Sometimes you read about history being made in the news. At other times, you witness that same history being made yourself before it ever gets reported in the news. I experienced both this week.
On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26th, major news outlines reported the event which my wife and I had viewed live the night before with blaring headlines such as this: 'Wheel Of Fortune' Host Pat Sajak Jokingly Calls Out 'Ungrateful' Contestant: 'I Finally Snapped!'
Melissa Roberto, reporting for www.Fox News.com, noted that the longtime gameshow host ultimately apologized, despite insisting he was “just teasing”.
What went down was this. Pat Sajak, the normally upbeat host of “Wheel of Fortune”, jokingly called out a contestant during the nightly episode. The result was that a great many viewers did not exactly know how to take what they had just witnessed.
It all began when a contestant solved a puzzle for things beginning with the word "kitchen." He (a man) gave the correct answer as: "Cabinet, oven, towels, sink". However, he then took it upon himself to continue speaking and to point out that the answer did not necessarily make sense.
“Kitchen oven? What was that?” he said. “Yeah, where else would you keep an oven?” Sajak quipped. “For sure in the kitchen, but who calls it a ‘kitchen oven?’” came the contestant’s retort. To which the host responded by saying: “You won! Don't argue… You got the puzzle! Ungrateful players, I've had it!” Sajak said all this while laughing, as he added these words: “No, I'm just teasing. I finally snapped!”
As might be expected in the modern world, Twitter immediately exploded, indicating that fans at home were fairly split on the contestant's perceived umbrage, as well as whether or not it was wrong for the host, even in jest, to call a contestant “ungrateful”.
To quote Roberto’s article:
"Oh my @patsajak almost lost it on this dude #WheelOfFortune," another reacted.
One viewer sided with Darin, writing on Twitter, "kitchen oven is like saying bathroom toilet #wheeloffortune."
"I agree...who calls it a Kitchen Oven. #WheelOfFortune," another wrote.
"Pat was trying to be funny!" one person defended Sajak, adding that the "(non) confrontation" was so slight they may have missed it... He wasn’t ‘mean’ or condescending. I watch this every weeknight."
Another insisted: "He was kidding around. How does this get twisted into Pat losing it???"
It is worth noting here that the contestant in question’s appearance on the show was somewhat unique in that he revealed that his mother had been a three-night champion back in the 1980s. Add to this the fact that he himself ultimately took home $15,350, to say nothing of an “apology” from Sajak, who quipped: “I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just -- I don't remember your mother giving us trouble like you did.” Needless to say, he and his family all profited significantly from their association with this one game show!
Of course, some may view all of this as simply “much ado about nothing”. After all, even given that the syndicated version of “Wheel of Fortune” is currently in its 38th season, at the end of the day, we are still talking about a mere game show!
And yet, I would contend that we may indeed be talking about more here – much more. To begin with, as the Twitter storm that ensued clearly indicates, we live in a world where people feel increasingly free, and often even compelled, to offer their opinion about anything and everything! In days gone by, contestants on game shows appeared glad just to be there. But now, apparently, they feel free to comment on the perceived quality and/or satisfaction of their experience even as it is happening.
Of course, the strange thing here, as Sajak pointed out, is that the contestant in question had actually solved the puzzle and won a significant amount of money in the process! One might understand if he had offered an answer that had been ruled incorrect, or if he had been beaten by a fellow competitor. But the irony is that he got the answer right, winning tons of money in the process, and yet still had the unmitigated audacity to complain about nature of the question! Go figure!
Now, I myself did not chime in, either on Twitter as we viewed the episode, or in the comments section on the news article. But, as you can see, I’m effectively doing so now. Because, at the end of the day, I happen to think that Pat Sajak was right.
While everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, this does not necessarily mean that he or she should offer that opinion at every turn. There is time and a place for everything, including sounding off. There is also a time for not doing so. So, beware! The modern penchant for spouting off, encouraged and exacerbated as it is by social media, may not necessarily always be appropriate!
Oh, and one more thing. Such a proclivity may be tell-tale, in that it really reflects a soul that is never truly satisfied, and thus, never truly grateful! Host Pat Sajak’s words are spot-on: “You won! Don't argue… You got the puzzle! Ungrateful players, I've had it!”
My suspicion is that he is not the only one who feels that way.
For surely God Himself would be justified in such a feeling should He choose to level a similar accusation at us. After all, no one has ever been as generous to us as has our Heavenly Father. Yet, so often, what does He get from us in return, if not an attitude of ingratitude which only seeks to find things wrong with all the blessings we have received?!
No doubt it was providential, therefore, that, despite being filmed well in advance, this particular episode, complete with the scene in question, was fated to be broadcast nationwide on the very night before Thanksgiving. How apropos!
As you and I continue to process the leftovers of Thanksgiving Day, may we be faithful as well to process our many blessings. And may that process involve a grateful acknowledgement of, and not a sarcastic questioning of and/or complaining about the nature of what those God-given blessings are!
Lyricist Don Moen put it this way: “Give thanks, with a grateful heart!” The last four words are just as important as the first two ever were. For presuming to give God thanks without a truly grateful heart is at best disingenuous, and at worst blasphemous!
Therefore, let us give thanks; and let us do so with a truly grateful heart!
SOURCES:
NEWS STORY: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/wheel-of-fortune-pat-sajak-calls-out-ungrateful-contestant.
LYRICS: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/donmoen/givethanks.html.
On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26th, major news outlines reported the event which my wife and I had viewed live the night before with blaring headlines such as this: 'Wheel Of Fortune' Host Pat Sajak Jokingly Calls Out 'Ungrateful' Contestant: 'I Finally Snapped!'
Melissa Roberto, reporting for www.Fox News.com, noted that the longtime gameshow host ultimately apologized, despite insisting he was “just teasing”.
What went down was this. Pat Sajak, the normally upbeat host of “Wheel of Fortune”, jokingly called out a contestant during the nightly episode. The result was that a great many viewers did not exactly know how to take what they had just witnessed.
It all began when a contestant solved a puzzle for things beginning with the word "kitchen." He (a man) gave the correct answer as: "Cabinet, oven, towels, sink". However, he then took it upon himself to continue speaking and to point out that the answer did not necessarily make sense.
“Kitchen oven? What was that?” he said. “Yeah, where else would you keep an oven?” Sajak quipped. “For sure in the kitchen, but who calls it a ‘kitchen oven?’” came the contestant’s retort. To which the host responded by saying: “You won! Don't argue… You got the puzzle! Ungrateful players, I've had it!” Sajak said all this while laughing, as he added these words: “No, I'm just teasing. I finally snapped!”
As might be expected in the modern world, Twitter immediately exploded, indicating that fans at home were fairly split on the contestant's perceived umbrage, as well as whether or not it was wrong for the host, even in jest, to call a contestant “ungrateful”.
To quote Roberto’s article:
"Oh my @patsajak almost lost it on this dude #WheelOfFortune," another reacted.
One viewer sided with Darin, writing on Twitter, "kitchen oven is like saying bathroom toilet #wheeloffortune."
"I agree...who calls it a Kitchen Oven. #WheelOfFortune," another wrote.
"Pat was trying to be funny!" one person defended Sajak, adding that the "(non) confrontation" was so slight they may have missed it... He wasn’t ‘mean’ or condescending. I watch this every weeknight."
Another insisted: "He was kidding around. How does this get twisted into Pat losing it???"
It is worth noting here that the contestant in question’s appearance on the show was somewhat unique in that he revealed that his mother had been a three-night champion back in the 1980s. Add to this the fact that he himself ultimately took home $15,350, to say nothing of an “apology” from Sajak, who quipped: “I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just -- I don't remember your mother giving us trouble like you did.” Needless to say, he and his family all profited significantly from their association with this one game show!
Of course, some may view all of this as simply “much ado about nothing”. After all, even given that the syndicated version of “Wheel of Fortune” is currently in its 38th season, at the end of the day, we are still talking about a mere game show!
And yet, I would contend that we may indeed be talking about more here – much more. To begin with, as the Twitter storm that ensued clearly indicates, we live in a world where people feel increasingly free, and often even compelled, to offer their opinion about anything and everything! In days gone by, contestants on game shows appeared glad just to be there. But now, apparently, they feel free to comment on the perceived quality and/or satisfaction of their experience even as it is happening.
Of course, the strange thing here, as Sajak pointed out, is that the contestant in question had actually solved the puzzle and won a significant amount of money in the process! One might understand if he had offered an answer that had been ruled incorrect, or if he had been beaten by a fellow competitor. But the irony is that he got the answer right, winning tons of money in the process, and yet still had the unmitigated audacity to complain about nature of the question! Go figure!
Now, I myself did not chime in, either on Twitter as we viewed the episode, or in the comments section on the news article. But, as you can see, I’m effectively doing so now. Because, at the end of the day, I happen to think that Pat Sajak was right.
While everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, this does not necessarily mean that he or she should offer that opinion at every turn. There is time and a place for everything, including sounding off. There is also a time for not doing so. So, beware! The modern penchant for spouting off, encouraged and exacerbated as it is by social media, may not necessarily always be appropriate!
Oh, and one more thing. Such a proclivity may be tell-tale, in that it really reflects a soul that is never truly satisfied, and thus, never truly grateful! Host Pat Sajak’s words are spot-on: “You won! Don't argue… You got the puzzle! Ungrateful players, I've had it!”
My suspicion is that he is not the only one who feels that way.
For surely God Himself would be justified in such a feeling should He choose to level a similar accusation at us. After all, no one has ever been as generous to us as has our Heavenly Father. Yet, so often, what does He get from us in return, if not an attitude of ingratitude which only seeks to find things wrong with all the blessings we have received?!
No doubt it was providential, therefore, that, despite being filmed well in advance, this particular episode, complete with the scene in question, was fated to be broadcast nationwide on the very night before Thanksgiving. How apropos!
As you and I continue to process the leftovers of Thanksgiving Day, may we be faithful as well to process our many blessings. And may that process involve a grateful acknowledgement of, and not a sarcastic questioning of and/or complaining about the nature of what those God-given blessings are!
Lyricist Don Moen put it this way: “Give thanks, with a grateful heart!” The last four words are just as important as the first two ever were. For presuming to give God thanks without a truly grateful heart is at best disingenuous, and at worst blasphemous!
Therefore, let us give thanks; and let us do so with a truly grateful heart!
SOURCES:
NEWS STORY: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/wheel-of-fortune-pat-sajak-calls-out-ungrateful-contestant.
LYRICS: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/donmoen/givethanks.html.