Whoopi Goldberg goes off on Bill Maher for criticizing 'paranoid' COVID world
'The View' co-host Whoopi Goldberg erupted over the comedian's criticism of the fixation on masks and other coronavirus measures.
Whoopi Goldberg pulled no punches Monday as she went off on comedian Bill Maher for saying he no longer wanted to live in a "paranoid world" when it came to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I don’t want to live in your paranoid world anymore, your masked paranoid world. You know, you go out, it’s silly now, you know, you mask, you have to have a card, you have to have a booster, they scan your head. Like you’re a cashier, and I’m a bunch of bananas. I’m not bananas. You are," Maher told a laughing audience during his show "Real Time with Bill Maher" on Friday.
Bill Maher and Whoopi Goldberg (Reuters/Getty Images)
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"The View" co-host lashed out at Maher, telling him to "stay away from everybody" if he decided he no longer wanted to follow any of the measures used to prevent spread of the virus, such as wearing masks, and argued he was forgetting that some at-risk people were still unable to get vaccinated.
"That’s not really funny to people who've lost their kids … or people who've lost family members or dear friends to this," Goldberg said. "Nobody on the planet really wants to go through this. This is not something we’re doing because it’s, you know, sexually gratifying."
Whoopi Goldberg speaks during the WorldPride 2019 Opening Ceremony, a combined celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots and WorldPride 2019 in New York, U.S., June 26, 2019. ( REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
Goldberg, appearing increasingly frustrated, argued that people were taking precautions in order to protect their families and suggested Maher should just stay away from other people if that's how he felt.
"You don’t have to do it, but stay away from everybody, because if you're the one who’s not paying attention, and you’re coughing and sneezing … then stay out of the public, man," she said. "Nobody wants this. I don’t want it. And I think he’s forgetting that people are still at risk who cannot get vaccinated … little kids under the age of five, or people with health conditions."
"How dare you be so flippant, man?" Goldberg added.
Bill Maher appears on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on September 15, 2021. (Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images) (Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images)
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Maher is no stranger to criticizing pandemic related restrictions. Last fall, he railed against them during an episode of his show, telling his audience that it was time to declare the pandemic "over."
"Just resume living," he said. "I know some people seem to not want to give up on the wonderful pandemic, but you know what? It's over. There's always going to be a variant. You shouldn't have to wear masks."