Whoopi Goldberg apologizes after using an outdated ethnic slur in Wednesday’s episode The view.
The longtime co-host let it slip during a segment of the show in which she and her fellow co-hosts discussed Donald Trump and those who still mistakenly believe the 2020 election was rigged. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Goldberg commented, “People who still think he sort of slipped around in the election.”
The word ‘gypped’ – defined by Merriam-Webster as ‘someone who cheats’, ‘con artist’ and ‘con artist’ – is linked to the word ‘gypsy’, which is considered an insult to Roma. As a result, The colour purple later actress posted a video apology on Twitter after the show went off the air.
“You know when you’re a certain age you use words that you know from your childhood or that you remember and I did that today and I shouldn’t have done it. I should have thought about it a little bit longer before I said it but I didn’t and I should have said ‘cheated’ and I used a different word and I’m really, really sorry,” he said she.
The video drew mixed reactions online, with some people arguing that she should know better and The apology was disingenuous. Others sympathized with Goldberg, going so far as to admit that they too had either used the word or heard it used in their younger years without knowing its offensive origin.
“Dear Whoopi,” wrote a Twitter user. “I had no idea anyone was offended. She teaches me and many others because I had no idea anyone would find the term offensive. Thanks Whoopi for teaching us that!”
No matter where you stand in terms of the sincerity of her apology, there is no doubt that this situation should be viewed as a learning moment for all of us.
What should be dissected, however, is the fact that in the last year alone, Goldberg has repeatedly apologized for her questionable commentary on the show. Unfortunately, whether it’s about Jewish people or neo-Nazi protesters, the veteran actress’ words have become the center of controversy lately, much to the chagrin of audiences. I won’t go so far as to say that her words are full of malice, but it does raise the question as to why she seems to be more likely to have such instances than her other comrades-in-arms.