‘Love & Hip Hop Atlanta’ star claps back after ‘Wheel of Fortune’ misspells his name and confuses players
Throughout 42 seasons, 'Wheel of Fortune' has welcomed contestants from all across the country. However, the lasting legacy of the game show is not without a sprinkle of controversy. In one such instance, fans were outraged when the answer to a puzzle left them baffled. Not only was the answer—the name of a rapper—difficult to solve, but the spelling was also incorrect, leading fans to accuse the show’s makers of cheating. The situation escalated further when the rapper himself weighed in on the controversy.
During the December 2021 episode of 'Wheel of Fortune', contestant Kennise Miller struggled to solve a bonus puzzle in the 'Person' category. The answer turned out to be "Young Jock," which confused both Miller and viewers. After time ran out, host Pat Sajak asked if she was close to guessing it, and she jokingly said, "Very far away from that." The moment sparked severe backlash on social media, per Atlanta Black Star.
Rapper Yung Joc reacted to 'Wheel of Fortune' misspelling his name as a bonus puzzle answer by posting a humorous video of himself edited into the round. In the clip, he joked about the misspelling of his stage name, saying, "That ain't how you spell my d—n name! Aye, Pat Sajak, that isn't how you spell my name. That's nine letters. It's supposed to be seven, Y-U-N-G J-O-C." He also pointed out the confusion, just like many fans online, between himself and an actual 'jock,' with fans calling out the show for using an unusual name and for spelling rapper.
Yung Joc joked in his video, "Oh, they aren't talking about me? ... Oh, they're just talking about a young jock, a young athlete. Yeah, I knew that," playing along with the confusion. Meanwhile, contestant Miller still walked away with $28,200 and a trip to Maui. Meanwhile, some fans accused the show of making the puzzle intentionally misleading, as many expressed their opinions on X.
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A fan commented, "So I’m watching Wheel Of Fortune and the bonus puzzle was Young Jock that the lady couldn’t solve. If only it was spelled Yung Joc she would’ve got it," while another added, "@WheelofFortune it’s Yung Joc not Young Jock. She got shafted." A fan shared, "Wheel of Fortune is too damn old y'all." Meanwhile, another noted, "They don’t use proper names. Young jock is what they intended. Like old jock. Yet that is a terrible puzzle." A fan remarked, "Why are you watching it if it's too old?"
So I’m watching Wheel Of Fortune and the bonus puzzle was Young Jock that the lady couldn’t solve. If only it was spelled Yung Joc she would’ve got it.
— Jerry Truman (@comediantruman) December 21, 2021
In another instance, 'Wheel of Fortune' sparked backlash after fans claimed contestant Megan was unfairly denied a win in the bonus round. The answer was 'Pink Orchid,' and when the timer began, Megan seemed to say those exact words. Although the show didn't acknowledge it, per Today. "You might have been overthinking a type of orchid," Sajak told her after time ran out and the puzzle was revealed. Online, viewers rewatched the moment and insisted she either said 'pink orchid' or something very close, accusing the show of snubbing her correct guess.