Halle Berry Said "JEWISH!" Is She out of her Half-Black Mind?!
"If you watch the clip, you can see Halle saying the word Jewish....[she] should be ashamed of herself!"
I'm not sure who is a bigger douche, the Leno audience member who said that, or Richard Johnson, who quoted her on Page Six, under the headline, "Berry Nose Better Than That." Are we really such a nation of pussies now? Someone says the word Jewish and we call 9-1-1? Excuse me, but my tribe has been run down by every small-dick thug since cro-magnon had his first bar mitvah. Halle Berry didn't urinate on a Torah. She made a joke and it was funny (and in this business, you don't cut funny).
If you didn't see it, she was showing distorted images from her computer camera and one made her look like she had a big nose, so she said "This one makes me look like my Jewish cousin." See? It's kinda funny. At the very least, it's cute. Laugh a little, folks. Lotsa jews have big noses, as do Italians, Arabs, Armenians, and a whole buncha other people. And big noses can be beautiful and they can also be funny (Jimmy Durante's nickname was Schnozzola). And Halle Berry, with her perfectly gorgeous nose, is funny with a big nose. Her Jewish assistant who first made the joke thought so. And on behalf of the rest of the thick-skinned Jews out there, I think so too.
You know, I was talking about this with my black friend today. Wait...can I say black? Sorry, my African-American friend. Actually, he's not African. Okay, my Jamaican-American friend. Does that make him African-Jamaican-American? Are Jamaicans from Africa? He's Catholic, too. Come to think of it, he kind of has a big nose. In fact, if he were white he might even look Jewish. Did you know Ethiopia has a lot of Jews? They have small noses. You've seen them before, the small-nose-African-American-Jewish-types? They don't look anything like my Jewish cousins. In fact, they probably look more like Halle's gentile-black-African-American-gorgeous-movie-star-cousins. Wait...can I say movie star?
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perfectly said, michael.
Yep - we're ALL hypersensitive, even us on the left. Halle is a sweetie, her explanation made some sense, and her apology was endearing and wholehearted. She's soooo GREAT!!!! That's one lucky hubby and kid!
Judaism is a culture (actually, many cultures with some shared characteristics born of a common religious practice) and a religion. Often, there is a common ancestry, but this is not always true e.g. you can convert to Judaism. Note: Judaism is NOT a race, which is a genetic distinction, and refers to people with definite, shared genetic traits. According to the Torah, Jews are a nation, but this is up for interpretation and debate -- unfortunately, the word "nation" has ugly connotations about inclusion, exclusion and mixed loyalties. Many Jews in the United States are secular, or non-practicing Jews (don't attend synagogue). Secular Jews frequently still associate themselves strongly with their (Jewish) cultural ties and hold the categorization of Jew, whether they practice the faith or not (myself included). This last point is probably where confusion comes in for many people.
I mostly agree with this comment, except that you can't dismiss the origins of Tay-Sachs disease (which affects Ahskenazi Jews).
Hey tinkabout it: This isn't about pro-Jewish sensitivity (whatever that is); you are extremely confused. This incident hits on several issues, and I think poor Ms Berry landed in a crossfire. I agree with most of the posters that this is getting so much attention because Halle is not a comedian, the "joke" was in poor taste, and she attempted to make an in-joke about a group she is not a part of. But let's talk about some of the latent issues here -- people are shocked at the word "Jew" itself. In fact, it is perceived as derogatory; some people do not even know if the word is correct or accurate to use when referring to someone who is Jewish. I am a Jew, in grad school, and I have had non-Jewish colleagues ask me "Is 'Jew' the right word to use? It seems wrong." In the US, the history of the word is associated so closely with images of insult-flinging Nazis and Klansmen and Mel Gibson, that the semantics strike people as politically incorrect. BTW -- I think Halle made an unfunny misstep, at most.
Talk about Bush censoring the news media, well it is getting harder and harder to post anything on these sites. seems like they don't like a lot of people's post.
People in higher education are so enlightened.
At the grad school where I went, non-Jewish colleagues asked me, "Is 'kike' [or 'sheeny' or 'penny pincher' or 'Christ killer' or 'hebe' or 'yid' or 'Zionist fascist'] the right word to use? It seems wrong."
Education is so wonderful--it makes people so considerate?
Also: Maybe the only Jew your colleagues know is Woody Allen.
http://www
Political correctness in this country has gone beyond what is reasonable. It's time for a public backlash against those who would abuse political correctness to make a point.
Reminds me of the old Bob Newhart Show. His neighbor Howard, a flight engineer comes in and says he just got back from Lebanon. Bob asks how it was. Howard's response: "I don't know. Everyone looked like Danny Thomas."
We've gotten too touchy. Everyone wants to be a victim.
I know this is a bit off point, but I wanted to share. I work at a public university that has a large Jewish population. Any writing in the school press or any visit of a lecturer that is in opposition to or even questions an Israeli policy, gets labeled anti semitic. I know this sounds callous, but you cant keep avoiding discussion of ongoing problems in regard to the region because it might offend. The Holocaust was deplorable, but it cant be the end all of any discussion Jewish.
Yea, like the NRA, farm subsidies, talking to Cuba and a bunch of other stuff, criticizing Israel is off limits in most of America's dialog. The media isn't biased left or right, it just knows what it can't talk about. That is the sad fact that the left, right or center won't talk about.
The only measure of harm is one of intent. Ms. Berry clearly meant no harm. Ironically, Mr.Imus could have called Halle Berry a "nappy headed schmoe", and he might have been thought of as "funny." He wasn't funny when he attacked the Rutgers' ladies. He was insulting. I may not be able to define pornography, but I know it when I see it, as one former Supreme Court Justice said.
"The only measure of harm is one of intent."
Intent doesn't measure harm. It measures intent. If I hit you in the head with an anvil by accident, or, rather, by stupidity, the harm is the same as if I did it on purpose. That's not to say the two acts are the same. But intent has nothing to do with harm.
One is premeditated murder and the other is involuntary manslaughter. Although, I fail to understand how using the word "Jewish" amounts to involuntary manslaughter.
Good point BigMac. And I might also point out to usna73 that his ascribing "intent" to Imaus doesn't make that the actual intent of Imus.
I'm not an Imus fan. I could care less, but, in the spirit of objectivity, Imus meant no harm with his remark. The message he was trying to convey is that the girls were some tough, hard ass basketball players. It was a comment regarding their inner fortitude and tenacity as players not their appearence.
That's the stupidest thing I've read all day.
What you infer about Imus's comments is not AT ALL what he intended.
Not knowing Berry's ancestry,she may very well have a Jewish cousin that looks like her(with a big nose). After all,if Obama can be related to Cheney,and Kerry have Jewish people in his family tree...who knows?
Better yet...who CARES?
Halle Berry's joke might be seen as being in bad taste. She was trying to make a joke about looking like a member of her own family who was Jewish. But i dont think she was being anti semitic. If she'd said something reprehensible and offensive about BEING JEWISH that's a different story. She is no Eddie Murphy. One of my favorite characters in "Coming to America" is the Jewish man in the barbershop. He is a character born out of true humor and the genius of Eddie Murphy to portray racial stereotypes even of his own race in a way that puts a smile on people's faces of all races. I have relatives to this day that still have jerry curls. They are the butt of family jokes every Thanksgiving. My uncle who wears blue coordinated everything doesnt eat green anything if a piece of pork is not in the pot. I'm sure Halle was horrified. In this day of pc language and racial tension I would leave even this blameless comment alone. Aren't there more important things to be outraged about like children's healthcare in this country?
Much ado about nothing! But again, this is the United States.
WHERE MUCH ADO ABOUT PERCEIVED "POLITICAL INCORRECTN
Is, unhappily, the norm. We make a huge deal about this kind of thing while all the while continuing to allow the criminal occupation of Iraq that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of innocent deaths. Go figure....
Is it better to think "it" but not say "it"? Isn't that hypocrisy? Oh sorry, political correctness, that's what it's called.
We as a society all walk around on egg shells now because of political correctness.
I was attacked as being an anti-semite just for saying I saw the documentary "Gaza Strip" and recommended it on a blog.
I said there was no harm is seeing both the Palestinian and Israeli side to educate yourself. That was not PC.
People need to have thicker skin. Show me who is offended - if you are, you are too sensitive.
How about Isreal not splitting its land? Thats not what Jesus would do...
Israel should"split ITS land" the day after America splits ITS land, and gives back Texas,Arizona, New Mexico, and California to Mexico!!! That day is called STAR DAY....and comes one day after THE TWELFTH OF NEVER! As Jesus was a Jewish rabbi, I doubt he would give any Israeli land to anyone other than to Jews!!!
The real story here is the sad fact that bad manners SELL! For example...
Did you here the one about the Jewish TV host that was lectured by that piece of white bread, Ann Coulter, about Christians being perfected Jews?? Well that was a taped interview. That Jew and CNBC deliberately allowed his culture (& Christianity for that matter) to be defamed by airing the segment. WHY? The incident made news and ratings spiked!
Or what about that misfit GI-Rine cowboy of a host that was fired for calling a group of college athletes 'Nappy-headed Ho's"?? The joke? He got a paid vacation; a new satelite show, AND invited back to his old job. How funny.
And don't get me started about that foul-mouthed, Levittown paddy, Bill O'Reilly!
Unfortunately, defamation and foul language attract an audience. (I would like to think these people have a very high tatoo-to-m
It always has, elr! And for those who are web savvy, we simply ignore the trolls and enjoy the trip across the bridge. Unfortunately there are inexperienced travelers who have to stop and take pictures of the trolls, as if no one has ever seen them before! And trolls just love photo ops! Hence, we have trolls who love to push buttons and set off the newcomers like bottle rockets for their own amusement. You guys are just too easy to manipulate, and way too predictable.
Ochams, are you still getting all fired up about Ann? My goodness, we jews are trying very hard to get better and better all the time. We are not yet perfect, but we are working on it. As for Annie, she did us a big favor. She was speaking out loud, on the tube no less, what *Sutherners* are thinking and saying all the time. Annie has, obviously, not read what Jesus says. He says, a.o., *you may say god, god, and I will say, I never knew you*. And, who knows, she may be speaking in tongues, but her words are hardly a revelation, other than about her. An apostle she *ain't*. In any case, I can not find her name in the New Testament. Oh, I am getting a *message from above*, Jesus also said, it is not what goes into man (I think probably woman too), but what comes out of him (her?). And people who mention *that stuff* may be normal, and educated, but they are not polite company, nor dwelling in such company. And you know about learning. Learning and applying what you have learned are separate matters.
"Sutherners?" Ann is a whitebread uppity-up from Connecticut. Why are you dragging me into this? "[T]hinking and saying all the time?" I don't know where "in the South" you've gathered all this learning about us, but you need to visit some other neighborhoods. Criminy. Couldn't you just have said something about the size of my nose, and left off that pronouncement that perpetuates a stereotype about all white southerners being bigots? There's a Dutch guy down the page just begging to be made fun of. Why don't you set your sites on him?
It's interesting how you're allowed to say "that Jew" which by the way is offensive but they won't post any of my harmless comments.
Into the black hole they go.
I think educated people can determine the difference between Halle Berry's somewhat tired joke, and Ann Coulter's racist slur. There is a big difference, and it's all in intent and meaning behind it. If you can't determine that much, then you've got a much bigger personal problem to deal with!
"And don't get me started about that foul-mouthed, Levittown paddy, Bill O'Reilly!". Gee I'm sure glad you're not a bigot. You must be a Progressive. I'll bet you're an Obama supporter too.
You're right Michael. People shouldn,t have a hissy fit over this. Part of the problem is that Halle Berry is not a comedian (she is not an actress either). When Don Rickles use to make fun of different groups no one got uptight about it because he was a comedian. Years ago some Jews didn't like the late Myron Cohen because he told stories with a Yiddish accent. You will always have some people who offended by something. You just have to ignore these folks.
We should all stand behind Halle Berry against the forces of PC oppression! I think it was John F. Kennedy who once said, "Ich bein big nose."
I think he said *Ich bin ein grosser Schnoz*.
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