Despite there being no change to Twitter’s term of service (TOS), only the equal enforcement of it, Whoopi Goldberg announced on Monday’s edition of The View that she would be quitting because “it’s a mess” under new owner Elon Musk. She also denounced free speech, shouting that “all speech is not free speech” and “I’m out.” Meanwhile, the other co-hosts wanted a federal crackdown and European-style intrusions.
“So, it has been a little over a week since Elon Musk took over Twitter and the place – it's a mess,” Goldberg proclaimed at the top of the segment. One of her gripes was that Musk had supposedly ordered so-called comedian Kathy Griffin suspended “for impersonating him on a parody account, which has started a Free Kathy hashtag to trend.”
Of course, an ABC News product doesn’t tell the truth. It wasn’t “a parody account.” It was her own account which she changed the name of to read “Elon Musk,” and she was suspended because the TOS states that a parody account must be labeled as such, which hers wasn’t. The TOS was thus enforced.
“I'm getting off. I'm getting off today because I just feel like, you know, it's so messy,” Whoopi proclaimed. “I'm going to get out, and if it settles down and I feel more comfortable, maybe I'll come back. But as of tonight, I'm done with Twitter.”
She also seemingly accused Musk of going into her list of blocked accounts and unblocking them. “And I'm tired of now having had certain kinds of attitudes blocked and now they're back on,” she said.
As of the publishing of this piece, her account is showing up as nonexistent. And as far as NewsBusters can tell, it appears that Goldberg had the account managed on her behalf.
Racist co-host Sunny Hostin lamented that Twitter has “become such a hellscape” since Musk took over and mourned the benefits it used to have like following the “legal scholars” and “thought leaders” she preferred. “And now you've got this Elon Musk turning it into something that it was never intended to be,” she whined, decrying the idea that Twitter was a public square. “Well, I don't want to be part of that public square.”
A short time later, faux Republican Ana Navarro doubled down on her demand that federal regulators carry out a crackdown on Twitter and social media companies and lionizing the European Union (Click “expand”):
NAVARRO: The European Union actually passed a law that I think is very relevant and we're way behind the curve. The European Union passed a law that's a landmark law that would force Facebook, YouTube, and other internet services to combat misinformation, disclose how their services amplify divisive comments, and stop targeting online ads based on a person's ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
GOLDBERG: We have been asking for this.
NAVARRO: I don't know why, you know, I think it's time that the U.S. government take a look at this because in the same way that we are regulated by the FCC, that radio stations are regulated, frankly a place like Twitter has far more reach and is far more dangerous.
She then kvetched about the fact that he actually uses the platform he owns. “He is there causing drama on a daily basis. He's tweeting and tweeting and tweeting and getting into fights. It's insane,” she shouted as if he was personally keeping the servers running.
Hostin backed up Navarro, urging people to vote for Democratic Senate candidates so they can undo Section 230 of the Communications Act. “Well, they say they're third-party platforms. They're not the ones that are putting it out there and that can only change by legislation, and if the Republicans rule the Senate, that will never change,” she insisted.
And as they were going to a commercial break, Goldberg decried free speech and mocked those concerned about it. “They keep saying that it's free speech … All speech is not free speech. Some speech is not okay free speech. So, everybody has to agree on that,” she sneered, before putting on a mocking tone and saying: “But if people keep saying, ‘you're hurting my free speech,’ it's going to be a problem.”
“But you know what? This is going to be -- this is our problem, but it ain't my problem today because I'm out,” she boasted.
The View’s denouncement of free speech was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Humana and Oreo. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
November 7, 2022
11:14:55 a.m. EasternWHOOPI GOLDBERG: So, it has been a little over a week since Elon Musk took over Twitter and the place – it's a mess. He's already called back some of the workforce he fired a few days ago. He's putting his $8 charge for blue check verification on hold. First it was going to be $20. Now it's going to be $8. He also suspended Kathy Griffin for impersonating him on a parody account, which has started a free Kathy hashtag to trend.
I'm -- I'm getting off. I'm getting off today because I just feel like, you know, it's so messy. And I'm tired of now having had certain kinds of attitudes blocked and now they're back on, and I just -- I'm going to get out, and if it settles down and I feel more comfortable, maybe I'll come back. But as of tonight, I'm done with Twitter.
[Applause]
SUNNY HOSTIN: I think a lot of people feel that way. And Whoopi, you've always told me from when I first started on the show, never look at the comments because it also changes what we say because we're afraid of the reaction and I don't want to be fearful.
GOLDBERG: No. It can change.
HOSTIN: It can change.
GOLDBERG: It can change.
HOSTIN: I stopped reading the comments years ago, but it's become such a hellscape, and what I'm afraid of is, you know, I follow legal scholars there. I follow SCOTUS blog. I follow thought leaders. And it's such a good place for that. Remember the Arab Spring and the Iranian women who were reaching out. They were reaching out to me on Twitter. Please help me. Please continue this message and we all talked about it during hot topics.
And now you've got this Elon Musk turning it into something that it was never intended to be. He said it's going to be the public square. Well, I don't want to be part of that public square, but you also don't want to miss the valuable information that can be put on there.
(…)
11:17:43 a.m. Eastern
GOLDBERG: Well, here’s the other thing I want to know. Who owns your Twitter feed? Who owns what you write on Twitter? You're paying them $8. Who owns it? See? There's too many questions right now.
ANA NAVARRO: The European Union actually passed a law that I think is very relevant and we're way behind the curve. The European Union passed a law that's a landmark law that would force Facebook, YouTube, and other internet services to combat misinformation, disclose how their services amplify divisive comments, and stop targeting online ads based on a person's ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
GOLDBERG: We have been asking for this.
NAVARRO: I don't know why, you know, I think it's time that the U.S. government take a look at this because in the same way that we are regulated by the FCC, that radio stations are regulated, frankly a place like Twitter has far more reach and is far more dangerous.
And as far as Elon Musk, I don't understand how this guy can run Twitter when he can't even get himself off Twitter. He is there causing drama on a daily basis. He's tweeting and tweeting and tweeting and getting into fights. It's insane.
HOSTIN: That is why the Senate race is so important because the Communications Act, which basically allows this to happen. I think it's Section 230. It allows protection of social media just platforms.
GOLDBERG: Under freedom of speech. Under the freedom --
HOSTIN: Well, they say they're third-party platforms. They're not the ones that are putting it out there and that can only change by legislation, and if the Republicans rule the Senate, that will never change.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Section 230 is a bit fraught, though. It's a bit challenging because if you treat it like a publication, then that means they're liable for any crazy thing someone posts, which –
[Crosstalk]
GOLDBERG: Yeah! Well, it is a publication.
[Crosstalk]
GOLDBERG: They keep saying that it's free speech and some speech is not all free – All speech is not free speech. Some speech is not okay free speech. So, everybody has to agree on that, but if people keep saying, “you're hurting my free speech,” [mocking tone] it's going to be a problem.
But you know what? This is going to be -- this is our problem, but it ain't my problem today because I'm out.
We'll be right back.
