Fans say Wheel of Fortune's Bonus Round feels outdated because some answers rely on phrases they consider culturally stale, most notably "FAXING IT OVER NOW." However, no documented finding or announced rule change establishes that the show's format itself is officially outdated. The Bonus Round is the final stage reached by the main-game winner. Criticism centers on whether its puzzle choices fairly test wordplay when tens of thousands of dollars may depend on recognizing one phrase.
Table of Contents
- Which puzzles triggered the criticism?
- Why does one questionable phrase matter so much?
- Is faxing actually obsolete?
- Do fan complaints prove the puzzle was unfair?
- What would a meaningful update address?
Which puzzles triggered the criticism?
On May 6, 2025, EMT Alex Puglisi faced "ON THE JUKEBOX." After receiving R, S, T, L, N and E, she selected C, D, P and O but still could not solve it. She lost an additional $50,000. Some commenters said the phrase was unfamiliar, while others focused on its difficult letter pattern.
That distinction matters: a puzzle can feel unfair because its wording is dated, because the chosen letters reveal little, or because both problems occur together. The sharper backlash followed Amy Johnston's May 21 puzzle, "FAXING IT OVER NOW." She received the standard letters, added G, C, M and O, and failed to solve it after saying she did not know what faxing meant. TV Insider reported that Johnston lost an additional $40,000 and that the episode marked the eighteenth consecutive unsuccessful Bonus Round.
Why does one questionable phrase matter so much?
This is not merely an argument about vocabulary. According to CBS Media Ventures' official description of Wheel of Fortune, the main-game winner advances to a Bonus Round for a car or at least $40,000. That prize structure magnifies every puzzle-selection decision.
A phrase that seems obscure or tied to an older technology can determine whether a contestant receives a major addition to their winnings. The show still gives contestants strategic control through their extra letter choices. But poor selections can leave too little information, making it difficult to separate an outdated answer from an unlucky board.
Is faxing actually obsolete?
Faxing is dated for many people, but it has not disappeared. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says HIPAA permits healthcare providers to fax patient information for treatment when reasonable safeguards are used. That does not make "FAXING IT OVER NOW" equally familiar to every contestant.
It shows why "obsolete" is too absolute: a technology may remain active in specialized workplaces while fading from everyday language. The stronger criticism concerns cultural relevance. The federal health-IT office says most Americans' health records are electronic and describes speed and standardized data as benefits of electronic exchange. Faxing can therefore remain real while still sounding dated to viewers accustomed to digital files and messaging.
Do fan complaints prove the puzzle was unfair?
No. Online reactions document frustration, but they do not establish how the full audience viewed the puzzle. A Reddit discussion called the fax answer a contrived way to defeat contestants and inspired jokes about other old technologies, but it was not a representative survey.
The evidence supports a narrower conclusion: some viewers believe the show's puzzle selection has fallen out of step with contemporary language. It does not prove deliberate manipulation, a defective rule, or a formally recognized format problem. Readers evaluating similar controversies should separate four questions:.
- Is the phrase still used anywhere?
- Is it familiar to a broad, mixed-age audience?
- Did the revealed letters make the answer reasonably solvable?
- Does the complaint reflect broad evidence or a vocal online discussion?
What would a meaningful update address?
A meaningful update would focus on puzzle curation rather than eliminating the Bonus Round. Producers could favor phrases recognizable across generations, review unusually long losing streaks, and reconsider answers tied closely to declining technologies. Older expressions need not disappear automatically.
A fairer standard would ask whether contestants can reasonably infer the phrase from its category and revealed letters, even if they do not use the underlying technology themselves. Until evidence shows an official format change, "outdated feature" should be understood as shorthand for a fan complaint about answer selection. In the documented May 21 case, the contestant's unfamiliarity with faxing carried an additional $40,000 consequence.