The Ten network has apologised for broadcasting sexist questions on Family Feud after the game show implied a woman’s job was cooking and cleaning and a man’s job was building and plumbing.
Host Grant Denyer asked contestants to “name something people think is a woman’s job” and the “correct answer” according to a survey of 100 people was cooking, followed by cleaning, nursing, hairdressing, domestic duties, dishes, receptionist and clothes washing.
The contestants – two families pitted against each other in trying to guess the most obvious answers – suggested ironing and childcare as suitable jobs for women.
Earlier, Denyer asked them to “name something people think is a man’s job” and the “correct” answers were: builder, plumber, mechanic, carpenter and being a tradesman.
Ten may be the only network with a female head programmer, in Beverley McGarvey, but that clearly didn’t help when the programming department cleared the episode of the pre-recorded show for broadcast. This is not live TV, but heavily edited.
After an outcry on Twitter on Wednesday nights viewers labelled the show misogynist, Ten issued a statement on Thursday morning.
“Network Ten apologises for including two questions relating to what people think is a man’s job and a woman’s job in the episode of Family Feud which aired last night,” a spokesman said.
“The questions were ill advised and should not have been included in the show.
“The survey results are determined by 100 people and we understand they are not reflective of all Australians.”
An old-fashioned format first seen here in 1977, Family Feud was revived this year by Ten with former Seven weather man and game show host Denyer. The US format had last appeared on Nine as Bert’s Family Feud in 2006 and 2007 hosted by Bert Newton.
It could be worse. In the US this week a woman called Joyce was asked: “If you could change one part of your husband’s body, what would it be” and she said “his penis”.
