Pat Sajak slammed as 'empty suit' amid claims he worked on 'Wheel of Fortune' for only 4 days in month
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Pat Sajak is chastised severely by a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, just days after he bid adieu to the 'Wheel of Fortune' game show. Drew Magary lambasted the 76-year-old television personality, saying, "Pat Sajak is a ******" and described him as "an empty suit," "that one real estate agent your wife didn't like," and someone who "possesses all the warmth of a Cheesecake Factory host."
Magary pointed out that the ABC quiz show lacked genuine engagement with regular contestants and instead focused primarily on celebrity interactions. The former correspondent for GQ carped that he found the show to be boring with unnecessary segments featuring Sajak and his co-host Vanna White after the game concluded. He added that only the moments when contestants made glaring mistakes were able to grab his attention.
Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)
— Pat Sajak (@PatOnWheel) June 12, 2023
What did the columnist say?
"Maybe that's why I always grimaced whenever I happened upon the show at 7:25 pm, only to realize that the game show part was over and all I was left with was Sajak and co-host Vanna White doing their whole 'I Think We Learned Something Today' routine as a final, needless segment", Magary, 46, said according to Daily Mail. "Maybe that's why the only time I've ever paid attention to 'Wheel' during my adulthood was whenever a contestant f***** up badly."
Megary noted that the show was never able to showcase its true potential and it could have been far more engaging than it presently is. He also shares that the viewers do not share the same affection for Sajak that they had for Jeopardy's Alex Trebeck, scrutinizing Sajak's only four days of work per month and 48 appearances a year for a whopping paycheck of $15 million. This means that the soon-to-be former Wheel of Fortune host earned $312,500 for each day he worked and $52,083 per episode according to 2016 figures.
It is even more likely that the father of three earned more than that in the last three years as he signed new contracts in late 2021 to host the show until the 2023-2024 season.
Magary's bitterness toward Sajak
It has been reported that differences in political opinions and ideologies are probably one of the key reasons why Magary holds bitterness toward Sajak. The 76-year-old posted a tweet in 2014 where he called the "global warming alarmists" "unpatriotic racists." Sajak also penned a series of blog posts for a conservative website called Human Events. One of the articles around 2008 was titled, "Opposed to Obamacare? Then You Must be a Racist." He described himself as a "Conservative Republican delighted with the disarray on the Democratic side" at the same time.
Magary wants show to focus on young generations
Magary remains optimistic that the show might use Sajak's departure as a chance to improve the quality of the program and transform it into something more appealing than just a form of entertainment for the elderly. He suggests that the show can focus on the younger generation and bring a more genuine host. The columnist also urged to update the categories and phrases to reflect the present era and conduct an open audition for hosts to generate interest.
"It's a chance to make 'Wheel of Fortune,' for the first time in decades, good television," he said. "No one was ever going to replace Trebek in the hearts of 'Jeopardy!' fans. By contrast, replacing Sajak in your heart will be as emotionally arduous as getting a new mailman,' Magary suggests in one particularly cutting line. Both 'Wheel' and its viewers only stand to benefit now that Sajak is gone after four decades-plus of presiding over 'Wheel' with his teeth spiritually gritted."
'F**k Pat Sajak'
Twitter users also reacted to Sajak's retirement announcement. One user said, "I always had a conspiracy theory that Pat secretly didn't want people to win. He always seemed a bit too okay with people going bankrupt. It was like they were winning his money." Another tweeted, "If Chuck Woolery hadn't demanded more money, some random TV weatherman named Pat Sajak wouldn't have been the host of Wheel of Fortune." One user echoed, "I was blissfully unaware that he was still on tv" while another tweeted, "Seriously, man. F**K Pat Sajak." "Drew Magary for Wheel host", suggested one.
I always had a conspiracy theory that Pat secretly didn't want people to win. He always seemed a bit too okay with people going bankrupt. It was like they were winning his money.
— Bill Mueller (@bmueller_09) June 16, 2023
If Chuck Woolery hadn't demanded more money, some random TV weatherman named Pat Sajak wouldn't have been the host of Wheel of Fortune.
— Joe Begonis/DeFi (@TheBegonis) June 16, 2023