Whoopi Goldberg, an EGOT winner, appears to be an intriguing puzzle. With her impressive achievements, one would assume her mind operates flawlessly, right? Such accomplishments are not accidental.
However, this host of The View occasionally stumbles. Recently, she criticized reality TV, specifically citing American Idol, as the downfall of society. She argued that it encourages excessive judgment from the public. This viewpoint raised eyebrows. Unsurprisingly, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie didn’t take her comments lightly.
It’s peculiar that Goldberg chose American Idol as her example. Especially since the revival of the show pledged not to exploit bad auditions for entertainment. Though Katy faced bullying accusations, she remained unfazed, with many rallying to her defense. The situation took an unexpected turn indeed.
A source exclusively told Radar Online that “Katy, Lionel, and Luke are all boycotting The View. You can’t blame someone for literally destroying civilization, which is what Whoopi said, and then expect them to sit down and talk with you.”
It seems The View might be running out of potential interviewees. Case in point, the source also said, “The next time the Idol judges do press, they will appear on all ABC’s shows — but not The View.” What makes this situation even more bizarre is that The View is also under the Disney umbrella. Has Whoopi never heard of brand synergy?
Katy, Luke, and Lionel should not bear the blame here. While Whoopi’s point may hold a hint of truth, it crumbles under scrutiny. Labeling reality TV as pure evil just because it showcases judgmental behavior is utterly absurd. It’s akin to saying that humanity as a whole is bad because individuals can do wrong.
Although reality TV may have negative aspects for viewers, it can also be captivating and inspiring, just like humanity itself. Whoopi’s claim is a tired refrain that we should no longer accept without question.
Reality TV does not generate society’s problems; rather, it reflects them. The issue Whoopi has lies not with television alone but within a broader system. It’s time to move beyond this dated notion and delve deeper into the root causes of societal ills.