Whoopi vs. Pirro: Spare us the View

Blowing up, cussing folks out and kicking guests out of the building are definitely not the way to show you're not suffering from some type of "derangement." It is, however, the way to prove you are. I'm talking about Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of "The View." The diagnosis is acute chronic derangement of the Donald Trump type -- in layman's terms, Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Last week, the actress-comedienne-talk show host-leftist lost it with Judge Jeanine Pirro, objecting to the accusation that she has Trump Derangement Syndrome. So to prove she was levelheaded about all things Trump, Whoopi went off on the judge about how tired she was of Trump, who is wont to "whip up such hate"; tired of Mexicans being referred to as "liars and rapists"; and -- get this -- tired of "people starting a conversation about this country." I wonder which country American citizens should talk more about.

The heat index skyrocketed when Pirro then responded that "what's horrible is when people who shouldn't be here end up murdering the children of American citizens." Whoopi countered by saying, "You know what's horrible? When the President of the United States whips up people to beat the hell out of people." I'm not sure when that happened, but it was real enough in Whoopi's mind to cause her to follow up that accusation by demanding Pirro leave: "Say goodbye! Bye! I'm done!"

Apparently, the craziness went off the charts behind the scenes afterwards, according to what the judge told Sean Hannity. "She came at me," she alleged. She added that Whoopi was "screaming at [her]" and said, "F you! Get the F out of this building!" while spitting in her face.

Whoopi denied that account but did admit to saying "a few choice words" -- only after Judge Jeanine "put a finger in [her] face." Furthermore, said Whoopi, "she called everybody at the table a name I cannot repeat on TV and said it in front of the audience." A source told Page Six that name was "c--ksuckers!"

And these are grown folks we're talking about, y'all -- grown "professional" folks? I have quite the imagination, but even I can't make this stuff up.

I don't know what happened offstage. I do know what I saw onstage via the video that's all over the Internet: a talk show host went off on a guest and dismissed her. And why? Methinks Whoopi got bent out of shape when Judge Jeanine pointed out the positives under this Trump administration and committed the unpardonable sin of comparing his record to former President Barack Obama's. Of course, being confronted about Trump derangement didn't help. I'm no fan of Judge Jeanine; she's as sharp as a tack but just a bit too loud and obnoxious for my taste. Nonetheless, she kept her cool onstage, which only served to make Whoopi appear even more out of control.

Speaking of herself, Whoopi told the world Friday her behavior was out of character. "I rarely get stirred up," she claimed. Well, I guess she was just semi-stirred up when in 2010 she and Joy Behar walked out of an interview with Bill O'Reilly because he connected Muslims to 9/11. That was almost a decade ago, so I guess that qualifies as "rarely." I guess she was due. I guess she thought it best that if she was to get stirred up, she should take the leap from walking offstage herself to kicking someone else offstage. I'm not sure if that transition is a progression or a regression, but I do know it's unprofessional and rude.

Welcome to current-day politics: talk over, scream at and insult one another -- all the while embarrassing yourself and humiliating others.

Ridiculous.

If Whoopi did behind the scenes what Pirro said she did, she was just flat-out wrong -- and based on what I saw onstage, I don't doubt it. And if Judge Jeanine did what Whoopi and the Page Six source said she did, she was flat-out wrong, too.

If I appear to have come down harder on Whoopi than the judge, I have -- and you should have also. You saw what the world saw in the video. Look, if you, as an interviewer, can't discuss politics without being unprofessional, don't discuss politics. If you can't disagree without being disagreeable, only talk to people who wink and nod at everything you say. You won't grow and develop as a person, but you won't embarrass yourself, either.

What I viewed on "The View" confirms for me the wisdom of deciding a few months ago not to consume politics like one consumes food. The menu is unhealthy, and the cost -- my peace and joy -- is too high and yields too little. In fact, I only accidentally found out about this mortifying -- and yes, deranged -- scenario, which is about as pathetic a situation as we will encounter...until the next one.

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member. Contact her at aross@semissourian.com.