Whoopi Goldberg believes she knows when the “downfall of society” began.
According to her it began in 2002 after American Idol premiered.
The View co-host made the bold claim during a recent episode while discussing Netflix’s new documentary on Anna Nicole Smith.
“I think that we, as a society, love to watch stuff to judge folks,” she said before saying “that show” – show producer Brian Teta lent a hand off camera and said ABC’s American Idol? – was “the beginning of the downfall of society.”
“Once we gave people the ability to judge other people, I think we ran amok with it, and it’s gone out of control,” the EGOT winner elaborated. “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 [escaped].”
Goldberg did clarify she was referring to American Idol pre-ABC. From 2002 to 2016 the singing competition ran on FOX.
She said that since switching to ABC and changing judges, it’s become a “very different show.”
Goldberg explained how there’s an entire category of shows that allows society to be “judgy.”
“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. People watch these shows because they make them feel better.”
She’s not wrong… Although I’m not sure I would go as far as to say American Idol was the beginning of the downfall of our society.
What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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