Whoopi's leniency on The View

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Washington (ANI): Actress Whoopi Goldberg has displayed how adept she is at averting conflicts over controversial subjects during her first appearance as a moderator on ABC"s 'The View". The Academy Award winner began her stint on the programme by defending suspended NFL star Michael Vick. Vick has been accused of unlawful dog fighting activities at a property he owns in a rural county in south-eastern Virginia.

On her first day as the show"s moderator, Goldberg said that people should judge Vick on the basis of his upbringing. “Instead of saying he's a beast or a monster, this is a kid who comes from a culture where this is not questioned," the Variety quoted Goldberg, as saying. ABC Daytime president Brian Frons said that it is nice to have someone like Goldberg on the panel who first understands the topic.

"I like the idea that we have someone on the panel whose first instinct is to understand rather than to judge. It leads you to a different kind of show and the right space for 'The View"," Frons said.