Whoopi Goldberg slams critics of 'woke' House of the Dragon , Rings of Power casting: 'Get a job'

The View moderator Whoopi Goldberg is breathing fire over those who've deemed the new House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series as "woke" Hollywood fantasies for casting actors of color in their epic fictional tales.

The Oscar-winning actress spoke out against detractors Tuesday, near the end of the long-running talk show's season 26 premiere.

"I want to start by saying: These are not real," Goldberg said on the panel. "There are no dragons, there are no hobbits, and there are critics who are saying they were too woke by adding — yes — diverse characters. Are you telling me Black people can't be fake people, too?"

She then addressed the camera with a pointed question: "I don't know if there's a hobbit club, I don't know if there are going to be protests, but, people, what is wrong with y'all?"

MATT GRACE/PRIME VIDEO; Lou Rocco/ABC; Ollie Upton/HBO Whoopi Goldberg blasted critics who've attacked 'Rings of Power' and 'House of the Dragon' for its diverse casting.

Panelist Sunny Hostin observed that the argument against the casting seemed to be that "it betrays the source material," citing the original Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings books by George R. R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien upon which the new series are based. Both novels take place in worlds inhabited by mystical creatures — including elves, monsters, and more — and include actors like Steve Toussaint, Thusitha Jayasundera, Ismael Cruz Córdova, and Sophia Nomvete among their casts.

"What I think is fascinating is that dragons are okay — fire-breathing dragons — and people with white hair that are born like that when they're little, with violet eyes," Hostin said, "but Black people is just a bridge too far for them."

Goldberg finished the hot-topic discussion by looking ahead to Disney's upcoming Little Mermaid remake, which previously cast recording artist and actress Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel, who was depicted as a white teen in Disney's 1989 animated classic.

"Y'all are gonna lose your minds when you see the new Ariel. I don't want to upset any mermaids who are watching the show, because I know there are many communities of mermaids of various colors," Goldberg said. "There are violet mermaids, there are pink mermaids, there are Black mermaids, there are Latina mermaids, there are mermaids of every ilk."

She continued, "You know why there can be? It's the world we would like to see: better. We would like to see as many people represented in fantasy. So, all of y'all who have problems because there are Black hobbits? Get a job, go find yourself, because you're focused on the wrong stuff."

Watch Goldberg speak on the new shows' casting in the video above.

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