So Ted Danson's former horizontal lambada partner Whoopie Goldberg had her first day on the, The View, otherwise known as a knitting circle in hell. The first thing she did? Defend Michael Vick for dogfighting, saying, it comes from his cultural upbringing in the south. Her comments were denounced by the Humane Society as well as the only living manatee who can dress itself, Joy Behar. But did Whoopie screw up? All she did was practice the same kind of reasoning mainstream media has always embraced: cultural relativism - the idea that you can explain away bad behavior as a product of its environment. Thing is - where does it end? I mean, what about Jim Crow laws and separate water fountains? Both of those are as southern as biscuits and gravy. Are those okay too?

The View has always embraced this kind of stupidity - at times defending terrorists as a product of their environment. Whoopie simply figured she could do the same with dog fighting. Wrong. See, on the View, dog fighting is worse than terrorism - because animals are cute and fluffy - and innocent Americans are not. The only time that bloated circle of stupidity will ever come out against terrorism, is if al qaeda starts poisoning dog food. But then what would the audience for the View eat?

Whoopie says Vick's love for dog death comes from his "culture," which is code for black. But what if she had focused not on dog fighting, but on spelling? After all, Vick's fighting club - Bad Newz Kennels, is spelled with the letter Z. If she had said Vick can't spell because of his "culture," she would have been gone faster than a burger in Rosie's lunchbox.

But cut Whoopee some slack. She comes from a culture where stupidity isn't questioned - but rewarded. I'm referring to Hollywood , of course.

AND THAT'S MY GUT FEELING.