The Problem With The View's Whoopi Goldberg
Yesterday on The View, Whoopi Goldberg apologized to The New York Times for calling their reporting "shoddy" in reference to an article on black Oscar winners that didn't mention her. She says she found the article "confusing" and was "hurt than neither Cuba Gooding Jr, Louis Gossett Jr, or myself were mentioned" but that she is nevertheless sorry for impugning the credibility of the film critics who wrote the article. It's good that she apologized...except that she's not being completely honest at this point either.
Fact is, Goldberg initially failed to realize that the article was not about listing all the black Oscar winners, and therefore her omission was not an oversight or an insult. She equivocates "I personally found the article confusing" when the real issue isn't that the article was confusing (I certainly had no trouble reading and understanding it the first time) but rather that she either 1) didn't read it carefully or 2) became easily offended and refused to examine the situation before making an embarrasing, self-aggrandizing spectacle about it.
It is also disingenious for her to cite the names of other black actors unmentioned in the article, when her original hissy fit had nothing to do with them. She made a cring-worthy, narcissistic stink about the fact that she was a famous person, everyone knew she had won an Oscar, and how dare they forget it. She even pulled out her Oscar in a petulant display of public wound-licking.
It's fairly obvious that she's only mentioning the names of other ommitted actors now to grant her initial overreaction a nobler motive. She wasn't just upset for herself you see, she was upset on behalf of others as well. Yeah, except she didn't actually mention anyone other than herself until today. Nice try Whoopi.
Ever since she has joined The View, Goldberg has condescended to guests (especially reality stars) and even her other co-hosts. She makes it blatantly obvious she thinks she's too good for this show, and this week's events perfectly showcased that. She overreacted to something that had nothing to do with black actors, and had everything to do with her own ego. And she used her pulpit to revel in self-pity, even roping in her co-stars who abetted her tantrum and blasted the newspaper along with her (Elisabeth even said she canceled her subscription!) which I guess means none of them bothered to read the article either.
This incident has highlighted a glaring problem with the current panel. Goldberg is a very talented actress, and has done many things in show business that she should be proud of, but her tenure on The View is not one of them. It has been filled with self-congratulation, elitism and an inability to relate to her guests and co-stars. It is ironic that Goldberg initally thought this incident reflected a problem with two film critics at The New York Times, when really it just reflected a problem with one host on The View.
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Comments
16 March 2008
7 min 52 sec
Uh oh! I think we see what topic #1’s going to be on the next Pop Confidential podcast. MISSION: ANNIHILATE WHOOPI led by her favorite fan Akash Nicholas.
I can’t comment on this particular situation itself because I didn’t see the episode and just didn’t feel compel to watch the YouTube clip nor read the article because quite frankly, my attitude at this point is ‘whatevah’. From reading the comments on this thread, it does appear that her and her co-hosts made much ado about nothing and Whoopi did make it about her. For what it’s worth, I don’t always agree with the woman (I didn’t feel her on the Mel Gibson issue at all) but at the risk of being considered biased, and I’ll be fine with that, I love her and she’s is and has always been one of my favorite entertainers. I think she has a phenomenal career, which in all fairness was touched on my Akash. As for how she carries herself overall, I’m totally with Patchworks and ldylkng on this one. As for her tenure on THE VIEW, I do believe she’s been more of a positive than a negative for the show and the overall current show dynamic and if I’m not mistaken, the ratings seem to support that. If she was as much a negative element of the show and has been expressed then do you really think Barbara would still have her on there?
I don’t think I’ve ever recall any comments by Larry Flick regarding Whoopi. I tend to value his opinion, particularly since we’re about the same age. Not to assume that he will be pro-Whoopi, but I would be interested on his take on her and her time on THE VIEW.
15 May 2008
3 hours 26 min
TV Gord, if you think that then more power to you. Some of the big wigs of H'weird have all made that same statement regarding TinselTown being discriminatory to minorities. It has also to women. Why do you think Tyler Perry had to to his own thing and create his own studio?
18 February 2009
20 min 38 sec
It's just a different perspective I have, Jillian. There's no shortage of minority representation in the music world or the sports world, because minorities make money for their bosses...because the consumers are there. For some reason, on television, audiences don't value minorities the same way (with a few obvious exceptions). I reiterate, if straight, white people loved great shows that honestly portrayed the black or gay (or Hispanic or Asian) experience, Hollywood would be seeking out more and more of those shows. I can't lay the blame at the feet of Hollywood, which is only looking for the largest audiences and the most money. I CAN (and DO) lay it at the feet of small-minded people who don't want to watch anyone who differs (too much) from themselves.
15 June 2010
1 year 12 weeks
luverica -- I'm not out to "annihilate" anyone. Whoopi's ego has been on display ever since she joined The View, and this situation merely exposed it. Thus I commented on it. If Luke and Jamey want to discuss it on a podcast and invite me to do so, I'll certainly say just that.
And since Whoopi brought it up, you know what? She shouldn't have won that Oscar over Lorraine Bracco in Goodfellas anyway. Yeah, I said it (I would however have given the Oscar to her for The Color Purple if I'd had a vote).
11 April 2009
7 hours 56 min
dsrbroadway,
I agree with you. Whoopi did a HUGE disservice to actors of color by displaying such a selfish stance. The opportunity for a discussion was lost because of her huge ego. I am extremely disappointed in her.