Whoopi wounded by Oscar snub
On "The View" on Monday morning, the rest of the women rallied around show moderator Whoopi Goldberg, who was visibly upset at being left out of a montage of Oscar's memorable moments on Sunday night's awards-cast. This 
snub may have been unintentional, but to not include a clip of the first woman to solo as Oscar host (and four times at that -- 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001) really is inexcusable.
Add to that Goldberg's history-making awards achievements. She is one of only 10 people to win the grand slam of awards: Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, Tony. She is the only African American actress with two Oscar nods, losing lead actress for "The Color Purple" (1985) before winning supporting actress for "Ghost" (1990). As she said in her heartfelt acceptance speech: "As a little kid, I lived in the projects and you're the people I watched. You're the people that made me want to be an actor."
While the Oscarcast did include a clip of Goldberg's win -- she was only the second African American actress to win an Oscar (after Hattie McDaniel did in for 1939's "Gone With the Wind") -- there were no clips from her memorable appearances as host. Her entrance from the ceiling on a swing a la Nicole Kidman in "Moulin Rouge" or her walking out in whiteface a la Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth" and calling herself the first "African Queen" were but two of the many highlights from which the academy could and should have chosen at least one to honor her.
Do you think Whoopi was robbed?
Whoopi is not a grand slam winner: her Emmy was a daytime, so it isn't quite the same. The ten winners are Mel Brooks, John Gielgud, Marvin Hamlisch, Helen Hayes, Audrey Hepburn, Rita Moreno, Richard Rodgers, and Jonathan Tunick
Posted by: David Acacia | February 25, 2008 at 06:59 PM
i do not think it was intentional, but a snub yes it was
Posted by: boidiva02 | February 25, 2008 at 06:43 PM
I agree with at least one other poster who said simply, "Who cares?" This is a non-issue, and The View is irrelevant and brainless.
Posted by: Mark Tapson | February 25, 2008 at 06:36 PM
The person who was REALLY snubbed during the 80th Oscars was the late Brad Renfro. From the age of 14 until his death 11 years later -- exactly one week before Heath Ledger -- Brad was treated like dirt by Hollywood. Although he was the title character AND the poster boy for his first film, "The Client," his name wasn't even included in the advertising! Although three of the people with whom he has co-starred, including Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones, his co-stars in "The Client" have gone on to win Oscars, the only awards Hollywood ever gave Brad Renfro were a couple of "Young Actor" awards. During the Oscar show, the "In Memoriam" montage ended with Heath Ledger, but no mention was ever made of Brad, who was three years younger and died of exactly the same cause -- a drug overdose -- in L.A. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did more than "snub" Brad Renfro, they all but spat on his memory, the culmination of more than a decade of abuse at the hands of Hollywood big-wigs. Whoopi wasn't shown hosting? Big deal! She was shown WINNING an Oscar, which is something Brad Renfro was always denied, whatever awards his co-stars might have received. And Whoopi is at least ALIVE to complain, and that on a television show with millions of viewers for which she receives a six-figure salary. Brad Renfro isn't able complain about the Academy's latest act of disrespect towards him -- which, mercifully, will probably be the last. So shut up Whoopi, and count your blessings, of which you have many, many millions.
Posted by: The Grand Panjandrum | February 25, 2008 at 05:58 PM
I"m glad. She is despicable.
Posted by: res08hao | February 25, 2008 at 05:51 PM
I'll say! Whoopi Goldberg is an accomplished actress, comedienne, and a symbol of "I can be anything I want to be" despite how I look. So, she's no Halle Barry or Beyonce or Vanessa Williams, but I'll be damned to not include Whoopi in "any" Oscar montage. She's not a flash in the pan like so many other starlets. She chooses motion pictures, television sitcoms/movies and the Broadway stage, as well as talk-show venues to display the multi-dimensional talent that she is. SHAME ON THE ACADEMY! Non-intentional or not, it is a DISGRACE!
Posted by: Zammy | February 25, 2008 at 05:19 PM
Who cares.
Posted by: Guido | February 25, 2008 at 05:15 PM
I don't think it was intentional but those montages were awful all night. They just didn't seem to know what they were doing with those. It seemed totally random what or whom was included in any of them. Even the obit one seemed to tack Heath on at the end again just like SAG. What else are they doing that they can't focus as long as the people who do the montages they show on Turner Classic Movies? Those are always nice.
Posted by: Aura | February 25, 2008 at 05:03 PM
Comics get no respect! What I'd say is that Whoopi has been absent from the type of movies that make people remember that she's a serious actress. Instead, she's chosen to be on The View. She wasn't robbed. She just wasn't remembered. But that's her doing.
Posted by: calie | February 25, 2008 at 04:32 PM
To her credit, Whoopi did not bring this up, nor did she prolong the conversation. She was not mad, and only looked emotional at the support of the View co-hosts who considered her to be "slighted." I think Whoopi handled herself with much grace, more than she is usually given credit for. Am I a huger lover of Whoopi? Not always, but today she made me like her a bit more than I had before. She's genuine if nothing else.
Posted by: Deron R | February 25, 2008 at 04:27 PM
You would think that during Black History Month, they would have honored Whoopi. I think they purposesly snubbed her. Also, why did they choose the shortest month of the year for Black History Month? I don't think this was unintentional either! Obama 08!
Posted by: Muhammed | February 25, 2008 at 04:00 PM
Whoopi was ROBBED!!! She was a great host and deserves to be a part of this special night. Anyone remember "The Colors of her wind"!!!
Posted by: Brian | February 25, 2008 at 03:57 PM
Whoopi, you're just another African-American who got snubbed. Check the Oscar audience....a sea of white. It's their night.
Posted by: Jeffrey Walker | February 25, 2008 at 03:56 PM
At what point do you stop throwing race into everything?
Posted by: Stan | February 25, 2008 at 03:39 PM
to the person offended that scheider and renfro were not included in the memoriam montage, that was not an omission. both actors passed after the jan. 31 timeframe. so this was no a mistake, but perhaps an argument for more flexible rules. also, no "n" in schneider (unless you're referring to the super in "one day at a time."
Posted by: brian | February 25, 2008 at 03:33 PM
Seriously? She needs to just grow up! It's not about her...
Posted by: ED | February 25, 2008 at 03:29 PM
What? So every person who didn't make it intp a montage was "snubbed"? I don't remember seeing a clip of Billy Crystal or Steve Martin or Ellen DeGeneres either ... maybe I was in the bathroom at the time. Maybe that's why I didn't notice Whoopi wasn't included ... I just assumed I'd missed that part. Seriously, how many people out there were really keeping score? I was just thrilled to see Hattie McDaniel get a shout out (even though Vivian Leigh did not).
Posted by: S | February 25, 2008 at 03:22 PM
One reason the Gil Cates and the Academy decided not to remember Whoopi may be that year as host when she described "What Dreams May Come" as "Wet Dreams Make Cum". A little bit of Whoopi goes a long way, and four hours of her is like a cross-country plane trip seated next to Gilbert Gottfried.
Posted by: D. J. Fone | February 25, 2008 at 03:18 PM
Mickey, how exactly was Chris Rock the first black host?
I'm always surprised when I hear that Whoopi hosted four times. I only remember the awful last one.
And while I agree that she was overlooked, it seems like that is a complaint that can be leveled from a lot of directions. I know that the writers' strike affected the show in a lot of ways, but basic record-keeping and reference shouldn't have been one of them. There were ways in which this production was sloppy all around.
Posted by: Kate | February 25, 2008 at 03:11 PM
One clipping of her is not enough?...Is her ego that huge?...
Posted by: FrankieR. | February 25, 2008 at 03:04 PM
No, she was not robbed. Who was robbed were all the people who had to suffer through her comedic style during her four forgettable turns as host.
Donning a costume isn't inherently funny, and her 2001 performance was a debacle (hence she she has not been asked back since). If all it took to be funny was a costume and an oafish one-liner, then SNL would have stratospheric ratings.
Whoopi is better at the format she currently has, and to say she was robbed is stupid. Did they have any clips of Chris Rock? He was the first black host. What about Steve Martin? He was the first funny host not named Billy Crystal.
Posted by: Mickey | February 25, 2008 at 02:42 PM
I like Whoopi, but, get over yourself.
Posted by: Chuck | February 25, 2008 at 02:37 PM
I don't think she should feel bad. The show was terrible; she should feel blessed she was not a part of the 80th birthday bore. Jon Stewart was worse than David Lettermen. Next year, have Whoppi or George Lopez as a host. Leave out the bad songs and add more cataglories for movies and actors (like the 'Globes).
Posted by: Cedric J. | February 25, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Snubs seemed to be in order. Take into account that even though every memorable agent and executive was mentioned in the In Memoriam reel, both Roy Schneider and Brad Renfro were omitted. Something tells me the Academy was maybe not doing it's homework last night for the clip reels...
Posted by: Eric W | February 25, 2008 at 02:31 PM
The war in Iraq, the failing economy, the health care crisis, the California budget crisis, the national budget crisis, the Hillary and Obama crisis, the oil crisis, the yet unnamed crisis....... Whoopi who?
Posted by: KJ | February 25, 2008 at 02:26 PM