Be careful not to mistake Whoopi Goldberg‘s blasé attitude with unawareness — or, like she did with Alyssa Farah Griffin on this morning’s episode of The View, she’ll just have to remind you that she’s not as out of touch as you may assume.
The cringey moment between the two co-hosts came during a Hot Topics segment about Gen Z and plastic surgery.
“The Washington Post reports that among Gen Z — who is Gen Z? Is that you?” Goldberg asked as she turned to Griffin, who replied, “Younger than me. Like 20s.”
Joy Behar informed her friend that Gen Zers range from 11 to 26 years old — leaving Goldberg to confirm that she has both “grandkids” and “great-grandkids” that fall within the age group.
“Among Gen Z, plastic surgery is no longer hush-hush. Now, it’s good … content,” she read, while Griffin cut her off, adding, “Like, they put it on social media.”
Goldberg, 67, then fired back, “I know what it means, babe,” to which Griffin cheekily admitted, “I wasn’t sure.”
Soon after, the EGOT actress slammed the trend as “ridiculous,” before Sunny Hostin went on to echo the same sentiments.
“I think it’s ridiculous, too. And that’s coming from someone who was recently very public about my breast reduction, breast lift and liposuction,” Hostin said. “But I did it at 54. I think when you’re an 11-year-old or a 26-year-old, what is the standard of beauty for you?”
She continued, “You have to learn to love yourself inside and outside. And the minute you start making those changes at that age, I think that’s a concern.”
After Behar recalled girls getting nose jobs when she was in high school, and Sara Haines grounded her stance on transparency when it comes to a little nip and tuck, Goldberg concluded the conversation with an indifferent, non-judgmental point of view.
“People see other adults doing it. They say, ‘Well, it must mean I need to do it too,'” she said. “I guess it’s your prerogative. You have to make that decision and young people are making it for themselves. And if they’re paying for it, what can you say?”
The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.