“I’ve always thought that the beginning of the downfall of society was with … what’s the name of that show?” Goldberg said.

Whoopi Goldberg, American Idol Judges; Photo Courtesy of ABC

You’d be hard-pressed to find a TV program that’s more opinionated than ABC’s The View. The popular daytime talk show, which launched in 1997, is known for featuring its ‘Hot Topics’ segment, where co-hosts insert their viewpoints on different matters regardless of the consequence.

And Whoopi Goldberg is no stranger to sharing her stance on various topics.

Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry; Photo Courtesy of American Idol/ABC

During a recent episode of The View, she did just that while chatting about today’s hypercritical culture with co-hosts Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Sunny Hostin. It turns out that Goldberg believes the popular TV competition series American Idol, which used to run on FOX, is the reason why people in America have become obsessed with judging one another.

“I think, you know, that we as a society love to watch stuff, to judge folks,” Goldberg began the discussion during a broadcast, which aired in late May.

Whoopi Goldberg Slams American Idol

“I’ve always thought that the beginning of the downfall of society was with … what’s the name of that show?” She said, pointing to her producer to help remind her of the name of the sing-off series. “ABC’s American Idol?” the producer swiftly mouthed out, earning a round of laughs from the studio audience.

“It was not always on ABC. When it began, it was on another network,” Goldberg clarified, alluding to the fact that she wasn’t trying to put down the same network that houses The View. “The downfall began with [that show], and I’m going to tell you why. Once we gave people the ability to judge other people, I think we ran amok with it, and it’s gotten out of control.”

“They invited the public to decide who that person was,” she reasoned of the show, which featured original judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul. “And, I feel once we did that, it began us in a cycle, which we have not — when I was watching it, ABC didn’t have it. It was a different show, a very different show. The judges are different now, but when it first began, it was very different — and it has changed. ABC knows that I feel like this. I’ve told them. It has nothing to do with them. It has to do with the show.”

Whoopi Goldberg; Photo Courtesy of ABC/Jenny Anderson

“It Is More Positive Now”

Agreeing with Goldberg’s point of view on Idol, Haines jumped in saying, “It is more positive now. It was a phenomenon back then, with them inviting the public in. Now there are ten other shows like that.”

Goldberg calling out Idol came, coincidently, right around the time American Idol named Iam Tongi the Season 21 champion. The 18-year-old talent, who was born in Kahuku, Hawaii, gave an emotional audition when he told judges, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, that he had been priced out of paradise. Not only that, but he shared a heartbreaking story that stole America’s hearts.

Tongi, who performed a memorable and moving rendition of James Blunt’s “Monsters,” revealed he was dedicating his audition song to his late father, Rodney, who had passed away just a couple of months before his television debut.

Throughout his journey on the reality TV series, Tongi continued to draw in folks with his natural talent, emotional backstory, and genuine heart, making it all the way to the finale and beating out fellow finalists Megan Danielle and Colin Stough.

Since winning American Idol, Tongi has earned his first No. 1 hit with his emotional song “I’ll Be Seeing You,” which rose to the top of Billboard’s Rock Digital Songs Sales chart.