In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« Today's News: Our Take
Whoopi's Debut Dogged by Her View on Vick
Whoopi Goldberg by Steve Fenn/ABC
Whoopi Goldberg's Tuesday arrival as a cohost for The View nearly went without incident, save for her take on the Michael Vick controversy. Opining that dogfighting "isn't that unusual" in the South (where Vick hails from) and positing that "there are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of the country," Whoopi drew fire from a myriad of media bloggers and columnists, as well as PETA. "A lot of people who live and work in the South... will not appreciate the view that cruelty to dogs is an accepted Southern pastime," PETA's prez said in a statement. "What unites [dogfighters] is lawlessness and callousness, not whether they eat grits."
For our Matt Roush's own take on Whoopi's first day, see the Roush Dispatch.
Related: The View to Unveil Another New Cohost on Sept. 10
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 10:06 AM
|
|
Nice one, Whoopi. I used to be a fan, but no longer. I'm tired of the argument that extreme cruelty to animals can be excused when it's part of a "culture." No human has the right to abuse any form of life, no matter where they're from. In my state, New Mexico, rooster-fighting was just outlawed after years and years of trying. The same argument - "it's part of our culture" - was used by those trying to keep it legal. How pathetic. Remember slavery? It was part of Southern culture, too, but I'm sure you would never excuse it for that reason. Get a clue.
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 10:37 AM
|
|
Whoopi Goldberg doesn't know anything about the South, and needs to keep her stereotypical opinions to herself. I'm a lifelong proud resident of the South, and the responsible adopter of a rescued American Staffordshire Terrier. Dogfighting is NOT a Southern "pastime", nor is it part of Southern culture. It, unfortunately, occurs all over the country. While it used to be found more in rural areas, it is increasingly a problem in urban, inner city areas. It is a problem that develops when people, like Michael Vick, aren't taught basic right and wrong and value of all life.
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 10:50 AM
|
|
Here in Alabama, dog fighting is and has always been deplorable and illegal. Whoopi, you should get a map because Virginia is not considered the "Deep South" as you described it. And, animal cruelty is not part of our southern culture.
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 11:10 AM
|
|
Wow, PETA said something sensible for once. If only they'd always be so reasonable, they could really get more people behind their organization.
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 11:51 AM
|
Let someone do that to her animals. I am sure she would have a real problem with that. OR, how about doing to her what the poor dogs had to go through. That would be a real treat. Maybe pull out that horrible hair she walks around with. I wonder when it was last washed. What a pig.
Paula Evans
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 11:53 AM
|
|
I am a resident of Virginia, The Hampton Roads area where Michael Vick resides. We are not the 'deep south'. Whoopie, you may want to learn your US Geography. But even if we were the 'deep south', we do not find killing animals to be acceptable behavior.
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 11:59 AM
|
She did NOT defend Vick. She said what lead up to his not seeing the dog fighting sport as criminal should be looked into.
You media people!!!
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 11:59 AM
|
Whoopi should hang her head in shame for even trying to come up with an acceptable excuse for Vick's unacceptable actions! Where we come from does not give us license to carry on things that are cruel and illegal. Unless he's lived under a rock or in a cave there is no justification in his actions! He knows it's illegal. He knows it's cruel. He knows it hurts the animals. Where we come from is just that ... where we came from. But who we are now is up to us. It's sad that Whoopi is so gullible (or maybe blinded) that she would even try to defend this animal abuser and law breaker!
And for her to use Puerto Rico as an example inflames me! I'm part Puerto Rican and my Great Uncle was born and raised there (and he was a big positive influence in my childhood). He did not treat anyone badly ... this despite his coming from a culture where fighting and violence are a norm (at least they were in his day). He saw that those things were wrong and didn't follow them.
We can't control where we come from, true but we can control where we go. And Vick seems to only care to go where there is money. If he's sorry ... it's only because he got caught. He should be kicked off his team and never be allowed to play ever again!
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 12:03 PM
|
Let's spread some more untrue stereotypes about the south...
They talk slow because they're stupid!
All of the white people drive pickup trucks with Confederate flags on them!
They don't wear shoes!
Hillbillies are into gay rape!
Squeeeeeling like a pig,
achyfakey
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 12:04 PM
|
|
Exactly, achyfakey! And why would she not consider this OK if he came from New York? Dog fighting is one of the biggest problems in New York, the Burroughs and Long Island and is a part of that group's "culture" even though it's illegal and wrong. It's very clear that she is biased.
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 12:10 PM
|
|
Bravo, meera and jbdean. I wholeheartedly agree with both of your comments. While I respect opposing opinions, I am shocked that Whoopi would be so quick to cast negative light on a large part of the United States and having no clue. She could not be more wrong about the south and I take issue with what she said. I was raised and currently reside close to the area where Vick was raised and I can assure you that there was never a time in my life when I thought dog fighting was in any way okay. What Michael Vick did was deplorable and it was not because of where he came from. It was because he enjoyed watching animals maul each other and he thought he was above the law and could get away with it. This has nothing to do with the south. It has to do with a miserable human being doing something illegal and immoral.
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 12:23 PM
|
> Whoopi Goldberg's Tuesday arrival as a cohost for
> The View nearly went without incident, save
> for her take on the Michael Vick controversy. Opining
> that dogfighting "isn't that unusual" in the South
> (where Vick hails from) and positing that "there are
> certain things that are indicative to certain parts
> of the country," Whoopi drew fire from a myriad of
> media bloggers and columnists, as well as PETA. "A
> lot of people who live and work in the South... will
> not appreciate the view that cruelty to dogs is an
> accepted Southern pastime," PETA's prez said in a
> statement. "What unites [dogfighters] is lawlessness
> and callousness, not whether they eat grits."
>
> For our Matt Roush's own take on Whoopi's first day,
> see the Roush
> Dispatch.
>
> Related: The
> View to Unveil Another New Cohost on Sept.
> 10
 Whoopi should get her facts straight before she speaks. Michael Vick is not from the Deep South as she stated. He is from Virginia. As a native Virginian, I'd like to say I don't know of anyone who is into dog fighting and I never heard of it until I moved to New York City. I've read in the NY papers about it being done here. So this is not a "Southern" thing and I resent her saying so. Dog fighting is terrible and anyone involved in it should go to jail for a very long time.
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 12:26 PM
|
|
Just because Whoopi is claiming it's cultural doesn't make it right! That's absurd! She really appears to be a dumbass with that comment!
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 12:29 PM
|
People have done, or said, many horriific things throughout history. Should we excuse them all because of the culture? I don't think so.
And by the way, up in New England we've had problems with dog fighting too--so it's not a regional or cultural thing. It's more like an aggression and power thing.
|
|
Sep 5, 2007 12:36 PM
|
|
|
