New Republic Sorry for Attack on Hollywood Jews

NewsMax ^ | 10/17/03 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

New York Times nitwit Frank Rich has falsely accused Mel Gibson of implicitly slurring Hollywood's Jewish executives, but it's the left-leaning New Republic that made this charge, and as explicitly as possible.

New Republic senior editor Gregg Easterbrook is scrambling to apologize for writing that the producers of "Kill Bill" are "Jewish executives" who "worship money above all else."

In an apology issued late Thursday, he said he was guilty of "mangling words" in his column Monday.

Easterbrook had attacked writer/director Quentin Tarantino for glorifying violence and denounced Miramax and its parent company, Disney, for "wallowing in gore" for profit.

"Disney's CEO, Michael Eisner, is Jewish; the chief of Miramax, Harvey Weinstein, is Jewish," Easterbrook pointed out Monday.

In accusing a Jew of worshipping money, Easterbrook now says, "you invoke a thousand years of stereotypes about that which Jews have specific historical reasons to fear."

"What I wrote here was simply wrong, and for being wrong, I apologize," he said.

[Alouette]

Was he drunk?

[Mr. Bird]

Probably. He apparently was trying to say that a Jewish executive should be especially appalled at the depictions of violence, given the history of deliberate and wholesale acts of violence on Jews. Ironically, his intent was to criticize the execs for not being Jewish enough.

[Roughneck]

"wallowing in gore"

Besides, that's tippers job . .

[ClearCase_guy]

Wow, an anti-semitic article by The New Republic! When did the Left turn into a bunch of Jew-haters? What's that? They've always been Jew haters? Well, nothing to see here, then. Move on.

[Kenton]

In accusing a Jew of worshipping money, Easterbrook now says, "you invoke a thousand years of stereotypes about that which Jews have specific historical reasons to fear."

One could make the argument that this is actually more a case of certain people (such as Eisner and Weinstein) reinforcing this particular negative stereotype, and that Gregg Easterbrook is just calling them on it.

He should have known better than to think he could chastize anybody based on such presumption without suffering a few slings and arrows... I guess he thought he'd get a pass because he's a "goodhearted lefty".

[vollmond]

Easterbrook also writes one of the best weekly columns on espn.com Page 2. It's "Tuesday Morning Quarterback".

[DustyMoment]

'Easterbrook had attacked writer/director Quentin Tarantino for glorifying violence and denounced Miramax and its parent company, Disney, for "wallowing in gore" for profit.'

From what I have heard about the film, this is an absolutely true statement.

[veronica]

Was he drunk?

Must have been.

But that aside, since when is it a crime to make money? In a free society we put material in the marketplace and if the public likes it so be it.

"Taxi Driver" is a "gory" movie too, and a brilliant one.

[duckln]

IMO Gregge was right on the money. I knew Walt Disney, and Eisner is no Disney. How he ever got control of Disney and plunder it should be investigated.

No one seems to have a problem pointing out Gibson is a Catholic, who as a group have historically persecuted Jews.

[veronica]

Under Eisner, Disney has made some of the finest animated films in history. I daresay The Lion King would have thrilled Walt Disney, for instance.

Eisner was hired by Roy Disney, Walt's brother, who would probably know more about Walt's wishes than you would.

Making money is what Hollywood, and all business is about. It has nothing to do with Jewish or not Jewish. It has to do with making a profit and staying in business so you can make all kinds of product.

[duckln]

finest animated films in history

Quite the opposite. Go back and watch 'Snow White', '100 & 1 Dalmations', 'The Tramp', 'Pinoceole' etc. All well done and not high speed computerised action flying all over the screen. Like TV 'commercials', they may appeal to two yr olds, but that's it.

Eisner was hired by Roy Disney

That's no explaination of how he stole all the stock in broad daylight.

Making money is what Hollywood, and all business is about.

But there are rules you know. Ask Enron.

[Happy2BMe]

New Republic bashing Jews again ping.

[dennisw]

New Republic senior editor Gregg Easterbrook is scrambling to apologize for writing that the producers of "Kill Bill" are "Jewish executives" who "worship money above all else." .

He's kinda right. Jewish people do run HollyWeird and way too much trash is turned out there. It's actually a disgrace how low they'll sink to make a buck out there. Trashing our American culture is not an issue for them .... they like the anarchy just so long as it doesn't reach their gated communities and expensive private schools.

[dennisw]

One could make the argument that this is actually more a case of certain people (such as Eisner and Weinstein) reinforcing this particular negative stereotype, and that Gregg Easterbrook is just calling them on it.

It's a lot more than those too piggies who are making Jews look bad. Weinstein is a maverick and lover of film but he loves degenerate films too much and churns them out. Welcome to the dark side

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[Valin]

New Republic Sorry for Attack on Hollywood Jews


Not as sorry as he's going to be.

[Valin]

I am once again getting some VERY disturbing images...very disturbing.

[HenryLeeII]

I used to read Easterbrook's TMQ column on ESPN.com. But after a while his stupid nicknames got to be irritating, and he also went on a PC anti-Redskin tangent. He regularly refers to Skins owner Dan Snyder as Evil Lord Voldemort or whatever the character is from LOTR or Harry Potter (as if a 37-year old father of two has time to read childish pap). He even went so far as lying about the Redskins won-loss record during the Snyder era. I guess his anti-Semitic remarks explain why he hates this "Jewish executive." So, in TMQ fashion, I haiku thusly:

You lie about us

You are anti-Semitic

Climb under a rock

[churchillbuff]

Making money is what Hollywood, and all business is about.

Except that Walt Disney had standards, and he had concern about the image of the company and the impact his products had on children. He didn't try to make money with gore or sex. In other words, there were lines he wouldn't cross, even if he could make money by crossing them. If you have evidence otherwise -- i.e., that Disney promulgated anti-social blood-fests or sex -- show me. I don't care about the religion or ethnicity of his successors, I care about their lack of fidelity to the standards and moral code and family-orientiation that were once synonymous with the name Disney.