A few weeks ago we discussed African American elites and their privileged place in the socioeconomic hierarchy of the United States? Interesting conversation and one worth having. Here is another…
From the early days of the founding of this country, a belief running through this largely Christian culture has been that Jews are an enemy of the christian churches, will suffer the displeasure of God until they accept Jesus, and in more recent years, are members of a group that is intent on bringing down the United States government. Jewish people, many god fearing Christian Americans assert, and some very powerful ones at that, control both the banking and entertainment sectors of our society.
For those of you who do not know the history, and I’ll assume that this represents most of you, the Christian churches have always had a rather rancorous relationship with Jewish people. In spite of the fact that Jesus lived and died as a Jew, and presumably will still be a Jew when/if he ever returns. In spite of the fact that early followers of Christ who wrote the Christian New Testament all considered themselves to be Jewish throughout their lives (yes, I’m not kidding). Jewish Christians turned against their Jewish brethren and throughout the years painted members of this group as the persecutors and murderers of Jesus–not the Romans. Why this happened is an interesting story, and one that I’ll leave you to explore if you have any inclination to do so.
But the bottom line is that Jewish people have long suffered the wrath of Christians with long (albiet distorted) memories and short tempers…and a predilection to savage and brutal behavior. Martin Luther, for example, perhaps the most important figure in the emergence of Protestantism, wrote the script for Adolph Hitler. “Round up the Jews, the scourge of civilization, and put them in work camps or kill them,” is essentially what he said. (Here’s a summary.)
So it is with this in mind that I’m led to the current posting about the prevalence and power of Jewish moguls in Hollywood. Keep in mind that Hollywood does not determine this culture — even though it certain plays a role in how we see ourselves as a people. To understand my reluctance to post the article one only has to read some of the comments that readers made about it. Some are thoughtful and considered, but all too many demonstrate a near total lack of understanding of a very complex issue. For those in this group, the article merely confirms their anti-Semitic thinking.
So when is it acceptable to open up a “pandora’s box” of bigotry and misinterpretation? A few years back the Jewish Theological Seminary sponsored a coffee table book that described how Hollywood is run by Jewish people. It is called “Entertaining America,” in case you’re interested. Hmm… Check out the article and reflect on the implications.
So in all honesty I have never thought about Jews running Hollywood, in fact I have never thought about any particular religion controlling Hollywood. But with this new knowledge it brings up questions like Why? Seriously why are there so many Jews in one area of business when we as a country scream equal opportunity. Shouldn’t the distribution of religion in Hollywood reflect that of the country as a whole. But obviously it doesn’t. OK all that aside, still the question of why lingers. How do we explain this? Maybe we can apply something we learned in class something like we get jobs from people we know. The entertainment industry is no different and probably even more than most , someones got to give you your big break to get ahead in the entertainment industry. So Jewish people, in high positions will give their friends and family jobs and those people will give people jobs and so it continues just like any other industry in the country. But does it matter who controls the industry? What difference, tangibly, would we see from this Jewish controlled Hollywood and one that reflected the country? I don’t think there would be one really. And we do need to distinguish for the sake of this argument the difference between a practicing Jew and Jewish by blood. My cousins are Jewish by faith their father is Jewish and their mother was raised catholic from what I can tell. So technically they are half Jew but they practice Judaism. I also know someone who is Jewish by blood but in no where near a practicing Jew and no none in her family has been for a very long time. So what are we talking about when we say that Jews control Hollywood.
I would also like to address the antisemitism in the history of Christianity. Yes there has been a pretty bad track record for Christian and Jews. And as for the Jews killing Jesus they did sort of. Yes the romans executed him but the people were given a choice. First of all it was the Jewish religious authority that got him arrested in he first place and too because it was a Jewish holiday the roman leader, pilot gave the people a choice to release Jesus or a notorious murderer, but they people chose to release the murderer instead of Jesus. So yes romans killed him but that doesn’t mean the Jewish community didn’t play a part. But I am just as much to blame as they are. Seriously. As a Christian, I believe Jesus died because of me just as much as he died because of the Jewish community at the time of his death. He wouldn’t have had to die if it was for yours and my sins. My sins put him on the cross just as much as the people of his time put him on the cross. So really Christians shouldn’t be blaming the Jews for anything.
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I’ve grown up pretty liberal, and am very aware of ‘Jew’s ruling Hollywood. I have heard this on TV a lot, and just through different people. I don’t think it is a big deal at all who makes the movies or controls the media. I have heard numerous conspiracy theories saying how Jews control the media and use television and news as mind control to have non-Jews under their power, or some ridiculous notions like that. Maybe they do hold all the top positions, but if that was the business they were raised in, you would assume they’d stick to it if they were successful. I always wondered why so many Jews were involved in the media, and were the heads of these corporations. I’m sure though, if we looked deeper into it, we would find certain trends or sociological reasons which enabled them, or helped them rise to the top of the industry.
If you ever watched Entourage, the HBO show, you’ll see how Ari always talks about the Jews and how they are ruling things. (Ari is also a Jew). Agreeing with others, movies are just movies. How can a Jewish guy producing Spiderman translate into a plot for world domination and mass mind control of America? And even if that is the case, that Jews control Hollywood, you could make the same argument that Christians control our government. Which topic warrants more attention: A religious group controlling a movie studio, or a religious group controlling the strongest and most advanced country in the world? I think the answer is pretty clear. But because we (mostly) are Christians, we ignore this, and don’t see anything wrong with it. I think I heard that out of the entire Senate there was 2 Jews total. I think
Also, think about the last time you watched a movie where the character had strong Jewish undertones? When was the last time you saw a movie where the main character was a Jew. Minus Schindler’s List, which some deniers were outraged about, I can’t think of many. And Schindler’s List, even IF the holocaust deniers are right, and it never happened(Which I believe it undoubtedly happened), it doesn’t change that from being a good movie. It was more than just the Holocaust and feeling bad for the Jews, it was also about a man who wanted to repent for his wrongs, and showed a message that could be applied to other scenarios. And like someone else said, why should they be ashamed to be Jewish? Just because they are successful doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be proud of their religion. I know in high school many different kids that were Jewish (there was only actually a few of them), were almost embarrassed to tell people their religion. One of my friends I didn’t even know until I was friends with him for some time. In conclusion, I don’t think who runs Hollywood should be an issue. And if people wanted to start about conspiracy theories, maybe it’s our government’s way of taking the heat off of them while they blindly ravage innocent nations in the middle east.
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After reading the article by Joel Stein, I was truly amazed by the numerous Jewish people who apparently “run” Hollywood. It isn’t that I do not think that Jewish people should be in control, but simply because I was unaware of who exactly ran Hollywood. I always envisioned Hollywood as just a collection of people creating ideas of ideal ways for people to live. Hollywood was the one pushing the ideas of how women are supposed to look and how men are supposed to act. To learn that many of these people are Jewish means nothing to me, although I’m sure that others do not feel the same. I am just as disappointed in the disgustingly skinny models becoming younger and younger now that I know that many of the people who set these precedents as I would be if any other group was setting these terrible standards.
I think it is fair to say that Hollywood executives (like most average Americans) are looking out for their own self interests. Making money one’s self and one’s family is most people’s primary goals. I understand, though did not truly agree with this. I am very liberal, and have been disappointed by our current “rich get richer, poor get poorer” trend. As has been discussed many times in class, the King of the Mountain is a perfect replica for how we live and have lived as Americans. It is possible that this is how so many Jewish people run Hollywood, but it is also how so many Christians hold government positions.
I believe that people nowadays understand that Jewish people are not crazy or really any different from Christians. Movies like Borat (not produced in Hollywood), poke fun at the stereotypes of Jewish people when the two main characters joke that, “the Jews are changing their form into ants”. Many people laughed at this part because of the ridiculousness of the comment, not because they actually thought these ‘different’ people could change forms.
What I am trying to say is that I hold the (possibly naïve) view that people have changed and grown past stupid stereotypes. It is hard for me to sit here and say that some people don’t have an advantage because many do. White males hold advantages over other people that are impossible to ignore. With that being said, I believe that the average person of the United States does not have ill intentions towards any race. I believe that the fact that, “Only 22% of Americans now believe “the movie and television industries are pretty much run by Jews,” down from nearly 50% in 1964” shows more about the intelligence of the citizens of our country than anything else.
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First off, I’m not Jewish and I don’t know a whole lot about Jewish people in general. I was very surprised, though, when the article exposed the fact that all the head-honchos mentioned in the article are Jewish. Never—before reading Sam’s blog and the article—did I realize a stereotype and thoughts of Jewish people running Hollywood even existed. After reading the article and blog though, my opinions quickly changed. I immediately began feeling some minor anti-Jewish feelings wondering why Christians don’t hold any of the higher positions in these industries or, more particularly, these companies. It didn’t take too long, though, for me to relax and realize that it really isn’t THAT big of a deal.
I’m actually a little relieved to hear that Hollywood isn’t being steered, guided, directed, etc by Christian men and women because it would be a horrid testament to their beliefs and Christians in general. I don’t mean this to insinuate that Jewish people have no morals, ethics, sensibility, etc. (However, this doesn’t bode well for the Jewish community in my eyes.) Unfortunately, it could be a case of a few proverbial flies spoiling the milk.
On the other hand, there are numerous movies that do support Christian values and efforts. The companies these Jewish people lead make many of these movies. So, is it all bad? No, it is not. Personally, as I get older and have a family, as long as I don’t have to worry about censoring every movie my child sees and there continues to be positive and entertaining movies playing on the big screen, I have no problem accepting the responsibility of teaching my own children about Christianity and, on an even broader scale, life in general. It shouldn’t matter who is leading a particular industry as long as the quality is acceptable.
For instance, if it would turn out that all (or at least most) cereal companies were led by Christians, I highly doubt it would be an issue… Wheaties are Wheaties after all. Likewise, if Muslims owned the majority of auto companies, people wouldn’t stop driving and buying cars.
Perhaps I’m still too naïve about what exactly the big deal is with Jewish people controlling Hollywood. Perhaps I should really be more informed about the issue before trying to write a 450 word blog entry about it. Nonetheless, it really doesn’t bother me and I don’t understand why it would bother anybody in the first place. It isn’t as serious as a swindler dealing with taxes or a child molester being a teacher. No, it’s really no worse than a white kid dating a black kid. Culture says it should be taboo, but really is there any problem with it? I think not.
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I did not want this to be the last discussion board topic. Weeding through the responses, all I feel is bitter.
Joel Stein, for those who do not know him (and apparently few in this class do), is a comedic writer. I would not exactly call him a satirist; the best I can describe the style is that he writes with his tongue permanently implanted in his cheek. He has been a columnist (or has occasionally written) for the LA Times, Time Magazine, and Entertainment Weekly since the early 90s. His style is distinctive and, in my opinion, witty.
For the students who supposedly thought long and hard about the “tone” of the piece and how serious Stein was, all they had to do to end their internal debate was look at his Wikipedia page and see that he guests on VH1’s Best Week Ever. It would not have taken any effort and would have led to a more informed (or an informed, period) post. Instead, some of my fellow classmates addressed his column as though he was fanatical and out of his mind.
To address Stein’s argument, we have to accept his premises, which are as follows:
Fact #1 – There are a lot of Jewish people in high-level positions in Hollywood.
Fact #2 – Fewer people know or recognize that fact than in previous years.
As a Jew, I do not care or take pride in how many of My People live in California.
I do care, however, that I feel shame every time someone makes the correlation between my parents’ income and my religion. “Of course you’re upper-whatever. You’re Jewish.” No. Not of course. Not anything. I don’t have magical powers. My parents don’t have an aerogarden in our kitchen that grows money.
I am not cheap at all, but I am (wait for it) good with money. My parents taught me what a credit score was in high school and apparently, given the number of college students in this country with mounds of needless bills, not all parents had that forethought. I feel ashamed that my credit score is good. And I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t have to apologize.
This may all seem tangential, but it boils down to: don’t write off my (or their) accomplishments. I attribute Fact #2 to the sad fact that many Jews do not want non-Jews to know how many Jews there are in Hollywood because they do not want the non-Jews to feel resentful.
The fact that there are more Jews does not imply anything other than that there are more Jews. Denying it looks like people resent or are trying to ignore any made up implications. My sister is an actor and her agents, manager, entertainment lawyer, publicist… all Jews. Did they get their jobs because they all went to the same Hollywood synagogue? Or walked into the interview and said “Shalom! Hire me!”? No. Christians and other religions are not, as far as I can see, at a disadvantage and do not need any L.A. affirmative action to get them jobs.
So tell me why people are afraid to say that there are a lot of Jews in Hollywood. Because, as far as I can tell, the Americans are proud that Hollywood is in the U.S. – and Jews should be proud to be playing integral roles in the industry. I’m not asking for a parade – just an affirmation when the poll question is asked.
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This is an interesting blog topic and I’ve been waiting for a Jewish-themed one all semester. First I will start by saying that I am Jewish. Second, I will say that yes, the presence of Jews in Hollywood is overwhelming and painfully obvious. Third, I will say that I do not agree with the article attached to the blog.
Jews have had a hard time forever. For whatever reason, we are hated and reviled everywhere from central Pennsylvania to Timbuktu. There are countless stereotypes about Jews; we’re greedy, cheap, egotistical and nasty. When an article like this comes along, it only perpetuates stereotypes that we think we’re better than everyone else. I understand that the author, Joel Stein, is only sharing his opinion about how proud he is of his brethren and to be Jewish. But he also sounds “high and mighty”.
In response to the question posed in the title of the blog, this is exactly when a conversation steps over the line. I may not have the right outlook on it however, because I am Jewish. I read things like this and I squirm a little, just because I think that I expect people to be pissed about it and write nasty anecdotes in the comments section. It’s a self-preservation thing, and I just want people to like us. I don’t want someone bringing up and perpetuating stereotypes just to get a laugh. Of course if he was a comedian and he was performing, it would be a different story. But the article was published in the Los Angeles Times; not the right stage for such a conversation.
Now in all fairness, the article was obviously supposed to be funny and it is clear that Hollywood has a lot of Jews in high places. Maybe, I’m just being a little too prude. Who knows?
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In response to “How Jewish is Hollywood?” and “When does a Conversation Step over the Line?” I really think I depends on what context you are speaking, if something “crosses the line” or not. I am a film major, and not Jewish. But, I know that there are a ton of people in my major who are, in fact, Jewish. Their religion does not make them any more creative or better at film making than I, I guess it’s just a coincidence that a lot of Jewish people are interested in film making. Jewish people not only are in charge of major film production companies, but are also in charge of major fortune-five hundred companies in different fields. Personally, I do not think someone’s religious beliefs are going to effect their decisions to run a business or, in the case of this article, a production company. I feel like when someone is running a company they need to have good social skills, be confident, be able to speak their mind, and make good decisions. It has nothing to do with believing in Jesus and that the Savior has or has not come yet. It means nothing when running a business.
I am very unsure as to when it is ok to “open a Pandora’s box” of misinterpretation and bigotry. I do not feel like I am very narrow-minded, so I do not know if I would ever open up a box of bigotry toward anyone. I like hearing different opinions. I feel like this world would be so boring if everyone had the same opinions about everything. I think opposing opinions make for very interesting conversations and more creative thinking. Just because Jews basically run the film industry, does not mean they are making every single creative decision for those companies. They sit in meetings with other high powers with in their companies to make decisions together. There are a lot of different people in Hollywood with many different religious beliefs. Whether they be Jewish, Mormon, Christian, Catholic, Atheist, or whatever other religions they may be, they all come together to produce entertainment for everyone. They do not only produce entertainment that caters to their own specific religion because that is not how you run a business and there is now way they would make money. Regardless of beliefs, Hollywood is a business and if the production companies are not making money, they are not doing their job. In the article “How Jewish is Hollywood?” Joel Stein has every right to be upset in the poll saying that only 22% of Americans believe that Hollywood is run by Jews. He completely proved himself by listing every Hollywood executive’s name that is Jewish, which is all of them.
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While the phrase ‘Jews own the media’ is seen as something derogatory by many, but it certainly contains a much less absurdity than the phrase ‘Jews have absolutely nothing to do with the media.’ As an American Jew who one day hopes to be an entertainment lawyer perhaps my two cents may be something of value for I would consider such a topic to be my proverbial shit. First let’s travel back to Europe during the middle ages. Due to the supremacy of the church Jews were not allowed access to land ownership which was by far the most important measure of one’s wealth. As a result if Jews desired wealth they were forced to make a career providing services to those who could, these services included managing the health, financial, and legal affairs of their clients as well lend money, which was considered usury and forbidden by the Roman Catholic faithful (who ever heard of a Jewish physician, accountant, lawyer, or money lender?). Since such positions required quite a large amount of knowledge education became highly valued, which worked out perfectly because Jews had always valued education and learning in the traditional study of torah. These traditions carried over as Jews emigrated in large numbers from Europe to the United States. Now what exactly does any of this have to with the entertainment industry? The thing about Jews is that since little was historically open to us in the way of opportunity so whenever we see it presented we usually take advantage of it. In America such a need for entertainment on the mass scale (thing produced and consumed on the mass scale being so authentically America) was presented and Jews saw an opportunity and gravitated towards it. Why exactly did we happen to be so good at it my personal hypothesis is that since Jews were so often persecuted and excluded they had to find ways to adapt to keep their spirits up. One such way was humor, I mean after all nearly every American has some type of experience with a hilariously funny Jewish person be it Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Gilda Radner, Ben Stiller, Whoopi Goldberg, Mel Brooks, the three stooges, or that class clown who couldn’t eat bread for a week in the spring. After all when you have experienced so much collective hatred and discrimination as a group you simply cannot afford to despair. The entertainment industry is the surreal world of escapism that keeps us going when the going gets tough for everyone and I would like to believe that the ubiquitous Jew can be someone who can relate to them. As far as what the appeal in concrete terms is I cannot speak for all of my people but I can speak for myself. In my family it was never an option that I wouldn’t attend college and be gravitated towards a stereotypical Jewish profession, however, guts make me queasy, numbers bore the ever living daylights out of me, and most lawyers I know should be put out of their misery. That being said a life glamour, parties, creativity, and escape is highly appealing to me.
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I just want to start off with how I am extremely surprised by that fact that Martin Luther was an anti-Semite. I was raised Lutheran (I’m Agnostic now) and I’m 25% Jewish. I my great Uncle was a Rabbi. I have never heard anything about this and I’m pretty sure my parents, then ones who were Lutheran, have never heard anything about this either.
But anywho. I personally see no problem with this article. I see it as a bit pretentious when someone takes credit for something that someone of their race or religious did, but all of us, including myself, can be accused of doing this at one point or another.
I personally see the fact that all the major media companies are owned by Jewish men as a positive and a negative. Let’s see it this way; they are all older white male. Surprise! An older white male is the corporate president of a big business. This could be seen as a complete lack of progress towards equality if you see it from a determinist’s point of view. The day a person of color, or a woman is elected as a corporate president of big business, that is the day we can be proud to live in a forward thinking country. But on the other hand; the Jewish people throughout history have had the short end of the stick. Jewish people have been subject to oppression of several different kinds through several different generations of hate and intolerance, the fact that even one person of this ethnicity was able to gain power is a great step forward towards equality. Someone who believes heavily in freewill, I imagine, would not see this as a coincidence, but instead see this as Jewish people rising up and being so strong that 8 of them were able to make it to positions of power.
Now I usually find myself in the middle for these kinds of arguments, but this time around I have to take the side of the determinist. I think that there is no way that it could be a coincidence that that many Jewish white males made it to positions of power in the same working field. It seems to me like this is a prime example of white male privilege, a problem that many white males, including myself, have a hard time wrapping our heads around. With this particular example I feel like being Jewish might have helped them get a leg up too. People have a tendency to hire people who they think share the same values as them. A Christian person is much more likely to hire another Christian person over a Jewish person or an Islamic person.
This article dances on the line of being inappropriate, but I see it as forgivable.
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After reading “How Jewish is Hollywood?”, it’s hard not to agree in some ways that Hollywood is run by many Jewish people. However, I think it’s a little ridiculous how Joel Stein gets so upset about the recent poll results. I agree with the Anti-Defamation League, who believes this poll is a victory against stereotyping.
Ever since the Holocaust and Hitler’s death, I believe that most of the talk about discrimination has been about race, not religion, up until 9/11, but that conversation is focused around Islam. This class has had me really focused on issues of race all semester, so maybe it’s just where my head has been at. But discrimination and prejudice on the basis of religion is definitely an important topic and has been throughout our history. While it’s important that people focus on race, the issue of religion also needs to be tended to because it seems to have been overshadowed by race issues.
Reading Stein’s article worried me because looking at it from a certain point of view, it reminded me of something a radical might say. I understand that Jewish people have gone through one of the worst discriminations in history during the Holocaust, but some of Stein’s comments are a little extreme. He states at the end of the article “I just care that we get to keep running them”, but his whole articles talks about wanting all Americans to recognize the Jewish “control” in Hollywood. While it is something to be proud about and the people in Hollywood including all the Jewish people involved obviously do deserve credit on how well Hollywood works, it’s not working towards less stereotyping. If this was an article from a black man commenting on how now that Barack Obama is President, all that he cared about was that black men would keep running the country, there would be many unhappy and angry people. This man would be called a racist and rightfully so. Now understanding that this is a big step especially for Jewish people, considering their past discrimination, and something to be proud of, it still does not make it right for Stein to make that comment.
In this world today, a great deal of conflict is centered on religion. There are wars because people don’t understand or respect another’s’ religion. This is something that can be easily avoided. America is a country where people are allowed to practice whichever religion they choose, but stereotyping based upon someone’s religion is still prevalent today. Ultimately, being open to other people and their different beliefs is extremely important to solving the prejudices that people still hold today. Hopefully, Joel Stein will realize that he is feeding into the Jewish stereotypes still around these days.
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There seemed to always be a present rivalry between the Jews and the Christians. I feel that it’s primarily derived from the issues of crucifixion. But in retrospect, I think that the issue with who is more successful is quite the joke. With touching on the empirical side of my study, I conducted two interviews with two individual students and asked those questions pertaining to their role in the fashion world. I had a variation of questions such as; How do you define someone who’s fashionable? Do you consider yourself to be a fashionable person? Are you intrigued, like, or even care about fashion? When you look at how fashion is portrayed in the media, how do you feel? Do clothes or aesthetics play a big role in who you are? Does it lie on the top of your priorities? Do you purchase designer clothes? Do you judge others, either negatively or positively, based on the way they dress? At the end of each question, I asked them to embellish by answering why or why not? Leroy Gray attends Penn State University and is studying Mechanical Engineering as a first year graduate student. He discussed with me that he defines being fashionable as somebody who dresses with a popular trend or style. He doesn’t consider himself personally to be fashionable because he dresses how he wants to and it perfectly satisfied. He said sometimes what he wears may be parallel to what the current trend is but it would be purely unintentional. To an extent, he is into fashion. He may be intrigued by some things but he considers it to mostly be about conforming. The media, to him, is the source of what sets the trends. He says it is often portrayed as giving out a universal image of what the perfect person is supposed to look like and he doesn’t agree , being as though people come with different styles and attitudes. Fashion is not a priority or a big part of his life but it is an interest or concern that may fall in the middle. He says he purchases brand name clothes because he like the look and the quality of the clothing, but will mix it up with less costly items as well. He judges people on the way they dress based on how they portray themselves aesthetically. He would consider a negative portrayal, for instance, as someone who dresses really urban. Positively, he would think of someone of that manner who dresses neatly, not based on quality or labels at all. Jarrett Barbour attends Temple University and is studying Magazine Journalism as an undergraduate in his junior year. He defined fashion as someone possessing the ability to channel ones personal style, into a harmonious blend between originality and trendiness. He would indeed consider himself a fashionable person.
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I don’t know much about religion. If you ask me religion is pretty ridiculous. Since I don’t know anything about Jewish and the Christen all I can say it’s think about it logically. People KILL because of one book. Are there anyone right now alive today have seen people that wrote the Bible? How do you know it’s real? How do you know if it is fake? I know, I know. You are problly going to give me some sort of lecture of how it is faith in God. I think it’s sad how people believe that God wants them to kill. If there is a perfect being such as a God, I don’t think they would want you to kill other people just because they have a different belief. But as I was saying I think it is crazy that people killed Jewish people just because they were thought to be bad. There were no actually proof that it even happened. People should not have just killed based on one book.
For some reason religion reminds me of cults. People are so brainwashed to believe one thing that they fail to see the truth and how ridicules their beliefs are. I think people can or do believe whatever they want, but they should keep in mind that other people also have the same right as them. So going all out and to kill on religion is not the right thing to do. When people say they kill for religion they are just looking for an excuse to kill people that doesn’t “fit” into their group. There is no right reason to kill and people are just using religion to take it too far.
Thought I can’t just blame on people, because their parents believed it, their community believe it too. It’s hard to grow up in an environment like that and see the flaw of your people. No one wants to admit that their group is the wrong one and their group is the guilty one. This actually reminds me of the video we say in class about the two little girls who was dancing and singing for hate. It’s not really their fault. They grow up in an environment like that and it can’t be helped that they turned out that way. If they parents were from New York, and lived in the center of the city, I doubt they will be the way they are today. It’s just passed down from generation to generation. And in this class blood Is thicker than water really do apply. I just hope later in life they can go out and explore what’s out there and be different from their parents, or go to class and learn that their thinking is wrong. They can do it. I hold different views from my parents, and we actually had arguments about it. But I know I am more open minded than them and it’s up to people in our generation to be accepting.
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Ok so, after reading the article about Jewish people running Hollywood, I am a little perplexed about understanding what exactly the problem is that some people are having with this issue. First of all, does it really matter who is running what, as long as it is efficient and the movies and television networks are producing and showing things that is in demand in our society I really could care less from what religious affiliation the executives are from. Also, after reading the article I must say I as actually pretty surprised, I really never knew that so many of the major executives in Hollywood were Jewish, I mean I did have some idea that many of them were Jewish, but I guess I never really looked into just HOW many of the up-high people are Jewish. And frankly, all I can really say is, good for them! Whether it is a coincidence or not that they all happen to be Jewish, these people have the brains and the skill to be running and leading huge corporations that essentially run America. Thinking about it, I do not this tv would be any better or worse if all Christians were executives in those companies, I really do not believe that it would make any difference at all. As for the one guy in the article who was getting all worked up by the phrase/ comment that Jews “control” Hollywood, he really just needs to get over himself. If he does not like it well then that is just too bad. He should not be going around and discrediting other people’s accomplishment simply because he doesn’t like to face the apparent facts that the most influential people in the television/ media business happen to be Jewish which is not his particular religious affiliation. Although ok, maybe saying that Jewish people literally “control” Hollywood could be a slight over statement, I think that a statement like that really doesn’t do any harm nor is it intentionally offensive or meant to hurt anyone of any other religious beliefs. Me being a Christian, I highly believe that sometimes other Christians just need to relax and stop being so hyper sensitive about their religion being the best.
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The current conflict with Iraq, though sparked by recent events such as the September 11th attacks on the world trade center in New York City, has been largely based upon past relations with Iraq throughout and after the Iran-Iraq War. Internal competing religious, tribal, and ethnic factions mainly between the minority Sunni Muslims and the majority Shiites has been a problem since the reign of the Ottoman Turks ended. With the rise of the Saddam Hussein to presidency in 1979, becoming the dictator of the ruling Baathist Party, the people of Iraq would be ruthlessly squandered, but only with the resources and help of western nations including the world’s hegemonic power: The United States. (Miller and Mylroie, 1990: 18-29) Of course, after the invasion of Iraq by the United States, the main goal has been to establish a workable democratic regime, one that can be enforced by the people of Iraq themselves, as well as dismantling any weapons of mass destruction program. Though the goal has not been to establish imperialistic paternalism over the country, the United States, through its actions has actually increased the violence in this particular region of the world. Due to the Sunni Arab insurgency, terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, and nation-wide chaos and criminality, it is arguable that the U.S. may not simply be able to leave Iraq. If that is done, Iraq will be left worse off than how it was found and the world’s leading power may find itself unsupported and looked down upon by its democratic counterparts throughout the world, most certainly causing the U.S. to have a lowered “leadership” position in the world. This current conflict with Iraq will have future implications for every nation involved and may put the position of the world’s hegemonic power into great jeopardy.
Modelski’s cycles of world leadership, which describe the past succession of world powers since the year 1500, have shown that every nation since that year (except for Great Britain) has only been in power for roughly 100 years. With four stages including global war, world leadership, delegitimization, and deconcentration, Modelski claims that the U.S. is in its last stage and that a new world power should arise based off of this model. This claim is a very accurate one because the U.S. essentially has no support from the rest of the world in this war. Only Israel and Great Britain have shown their support but no other alliances have been formed. In fact, there has been a very strong negative opinion from the rest of the world; something even more than a simple opposition to the war. Lewis H. Lapham illustrates his view on the actions of the war quite bluntly in his article Regime Change:
“Better understood as radical nationalists than as principled conservatives, they borrow the logic endorsed by the American military commanders in Vietnam (who found it necessary to destroy a village in order to save it), and they offer the American people a choice similar to the one presented by the officers of the Spanish Inquisition to independent minded heretics—give up your liberty, and we will set you free” (Lapham, 2003: 632).
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I agree with Abe Foxman that the phrase, “Jews control Hollywood”, is very dangerous. This is the kind of phrase that would promote stereotypes. Yes, the film industry in Hollywood is majority Jewish, but I don’t think that the religious views of the Presidents and CEO’s affect what goes into movies or how the industry works. I think it is good that the industry is “waging an organized campaign to weaken the influence of religious values in this country.” Not that I find the views of Jews to be offensive, but it makes sure that religion does not have too much of an influence. I think that if the entire country was aware of the high percent of Jews in Hollywood, people would revert to the stereotypes of Jews being rich and controlling. I don’t have a problem with it being majority Jewish. Seeing as almost everything else in my life has been predominantly white-Christian, it seems kind of nice to see things from the other side of the fence. It really isn’t healthy to be in the majority for everything your whole life. You will eventually get a distorted view of what life is really like. But although I do not have a problem with being in the minority, some people probably have a problem with not always having the power. I do not really know what to think of those people. I think it is just a coincidence that there are so many Jews at the top of Hollywood. I mean, does their religion make them any better at running movie studios? I’m sure there are many other Jews who are at the top of other industries but people have yet to notice it.
On the other hand, I have seen in a few movies some Jewish-aimed jokes. One went so far as to cross the line of anti-Semitism; the movie Borat. Although it was probably produced or funded by a Jewish person, they stopped at nothing to make fun of Jews. One scene showed Borat, scared out of his mind, running away from an old Jewish couple. He thought that the couple had morphed into cockroaches. He threw dollar bills at the cockroaches to try and get them away from him. This example just goes to show that even though the majority of high figures in Hollywood are Jewish, they are not so stuck up as to not make fun of themselves and their own people. After watching the HBO show, Entourage, I kind of got an inside view on Hollywood. Many of the agents who represent actors are Jewish and many of the “money men” who buy the scripts and pay the director are Jewish. All I can say is good for the Jews I guess.
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As an atheist, I’ve always personally felt that religion should be treated as a completely separate matter and a quality that people shouldn’t be judged by. I have always thought that faith is a good thing, especially for those who it means a lot to. I think it takes a very strong person to have faith in their religion and have firm beliefs behind it, and that’s clearly a positive thing if you can have it work out like that. That being said, faith has never been a part of my life – it’s not for me, merely a distraction if you will. But I still think that religion is a huge driving force of our culture, and that being said it’s a very important thing to analyze especially in this type of a class setting. In fact, it’s crucial to analyze religion in our culture today – and Jews in Hollywood is a very thought provoking topic.
All of this being said – why should it matter that Jews have a lock in the banking and entertainment sectors of America? Personally I feel that their religion shouldn’t matter and they shouldn’t be judged by it. I feel that after reading the blog and article that I’ve seen a lot of tasteless and ignorant comments, perhaps even anti semantic comments. After reading about Martin Luther, all I could think about was the ignorance and anti Jew statements. Why should it matter? Isn’t this a country built on mixed cultures, races, and identities? We should step forward and look at situations like this not by religion or race. Doing so is basically stereotyping – and I don’t see how it helps the situation in Hollywood at all. That’s another thing about this article that confused me – yes, the belief that Judaism is the enemy of the viewpoint of Christianity exists. But why embellish this by pointing it out? Aren’t we trying to move past that?
How will Jewish people react to this? Should they be proud, should they be ashamed, should they be appalled? Once again, I don’t think that it should matter. However there will always remain those who embellish this – Jews who will take this type of response for granted or as a positive thing for their culture. Do Jewish people believe they are of a higher status because they now have control over Hollywood or the banking and entertainment sector of America? I don’t think they should – never should a person be judged by solely their religion. It’s the same type of idea as racism, except with religion – yet we see Jewish people who will embellish this thought for their own self benefit. All in all I can understand the main purpose of the article, but in the end we have to realize that we shouldn’t judge people by their religion.
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I don't think we yet consciously understand how powerful art is in shaping our view of the world, more powerful even than the Media because, when it actually is art, it's able to get past our barriers and reach in directly to that place in us that both recognizes the truth of things and can respond to the need for change. We seem to have some sense of this. One need only to look at how ardently we censor art. Film is art, although we don't yet see it as such generally, and it puts many forms of art together to present an extremely powerful work of art to an audience, one that can, with a single well-made movie, literally change one's view of the world. I don't know who is 'in charge' of Hollywood, but whoever they are I'm glad they're there for the most part. Although the film industry puts out a lot of low quality art, if we can even call bad movies art, and it does produce many a movie of just downright propaganda, it is a bastion for right reason, is on the cutting edge of the right altered morality, and is attempting to step out of the avenues of hate.
The issue in question is not so much a religious one per say. The Jewish people are more a people than a religion, although this is a very debatable topic among Jews and non-Jews alike. It's the question of Jewish identity, and this isn't the place to debate it. Now, any group of people with strong ethnic ties tend to help their own members and exclude people not of their group. Jews are no exception to this common behavioral pattern in humanity. It could very well be that some of what is just passed off as anti-Semitism is actually the fear of this happening or people complaining about it taking place. So it's a question of power again.
Now back to Hollywood, though in the context of this comment it seems appropriate to go through Israel to arrive there. When I lived in Jerusalem a Catholic priest was transfered out of the country because he was asking the question what was the difference between the concept of the chosen people and the master race. Of course there is a difference, but it's certainly a good question to ask, especially now given the relationship Israel is currently having with Palestinians. I'm not trying to be sensational here or to hit below the belt. I've been leading up to a point, a question really. I find it quite odd that as of yet there is no major movie from Hollywood that shows Israeli treatment of the indigenous Palestinian population, the inhuman side, the hatred and violence directed against them. Why is that? Could it have something to do with the above mentioned tendency, and if so, is it anti-Sematic to question this?
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I have just read the “When Does a Conversation Step Over the Line?” article and blog and the first thing to come to mind is wow. I guess the first thing I would have to say is who cares who runs Hollywood. Hollywood is in the business of entertaining people and making movies. Does it really matter if the “big wigs” are Jewish or black or white? For me the answer is no. I can’t say that I have ever really sat down and thought, what is the nationality or religion of the person who produced/directed/ect this film. If it sucked it sucked and if it was great it was great. All I ever really cared about when I watched TV or a movie was if it was entertaining or not. Now, I am not trying to downplay anyone’s achievements, simply stating that in this particular case it is something that I haven’t really thought about. Maybe that is wrong, but nonetheless I still watch movies to be entertained not because someone of a specific religion or race was in charge.
In response to Dr. Richard’s blog, I found his thoughts to be interesting. I have am unsure of why Jewish Christians turned against their Jewish brethren as Dr. Richards puts it. It is a question I think is worth exploring. I find it odd that people would label the Jewish people as murders of Christ and hold it against them. I mean I can see the obvious reasons why that might upset some people. Killing someone’s savior might ruffle some feathers, but wasn’t that the way it was suppose to happen according to the scriptures? Although I still have faith in mankind. I do not think all Christians have ill will against Jews. I know several Christian Jewish couples that have gotten married and are happy and I think that is great.
I had no idea that Martin Luther had those feelings. I will admit that speaks a lot to my ignorance. It does show that everyone is human and capable of harboring such nasty feelings, even, as Dr Richards says, “the most important figure in the emergence of Protestantism.” It does make me wonder how such feelings of hatred could be conceived. What were Martin Luther’s interpretations of the Bible? I don’t think the intent of God was for people to have such feelings, but then again the intentions of God and God itself is another discussion.
Dr. Richard’s asked the question, “So when is it acceptable to open up a ‘pandora’s box’ of bigotry and misinterpretation?” I do not know that there is an easy answer to that question. But sometimes I think that box needs to be opened for if it stays closed how will the misinterpretation ever be cleared and how will one that is a bigot have a chance to change their ways? Then again on the other hand its not called pandora’s box for nothing.
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After reading the blog “When Does Conversation Step Over the Line?” I personally believe that Jews have had it hard their whole lives. Since the beginning of time people have been throwing the Jewish people around, whether it be slaves for an Egyptian king or the ghettos of Europe. No matter what Jews have had the roughest time by far throughout history. Even today, people still criticize them as being the wealthy stuck up people, not caring for anyone but themselves. As a Roman catholic I think that Jews running Hollywood is a good thing. Good for them, they deserve it, finally something good going their way. I think it’s ridiculous to think that since Jewish people are running the movies, that they are all leaning toward the Jewish faith. If anything the movies that are about the Jews show them suffering and the persecutions they went through. It’s terrible that Jews are still being bashed in the world of today. When I was younger in a catholic grade school, one of my friends was Jewish. People used to make fun of him all the time based solely on his religious views. It happened to be that he had black curly hair which is a staple of Jewish people and wore the yamikah around with him. We, as gentiles think they look funny because they wear a little hat on their heads all the time, when in fact it is a symbol of their religion. My views of the Jewish faith are up in the air. Since I was raised in a catholic church and have gone to catholic school since I was in kindergarten my beliefs are that Catholicism is the supposed “chosen” way. Recently though I’ve been on field trips to Jewish temples and have researched Jewish history in Germany. It changed my whole perspective on the Jewish faith. Once you get to know someone who is Jewish you would understand. Hollywood is doing well with the major studios and positions being run by Jews. They know how to work well and get the job done fast and efficient. I don’t think a Catholic or a Protestant put in the same position would do a much better job. People of the Jewish faith stick together though. As Catholics we look out for ourselves and no one else. The Jews however, look out for each other; they all know what they’re going through and help each other out. People have to learn to get over themselves and start opening their eyes to the future of a real globalized world. A globalized world where everyone from all over the world has to work together and combine all our resources to survive.
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In response to the blog “When does conversation step over the line?” and the article “How Jewish is Hollywood?”, I think it is ridiculous to even discuss the large Jewish presence in Hollywood. I just do not understand what everyone’s obsession with religion is. Religion is supposed to help people in some way or give them something positive to believe in. However, it seems that it is just another tool for discrimination and persecution. I could care less about the religion of the actors, directors, or producers of the movie or TV show that I am watching. In fact, I could care less about the religion of anybody. Religion is a personal choice and it is essentially something that was made up by people who could not fully understand the world. Some people need something to believe in, and for many, religion fills that void. As for the animosity between Jews and Christians, I simply do not understand that either. If you are Christian, then you believe Jesus existed and that he is the Son of God. You also believe that Jesus was Jewish! It seems pretty hypocritical to then turn around and say you do like Jewish people. When it comes down to it, I really believe that all religions are wrong. No one has the answers to the questions that religion attempts to answer. If people want something to believe in, that’s fine and I think that religion can really serve a positive role in most people’s lives. However, people who persecute others because of religion definitely need to rethink their attitudes. If someone didn’t bring it to my attention and if I didn’t watch the TV show “Entourage”, I would have never known Jewish people had such a strong presence in Hollywood. It’s not like Hollywood is sending out Jewish messages or Anti-Christian propaganda through TV and film. Since this is not the case, then there should be no problem with the Jewish presence in entertainment. The US Presidency has historically been occupied by Protestants, and that never seems to cause much of a stir. I feel that people need to relax when it comes to religion. Practicing your own religion is great, but if others believe something different or don’t want to participate then that should be fine. We should also be less concerned with what religious group is in Hollywood, Wall Street, or whatever. If you like a movie or show, then it shouldn’t matter the religion of the people involved. If you don’t like a movie or show, then it also shouldn’t matter the religion of the people involved. I know that religion can be a very sensitive issue, but if everyone can just think about it rationally and increase their tolerance, then maybe the Jewish presence is Hollywood won’t even be discussed anymore.
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The blog When Does a Conversation Step Over a Line is about the situation of the Jewish people in modern times. The blog reflects the different beliefs and prejudices of people, particularly the Christians, about the Jews. It points out how people perceive the Jews not only in religious matters, but also in social and even political arenas. These prejudices are actually rooted in history, as the blog indicates. The intertwined histories of the Christians and the Jews have not produced an always civilized relationship between the two despite the fact that Jesus Christ and the earliest Christians are Jewish in religion.
I believe that we are in a society that always has an instant opinion about people when they find out that they are a Jew. The implication of the blog is that the misjudgment against the Jews is a burden that has been carried and passed on generation after generation by the largely Christian culture, and this long standing resentment have resulted in sufferings for the Jews. On the other hand, many powerful Jews are also known to control the banking and entertainment sectors. When people learn that a person is a Jew, they automatically assume that he or she is wealthy, or that he or she owns a business. It is a stereotype that all Jews are businessmen, and that Christians are the ones made to do the dirty work. People also think that the Jews are close-fisted or cheap about any issue involving money.
The blog also presents the prevailing influence of Jews in the entertainment industry. The coffee table book Entertaining Americawas mentioned. This book illustrates the power of Jews in Hollywood, although this reality does not really define or change society’s actions toward the Jews. In college, I have experienced several encounters when people tell their friends that they are Jewish, they are often either made fun of or told that they are the first Jew they have met. Snide remarks and inside jokes are frequent, and this caught me by surprise coming to this society after growing up in a highly populated Jewish area. The author of the blog was reluctant to post this issue at the beginning. He even regarded to it as a “Pandora’s Box,” maybe because it could insinuate wrong opinions and spark unwanted comments. And perhaps, the author had enough bases to think so. The biasness and discrimination against the Jews are not understated. Though this is not generalizing everyone else against the Jews, I agree with the author in describing this as a complex issue that takes open-mindedness to deal with.
So I dare ask, how can the belief in one Supreme God save us all if judgment time is being served here on earth?
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Anti-Semitism, prejudice against the Jewish people, has occurred certainly more than once in history. Emperor Claudius is said to have exiled the Jews from Rome in A. D. 51. In A. D. 70, they were scattered over the Roman Empire after the destruction of the Temple. Also, Edward I banished them from England in 1290 and Ferdinand and Isabella also exiled the Jews from Spain in 1492. Still, after all that torment, six million Jewish people were killed under Hitler and his Nazi regime. Clearly, throughout history the Jews have had it tough. However, as a group of people they were able to overcome and create the strength to move on. I am Jewish, I am a descendent of a survivor and I am very proud of that fact. For too long, we have been kicked around, mocked, harassed, hated, and killed for our beliefs, yet through it all we have stood together and survived. Today, the Jewish people have it better than ever. As a people, we are known for being well off and educated. We are also predominant in Hollywood, the media, government, and in banking. For this I raise my glass and shout out a big “Lachaim”. I love the fact that Jewish people have so much prestige in the United States. I love the fact that many Jews run law firms and doctors offices. I love that Jews are high powered executives in Hollywood and the government. It truly demonstrates how determined Jews are for respect. In past history, The Jewish people had to hide their identity because they were scared of being killed. They would pray in underground shelters and hide their menorahs and other pieces of Judaica. They could not be proud of their beliefs, culture, and religion. On the other hand, Jews today are proud to be Jews. We are not afraid to make Jewish jokes or appreciate our heritage. This is demonstrated in the movie Funny People. The first t-shirt worn my Seth Rogan in the movie was a T-shirt that symbolized being a “Super Jew”. This is a big step for Jewish people; we have finally come out of hiding and told the world we are here to stay. Although there are still many people today who want to rid the world of Jews, it does not seem to have as much affect as it once did. The Jewish people have finally overcome the days of exile. They are now dominant figures in the world, who are constantly advancing in many aspects. Throughout history, Jewish people have gained much respect and it took us many agonizing centuries to get to the point of where we are today. Just like, Joel Stein, all Jewish people should be proud of our high positions in Hollywood and other such businesses. I know I am!
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What does it matter if those in the Jewish community play a large role in Hollywood? The author spends a lot of time emphasizing the importance of the people in charge of the different studios but what he does not realize is that nobody cares who is in charge, let alone what their religion is. It is my understanding that the only person who anyone every pays attention to what religion they are, is the president of the United States. Now if the president of the U.S. was Jewish his argument would have been a little stronger but not much. There is no point in arguing who is what religion. In fact, America is always trying to get rid of discrimination, whether it is race, gender, or religion. This article makes it seem like the author thinks that Jewish people are better than everyone else. Stein even goes as far to say that America has gotten “dumb” in response to the polls which were released by the Anti-Defamation League. Furthermore, he states that, “Jews totally run Hollywood.” This does not help the cause of eliminating discrimination nor does it even make sense to want to stereotype Hollywood or television.
I personally, have never even heard that some of the head honchos in Hollywood are Jewish. Granted, I am from a small town on the east coast but if it were really that big of a deal, I think I would have heard about it before now. In response to Dr. Richards comment, I have a different perspective on the Jewish community. I have been a Christian my entire life and have never thought of Jews in a negative way. The way I see it, Jews are God’s people and for this reason they will be saved (this is according to what the Bible says). Thus, they do not need to believe in Jesus or the New Testament. Now because Jewish people only believe in the Old Testament the rules they live by are a lot stricter, as far as I am concerned. I know a lot of hypocritical Jews who say they are Jewish but do not follow all of the rules. However, I also know a lot of hypocritical Christians. It is for this reason and many other reasons that I believe Christians and Jews are not much different. Therefore, I do not think it is necessary to start a campaign in an attempt to “re-convince America that Jews run Hollywood.” This country is made up of a multitude of religions. It is considered a free country. In the constitution, it clearly states that the people of America have freedom of religion. Thus, the Jewish community should not be considered any better than any other religious community.
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What does it matter if those in the Jewish community play a large role in Hollywood? The author spends a lot of time emphasizing the importance of the people in charge of the different studios but what he does not realize is that nobody cares who is in charge, let alone what their religion is. It is my understanding that the only person who anyone every pays attention to what religion they are, is the president of the United States. Now if the president of the U.S. was Jewish his argument would have been a little stronger but not much. There is no point in arguing who is what religion. In fact, America is always trying to get rid of discrimination, whether it is race, gender, or religion. This article makes it seem like the author thinks that Jewish people are better than everyone else. Stein even goes as far to say that America has gotten “dumb” in response to the polls which were released by the Anti-Defamation League. Furthermore, he states that, “Jews totally run Hollywood.” This does not help the cause of eliminating discrimination nor does it even make sense to want to stereotype Hollywood or television.
I personally, have never even heard that some of the head honchos in Hollywood are Jewish. Granted, I am from a small town on the east coast but if it were really that big of a deal, I think I would have heard about it before now. In response to Dr. Richards comment, I have a different perspective on the Jewish community. I have been a Christian my entire life and have never thought of Jews in a negative way. The way I see it, Jews are God’s people and for this reason they will be saved (this is according to what the Bible says). Thus, they do not need to believe in Jesus or the New Testament. Now because Jewish people only believe in the Old Testament the rules they live by are a lot stricter, as far as I am concerned. I know a lot of hypocritical Jews who say they are Jewish but do not follow all of the rules. However, I also know a lot of hypocritical Christians. It is for this reason and many other reasons that I believe Christians and Jews are not much different. Therefore, I do not think it is necessary to start a campaign in an attempt to “re-convince America that Jews run Hollywood.” This country is made up of a multitude of religions. It is considered a free country. In the constitution, it clearly states that the people of America have freedom of religion. Thus, the Jewish community should not be considered any better than any other religious community.
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In response to the article “How Jewish is Hollywood?” I think that Joel Stein is missing the point in this whole idea. He may be proud of the fact that so many Jewish Americans have made it to the top of Hollywood, but in reality it shouldn’t matter what religion these executives are. It should not matter if it is a Catholic, Jew, Muslim, or whatever other religious person who is in charge of Hollywood. I think there should be less focus on what religion these executives are and put more of an emphasis on what kind of a job they do. It shouldn’t matter what religious affiliation these people have.
By putting the focus on what religion these it opens the door for anti-Semitism if this information is put into the wrong hands. To a lot of people saying that the “Jews control Hollywood” has a very sinister and negative connotation to it. Even if it is meant as a complement it has a negative feeling to it as if they are using their power to push their views onto other people. If someone was reading this article who was an anti-Semite they could use it to further validate their views of the Jews as a sinister controlling bunch. I mean there are people who are out there who believe in these Jewish conspiracies where the Jews are secretly in charge behind the scenes and an article like this does not help to get rid of these views. Joel Stein seems to be trying to emphasis the fact that the Jews are controlling Hollywood when I think we should be trying to move away from this point of view and move towards one where it doesn’t matter what religion anyone affiliates with. He makes it sound like there is some big competition between all of the religions to be in control and that the Jews are winning. It puts a stress on what religion these people are and identifies them as Jews or non-Jews rather than just calling them successful individuals. I agree more with Foxman’s point of view in that by saying that the “Jews control Hollywood” there is a very ominous feel to the statement. I agree with him in that I would rather say that “many executives in the industry happen to be Jewish”, rather than focusing on this idea that the Jews are controlling Hollywood. Saying that the Jews control Hollywood is a negative stereotype that is as bad as any other one you can come up with because of the negative connotations that come with them. As a non-religious person I will never understand why people need to identify people into these little religious groups instead of just identifying people as individuals.
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Being Jewish this article really fascinates me. I was raised Jewish and I never really took the time to see how many Jews there are and what they have accomplished. Reading this article I learned how much of an impact Jews really have in the market today.
know that many people are Jewish, but what does it matter if people do not think that Jews rule Hollywood? How does that affect everyone else? As someone who watches movies I really don’t know when a producer is Jewish or Christian. I don’t think the religion of a producer or CEO should matter. Personally I am very happy that I was raised Jewish- I believe that it is important to follow what you believe in. I don’t think it should matter who runs Hollywood. Overall this article I thought had no bearing on what society should think about Jews. The one big impact this article had was that the Jewish religion is becoming noticed. More people are opening up to the idea of Jews. Even though the Jewish society is recognized, throughout history we have been persecuted and shoved under the rug. This article does show the world how big of an impact Jews are making.
This blog was really fascinating because I felt somewhat happy that people from “my religion” are so high up in the Hollywood chain. I know from experience that many producers are Jewish; in fact, my bosses at ABC this summer were all Jewish. Like we have been talking about in class the skin type of a person is a big topic, so is religion. Clearly people are still somewhat shocked at how well Jews have risen in society. In today’s society I never thought that people would be surprised, Jews like most people in the world are very smart. As someone who takes a slight offense to the stereotypes and jokes I am really proud that this article went out. The fact that many people doubt the triumphs of Jews is ridiculous. Most Jewish women and men that I know are doctors, lawyers, surgeons, dentists and many more noble professions. Just because the Jewish race is placed under microscope does not mean that others have the right to dumb us down and doubt our skills.
I do not think that the Jewish religion is superior to any other religion, but it is nice to know that there are people who believe in similar things as me, at the top. At the beginning of the article I thought who cares if Jews run Hollywood, it is not that big of a deal, but apparently I was wrong. If just 22% of people think that Jews are prominent in society, then that is a huge problem. This article overall has a good affect as to what people think after they read it. Something like this allows people to open their minds to different ideas and think in a new way that could seem foreign.
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In response to “When does a conversation step over the line?” and “How Jewish is Hollywood?” I couldn’t help but think about my knowledge about Jewish people. I grew up in a small, predominantly Christian town in northeastern Pennsylvania. Therefore, I do not have much exposure to any religion besides the one my parents taught me; Catholicism. Obviously there are other people out there with limited knowledge about all the different religions and cultures that differ from their own. I believe that this is a major contributor to why certain people have stereotypes for people and cultures they are unfamiliar with. Limited information leads to stereotyping.
What I do not understand though is why it matters what someone’s religion is in the first place. I do not understand why people get so offended when someone else’s beliefs differ from their own. My religious practices have nothing to do with anyone else’s life. They are my personal choice.
Also, what does religion have to do with the entertainment industry? Honestly I don’t even know the names of directors of movies. If I do not even know their name then why should their religion be important?
I think that people are too interested in labeling each other. We yearn for something or somebody to put us into a category. I don’t know if this is supposed to boost the self-esteem and make us feel accepted into society or what. This labeling and categorization that goes on in our society creates immense separation. Although competiveness is not always considered a detrimental characteristic, in this case I feel like the competition between two categories of people is creating a void. Rather than groups cooperating and working together, they are trying to diminish each other. Separation seems to be the source of all animosity. People see themselves as separate from each other and separate from the earth. In my perspective, when we live separate from other beings great damage is caused.
Isn’t that why most of the world is at war? Because my people are better than your people or vice versa. How can we live peacefully in a world that is constantly at war? Honestly, petty things like this just should not matter. It really pisses me off that people choose to limit their scope of vision to external and superficial things. Why do we allow ourselves to be so limited? What is it going to take before people realize that they are the cause of all the trouble? We all have the solution inside of us. If we take a good look at ourselves, we can begin to heal. We can become better people who look at the deep stuff rather than the superficial stuff.
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In all honesty I could not get through this article without laughing out loud! As a young Jewish girl who hopes to one day work in the entertainment industry, I face this argument all of the time. So I will answer your question with the same response that I give everyone else…who cares!!!! So what if Jewish people are becoming successful in the movie industry? Why does it matter to everyone else? It's not as if the Jews are turning Hollywood into a cult and excluding all other religions from working in the industry. If that were true, then there would be an issue. But it certainly is not.
The article "Entertaining America" stresses that Jews have worked their way up to even control many of the studios. I say kudos to them for being good at their jobs. They certainly have not gotten where they are simply because they are Jewish. There is no special pass that helps Jewish men and women succeed faster and farther than people of other religions in Hollywood. I'm sure that these Jewish men and women have worked very hard to move up the ladder. They should not be penalized just because they are "members of the tribe."
Also, You would never see powerful Christian executives being stereotyped by their religion. Why the Jews? Haven't we suffered enough throughout history? Is it really necessary to try and push us down again? Why can't everyone just work together and not consider religion as a factor. It's not as if Hollywood is conquering world peace. Studios are only there to entertain us.
More importantly, I definitely disagree that Jews are trying to use Hollywood to make movies and TV shows that make them look better. There are plenty of movies and television shows that have Anti-Semitic dialogue. Also you have to look at the big picture here. If the stereotype holds true that Jews are frugal and love money, why would they only release pro-Jewish movies and shows.Trust me, if that were the case, the studios would loose a ton of money. No Jewish executive would ever let that happen.
The bottom line is that people are taking this argument way too seriously. At the end of the day the public is not going to care if the majority of the executives in Hollywood are Jewish, Christian, Muslim or from Mars. All that matters is if they make entertaining movies. We should stop worrying about such trivial matters in life. That is such a waste of energy. Think of what could happen if people transferred the energy they used in this argument towards something worthwhile, like fighting world hunger. Who knows what could happen.
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I was attracted to reading this article because I am a Film major, interested in working in Hollywood, and I am also Jewish. I thought the article would not only apply to me and be interesting, but also maybe inspiring somehow? However, if I could choose a word to describe Joel Stein’s article, I would say it is just snobby. I come from a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and am in a mostly Jewish sorority here on campus, and don’t think I know any other Jew who would talk in such a boastful and smug way about other Jews, like we’re better than others or something. His article made me uncomfortable. I mean, it is cool to hear that all of the leading executives, chairmen, presidents, etc. are Jewish, but I don’t think its anything to be arrogant about.
How could Joel Stein begin an article like he did? He says “I have never been so upset by a poll in my life. Only 22% of Americans now believe the movie and television industries are pretty much run by Jews." Is that really the most upsetting poll you have ever read Joel Stein? If so, that’s just pathetic. There are much more important things going on in our country than a debate over whether or not Jews “control” Hollywood. And yes, I bet these men Joel Stein refers to are all great at their jobs, but as a Film major I can assure you that there are many other important jobs and positions required in Hollywood that add to Hollywood’s success, and all those thousands of people are NOT all Jewish.
The fact that this article was even written is just weird to me. But I feel like this is just a typical opinion article from an American. Americans always believe that their religion, their race, their city, their football team, etc. is just the best and nothing else compares. This attitude is not pride, its ignorance and selfishness. I think that boasting your football team (go Steelers) and their players (yeah Big Ben and Heinz!) is one thing, but boasting your religion and its most successful and wealthy “players” is just ridiculous. This article made me a little embarrassed to be a Jew. I wonder how many of the men that Joel Stein mentioned would agree with him that the lack of knowledge of their dominance in the Film industry is of utter most importance in America.
It is only important to Joel Stein for the American population to know that Jews “control” Hollywood because it translates to Jews being the wealthiest Americans. And to Americans, wealth is power. I think that Joel Stein just wants to prove Jew’s status in Hollywood with the hope of rubbing the success in the people’s faces that think Jews are worthless.
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The fact that many top positions in Hollywood are held by Jews is not a conspiracy like many people make it out to be. I took Comm 150 last year, which is basically a class on the history of film. We learned that the birth of American film was partly started by Thomas Edison and his associates in New York City. Many Jewish immigrants living in New York were taking part in this new lucrative enterprise producing their own movies. To counter all this competition, Edison legally integrated barriers that would keep other filmmakers from operating. In response to these new restrictions, Adolph Zukor (Paramount), Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner (Warner Bros.), Harry and Jack Cohn (Columbia) all made the move to Hollywood. The Founders of all the major motion picture studios were Jewish. They moved west so they could have freedom in making films. The movie business in New York never really picked up, but filmmakers in Hollywood were able to flourish. So it’s no surprise as to why Hollywood is “run” by Jews—because Jews founded it. Naturally, like any family business, they landed positions in the filming industry for their relatives. They got jobs for cousins, sons, and friends who just happened to be Jewish.
In the article “How Jewish is Hollywood”, Joel Stein satirizes the idea that Jews run Hollywood. He is upset about the results from a recent poll that suggests Americans no longer believe Jews “run” Hollywood, when the reality is that they do! But I don’t understand why this is a bad thing. Why does it matter what religion a shows producer is? They are not subliminally injecting the entertainment industry with pro-Jewish propaganda. People in top positions in entertainment are not trying to “weaken the influence of religious values in this country”. They make television and movies that they think will appeal to the majority of Americans, because they are businessmen interested in making profits. So when Joel Stein asked to interview Gentiles in top positions, it would obviously be insulting to them and their Jewish co-workers for them to accept the interview. I’m not surprised that they all declined the interview with Joel Stein.
Christians have always “pointed the finger” at Jews whenever they needed someone to blame. The Martin Luther article shows that Protestant Germans, which make up most of the U.S. population, have brought these attitudes with them to America. When the terrorists took down the Twin Towers some people blamed the Jews. Just as when the Black Death spread across Europe, Jews were blamed and persecuted. Jews in Hollywood is no conspiracy to control the American audience, they are simply the founders of the movie industry.
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I lived right outside of Boston this summer so I was right in the middle of the Gates and Cambridge Police incident. This occurrence made headline news all summer and created quite a stir amongst both black and white racial groups. From my point of view, I thought things were blown out of proportion and the media coverage was overwhelmingly unnecessary. The words exchanged by both members of the incident were totally unethical and Barack Obama also said some uncalled for words. When people get behind the microphone they sometimes go on a power trip for some reason and say some things that they should keep to themselves. Obviously they are well educated people and should have the awareness not to say the things they did. A lot of issues and dilemmas usually start with someone opening their fat mouth and saying something that they shouldn’t, and it will probably stay that way as long as humans are living on Earth. Even when I see some athletes during a post-game interview I think to myself WTF were they thinking. I realize that everyone is different but it sometimes hard to believe the words that come out of people’s mouths. Hopefully people are learning from other people’s slips and will prevent themselves from doing the same. If we could put an end to these stupid remarks then it could help stop people from being put into awkward and uncomfortable situations. These situations are ultimately unavoidable and there’s really no way to prevent this problem.
In future generations I believe that these prejudices will be significantly reduced amongst people of the world and not as many of these situations will arise. Global networks are beginning to expand and become more popular amongst everyone in the world. These tools will connect people and hopefully bring them closer together. Eventually I believe these will help bring a decrease in the amount of racial groups across the world. I lived with an Indian girl this summer that I became very close friends with, but sometimes I would catch myself using terms that I could tell offended her in some way. In high school I didn’t have the opportunity to communicate with anyone from a different ethnic background so it was a great learning experience for me. At Penn State, I still notice that there is a lot of separation amongst different ethnic groups. If I walk into the HUB, I notice that there will be a group of Asians at one table, and then a group of Black people at another table. I think it would be cool to see some of these different ethnic groups connect somehow, but I know that can be difficult to do with language and cultural barriers.
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After reading the article, “How Jewish is Hollywood?” I truly do not understand why the columnist Joel Stein, and probably many other Jews in Hollywood, extensively care about the entertainment industry being so heavily Jewish. I think it’s great that he has pride in his religion and in his fellow Jews, but honestly, why should their religion differentiate their accomplishments and make them better than anyone else? Stein writes, “As a proud Jew, I want America to know about our accomplishment.” What is so very outstanding about the work done specifically by Jews? Why is it necessary that America knows about their successes alone? Why does being Jewish give Stein, and others Jews, the right to be extra proud? It’s wonderful, and almost expected, to take pride in one’s religion, but I think this article takes that pride too far. Stein practically demands that you acknowledge the Jews’ successes solely because of their faith. Companies are not supposed to hire or not hire based on religion, so what makes Stein believe that Jews exclusively had a terrible obstacle to overcome in order to reach such powerful positions? I believe I can assume that all employees are chosen on skill and experience, not religion. With this in mind, I wonder what makes these Jews think they have the ability to call themselves a minority and proclaim their successes as grander than yours or mine.
Joel Stein has taken it upon himself “to re-convince America that Jews run Hollywood.” That’s just dandy, but in my opinion, completely irrelevant. I’m pretty sure that having America aware of the fact that Jews are running our entertainment sector isn’t one bit vital. What difference will it make for the American people, or the Jewish honchos themselves, to know the religion of these executives? I do not feel that they have left anything unproven; sales, likability, and respect will not increase just by being aware of their religious affiliation. I simply cannot understand why it is relevant to brag to the American public that Hollywood is run by Jews. To me, it appears that Stein feels the need to show off, like the Jews have something to prove. I’m not sure what situation makes him feel that the Jews of Hollywood are the underdog. Being Jewish should not separate these entertainment workers from everyone else in the industry, and it should not be a reason for them to flaunt their accomplishments. Each person’s successes should be weighted equally, not more or less because of religion. As a Catholic, I do not feel that Catholics have the right to be acknowledged more so than another religion group. Nor do I feel that a Wiccan in Hollywood should be recognized because he or she is a minority. Personally, I think someone should be given respect because of their professional successes, not because they developed professionally despite their religion.
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I found the ‘How Jewish is Hollywood?’ article to be very eye-opening. There have always been stereotypes of how Jews are the heads of banks or good with money and very business savvy, but as the article points out, they really do run Hollywood. I don’t deem this to be an important issue, but interesting none the less. I actually lived in Hollywood for an entire summer a year ago, and anyone who has ever spent time there knows that no matter what religion a person is, people from the West Coast are a lot different than people from the East Coast. So studio executives from L.A. are going to be a lot different than Jewish people from State College.
In terms of Christianity versus Judaism, I do not think that is as big of deal as it’s made out to be. As a Catholic I have never thought of the Church’s relationship with Jewish people as “rather rancorous.” I have gone to church every Sunday since I was born. My father goes to church every day of the week. Never once was I taught hatred toward Jews, or any other religions for that matter. I have heard the theory that Jewish people killed Jesus even though it was actually the Romans, but that is what separates our religions. They did not believe Jesus was the son of God and therefore gave him up to the Romans. And even if Jesus was Jewish, Catholicism believes Jesus was our savior and that He will come again, whereas Jews do not believe he ever came and still wait for His first appearance. Even if our religions are different that does not make one better than the other, and that does not make a Christian better than a Jew.
Personally I can see this article as a somewhat of a success story. After the Holocaust and the genocide of millions of Jews, it took these men less than a decade to reach some of the highest positions in today’s society. I mean, Jews only make up about two percent of the world’s population. It is undeniably a great feat. Like the author says, “As a proud Jew, I want America to know about our accomplishment.” If I happened to be Jewish I would probably have similar feeling as the author.
Finally, I think this class should be a requirement for all majors. It allows people to state and discuss their views, but it is a forum to learn and grow in a knowledge that is different from what one would normally learn. I think it is important to be able to see many things from all different perspectives, not just one’s own. I feel it is necessary for the betterment of our generation. I know it has already helped me rethink the way I see things.
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While searching race relations project this week this article jumped out at me. I like the concept of “Jews running Hollywood” that I’ve heard many times before. Even though the article displayed many examples of Jews who are high powered Hollywood executives the contention that Jews “run” Hollywood is ridiculous. It may be true that there are many Jewish people in Hollywood with high end jobs but these executives don’t get together and make decisions based on their religion. Not to mention there are hundreds, probably thousands of high end jobs in Hollywood. The author of this article did a good job of listing all the Jews in positions of power to make it seem like they are in control of Hollywood. I can admit while reading I was shocked by the amount of Jews running networks or studios. However, even though there were plenty of Jews on this list, what about all the other studios in town, what about all the agencies, all the other networks, not to mention the actors and actresses? Maybe the ratio in Hollywood is more favored towards the Jewish but in no way should this skew be misrepresented towards the fact that Jews run Hollywood.
Even though I disagree with the reason the author had for writing this article I don’t necessarily agree with the contention that this article crossed any imaginary line that makes it inappropriate. To start off, the author of this article is in fact Jewish. This alone shoots down any idea that it is inappropriate or steps over any boundary for conversation. Is there not a bylaw in the rules of political correctness in this country that says you can only make fun of the groups you belong to? It’s the rule of thumb, if you’re Jewish; it’s acceptable to make fun at the Jews expense. That’s the same rule that allows black people to say “nigga” while if a white person says it you expect that white person to get jumped by any and all black people who may have heard it. Furthermore, the author never spoke badly or disrespectfully towards Jews. To say that there are many Jewish Hollywood executives can’t be considered anything other than the truth. The article wasn’t written in a demeaning way towards gentiles, it seemed more like the author was kind of proud that people who share the same religion as him have done so well, a golden star of sorts; you can’t blame a guy for that.
There needs to be less attention brought to small things such as this. This is a Jew who is proud that his fellow Jews have been able to hold a major piece of Hollywood, even if he might be exaggerating a bit when he says that Jews run Hollywood.
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Trying to think of some rebuttals to the theory that “Jews run Hollywood” is not the easiest task there is. I thoroughly enjoy watching comedy movies so all I ever really see is Jewish actors such as Jonah Hill, Adam Sandler, and Seth Rogen lighting up my life with their movies. The list doesn’t stop at comedy though. In fact, if you Wikipedia “Jewish Actors,” the list is unfathomable, however there is not even a page for actors of any other religion. Even if you watch any of the celebrity roasts these days, Jewish comedians such as Lisa Lampanelli and Jeff Ross openly make fun of the fact that they control the entertainment industry. With substantial evidence, it is hard to naïvely disagree with this fact, so all I can do is simply agree.
I’m not saying it’s a bad thing; it’s just a fact that the entertainment industry is not very representative of the United States in whole. There are many more Catholics in America yet somehow they are not as influential in Hollywood. I don’t think it’s that harmful to say that Jews (can I say ‘Jews’?) may be more driven than other religions and therefore work harder to attain the positions in the world that they want. It may not be true, but it sure seems as such. So many Jewish people occupy some of the most prestigious jobs in the country so I don’t see why people just say that they control the media. Why isn’t it “Jews control the orthodontistry market”?
Are all the goya in the country mad that Jewish people are the presidents of large companies? I don’t think Jews are strategically positioning all their powerful leaders into positions so they can expel all the non-Jews and take over America. Who the hell cares if people of one religion work more in one part of the work force then the other? I don’t think that fact alone makes Jewish people better than anyone else. It just means they work in the entertainment industry more.
The word “control” also makes this seem a little more totalitaristic than I think it needs to be. It doesn’t seem like the Jewish studio-heads are rewriting every policy to make it more Jew-friendly. Maybe they are signing more Jewish actors and actresses on purpose and maybe they are just signing the best talent they have in front of them. This whole debacle is just a little too ridiculous to consider too heavily.
It’s not as though there are mandatory religion checks before entering the Screen Actors Guild. If there were, it seems these days that everyone would have to be Scientologist to enter. Scientology had begun recruiting every major celebrity actor so I think people should be more concerned with a ludicrous religion based on outlandish stories than one of the earliest, most stable religions there is.
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The article starts off by talking about the relationship between Jews and Christians throughout history and that has influenced how Americans perceive Jews today. Throughout their history of existence, Jews have struggled to better themselves and find a homeland. Judaism is one of the three big monotheistic religions along with Islam and Christianity. The three religions clashed against one another on many occasions throughout history but Jews were always the common factor. Jews influenced many events on this planet and still continue to make an impact on our world today. After WWII and all the horrible things that happened to the Jews (Holocaust), Jews around the world sought for a homeland that would unite them finally. With Britain’s help, they went into Palestine and claimed it theirs because they said that it was the land that was promised to them and they deserved it just as much as the Arabs and Palestinians already living there. They fought the Palestinians and with the United States behind, they were able to defeat the Palestinians and kick them out of their own land and only give them a small portion of it. The war now between the Palestinians and the Israelis has been going on for close to sixty years and they still haven’t come to a solution. During this time, many innocent Palestinians (Muslims) and Israelis (Jews) have died. Jews in America hold the highest positions in jobs and of course there’s that stereotype of them being the richest. The issue with religions will never be settled and I think until this world comes to an end, the issue will prevail. Christians, Muslims, and Jews believe in the same God of course.
So going back to the article about Jews impact on Hollywood and how they ‘run Hollywood’; to me it was very funny. Although Jews in this country especially are targets to mockery, Jews have showed and proved all their haters that with hard work and dedication, anything can be achieved and the highest ranks can be reached. They control a lot of things in our government today and without the Jews in this country, I don’t think America would be the same country. Just like Jews have good qualities that have made a power to reckon with, they also encompass a lot of negative things that have caused hatred towards them from many countries. There’s good and evil in everything I believe. There are good and bad people in every country, in every race, in every religion and Jews are no exception. There are good Jews that believe in their book and are good people who lead good lives. And of course there the bad ones that kill and cheat and do all those sorts of things but at the end of the day, we can’t generalize and say that all Jews are good or bad or stingy or whatever.
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After reading the article about how Hollywood is run by Jews and the When does a Conversation step over the line journal entry I came away with a few different thoughts. For one, it surprises me that an article would even be made and research would be done to find out the religious backgrounds of all those people. And two, I think it shows the fact that Jews are quite understood in our country. The casual Jewish person could blend into a crowd and not one person would know they’re Jewish. They are the same type of people as Christians and do not really have traits that make them odd, weird, or different. Yet for some reason there always seems to be a need to make jokes about Jews or insult their religion. But I would guess that 9 out of 10 people do not even know what it is they are making fun of the person for. Sure some say how cheap Jews are, but can you really bunch a group of millions of people together as being “cheap”? There are people in every race and religion that can be considered cheap. I think Jews are some of the most misunderstood people in our country. Nobody in the Christian religion seems to talk about how Jesus was a Jew, along with many of his disciples. It just seems odd that people can be targeted for jokes simply because they are a Jew. There are not any bad attributes that go along with being Jewish. They don’t hate America. They don’t hate Christians. They don’t go up to a Christian and insult them or their religion. So I just find it odd how we target them for jokes so often but for little reason. As far as the large amount of Jewish people in Hollywood, my best guess would be that it has something to do with what we talk about in class. People of a certain race or religion feel more comfortable working with people of their own color or religion.
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