Film star and host ofThe ViewWhoopi Goldberg has some choice words for the racist backlash againstThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. After some viewers of the Amazon Prime Video series lashed out in response to the casting of people of color in a number of leading and supporting roles, it seems that enough is enough for the silver screen icon.
Goldberg unleashed a smackdown on the aforementioned race-focused complainants during a recent episode ofThe View, offering her own 2 cents during the “Hot Topics” segment of the show. Along with the newGame of Thronesprequel seriesHouse of the Dragon, which has seen its own racist reactions,Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerhas seen attacks from those who seem to think that casting Black people somehow goes against what they deem an authentic representation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s original works. But Goldberg was having none of it.
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“I want to start by saying these are not real. OK?” Goldberg said. “The newLord of the Ringsseries,The Rings of PowerandGame of ThronesprequelHouse of the Dragonare both massive hits, but they don’t exist in the real world. OK? There are no dragons, there are no hobbits you know, you know that.” This prompted some chuckles from the audience, many of whom probably remember similarbacklash fromStar Warsfans against Moses Ingramfor her role in the Disney Plus seriesObi-Wan Kenobi.
“And there are critics who are saying they were ‘too woke’ by adding diverse characters,” she continued. “Are you telling me Black people can’t be fake people too? Is that what you’re telling me?” The audience applauded at Goldberg here,following theStar Trekveteran’s logic. “I don’t know if there’s a hobbit club, I don’t know if they’re going to protest. But people, what is wrong with y’all?”
At this point, co-host Sunny Hostin joined in, challenging the complaints about not honoring the source material with her own expertise on the subject. “What I think is fascinating is, dragons are OK, fire-breathing dragons and people with white hair that are born like that when they’re little and violet eyes but the Black people in it, is just a bridge too far.” With other cases like howThe Flashstar Candice Pattonsaid The CW didn’t support her against racist attacks, it’s understandable how frustrating it can be to keep hearing about backlash like that. As a result, seeing people like Goldberg and Hostin clapping back can certainly be a bit cathartic.
It’s tough to think of an actual solution to racist attacks suffered by Black people and other oppressed groups, particularly on this scale. But here’s hoping those with real influence keep speaking out against the hate. It may be the best weapon that good people have.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerairs new episodes every Friday on Amazon Prime Video.
