In an unexpected tirade, “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg recently took aim at “American Idol,” decrying the popular talent competition for, of all things, catalyzing the “downfall of society.” The twist? “American Idol” runs on her very own network. Awkward, indeed.
Goldberg’s critique of the show was sparked by a discussion on a documentary about the life of Anna Nicole Smith. She mused how the public perceives one another, concluding that society has become overly “judgy.” Interestingly, she assigned a share of the blame to modern reality TV shows.
Goldberg argued, “You have ‘Basketball Wives,’ you have the ‘Housewives’ of whatever, all the Bravo shows, they give you the impression that you’re doing something wrong because you’re living your life.”
These shows, she claimed, promote a sense of self-superiority among viewers. “I think that we, as a society, love to watch stuff to judge folks,” she said.
“American Idol,” the beloved singing competition, found itself in Goldberg’s crosshairs. She suggested that it was the genesis of this judgmental trend, implying that giving people the power to judge others has led to societal chaos. “Once we gave people the ability to judge other people, I think we ran amok with it,” she said. “And it’s gone out of control.”
This critique took a turn for the amusing when she was reminded by a producer, identified as Brian Teta, that “American Idol” is, in fact, a show on ABC — the same network that broadcasts “The View.”
In the face of laughter from the live studio audience, Goldberg clarified, “Well, it wasn’t always on ABC.” She then reiterated her point, seemingly undeterred by the apparent hypocrisy of her position.
Ironically, it’s worth noting that “The View” itself has often been critiqued as a platform that allows its hosts to pass judgment on others, frequently with a bias against conservative viewpoints. This apparent double standard seems to have eluded Goldberg during her impassioned critique.
“American Idol,” originally launched on Fox in 2002, had a successful run until 2016, after which it returned to the small screen on ABC following a brief hiatus. It seems Whoopi’s employer’s programming choices and the show’s longevity in the industry doesn’t align with her notion of the show causing society’s downfall.
