"The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg told critics of the alleged drag queen depiction of the "Last Supper" at the Olympic opening ceremony to "just turn the TV off."
"The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg weighed in on the drag queen performance at the Olympics opening ceremony that many believed portrayed "The Last Supper" and encouraged those upset by it to "just turn the TV off."
"If you are not happy with something, and it bothers you, don’t take 20 hours to write an email. Just turn the TV off. Watch something else. Put the newspaper down. Don’t look at the pictures. These are choices, you know, we’re back to this thing. These are our choices. You have the ability. Forget what Instagram is telling you. If you don’t like it, go to something else," Goldberg said on Monday.
Critics took aim at the group of drag queens' apparent portrayal of the "Last Supper" scene famously painted by Leonardo da Vinci, which depicts Jesus and his apostles sharing a final meal before his crucifixion.
However, Goldberg said that the director of the performance denied it was a reference to the Last Supper: "The guy that put it all together said it was from ‘The Feast of the Gods,’ which is a 17th Century Dutch painting of the Greek Olympian gods, you know, the Olympian gods because it's the Olympics."
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"Come on, y’all. It’s the Olympics. Stop. They’re not trying to do anything except talk about the history. They’re showing you the history. There are too many people in the picture for it to be the 12 disciples and then the seven or eight other people in the picture," she added.
Co-host Sara Haines said she was frustrated by the religious arguments and said "intention" mattered, adding that the director of the performance had apologized to those who were offended by it.
"Don’t go by the literal letter of the Bible. Go by the example of the word, which is live with the grace. Live with the forgiveness. Live with – I was frustrated. You answer, and I’m okay with that. I get so tired of being beaten over the head with religious messages while someone walks along their life not living like Jesus at all, like, really understand the mission," Haines said.
Co-host Ana Navarro suggested focusing on the Olympic athletes since the Olympic Games only happen every four years.
"This was a very small part of it, and it’s what’s consumed so much of America, I guess, and I would say, you know, it happens every four years. There are young people who train their entire lives to be there, to represent our countries. Can we please give them the focus?" Navarro said.
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Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said countries "lean into their culture" in the opening ceremonies, and added, "there's nothing more Parisian than Marie Antoinette's head cut-off, metal music playing and then drag queens."
She said there was something for everyone and also argued that if people didn't like it, they didn't have to watch.
Jillian Michaels was among those criticizing the performance.
"Dear fellow gays… We demand tolerance and respect but then make a mockery of something sacred for over 2 billion Christians," Michaels wrote in a post on X.
"This type of hypocrisy and lack of understanding is a bad look. We get outraged when the extreme right bashes us, but then we do this s---. What kind of reaction do you think they will have towards the LGBTQ+ community after this. This is NOT how we break down barriers, it's how you build them," she added.
