Whoopi Goldberg scolds The View producer on camera for preventing her from slamming the network’s American Idol
(Image via Lou Rocco/ABC/Getty Images)
The View executive producer Brian Teta inadvertently joined the Hot Topics table discussion during an awkward exchange with moderator Whoopi Goldberg on Wednesday’s live show.
The Oscar winner turned a discussion about Netflix’s Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me documentary into a broader point about pop culture’s obsession with reality shows that encourage contention, drama, and interpersonal conflict, tracing it all back to judge Simon Cowell’s scathing critiques on Fox’s early seasons of American Idol, which now airs on ABC.
“I think that we, as a society, love to watch stuff to judge folks. I’ve always thought that the beginning of the downfall of society was with, what’s the name of that show?” she said, turning off the camera to address Teta. He responded, “ABC’s American Idol?” emphasizing the fact that both shows share the same network. Goldberg went on to say that the show was “not always on” ABC.
“Once we gave people the ability to judge other people, I think we ran amok with it,” Goldberg continued. “And it’s gone out of control. They invited the public to decide who that person was and I feel once we did that, it began us in a cycle which we have not…” Goldberg then paused to scold Teta for an unknown action. “… did you really just do that?”
“I’m saying, we’ve talked about this, that it’s gotten better, you like it now. Remember?” Teta said when the camera switched to show him. Sunny Hostin jumped in. “You like it. ABC, she likes it. ABC, she loves it. It’s really good,” Hostin said, but Goldberg soldiered on with her thought.
“When I was watching it, ABC didn’t have it. They have it now, it’s a different show, it’s a very different show. The judges are different with the people who are coming,” the 67-year-old said before throwing the show to a commercial break. “ABC knows that I feel like this. I’ve told them. It had nothing to do with them, it had to do with the show. See, you starting stuff, man. We’ll be right back.”
The View’s representative did not immediately respond to EW’s request for more information on what Teta did to elicit Goldberg’s response.
In March, American Idol’s current judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie stopped on The View to talk about the upcoming season, with Richie sharing an amusing fact about his decreased sex drive after the panel enquired about his signature hit “All Night Long.”
