As a gamer who’s spent countless hours glued to my screen, watching and loving shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, it’s disheartening to learn about the controversies that have surfaced behind the scenes. I’ve always admired these shows for their intellectual rigor and entertaining format, but the recent allegations of discriminatory behavior and retaliation against employees who spoke out are truly alarming.
Although highly acclaimed as some of the greatest game shows ever made, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune have not been free of controversy. In recent years, Mike Richards was dismissed as the series’ executive producer following the reemergence of his past controversial behavior. More recently, these Sony Productions shows are facing a barrage of complaints from two former employees who allege they faced discriminatory treatment and were let go for reporting it.
Shelley Ballance Ellis and Monique Diaz, who had worked for 26 and 23 years respectively at Sony Pictures Entertainment on shows like ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Jeopardy!’, were let go in April. According to USA TODAY, this occurred while they were still working there. Ryan Seacrest, who debuted as the host of ‘Wheel of Fortune’ later in the year, had been filming promos with Vanna White since at least February, which means he might have interacted with Ballance Ellis and Diaz before taking up his new role.
In court records, Shelley Balance Ellis, who leads the department responsible for clearing and obtaining licenses for shows, and is believed to be the highest-ranking African American executive in production, stated:
The truth is that I and others were targeted by Sony because we opposed discrimination.
A previous employee once recounted a 2020 meeting during the production of “Wheel of Fortune” as an illustration, where it’s said that some colleagues made a joking comparison between a Black woman’s hairstyle and the movie “The Elephant Man.” It is reported that Shelley Ballance Ellis responded by asking what part of this joke was considered amusing.
Additionally, she shared that she had expressed worries about potentially biased “Jeopardy!” questions and called for a wider variety of inclusive, well-rounded clues representing individuals from various cultures. The former executive stated that despite taking on additional tasks following the departure of three other producers, she was not offered promotions. She raised her concerns in 2023, as mentioned in the complaint, which further stated:
In simpler terms, I clarified that I felt I encountered a ‘ceiling’ or barrier to advancement at Sony due to being a Black woman, contradicting the assertion by my peers that the presence of white female leaders signified no such barriers for individuals like myself of color or Black women.
Shelley Ballance Ellis recounted additional incidents that impacted her and fellow workers, such as the 2017 “Southern Charm Week” episode on Wheel of Fortune, during which Pat Sajak and Vanna White were filmed in front of a plantation with two actors portraying antebellum-era slaves. The show allegedly apologized for this incident back then.
Monique Diaz further elaborated on other instances she claims to have observed, such as the contrast in treatment between contestants of different races compared to their white peers. To illustrate this, let’s consider comedian Leslie Jones, who was reportedly ridiculed by a production supervisor for wanting to bring her own hairdresser for the show “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
It’s been said that the worries of employees concerning racial bias were allegedly overlooked, for instance when Diaz, who is Latina, discovered she was making around $50,000 less per year than a fresh hire who was white and performed the same tasks. No action was taken after she submitted a complaint to human resources, so Shelley Ballance Ellis — her supervisor at the time — reached out to Sony’s chief diversity officer. Diaz’s salary was eventually adjusted, but it’s reported that she still earned $15,000 less than her new coworker.
Sony addressed the concerns raised by stating that the management teams for both “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” are committed to cultivating an environment that promotes inclusivity and respect.
Sony Pictures Entertainment treats all claims of discrimination with utmost gravity. This year, there was a comprehensive restructuring within our game show division which led to the phasing out of certain positions in order to streamline operations and adapt to the ever-changing requirements of a business that’s over 40 years old. These changes were made for operational efficiency reasons and not as retaliation.
Let’s observe as we find out whether any action arises from these allegations of discrimination. It remains uncertain if or how the new hosts, Ken Jennings and Ryan Seacrest, on the game shows will be impacted. For now, consult your local listings to discover when the games are broadcast in syndication in your region.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-10-26 02:37