Whoopi Goldberg defends ‘Blazing Saddles’ against cancel culture

Whoopi Goldberg got fired up Wednesday defending the satirical western “Blazing Saddles” against internet trolls trying to cancel it with claims it takes jokes about racism too far.

The hosts of “The View” launched into a debate about how classic comedies are aging in 2022 — a topic inspired by Mindy Kaling’s recent comment that “The Office” is “so inappropriate now” and could never be made today.

Goldberg argued the 1974 Mel Brooks flick “Blazing Saddles” “deals with racism by coming at it right, straight, out front, making you think and laugh about it — because, listen, it’s not just racism, it’s all the ‘-isms.’ He hits all the ‘-isms.’”

The story, which takes place in 1874, follows a corrupt politician who hires a black sheriff to keep a frontier village from being destroyed.

“‘Blazing Saddles,’ because it’s a great comedy, would still go over today — there are a lot of comedies that are not good, OK? We’re just going to say that — that’s not one of them. ‘Blazing Saddles’ is one of the greatest because it hits everybody,” Goldberg insisted.

“If you’ve never seen ‘Blazing Saddles,’ you should do yourself a favor, get some popcorn, get a glass of wine, and put it on, because it’s magnificent,” Goldberg advised.

Co-host Sara Haines agreed that “laughing is literally the ultimate medicine for life and all that it brings” and that comedy should have a “sacred space” for artists to work in.

Joy Behar held up the ’70s TV series “All in the Family,” arguing that, “You take away Archie’s bigotry, you don’t have a character.”

“That’s who he was, and that’s the way you’re supposed to look at people,” she continued. “If everybody was perfectly wonderful… and appropriate, then you’d never learn about these other people who exist out there.”

“That’s the purpose of art: To expose you to all aspects of human beings. Why would you want to take away the beauty of watching Archie Bunker make a fool of himself?” Behar concluded.

“Leave my ‘Blazing Saddles’ alone. Don’t make me come for you,” Goldberg quipped at the end of the segment.

The “Sister Act” star also made headlines earlier this week when she revealed on “The View” that she has a clause in her will that prevents unsanctioned biopics to be made about her after she dies.