Whoopi Goldberg and Rosie ODonnell Have Heated Debate About Racism The Hollywood Reporter
A discussion about racism on Thursday’s The View led to a heated debate, with co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Rosie O’Donnell both screaming during parts of the segment.
During the show’s Hot Topics section, the co-hosts addressed Barack and Michelle Obama‘s recent statements that they’ve been mistaken for the help.
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But when the discussion turned to whether such instances are a product of racism or stupidity, thing got quite hot indeed, with Goldberg and O’Donnell repeatedly raising their voices.
With regard to the Obamas’ comments, Rosie Perez and guest co-host Laverne Cox agreed that the real issue was people failing to recognize the president of the United States and the first lady — and Goldberg seemed to take their side.
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“I’ve been black for 60 years,” she said. “For me, stupidity: There are dumb folks who just say dumb stuff because they’re not looking or paying attention to the person they’re talking to, which is why people could walk up to Obama and not look up at him and see that it’s the president.”
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In fact, Goldberg said she thought “ridiculousness” might have been what was behind what Perez said was a case of racism when she and her sister were at a fancy hotel and her sister was asked to clean the table in the VIP lounge.
“I just see it as stupid,” Goldberg said. “That’s just me.”
After O’Donnell and Nicolle Wallace brought the issue back to politics and the role they think that racism plays there, Goldberg said to O’Donnell, “You are a white lady telling me what is racist to you.”
“I’m a gay American whose been called an [expletive]” she shot back, screaming about homophobia and hitting the desk to make her point. “I have a black kid at my house, Whoopi. I have a black kid I raise!”
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“That is not the same thing,” Goldberg said.
“You don’t have to be black to know what racism is,” O’Donnell retorted.
“Yes, you do,” Goldberg said.
“America is not just a racist country, because there are white people who get it, ” Goldberg added later. “That is why I will not accept the blanket statement that America is racist.”
Watch the full segment below.
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