I'm here to ask Bieganski the Blog readers what you thought of Seth MacFarlane's anti-Semitic jokes at the Academy Awards.
His "We Saw Your Boobs" song was offensive to many women, of course. His joke about John Wilkes Booth getting into Abraham Lincoln's head was disgusting.
His "jokes" about how one must pretend to be Jewish and donate money to Israel in order to work in Hollywood was, ime, anti-Semitic and unfunny.
Wondering what y'all thought.
Monday, February 25, 2013
6 comments:
Bieganski the Blog exists to further explore the themes of the book Bieganski the Brute Polak Stereotype, Its Role in Polish-Jewish Relations and American Popular Culture.
These themes include the false and damaging stereotype of Poles as brutes who are uniquely hateful and responsible for atrocity, and this stereotype's use in distorting WW II history and all accounts of atrocity.
This blog welcomes comments from readers that address those themes. Off-topic and anti-Semitic posts are likely to be deleted.
Your comment is more likely to be posted if:
Your comment includes a real first and last name.
Your comment uses Standard English spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Your comment uses I-statements rather than You-statements.
Your comment states a position based on facts, rather than on ad hominem material.
Your comment includes readily verifiable factual material, rather than speculation that veers wildly away from established facts.
T'he full meaning of your comment is clear to the comment moderator the first time he or she glances over it.
You comment is less likely to be posted if:
You do not include a first and last name.
Your comment is not in Standard English, with enough errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar to make the comment's meaning difficult to discern.
Your comment includes ad hominem statements, or You-statements.
You have previously posted, or attempted to post, in an inappropriate manner.
You keep repeating the same things over and over and over again.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Imagine the outcry if an influential Pole or Polish-American said something like this.
ReplyDeleteThat's just it.
ReplyDeleteIf any Polonians care about stereotyping of Poles, they will come to understand the complex playing field of contemporary American ethnic politics.
Why Seth MacFarlane's jokes are okay. Why Dov Hikind can't dress as an African American basketball player in his own home for a Purim party. Why a review of Witold Pilecki's book on Amazon MUST be followed by accusations that the Home Army mass murdered Jews and that Poland equals Sodom and Gomorrah.
Danusha,
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the Oscars, but I agree with you about the jokes not being funny. Were they malicious? No. Just not funny.
As for donating to Israel being a precondition for success in Hollywood, I offer this (from Wikipedia):
"Israel has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film since 1964. Despite its relatively small film-making industry, ten Israeli films have been nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar, placing it in the Top Ten most nominated countries of all time. However, no Israel film has ever won the coveted award."
So powerful are the Israelis that their lackeys in Hollywood never bothered to award an Israeli film "the coveted award."
Another note: Many of the Israeli films and documentaries that have been nominated for Oscars deal with Israel's treatment of the Palestinians—a topic likely to anger the AIPAC bloc in Hollywood. And yet, the movies were still nominated.
Hello Danusha, Jan and Liron Rubin - I don't really have a say in this as I have seen neither the Awards nor the movies being awarded things. Judging by your blogpost Danusha, this guy was something of an equal opportunity insulter. He seems to have had a go at everyone.
DeleteThough certainly I would find it very hurtful to be blamed for the horrors of Hollywood, so if anybody Jewish and/or Israeli was upset by that, I can understand why.
From E Online:
ReplyDeleteThe Simon Wiesenthal Center:
"The Oscars are transmitted to every corner of the globe, even to such places where such hateful myths are believed as fact," said the organization's Founder and Dean, Rabbi Marvin Hier. "Every comedian is entitled to wide latitude, but no one should get a free pass for helping to promote anti-Semitism."
UPDATE Feb. 26, 2013: The Academy tells E! News it's standing by the emcee.
"If the Oscars are about anything, they're about creative freedom. We think the show's producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and host Seth MacFarlane did a great job and we hope our worldwide audience found the show entertaining," the organization said in a statement.
"Anti-semitic" please give us a break. It's "Crying wolf" all over again. What's wrong with pointing out that some top movie producers are Jewish. He made jibes at other races as well. Get some sun people.
ReplyDelete