Whoopi Goldberg Misfires in Attack on Article About Black Oscar Winners

By Marc Schneider Posted Feb 14th 2011 03:36PM

Whoopi Goldberg used her bully pulpit on 'The View' on Monday to blast The New York Times and two of its marquee writers for what she believed was a disrespectful article about race and the Academy Awards. "I'm embarrassed to tell you it hurt me terribly," the actress said in a segment focusing on a piece written by Manohla Dargis and A. O. Scott that listed several black Oscar winners dating back to 1940, but didn't include Goldberg.

"When you win an Academy Award, that's part of what you've done, your legacy. I will always be Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg," she said during her lengthy rant, referring to her best supporting actress win for 'Ghost.' "This is not hidden information. And to these two critics, the head critics of The New York Times. It's hard to not take it personally."

The article, titled 'Hollywood's Whiteout,' apparently riled Goldberg up because it seemed to list all of the black Americans who have won an Oscar. A closer look, however, proved otherwise. The authors write that nine years ago, when Denzel Washington and Halle Berry won their historic Oscars:

"Real change seemed to have come to movies or at least the Academy, which had given statuettes to a total of seven black actors in the previous 73 years."

The article then notes that after Washington and Berry came a string of Oscar wins for Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Hudson and Mo'Nique.

It was presumably this passage, along with mentions of Sidney Poitier and Hattie McDaniel, that caused Goldberg to believe she had been forgotten. "People in Somalia know. People in China know," she said on 'The View.' "I know it's hard to believe, but I'm a worldwide person who's known."

But if a correction is what she desires, Goldberg will be waiting a very, very long time. PopEater reached out to the Times, and a source at the newspaper clarified that Goldberg won her Oscar for 1990's 'Ghost,' more than a decade before the time period that the authors were focusing on. In the article, Dargis and Scott were discussing race and the cinematic representation of people of color since 2002, when Berry and Washington were triumphant.

Later on Monday, the Times released a statement that tweaks Goldberg without naming her:

"The error lies with those who are reading the story incorrectly. The point of the piece was not to name every black actor or actress who has been awarded an Oscar, it was to draw a comparison between the number who won prior to 2002 (the year Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won) and those who have won since. And the story states very clearly that in 73 years, prior to 2002, only seven black actors/actresses won Oscars."

Also not mentioned in the article were Louis Gossett, Jr. (1982) and Cuba Gooding, Jr. (1996).

This year's Oscars have raised ire because there are no persons of color nominated in the acting categories.

Goldberg has not responded to requests to clarify her comments on 'The View,' which included some pretty pointed attacks on the journalists and the newspaper.

"I don't know what to say about what you've done. It's just, well, I can say, is that you're sloppy in your work and you're supposed to be better than this," she said. "This is The New York Times, not some bozo newspaper from Hoochi-Coochie land. This is The New York Times. I just, you know, it hurts."

► Read the New York Times article here.

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Whoopi!!!

Whoopi Goldberg leaves the Big Apple Apple store after getting her laptop repaired on Feb. 9. More Pics of the Star >>

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Whoopi Goldberg Snapshots

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 10: Actress Whoopi Goldberg leaves the Lincoln Center Apple Store on February 10, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)

Whoopi Goldberg Snapshots

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 10: Actress Whoopi Goldberg leaves the Lincoln Center Apple Store on February 10, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)

Whoopi Goldberg Snapshots

©BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM Whoopi Goldberg leaves the Apple store after getting her laptop repaired. NON-EXCLUSIVE February 9, 2011 Job: 110210X3 New York, New York www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

Whoopi Goldberg Snapshots

©BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA RIGHTS*** Whoopi Goldberg shops along Lincoln Road with friends, including a stop at Gap. NON-EXCLUSIVE January 15, 2011 Job: 110115X4 Miami, Florida www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

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Tags: Oscars, the view, whoopi goldberg

Comments

(807)

Tuesday 15 February

By archdabuck

Vote down Vote up Report this

Oh yea Jay, when did that start.

Monday 14 February

By Chris

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Whoopi, please go away!

By Cob644

The only problem I would have with her ranting would be if she had tried to talk to them and got no where I could see it but if see did not try just went on a rant then that is not right. It would have saved a lot of time and misplaced energy.

By Humble*Is*Honorable

You can stop patting yourself on the back now..........I think you're a great actress, but a little humble goes a long way. Most everyone likes the work you've done, you were noticed for it already, so it's not necessary for you to put yourself upon such a lofty pedestal constantly. Trust me, no one has forgotten your name or your work. Move on.

By del

Honestly, we wouldn't even be having this conversation if people wouldn't JUDGE EACH OTHER, by the color of their skin! When is it ever going to stop. Content of character....does anyone "really" know what that means? I am so sick of hearing about racism and hate.....!!! God Bless America!

By cheryl

Have you ever noticed WHO it is that keeps throwing out the RACE CARD ??? Every darn time.... BLACK !!!!!!!
I'm bored silly with the darn race card !!!!

By Susie

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Cheryl,
That is because it is usually the African Americans on the other end of your racial attacks. It is interesting that you find it boring when others speak out against the injustces being done against them. You would not be so bored if you were the one constantly under the attack that White Americans insist does not exist.
I do not allow White America to define me, but I am not unaware of the hatred you all have for my pecan tan skin - blatant or otherwise.

By JP

Pecan=NUT, you just gave the "white hating movement" a face. Whoopi and her friends.It's not your skin color, but your attitude that will undo you and your ilk!

By big corporation

i hate the term africian american, its so false. their black period

By sirboss

Pecan=Crap

By mrbluesays

I hate the term white american your pink period and tend to get to get hard to look at when you age!

By JC

Whoopi is probably one of the biggest racists in the country. I'm glad people are starting to see that. She is also past her prime, and a has been, a nothing, and annoying!

By jc

Then Whoopi should STFU!

By glenn

what does STFU mean?

By YellowRose3218

The list was not meant to have everyones name on it.
Whoopi,, love ya, but theres no reason to be upset.

By mem

Poor Whoopie, always looking for a bandwagon, especially if she can include her racism.

By Vicky

Would someone please bring back the old Whoopi

By wolf

nappy

By Valjeandupree

Misfire? WHOOPIE's mom MISFIRED bigtime when she gave birth to whatever whoopie is, besides illiterate and spaced out. Who cares what color a person is enough already, so what the best of the best at the academy awards, BASKETBALL, football, hockey etc. You want to be identified with COLOR, go to AFRICA, Oh wait Charlize Theron is from there.

By Lisa

What happened to the Whoopi Goldberg that make this statement?
Playboy interview, Playboy magazine, June 1988
"Most of all, I dislike this idea nowadays that if you're a black person in America, then you must be called African-American. Listen, I've visited Africa, and I've got news for everyone: I'm not an African. The Africans know I'm not an African. I'm an American. This is my country. My people helped to build it and we've been here for centuries. Just call me black, if you want to call me anything."
Now she is just a bitter, resentful woman. What a shame.

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