Photo: Getty Images
A couple months ago, Pat Sajak upset some Wheel of Fortune viewers with a comment to Vanna White. At the end of the show, they discussed the winning contestant's job as an opera singer. Pat asked Vanna if she is an "opera buff" and she replied, "I'm not a buff, but I like opera," and Pat responded, "Have you ever watched opera in the buff? I'm just curious." Vanna said, "No," but the exchange made many watchers cringe in discomfort.
Well now, something Sajak said to White on a Wheel episode this week has viewers thinking he still doesn't have respect for her. Towards the end of the show, as time was winding down, a contestant called out the letter "N." There were two on the board and Vanna went to reveal the letters. As she did, Pat commented, "Could ya move a little faster?" She seemed to take it in stride, and the contestants awkwardly chuckled, but viewers were unhappy with the remark.
One wrote, "Are you watching Wheel rn? Pat's out here disrespecting our girl Vanna," while another more bluntly stated, "B***h, I will shank you. You don't get snotty with a national treasure." Others tweeted things like, "I've never heard Pat tell Vanna to 'move a little faster' during the show!" and "Pat tells Vanna 'move a little faster' during speed-up. Oh Pat!"
It turns out these types of inappropriate utterances have been going on for decades. Back in 1997, when the big board changed from Vanna turning letters around to her tapping monitors to reveal the letters, Pat said to her, "This is the last night of this puzzle board. You will no longer be turning letters. The new board... it's heat-activated if you will. And if anyone can heat up a board, you can."
No word on if Pat will address his latest comment.