Actress, comedian and TV host Whoopi Goldberg is back with a new line of ugly holiday sweaters for the second year in a row.
The sweaters feature black and white Santas, kissing Mrs. Clauses and octopus menorahs, but don’t expect any of them to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hannukah.” One sweater says “Happy Holidays” ― and there’s a reason for that.
″‘Happy holidays’ allows everybody to be included,” Goldberg said in an interview with HuffPost. “When you’re walking past somebody, you don’t know what their religious beliefs are or whether they have them. If they have religious beliefs and you can’t tell what they are, say ’Happy holidays.”
The sentiment won’t likely sit well with President Donald Trump, who started in on his war-on-Christmas rhetoric in July.
“I remind you that we’re going to start saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again,” Trump said at a “Celebrate Freedom” event at the Kennedy Center this summer. He again spoke about his issue with people not using the word Christmas when he spoke at the Value Voter Summit, an anti-LGBTQ event, on Oct. 13.
“This idea that we can only say one thing is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous,” Goldberg said. “And clearly, this is some political ploy to make people feel better in some way.”
She added, “But the truth of the matter is this is America where we celebrate all of our holidays ― whenever they are ― and we don’t necessarily say ‘happy this’ or ‘happy that,’ we say ‘happy holidays.’ That’s what you say.”
Politics aside, Goldberg just wants people to wear her holiday sweaters and have fun.
“We’ve got some fun and silly things that I think are great and I think people will have a good time with,” she said. “I hope that if people buy them they’re buying them with the knowledge that they’re meant to bring some laughs and some cheer.”
Goldberg said her favorite sweater is the one with a black baby Santa with a beard, diaper and a big tummy, though she admitted she “took the theme of baby Santas a little far.”
Baby Santas aside, Goldberg’s sweaters could get even more wild if she ever gets to work with her dream collaborator ― and one of her favorite fashion designers ― Rihanna. If the two ever teamed up, Goldberg said they’d make a fur sweater together.
“A great fur sweater so that if you were to rub the fur up it would be me and Rihanna around a Christmas tree and if you rubbed the fur down it’s me and Rihanna on an ice skating rink,” she said. “You write it and we’ll see if she’s up for it.”
Goldberg’s holidays sweaters are currently for sale on Zappos.com and retail for $89. Check out “The View” co-host modeling more of her sweaters below:
