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| Still photo from the television show, "The Big Bang Theory." |
Bieganski
made an appearance on a television comedy show entitled "The Big Bang
Theory." A joke depended on the Bieganski stereotype. Thanks to Otto
Gross for sending this in.
Below are excerpts from an online site "explaining" the joke, and the Bieganski stereotype.
Begin excerpts from online site:
A viewer asked: "so when Bernadette said that her ancestors and Howards ancestors were neighbors in Poland is the assumption that they were on opposite sides? Or that both were persecuted? Or something else I am clueless about?"
[A Polish character is] extremely right wing and has some anti-semitic tendencies
Persecution of Jews was endemic in Poland - Bernadette's ancestors would have ignored the persecution or participated in it.
An unspecified pogrom or two. It's all the explanation the joke really needs.
End of excerpts.
I've repeatedly said here on the blog that Polonians need to respond to the Bieganski, Brute Polak stereotype by uniting, supporting each other, organizing, and acting strategically. A three-part blog post on the Crisis in Polonian Leadership, Organization and Vision outlines this plan of action.
So far no Polonians have taken up this challenge. Most Polonians do nothing. Some write individual leaders to those they perceive as being responsible for our problems. One such person wrote a letter to a website devoted to "The Big Bang Theory." That letter is copied and pasted below. Believe me, this letter will do nothing to lessen the power of the Brute Polak stereotype.
Full text of a letter written to a website devoted to "The Big Bang Theory:"
THAT WAS FUCKING RACIST! I'M POLISH AND I'M OFFENDED BY THIS JOKE. IT'S "THE POLISH CONCENTRATION CAMPS" LIE ALL OVER AGAIN.
You know why there was so many jews in Poland prior to war? No? It's beacuse poles were the most tolerant people in whole Europe. When in all over the continent jews were attacked by angry mobs, they fled to Poland, only sanctuary they had for almost 8 or 9 centuries. Poland was the first country to resist Nazi Germany and only one ever invaded both by III Reich and Soviet Union and what we get? The same crap that we are responsible for holocaust.
FUCK YOU TBBT. You have one fan less to worry about.
Below are excerpts from an online site "explaining" the joke, and the Bieganski stereotype.
Begin excerpts from online site:
A viewer asked: "so when Bernadette said that her ancestors and Howards ancestors were neighbors in Poland is the assumption that they were on opposite sides? Or that both were persecuted? Or something else I am clueless about?"
[A Polish character is] extremely right wing and has some anti-semitic tendencies
Persecution of Jews was endemic in Poland - Bernadette's ancestors would have ignored the persecution or participated in it.
An unspecified pogrom or two. It's all the explanation the joke really needs.
End of excerpts.
I've repeatedly said here on the blog that Polonians need to respond to the Bieganski, Brute Polak stereotype by uniting, supporting each other, organizing, and acting strategically. A three-part blog post on the Crisis in Polonian Leadership, Organization and Vision outlines this plan of action.
So far no Polonians have taken up this challenge. Most Polonians do nothing. Some write individual leaders to those they perceive as being responsible for our problems. One such person wrote a letter to a website devoted to "The Big Bang Theory." That letter is copied and pasted below. Believe me, this letter will do nothing to lessen the power of the Brute Polak stereotype.
Full text of a letter written to a website devoted to "The Big Bang Theory:"
THAT WAS FUCKING RACIST! I'M POLISH AND I'M OFFENDED BY THIS JOKE. IT'S "THE POLISH CONCENTRATION CAMPS" LIE ALL OVER AGAIN.
You know why there was so many jews in Poland prior to war? No? It's beacuse poles were the most tolerant people in whole Europe. When in all over the continent jews were attacked by angry mobs, they fled to Poland, only sanctuary they had for almost 8 or 9 centuries. Poland was the first country to resist Nazi Germany and only one ever invaded both by III Reich and Soviet Union and what we get? The same crap that we are responsible for holocaust.
FUCK YOU TBBT. You have one fan less to worry about.
Yes, that will do it every time... I don't watch TBBT, but it gets good write-ups in the UK. I must take a look and see what is happening.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a TV so I'm not even aware of this show. Thank you to Otto for bringing it to our attention.
DeleteSee? There ARE some good Germans.
To let CBS know how you take this offensive "joke" presented in the Big Bang Theory "The Stag Convergence"\, you can do it online at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.php
While the show aired months ago it's never too late to try and get your voices heard.
Otto
I've neither seen nor heard this programme, but thanks to Otto for finding - and to Danusha for blogging. And, re the response, yes, I'm not sure what to think about that kind of response - is it just an extension of the political agenda, i.e. another bit of anti-Polish propaganda, or is it a real response?
ReplyDeleteIts sad if so because the Inspired Scriptures will teach us to keep to the moral high ground - to keep "the law of loving-kindness" - to treat others in the way we ourselves would like to be treated; and Jehovah's holy spirit will give us self-control and patience.
And, of course, we also have a sure promise that this current system of things on the earth is coming to an end. It will be a deliverance greater than that of Noah's day. It will be a permanent deliverance.
Interesting though that the scriptwriter(s) have gone out of their way to vilify Poles - so no change in the agenda there.
And I never for a moment doubted that there are many many good and admirable Germans - my dear sister in law among them. Germans have been vilified too.
And my hope for all the young men, on both sides, slaughtered in those terrible world wars, is that they are sleeping safe in the everlasting arms, and have a wonderful awakening ahead of them.
I might have a go at writing - I do try to do at least one Polish media issues a month - and haven't yet done anything for November. Now let me just study that model email above....
I'll politely disagree with Sue and Otto.
ReplyDeleteI think that individual letters of protest not only do not do any good, I think that they do harm. The convince the letter writer that he/she has done something significant, when in fact that is not the case. Therefore, the letter writer might reject real action.
I've seen that on facebook. I invited a Polish American man who says he cares about his issue to join a group addressing it. he said he felt no need to do anything organized, because he regularly sends individual letters to people whom he feels are responsible for Polonia's problems.
Also, I think that they can do harm because the letters are often poorly written and without any real foundation (see the example above) and they perpetuate the image of the chauvinist, illiterate, unsophisticated Polak whose narrow concerns deserve no respect in the public sphere.
The action I do think would work -- because it works for others -- is outlined in the above linked blog post on the crisis in Polonian leadership, organization, and vision.
You could be right Danusha, you have some good arguments. Though I am not sure that anybody else - not even Muslims, even though The Crusades have been re-started - have been put in quite the same position as we have - singled out for "untering" by a media obsessed with "ubering" most minority groups. If that makes sense. It certainly makes it hard to deal with. And I do feel that we will be sabotaged at leadership level as long as the political agenda against us exists.
ReplyDeleteBut the problem for me lies in the idea of organising. I have to steer clear of anything that verges on politics. So I have to stick to individual action and (hopefully) supporting and encouraging others on an individual basis.
You are absolutely right in what you say about poorly written letters and emails - they can only reinforce the stereotype - and I am a bit suspicious about some of them - are they written simply to make us look bad? I don't know. With a political agenda as nasty as this one is, I end up not knowing what to think - beyond the usual, that I am so grateful to the God of Abraham for his wonderful word.
Sue, you've been very supportive of me in my work and I very much appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand your resistance to organizing. It is against your religion. I can't ask you to do something that is against your religion.
For others, there is no such excuse. There are so many who say so loudly and repeatedly that they care about this topic and then they refuse to do the very things necessary to create change.
I agree that it is important that letters are well written. Poorly written letters can do harm, but many well written letters can be persuasive, and are more persuasive than form letters. Organizations can, and should, also make clear what the issue is, and work to solve it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for understanding Danusha. And its not that I think I can do nothing - as you know I try to do what I can. And certainly, we could support each other a lot more. Polonia should be buying your "Bieganski" for example, although I hope they won't read it without a good dose of Psalm 37, as what you write about is strong stuff.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, if American Polonia had set up and maintained its own academia, that would have helped a lot. But given that they did assimilate and become Americans, they probably didn't see the need. This campaign against us is a strange and unusual one.
I could never have seen it was coming. Didn't even know it was there, until I fell right over it in Expatland! Which did make me feel a bit foolish at the time. Though now i think well, if you don't run nasty campaigns against others yourself, you don't suspect others of doing so.
One thing I feel I can do is keep reminding those who don't know the Bible what God's standards are, as whatever we do will be so much more effective if we pay attention. Treating others in a respectful way does not mean we can't be straightforward about our concerns. Jehovah is the God of truth, and under the rule of his Kingdom the earth will become "the land of straightforwardness" (could it be called "the land of spin" at the moment?).
I was straightforward when i wrote to Professor Jan Gross, for example. I am no fan of him and his work, but it is possible to state my case without being abusive or nasty, and even in a positive way. Which I hope I did.
And you will notice what an effect my email had. Isn't his new trilogy called: "Poles are NOT more horrid than anyone else in time and space, and they did NOT shoot Bambi's mother!!"?
Well, OK, it isn't... in fact, he didn't even bother to reply. But there again, why should he? I am well "unter" in Academic terms. But the thing is that, because of the teaching I get through the Christian congregation, I was able to have my say without being nasty or abusive.
And it made me feel a lot better, at any rate.
And, another positive, I would never have met you in cyberspace and got to know your writings if it hadn't been for my concern about Polish media issues.
Hi Danusha,this might be of interest to You-Jan Hartman,a left-winger with a Jewish background (as an atheist, Id deny that he is Jewish in any meaningful way,though...) is talking about-gasp- Jewish antipolonism and the problems connected with it (Polish,English subs)
ReplyDeleteHello all,
ReplyDeleteI googled Jan Hartman and found a following article on his site:
http://www.iphils.uj.edu.pl/~j.hartman/pu.php?c=publicystyka&p=poles_and_jews
I haven't read anything else by him yet, but I found the point of view interesting and to large extent unbiased.
Bart
Gosh, did I forget to post the link? wow,epic fail, here it is:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym133hf5h9o&list=FLUj_JIkekJQtI63wCuS2s_Q&index=1&feature=plpp_video
The PMI had picked up on Big Bang Theory having possible Polish issues as I am a fan of the show.
ReplyDeleteThe show was created by Chuck Lorre (American Jewish) & Bill Prady (?). Mark Cendrowski (Polish American) has directed 106 of 121 episodes.
Examples of Poles referenced in the programme: Madam Curie has appeared twice, once in an altered photo wearing a digital watch and another in apparent put down “hint Madam Curie had help”. Still at least she is being recognised as a great scientist.
I am unaware of a Polish character that is extremely right wing and has some anti-Semitic tendencies. Bernadette father is right wing and dislikes Howard but because he is a nerd.
Further the programme has a number of Jewish jokes e.g. about their diet, their mothers being overly protective and Jews being comedians.
I wonder if the creator and director are using the show in some way rise the issue of Polish- Jewish relations but in a positive way e.g. Howard (Jewish) and Bernadette (Polish) are now marriage meant as a sign about the future of Jewish/Polish relations in America.
Finally I know it is cancel but has anyone picked up Scrubs having Bieganski/Bohunk issues? In one episode the Janitor talked about a dream life saying “gab across the fence with neighbor Marge. Nice lady. Polish, I think. Doesn't matter, I'm not prejudice”.
Recently I saw an episode in which Elliot has broken up with Sean. Sean has a tramp like appearance including a full beard. The conservation went.
Sean: Since Elliot left me, my life's fallen apart.
J.D.: It's been four days, Sean. Which, by the way, makes the beard all the more impressive.
Sean: I'm a quarter Hungarian.
Hope you find my comments of some use. Sorry I can’t take part here more often but I do read your interesting blogs and some of the comments posted.
Chuck Lorre has a problem with polish people or what? I remember few "jokes" about Poland/Pole in "2 and half man" and in TBBT...
ReplyDelete