Whoopi Goldberg: Debate over black women on ‘SNL’ is ’15 years late’

Whoopi Goldberg thinks it took America an awfully long time to realize that “Saturday Night Live” has a diversity problem.

NBC’s comedy-variety show has been afflicted this season with a debate over the lack of black women in its cast. The show even lampooned the issue last week, with Kerry Washington as host.

Goldberg, currently a panelist on “The View,” can’t believe people have waited until now to examine the subject.

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“These folks are 15 years late on this question,” Goldberg told Showbiz411. “‘Saturday Night Live’ has looked like this for 15, 16 years. I don’t understand. Why is everyone up in arms? Didn’t anybody see it before? Clearly not.”

“SNL” has two black cast members, Kenan Thompson and Jay Pharoah, both of whom have recently lamented the lack of black women in the ensemble. Maya Rudolph, who was biracial, left the cast in 2007. Since then, Thompson and Pharoah have dressed in drag to play black women -- something Thompson has said they no longer wish to do.

The president of Goldberg’s production company said the Oscar-winning actress and comic had never been asked to host “SNL.”

What do you think of Goldberg’s comments?

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