In Tuesday’s episode her podcast, “Archetypes,” Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, complained that she felt objectified when she worked as an assistant on the game show “Deal or No Deal” more than a decade ago.
But on Wednesday, “The View’s” Whoopi Goldberg took issue with Meghan’s assessment and criticized her for essentially accusing the show and audience of objectifying women.
In describing her experience in her Spotify podcast, Meghan said, “I ended up quitting the show. Like I said, I was thankful for the job, but not for how it made me feel.”
“I would end up leaving with this pit in my stomach, knowing that I was so much more than what was being objectified on this stage. I didn’t like feeling forced to be all looks and little substance. And that’s how it felt for me at the time, being reduced to this specific archetype,” she added.
On the show in 2006-07, the actress then known as Meghan Markle was one of a group of attractive women who held briefcases that contained varying amounts of money. Contestants would try to choose the “deal,” or briefcase, that contained the most, up to $1 million.
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Goldberg wasn’t buying Meghan’s take.
“On that show, you basically had a suitcase and they wanted to know, ‘is this the deal you want or is this not the deal you want?’” Goldberg said. “I don’t know that the people who were sitting there are thinking about you like that. They’re thinking, ‘I want the money.’”
Goldberg then added that the whole idea of a game show featuring beautiful women is not necessarily “objectification,” but just part of the reality of the business.
Do you agree with Whoopi Goldberg?
“The objectification might be coming from you and how you felt about how these women were being portrayed. And that’s what you have to change because we’re performers. When you’re a performer, you take the gig. You take the gig. Sometimes you’re in a bozo suit, sometimes you got a big nose, and this is just the way it is. We’re not journalists,” Goldberg said.
“We’re actors. We’re trying to get to another place. And you left and that was your prerogative. But I feel bad because I don’t think that people were looking at these girls like this.”
However, Golberg’s co-hosts on “The View” brought up the issue of why TV shows and entertainment always want to cast beautiful women who look like models.
“Well, that’s TV, baby. But what did you think you were going to? You know that’s what the show was,” Goldberg said.
“My point is, if you see it and that’s how you feel, just maybe you don’t want to make the other women feel bad because maybe they’re not feeling that, maybe they’re trying to make a living, too.”
The hosts of “The View” even mentioned how one of Meghan’s co-workers on “Deal or No Deal” even agreed with Goldberg.
“The View” co-host Sara Haines noted that one of the “Deal or No Deal” former assistants, talk show host and reality TV star Claudia Jordan, had responded to Meghan’s comments by saying the show never treated the women like “bimbos” and, in fact, was a good opportunity for most of them.
Meanwhile, many on Twitter have also been criticizing Meghan’s complaints.
“TMZ even calling out TW. She joined Deal or No Deal in season 2, it’s not like she didn’t know what she applied for and still cashed the checks,” one user posted.
TMZ even calling out TW. She joined Deal or No Deal in season 2, it’s not like she didn’t know what she applied for and still cashed the checks #meghanmarkleisanarcissisthttps://t.co/SclSugGs2P
— Seraphina (@Seraphi33344320) October 18, 2022
“Meghan Markle complaining about her job on Deal Or No Deal… what else is new? You signed up for a job that had very obvious criteria (stand there and look pretty) and now you’re complaining about it years later. As we can see, there is a theme with Meghan and work,” another user tweeted.
Meghan Markle complaining about her job on Deal Or No Deal… what else is new?
You signed up for a job that had very obvious criteria (stand there and look pretty) and now you’re complaining about it years later. As we can see, there is a theme with Meghan and work.
— A. (@ExposingSMG) October 19, 2022
Despite the wave of criticism that the duchess’ comments have been met with, she has made no other public comments in response.
