The View Co-Hosts Somehow Skipped Asking Hugh Grant About His Rude Ashley Graham Interview
Hugh Grant chose the wrong moment to give a divisive red-carpet interview. Currently promoting his upcoming blockbuster, "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," the veteran actor brought some less-than-stellar press down upon himself. Interviewed by Ashley Graham at this year's Oscars arrivals ceremony, Grant awkwardly hemmed and hawed through Graham's pretty straightforward questions. Case in point — Asked by Graham whom he was excited to see at the ceremony, the "Love Actually" star replied in bafflement, "To see?" After Graham (rather unnecessarily) explained her question further, Grant answered, "No one in particular." Okaaay...
Fans were divided in the debate over whether Grant was rude to Graham. While many viewers chimed in with a definitive yes, with one noting on Twitter that Grant "rolled his eyes when he walked off," plenty of others have defended the "About a Boy" star. Insisting that it was a cultural disagreement on humor and etiquette, some fans characterized Grant's dry responses as his merely being British. "Hugh Grant doesn't mean to be rude here, but this is how it feels like to be British and confronted by absurdly enthusiastic American extroverts," journalist Sid Verma tweeted. (We don't know about "absurdly enthusiastic"...)
Igniting a larger cultural debate altogether, the discussion over Grant's Oscars interview is far from over. Surprisingly, however, "The View" panelists didn't touch the subject when interviewing Grant recently — and fans are bewildered.
The View avoided Hugh Grant's Oscar-gate, angering some
Sometimes, it is what isn't said that people take away from the experience. That was largely the case during Hugh Grant's March 16 appearance on "The View" to promote "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." With all five co-hosts present, none broached the timely subject of his Ashley Graham interview during the 15-minute sit-down. Instead, the motley crew kept it light, quipping about Grant's reunion with "Four Weddings and a Funeral" costar Andie MacDowell as co-presenters at the Oscars. Whoopi Goldberg mused about them "having a good time."
Although Grant and the panel delved into his reasoning for hating the British tabloid press – a great entry point for his Oscars interview — his moment with Graham, again, went unmentioned. Instead, Grant complained about systematic issues with the British press, saying, "These big newspaper owners, largely non-taxpaying newspaper owners, are living above the law ... No one dares to take them on in Britain because they're so scared of them."
Viewers were more interested in Grant's other relationship with the press, however. "Disappointed!," one such fan tweeted. "I cannot believe that Hugh Grant was on 'The View' today and ALL the women gave him [a] pass. Nary a word about his recent RUDE condescending behavior at the Oscars." Meanwhile, others speculated that the hosts were issued a gag order on all things Ashley Graham-related. One such Twitter user quipped, "'The View' was afraid of Hugh Grant."