Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of The View, has strongly criticized the conservative backlash against the casting in the recently released film "The Odyssey." The criticism, which has been amplified by conservative figures, centers on the inclusion of Black actresses Zendaya and Lupita Nyong'o, and transgender actor Elliot Page.
Goldberg addressed the controversy on Tuesday, reacting to comments made by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. "A lot of conservatives who see this are going to feel the same way. That's OK. But I don't understand … why go see the movie?" Goldberg stated. "If you don't wanna see it, then don't go see it. Why do you care who's cast in it? I don't understand this idea that if we hate it, everybody must hate it."
She further emphasized that individual choices not to watch the film are acceptable, but widespread condemnation is not. "You don't like Elliot Page? Don't go see the damn movie. Don't do it. We will be okay if you don't go see it," she added, asserting that "movies are not real."
Alyssa Farah, a conservative and former Trump staffer, also defended the film, calling it a "masterpiece" and a "phenomenal film." Farah argued that the movie carries a conservative message, focusing on themes of "devotion to family, it's about faith, it's about upholding institutions, it's about how war is dangerous and has repercussions for all of us." She expressed bewilderment at the conservative inability to acknowledge the film's quality and positive messaging, stating, "The fact that conservatives can't take the win and just be like, 'Oh no, this is a really excellent film with a good message for families,' I'll never understand that."
Co-host Joy Behar suggested that the opposition stems from an obsession with the term "woke," to which Farah responded, "But there's nothing woke in this film." Sara Haines echoed these sentiments, criticizing the "ignorance" displayed by those commenting on the film without having seen it. "There’s a unique ignorance to someone who comments on something they’ve never seen," Haines said. "You cannot not see the film and complain about how awful it is, when you haven’t seen the film. Because this film, and I echo Alyssa, is a masterpiece."
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been a prominent critic, taking issue with the casting of Nyong'o and Page. Musk announced on X that his AI platform, Grok Imagine, would produce its own "historically accurate" version of "The Odyssey" before the end of the year. He also offered $100 million to Mel Gibson to create a "painstakingly historically accurate" rendition with dialogue taken directly from Homer's original poem and spoken in Homeric Greek. Other conservative figures, including Megyn Kelly and Matt Walsh, have also criticized the film.
Despite the conservative outcry, "The Odyssey" has received near-perfect scores on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 97%. The film debuted at the top of the North American box office, earning $124.5 million in its opening weekend and an additional $139 million internationally, surpassing its $250 million budget.