After Drew Barrymore said she would bring back her daytime show amid the writers’ strike – only to go back on her statement after receiving backlash online – many people are wondering why The View is still on air.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike since May over issues such as pay, the size of writing staff, and the use of artificial intelligence in scripts. The actors’ union, SAG-Aftra, joined the strike in July due to similar concerns around the threat of artificial intelligence, as well as fair compensation for reruns and content that appears on streaming services. For what it’s worth, The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and The Talk have all delayed their returns, which is why there are a lot of questions as to why The View is still going.
Whoopi Goldberg Comes Under Fire For Working On 'The View' Amid WGA Strike
Many people, including fans and those in the entertainment industry, have wondered why Whoopi Goldberg, a SAG-Aftra member and EGOT winner, and her The View co-hosts are still doing the show, with Scandal and West Wing actor Josh Malina telling Page Six: "I’ve come to the conclusion that Whoopi and the other hosts of The View are indeed scabbing."
"Consider: The View has been picketed by the WGA from day one. Also, the show normally employs two members of the union who are now on strike," Malina continued. "If you cross a picket line to go do your job, and then do the work of a picketing union member – in this case, even jotting down a question to ask a guest – in my book, that’s being a scab."
Twitter was also full of comments about The View still being on air, with one user tweeting: "Funny that people didn’t do the same with other talk show hosts! People in America are such hypocrites. They’re hating Drew Barrymore but not Whoopi Goldberg for example on The View! If you want to call her a SCAB call everyone a scab!" One user replied, "It’s not about fairness. It’s about being heard and being right," while another responded: "They knew Barrymore was an easy target. She'd fold like a cheap suit. However it is interesting that @TheView is still producing live shows. Being woke has its privileges."
Whoopi Goldberg Defends 'The View' Still Being On
Goldberg, who has come under fire quite a few times during her time on the show, explained why she was still doing The View, despite being a SAG-Aftra member herself. She explained back in July: "Like the soap operas and game shows and news shows, we work under a different kind of contract which is called the 'network code,' which means that we are allowed to continue on. As we’re not actors at the table acting The View, it’s a different kind of context. So that’s why we’re still able to work."
It wasn’t just Goldberg who tried to explain why The View was exempt from the strike. As per Page Six, an ABC source said that The View is not affected because it is primarily unscripted. Although it does have two writers, no one has done a WGA member's job since the strike began, with Goldberg and co-hosts Ana Navarro, Sara Haines, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin reportedly all hand writing their own notes and cue cards since the strike began.
