Joy Behar criticized the Country Music Association Awards for avoiding talking about politics during the show Wednesday night, saying that “we are in an emergency.”
“My personal belief is that we are in an emergency. Th democracy is at risk, and everybody should be speaking up, everybody,” Behar explained at one point.
The comments came Thursday during a panel discussion on “The View” over what Whoopi Goldberg called “blatantly avoiding talking about politics “by hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood” on the show. But added how she thought it was a “welcome break,” something her co-host Behar did not feel the same about. (RELATED: CMA Ratings Hit Record Low. The Numbers Are Shocking)
“I think I’m overreacting to this, but I believe that everybody should be involved in politics right now,” Behar explained. “I really do. I don’t believe that you get a pass just because you’re a performer.
“But not everybody wants to watch it on television,” Goldberg snapped back.
“I get that. But my personal belief is that we are in an emergency,” Behar responded. “The democracy is at risk, and that everybody should be speaking up, everybody. ”
Goldberg then reminded her co-host that we just had an election and “people voted, people came out. Sometimes — it’s like when I do my shows, I don’t want to talk about politics. I want to talk about me.”
“We’ve had guests on our show like Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, and they’ve said, I think perhaps they feel that their brand will be tarnished and they also have said I don’t want to bring politics in. I just want to entertain,” Sunny Hostin added.
“Listen, I know that if I stayed neutral I would make 10 times more money, to tell you the truth,” Behar replied. “But I make the decision to speak my mind and give my opinion. Because that’s what I believe should be done.”
“Thirty-percent of millennials voted in this last election,” she added. “Somebody said the other day— that was great. But 70 percent did not, and that upsets me because somebody said the other day, if young people voted, they could rule the world. And they are not taking it seriously. We are in a crisis situation.”