Whoopi Goldberg has claimed thatAmerican Idol is responsible for the “beginning of the downfall of society”.
The reality singing competition began in 2002 and has produced winners including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks.
During Thursday’s episode (25 May) of The View, Goldberg and her fellow panellists were discussing Netflix’s new Anna Nicole Smith documentary You Don’t Know Me, when the Sister Act star mentioned American Idol.
“I think that we, as a society, love to watch stuff to judge folks,” Goldberg said. “I’ve always thought that the beginning of the downfall of society was with, what’s the name of that show?”
After a producer off-camera replied: “ABC’s American Idol?”, Goldberg quickly pointed out that the show wasn’t always on ABC, the network on which The View airs.
Goldberg said that she was referring to the early version of the reality singing competition, which used to air on Fox from 2002 to 2016 and was “a very different show”.
“Once we gave people the ability to judge other people, I think we ran amok with it, and it’s gone out of control,” Goldberg said. “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].”
The judging panel on American Idol is currently made up of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
Earlier this month, Perry and Richie were temporarily replaced on the show when they travelled to the UK to perform at King Charles III’s coronation concert.
Perry stole the show as she performed in a gold lamé gown designed by Vivienne Westwood, which was embroidered with the words: “KATY PERRY. CHARLES III. 2023. VW.”
The embroidery included a small crown sewn next to the King’s name. “VW” indicated the initials of designer Westwood, who died last December.
