Executive producer Mike Richards resigned as permanent host of Jeopardy! last week, after only a day of filming, over newly resurfaced comments about women and Jews, leaving Mayim Bialik, selected as permanent host for prime-time specials, in the role of interim host. But as EJ Dickson writes at Rolling Stone, Bialik "has a few scandals of her own," having "spent the past decade espousing toxic, false, and, in many cases, highly dangerous views about gender, sexuality, health, and science." Some are even calling for her resignation, per Kotaku.
- On C-sections: "There are those among us who believe that if the baby can't survive a home labor, it is OK for it to pass peacefully," Bialik said in a 2010 interview with SELF. "I do not subscribe to this, but I know that some feel that… if a baby cannot make it through birth, it is not favored evolutionarily."
- On avoiding sexual assault: Bialik wrote that she avoided assaults by predators like Harvey Weinstein because she dressed modestly and did not "act flirtatiously with men," in a 2017 New York Times op-ed. "Nothing—absolutely nothing—excuses men for assaulting or abusing women. But we can't be naïve about the culture we live in," she added. She later apologized, saying "you are never responsible for being assaulted."
- On hormonal birth control: In March, Bialik suggested hormonal birth control was linked to mental illness. "Many women experience staggering depression, emotional-ability, and something I'm concerned about is the stereotyping of women and their moods and even about PMS may actually be reflecting the hormonal manipulation of our systems," she said, per Rolling Stone.
- On brain supplements: "Neuriva Plus is backed by strong science—yes, I checked it myself—and it combines two clinically tested ingredients that help support six key indicators of brain health," Bialik says in an ad for the product touted as a brain-boosting supplement, which is also backed by Alex Jones. A 2020 Psychology Today article describes it as "snake oil."
- On co-sleeping: In a 2011 op-ed in Today, Bialik advocated for sharing a bed with children. It's "actually really safe," she wrote, noting "rolling onto a baby is an exaggerated fear that is not based on any research." The American Academy of Pediatrics said babies who share a bed with their parents were almost three times as likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome than infants who don't, per Slate.
- On not giving her children medications: "Neither of our sons has ever been on antibiotics, nor do we give them Tylenol, Motrin, antihistamines or cough syrup," Bialik wrote in her 2012 book Beyond the Sling. She'd previously described her family as "non-vaccinating," though she's changed her tune recently. "As of today, my children may not have had every one of the vaccinations that your children have, but my children are vaccinated," she said in October. Still, "we give way too many vaccines in this country."
story continues below
Bialik was reportedly the top choice over Richards to take the permanent hosting gig but is committed to her Fox sitcom Call Me Kat, per the Hollywood Reporter. A source tells Yahoo that she's hoping to adjust her schedule to make the hosting gig work beyond the 15 episodes she's scheduled for now. However, most sources CNN's Brian Stelter talked to told him former Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings "is now the hands-down favorite." (More Mayim Bialik stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
