Bits and Pieces – My mother, my brother, and me
By Whoopi Goldberg
Hardcover, 247 pages, 2024.
Black Stone Publishing
https://amzn.to/4em3yWz
Who doesn’t know Whoopi Goldberg? She is as unforgettable as her stage name.
I first saw Whoopi in the 1985 heartbreaking Spielberg movie “The Color Purple” with Oprah, where I expected both of them to break out of character and tell me the abuse isn’t real. They didn’t, so they made me cry.
In 1990, Whoopi talked to Patrick Swayze’s “Ghost” and warned Demi Moore and her iconic haircut, “You in danger girl.” Then she carried the rest of the movie with her charisma as the lead stars tried to be dramatic and sexy with pottery.
Two years later Whoopi was a nun in “Sister Act” which reminded me of nuns in “The Sound of Music” if Julie Andrews was a Motown singer hunted by the mob instead of the Nazis.
I liked Whoopi’s relaxed comedy and her impish smile. Only Whoopi can make scary things like abuse, ghosts, and nuns entertaining. In this memoir, she does the same thing for mothers.
A mother can be frightening figure for a child. The fear can carry into adulthood, even as the child becomes a parent. Many Asians like me have a difficult relationship with a Tiger Mom who can be controlling, manipulative, and demanding.
As a Retired Tiger Mom myself, it’s hard not to use guilt as a last resort, especially when my kids refuse to listen to me or don’t believe in my wisdom.
But Whoopi’s mom, Emma, was a singular woman. She didn’t badger, she didn’t rant, and she never imposed her own ideas on Whoopi. Instead Emma was reticent and enigmatic, to the point that Whoopi never knew many things about her own mother.
Whoopi’s memoir tells the story of a devoted single mother who made magical memories for her two children, Whoopi and brother Clyde.
Despite apparent hardships, Emma selflessly managed to rear an ebullient and talented performer in Whoopi, without being harsh or pushy. Emma never tried to impose her will on Whoopi. She gave Whoopi advice but she let Whoopi make her own decisions and mistakes.
Emma fully supported Whoopi’s dream of becoming an actor and never tried to steal her limelight or money. She is so unlike many traumatized child stars who are still battling their maternal scars with drugs.
I’m not surprised that Whoopi turned out so well and continues to bring fun into our lives. My cursory research into super achievers, even unbalanced ones, show that they usually have dedicated mothers. Having a remarkable mother who absolutely has your back propels the child to achieve great things.
“My mom made me believe I could do anything I wanted,” wrote Whoopi.
There were no roles for Black actors in White Hollywood. But Whoopi’s strong belief in herself emboldened her to go to New York and create her own opportunity. She wrote a brilliant and visceral one-woman show and performed her various characters to a star-studded audience. That got
Hollywood’s attention.
Whoopi also shares her success story, behind-the-scenes, celebrity meets, and the wisdom she gained. It’s gratifying to learn that she was able to pay back her mother’s devotion as she earned continued success.
Whoopi’s versatility and various creative talents made her one of the 21 actors who have the coveted EGOT (Emmy (TV), Grammy (Recording), Oscar (Film), and Tony (Stage) awards). She is in the company of Richard Rodgers, Audrey Hepburn, Mel Brooks, Andrew Lloyd Weber, John Legend, and Elton
John.
Yet Whoopi credits her mom for much of her success. Her memoir is filled with so much adoration and gratitude for the most important woman in her life, her mom who gave her the greatest gift every child needs— respect, unconditional love, and the freedom to be herself.
“Because of my mom, I was able to go from being Caryn Johnson, the “little weird kid” from the projects who no one ever expected to achieve all that much, to being me, Whoopi Goldberg.”
By Ivy Lopez
Ivy is a Jesuit-educated lawyer and is now a columnist and book reviewer. She is a retired Tiger Mom whose kids believe Google has all the answers.
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