examples of Twitter reactions jeering the contestants included one user, who said, "I’m still in disbelief over all three contestants missing it at least once. I was screaming so loudly that my mother thought there was another war breaking out! The last few episodes have blown my mind at the failure to solve simple puzzles."
Another said, "I did not know whether to cringe or laugh."
Wheel of Fortune is often reported by news outlets for its endless instances of players committing epic fails.
One player was mocked online for incorrectly guessing the three-word puzzle, "The Next Generation," by answering "The Best Buttercup," to which the game show host was heard responding off-camera:
"Uh, no. Oddly enough, no."