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‘The View’ Perfectly Defends Edgy Humor

Show's far-left hosts (even Joy Behar) rally behind Mel Brooks' 'Blazing Saddles'

“The View” offers some of the least informed political banter in the media landscape.

And that’s saying something.

The show’s hosts have repeatedly backpedaled for on-air comments while letting more ghastly opinions stand on their own. Just last week, Behar apologized for dubbing People of Praise, a religious group with ties to Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a hate group.

The show has yet to retract far nastier comments aimed at conservatives, alas.

This week, the show addressed comments by “The Office” alum Mindy Kaling on the NBC show’s “problematic” comedy. The far-Left Kaling said the show couldn’t be produced today and that she likely won’t show it to her children … ever.

That sparked a “View” conversation on controversial comedy, and longtime viewers expected the worst.

Except something unexpected took place.

The show’s hosts stood up for edgy comedy, specifically Mel Brooks’ 1974 masterpiece “Blazing Saddles.” That film excoriated racism and hate, and it did so through offensive language and button-pushing sight gags.

Blazing Saddles (1974) Original Trailer - Gene Wilder Movie

Brooks has said the film couldn’t be made today given the woke revolution, and few would disagree with the comic icon.

The writer/director recalled in his memoir, “All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business,”  the madcap spirit behind the film, showcasing a creative environment radically different than today’s world.

“When you parody something, you move the truth sideways. With ‘Blazing Saddles,’ we moved the truth out onto the street. I told the writers: ‘Write anything you want. We will never be heard from again. We will all be in jail for making this movie.'”

Host Whoopi Goldberg defended “Blazing Saddles” without hesitation.

“It deals with racism by coming at it right, straight, out front, making you think and laugh about it, because, listen, it’s not just racism, it’s all the isms, he hits all the isms,” the Oscar-winning actress said. “Blazing Saddles, because it’s a great comedy, would still go over today. There are a lot of comedies that are not good, okay? We’re just going to say that. That’s not one of them. Blazing Saddles is one of the greatest because it hits everybody.”

Co-host Sara Haines, who considers herself politically moderate, demanded room for comedians to use humor to illuminate cultural boundaries.

“Laughing is literally the ultimate medicine for life and all that it brings.”

Co-host Joy Behar explained why problematic characters must be part of the comedy equation.

“You take away Archie’s bigotry, you don’t have a character. That’s who he was, and that’s the way you’re supposed to look at people. If everybody was perfectly wonderful… and appropriate, then you’d never learn about these other people who exist out there,” she said. “That’s the purpose of art: To expose you to all aspects of human beings. Why would you want to take away the beauty of watching Archie Bunker make a fool of himself?”

The push to censor art, specifically comedy, hails directly from the modern Left. So why would the show, as reliably progressive as any chat-fest on TV, take such a stance?

It helps that both Goldberg and Behar worked as professional comedians for decades. While the duo often expound on issues with little grasp of key data, they understand both comedy and the need for comic exploration.

Goldberg’s one-person shows helped spark her Oscar-winning career and her string of films include hits like “Sister Act,” “The Color Purple” and “Ghost.” Behar worked as a stand-up comic, radio show host, author and actress before joining “The View” in 1997.

3 Comments

  1. Why defend Blazing Saddles and ignore The Producers? The new talking point is accusing Conservatives for being Nazi adjacent. So we aren’t Nazis, but we tolerate Nazis. How generous. Democrats tolerate Antisemitism and Nazis in their ranks. Whoopi Goldberg defended Nazis and Hitler. Did we suddenly forget? Sigh.

    Whoopi the eminent historian.

    “When you talk about being a racist, I was saying you can’t call this racism, this was evil,” she said. “This wasn’t based on skin, you couldn’t tell who was Jewish. They had to delve deeply to figure it out…”But I thought it was an assailant discussion because as a black person I think of race as something that I can see, so I see you and I know what race you are.”

    Yep, she’s a comedian.

  2. I notice she didnt use Meathead’s foolishness as an example. I don’t buy what she’s selling. She just happens to have nostalgia for a few things she saw when she was younger and that’s it.

  3. They lie. They can easily defend Blazing Saddles cause it is made and is one of the greatest movies ever made. But I wonder, what would they say if someone like Dave Chappelle wrote just as edgy in your face comedy with Mel Gibson the star? (Hmmmm, might have something there).

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