On Jewish Werewolves
September 11, 2007 @ 11:52 am
The great 20th century novelist Bernard Malamud once said, “If you ever forget you’re a Jew, a Gentile will remind you.”Perhaps we can add to that what I’m going to call Edelman’s Corollary: “If you ever forget Bernard Malamud’s statement, a Jew will remind you.”
Way back in January, I posted on this blog a little contest called The Jewish Marxist Werewolves in Bolivia Infoquake Giveaway. The aim of the contest was to write the introductory paragraph to a bad fictitious novel about Jewish Marxist werewolves in Bolivia. I received a number of very amusing entries, topped by a hilariously bad entry by Josh Vogt. (Read the winning entries here.) As a fun little teaser for the entry, I spent fifteen minutes one Friday night Photoshopping a fake werewolf mask onto a picture of a rabbi and then adding in a white knit yarmulke. You can see the image here on the right.
I happen to think the photo is hilarious, but a few commenters on my blog don’t agree with me. Check out the comment thread for this post. Here’s one:
SHAME ON YOU! jew’s are HUMANS just like everybody else
THE ONLY WOLF AROUND HERE IS YOU
And another one:
you fucker bech i am a Jewish and i prove theth you can onli to suck my dick and your mom to fucker my dream is to kech peple like you ..bech
And a third:
We lost more then 6,000,000 people for nothing they said we are beast ,they said we are ugly , they said we are stupid they said every thing to people start hate and murder us i dont know if you realy jew or not but present us (in the picutre) like evil people that their holy book is evil himself and that fucking not funny….
Now finally the latest:
Listen to me carefully you little cock sucker, you will take this picture down I don’t even care if its a joke or not. This is very offensive and you speaking high language saying “I’m sorry if you’re offended by this, and I’m sorry for fucking my grandmother and getting her pregnant” we just don’t give a fuck….This is very disrespectful and I am not asking, I’m demanding you to take this off! Got it, bitch? don’t make me take actions I prefer not to.
I’m unclear whether this is all coming from the same person or not, but I assume it is. I wish this guy would have the courage to put down a consistent name and/or e-mail.
My first reaction to this was, come on, dude. It’s clearly a joke, and not even a particularly cutting edge one at that. The whole thing has a whiff of that Mel Brooks/Borscht Belt comedy that’s pretty much culturally dead in the water at this point. The photo’s been up on the web for nine months, thousands of people have seen it (including, presumably, many Jews), and nobody’s thought to complain about it being offensive up to this point. In fact, I discovered this morning that someone appropriated the image for this entry on the 92nd Street Y blog — presumably a Jewish organization. Their caption: “Stay the Night for Tikkun Leil Shavuot: All fun, no werewolves!” See screen cap on the left.
But then it occurred to me: There are people around the world who believe that Jews are monsters. There’s a small but very vocal minority who believe that Jews are evil tools of Satan, or vampires out to suck the blood of your children, or — well, I don’t know what exactly they believe, but you know what I’m talking about. And it’s not outside the realm of possibility that some asshole searching the web for “Jewish werewolf” will appropriate this photo without permission for his anti-Semitic propaganda rag. (If you search Google Images for “jewish werewolf,” my image is the top result.)
It would be quite galling, to say the least, if this image ended up propagating around the web to anti-Semitic groups like the cartoon of Calvin pissing has ended up on the back of pickup trucks everywhere. (Incidentally, in case you’re not aware, possession of that Calvin pissing image is grounds for having the windows of your car smashed in by a heavy brick, as far as I’m concerned.)
So the big question is: what kind of responsibility do I have to the Jewish community?
One thing that us Jews are painfully aware of is that not believing in Judaism doesn’t exempt you from the hatred of anti-Semites. This was Bernard Malamud’s point. I don’t believe a word of the Torah, just like I don’t believe that some dude turned water into wine two thousand years ago, just like I don’t believe that there’s a God who wants us to pray towards Mecca five times a day. But the Nazis (just to name one group) didn’t care. They dutifully stuffed the secular Jews and the atheist Jews into their ovens right alongside the orthodox Jews. I’m sure Osama bin Laden wouldn’t bother giving me a Talmudic quiz either before taking my head.
In fact, I think some groups hate Jewish skeptics like me even more. According to their logic, people like me are either sniveling pussies who don’t have the strength to maintain their convictions, or just undercover Zionist agents who are faking their skepticism in order to integrate into society.
My feeling on offensive iconography is that it should be embraced. Why? Because embracing it is the easiest way to deprive it of its sting.
Look at the homosexual community. These people have done a terrific job of advancing their civil liberties over the past thirty years, and to my mind it’s because they haven’t shied away from the so-called offensive stereotypes and slurs. Can you think of an insult you can throw at a gay person that he or she can’t easily shrug off?
BIGOT: You pansy-ass, cocksucking, queer, fairy faggot.
GAY PERSON: Yay! I’m a pansy-ass, cocksucking, queer, fairy faggot!
The words are no longer so shocking and offensive in and of themselves. The problem, of course, is that the words are sometimes backed by a gang of rednecks carrying baseball bats and broken bottles.
Spend five minutes reading Dan Savage’s column, and you’ll see him gleefully refer to people of his sexual orientation with those kinds of terms all the time. Shows like “Will & Grace” embraced the stereotypes of the effeminate, Barbra Streisand-loving, fairy queen rather than avoid them. The result? Well, gays still can’t get married yet in most states and still endure plenty of persecution. The 80% of gay men who are not flirty, effeminate, limp-wristed designer clothing fanatics feel like they’re misunderstood. But in thirty years, they’ve gone from a completely closeted community to a public community of great diversity, strength, and clout. Thirty years ago, TV stars risked ending their careers if they came out of the closet; today, TV stars risk ending their careers if they insult homosexuals. The gay movement has a long way to go — but they’ve already come so far.
(For this same reason, I think the elder statesmen of the black community are making a grave mistake by trying to repress the use of the word “nigger.” I say, embrace it! Personally, I’m looking forward to the day when I can call a black friend a nigger and he can call me a kike, and nobody gets upset. I’ll toss him a piece of fried chicken, he’ll drop a penny on the ground to see if I pick it up, and then we’ll both laugh our asses off and go back to whatever we were doing.)
But back to the Jewish werewolf picture.
I’m not inclined to take the photo down. If another Jewish organization in New York found it amusing and inoffensive enough to repost, why shouldn’t I keep it up? One exception I would make is if the rabbi himself in the photo — a Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider of the Mount Kisco Hebrew Congregation in Mount Kisco, New York — took objection to the photo. I could understand this particular rabbi or congregation having trouble with this photo. There’s no need to throw someone else into the middle of a censorship spat if he doesn’t want to be there. But understand that if this particular rabbi doesn’t want to be involved in this, I’m just going to go find another rabbi photo to doctor up; or hell, I’ll pose for one myself.
Your thoughts?
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Comments
Yeesh. Nice to see that griefers still have way too much time on their hands, and continue to fail on the spell-check and grammar test. Those posts look like random insult bots wrote them.
Sure, if the guy in the picture ever came forward and asked for it to be removed, fine. Otherwise, it’s yours to keep up however you want. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who’d love to twist something done in good humor for more insulting or hurtful ends, but if even, as you said, a NY Jewish group used it, then what’s the huge deal? One person spouting off out of any hole but their mouth is no reason to start censoring the images you stick up.
Oh, so you think this is funny? and your community thinks it’s funny?
Well us, real Jewish people, who act by the codes of Judaism, and live in the holy land to Jewish people, find this EXTREMELY offensive.
A werewolf, just to show you whats so offensive (just because you are too retard to see this…) , is a person who shape shifts into a wolf or wolf-like creature, as under curse, or by using magic.
You calling Jewish werewolfs, don’t you find this slightly mean? or just wrong by calling any one in that name? well we do, that should be enough for you, under respect to your readers and to the whole Jewish world (and when I say Jewish I don’t meant those derogatory non-observant Jews).
The Mount Kisco Hebrew Congregation in Mount Kisco, New York, are clearly sinners which for my oppinion, just because they were born to a Jewish mother (just like in your case) should be forbidden to ascribe them selfs to the Jewish religion.
All those sayings aren’t from the same guy, you have my word that I only post under this screen name.
Now please, remove this picture, it’s not funny.
I dont know why you are so suspicious person after all you are jewish no ? (its doesnt matter if you were Moslem or Christian)
so whay you think we are (all the people comment in that blog) one person ?
all most every jewish how will see this will comment to you its not like we need to fake comments….
and its not so hard to find that pic on the net in my case i search for information on the religion from people from other contries to see their world view and i find amongst others this pic so its easy to find this.
So thats why we asking for you (that time) on a more nice why (for you to understand that we arnt people that just want to threaten Olaros the site without reason)
Please
delete the pic.
wtf:
Can I find this offensive even if I am a non-Jewish person, who doesn’t act by the codes of Judaism, and who does not live in the holy land?
(I’ll give wtf a little while to come up with an answer.)
I dont like to answer instead of him but ithink you dont understand he meant on the holy land its isreal (that holy for the 3 religions)
“and act by the codes of Judaism ” and on that he meant in my opnion the people that beleive in god and obey the good deeds idont think its so complicated .
whait for him to full answer….
rrr, the point I was trying to make was that you don’t have to fall into any of those categories to find the image offensive. Pardon my sarcasm.
If this image bothers you so much, then why do you keep obsessing on it? Aren’t there larger (and bloodier) problems in the world then a silly picture of a werewolf dressed up as a rabbi? Isn’t ignoring the image the best tactic?
>the people that beleive in god and obey the good deeds idont think its so complicated
lol! this has to be Nicki whatsis-name, who’s always getting Brian Keene riled up! or at least people who took writing lessons from him.
eh, the problem with that statement being that we, who do not believe in God, would find it offensive and discriminatory not to act out our impulses not to take religions seriously.
The religious want to be respected for their beliefs; well, speaking as a very happy atheist, I want to be respected for not believing and, quite frankly, I find it offensive that I get God thrown in my face as a reason not to do something.
tit for tat, no?
but that’s all beside the point, the only actual point that matters here is not the (allegedly true and non-joke) utterings of the reincarnation of Goebbels et al, but the points that David raised in his blog:
you know, it’s a very tough one, but yes, I would agree with you that the best way to defuse offensive imagery and vocabulary is to embrace it. Images and words of insult get used precisely because they have the power to hurt and insult. They exist for the sole purpose to demean and elicit reactions. if they are perceived not to elicit an immediate and genuine negative reaction, they no longer have power and are therefore useless to the parties who intend to use them insultingly.
For the record – I quite like werewolves, wish we could get more decent stories about them:)
It isnt and itell you way just an exempele : in isreal (they arnt jewish but it doesnt matter) this week the police arrest a group of neo natzi that do hrroble things like paint swastika on holly books and synagogue !! hiting people that walking on the street and religious people this group grown up in isreal and because a neo natzi sites an picture like this their brain was associate they the power that have the natzis and see this images and they just say whey we cant get the power and be on the top of everybody and get that power ?.
my point is that picture like this can be soon in ntazi sites and because pictures like this they became like what they ae today.
thats what we want to prevent if it was something else we were ignoring and forget (even that it is very offensive) about this but in this case its not the best tactic. (in all that iam talking just what i am thinking)
I didn’t say “forget”. I said “ignore.” And, in my humble opinion, there is a large difference between the iconic image of a black swastika and a picture of a werewolf dressed up as a rabbi. The latter image is going to inspire laughter more than hatred.
I interned with the Southern Poverty Law Center when I was in high school. And I saw images so vile, hateful and obscene that this picture pales in comparison. I’m serious. If any Nazi group wants to use this image, let them. It just means they’re getting lazy, that’s all.
rrr, did you read the context in which this image was presented? Or did you just react to the image? Because I don’t think you can construe this image as offensive given its context.
For example:
A swastika painted on someone’s property: hateful context.
A swastika woven into the fabric of a native american blanket: a peaceful context.
There really is a difference.
the swastika did not begin as a symbol of Nazi power and dominance, it was an older symbol that the Nazis took and subverted and MADE into what it is today.
Symbols do have power, but they have NO power by themselves. They are given meaning and context and value by people who use them in specific ways. Their power comes from what people believe them to be, not from any inherent qualities they possess.
>and because a neo natzi sites an picture like this their brain was associate they the power that have the natzis
by kicking up a public ruckus, this is effected too – by the act of attempting to stifle offensive imagery, the image is given more awareness, and in the minds of the wrong people it clicks that this is a symbol of power. It has to be, their “enemies” are making a fuss, so they adopt that symbol sometimes unthinkinly.
The origins of the Black Metal movement, and their supposed worship of Satanism, for example.
what does hrobble and hiting mean? and I don’t know what an ntazi is either.
This is a prank, ennit?
While the discussion and issue is legitimate and interesting in itself, I do believe this is just a case of someone scurrying around and dropping rat pellets in the air ducts.
David de Beer sez: “This is a prank, ennit?”
I just assume it’s a couple of guys from overseas who don’t speak English very well.
What a dumb discussion this is turning out to be. No offense. I feel like a fish who took the bait.
David,
As I recall from running Wordpress on my site, you should be able to see the ip address of comments in the e-mail you get when they are posted or in the moderation queue. At that point, you can see if they all come from the same IP address or a limited pool.
Most broadband providers don’t switch up people’s IP addresses very often so trolls are easy to spot. You can also do a trace route on the IP and see where it lives (as in whether this schmuck is really in Israel or is really in Ohio).
Oh. and for the record, it is all about context and the context here is clearly not offensive. But, hey, what do I know, I’m a goy.
Well, I’m a Jew and I don’t find it offensive. It’s funny.
Oh wait… I’m an atheist Jew. Shit, that means I’m not a real Jew, and my opinion doesn’t count! Dave, you’d better bow down to the pressure from the fundies and take it down right now!
(please don’t…)
Al: Thanks. Right after I posted that last comment, it did occur to me to look up the IPs. They do both appear to be coming from Israeli networks, and they do appear to be separate individuals.
I’m perfectly willing to accept that these guys are sincere, and they are who they say they are. That’s fine. It’s their arguments I don’t agree with.
I’m not Jewish. I am not observant, don’t attend church (long story) but I believe … in something. What that might be is a long story as well. I’m still thinking about it.
The picture? It’s funny – don’t take it down unless you want to. If the posters who object are from overseas then you’re running into a culture thing – they’re right up against a lot of heavily armed people who hate and have proven over and over again they’re willing to throw away lives and treasure – usually other people’s lives and ill-gotten treasure – in pursuit of the logical end to that hatred.
Me – you – we’re Americans. The last war fought in this country was 142 years ago – we don’t know what it is to have family members slaughtered like cattle. We are aware of this but awareness and ‘knowing’ are different things.
I understand you people find this funny, but our positions are very different. I see Rabbis as a model of imitation, as very smart and knowledgeable persons.
The simple fact that the person on the image is Jewish, and even more of it, a Jewish Rabbi, is very offensive to all Jewish people around the world.
This should be enough for you, a grown up man who makes his own decision and a person who convert from Judaism, as an act of respect, for the whole Jewish nation, which I allow myself speak for (and I’m definitely not wrong with this position taken by me), to take this picture down.
Come forward, answer to me honestly, tell me the truth and nothing but the truth, the only reason that this picture is still out there is because you enjoy the attention, there is no reason to leave it out there if its only a simple joke isn’t it?
Also Brian, there is a reson that the last war fought on your country was 142 years ago, America as interests in Europe. Europe is a market for American products, therefor America tried to stay out of the war zone of Europe for centuries and only joined the war when they got hit directly, like on World War I (1914 – 1918), America only joined the battle at 1917 after American ships got attacked (without intention, it’s just the Germans shot without any notice…).
So please, don’t start with your “awareness to the situation” and act, tell Mr. (or is it Mrs?) Edelman to take this offensive picture down.
Last and not least,
Actions were already been taken regarding taking this picture down by force. This is not a treath, this is a declaration about what can happen if were not satisfied.
And yeah, my English is not as good as you (being an American) so what?
wtf:
Better run now, Dave! The UCoI* is after you!
*Uptight Citizens of Israel
I think the bottom line is this: Americans (including American Jews) do not find this pic offensive. The classic canon of monsters — werewolves, vampires, Frankenstein monsters, ghosts, mummies — are generally considered harmless in this country. They’re objects of fun and humor. Four-year-old children dress up like werewolves on Halloween.
I understand that you might have a different opinion in Israel. The fact that I’m indulging in this discussion at all indicates that I have some sensitivity to that.
But one thing you have to understand about America: we’re very protective of our right to free speech. Police routinely give armed protection to hate groups like the neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan when they make public appearances, even though 98% of us despise their messages. So why protect them? Because we have a Bill of Rights which gives every citizen the right to say whatever the hell they want to say.
This isn’t just a joke. Freedom of speech is very, very serious for us.
I’ll admit that I enjoy passionate arguments. But most of the people who have commented here are regular commenters on the blog. This blog post isn’t getting huge amounts of traffic, and as far as I can tell nobody else on the entire web has linked to it. This post hasn’t exactly made the national news.
If you feel like bringing this up to the Anti-Defamation League or the Wiesenthal Center, go ahead. I seriously doubt that any American Jewish organization would have a problem with this image. But if they do, I’m willing to discuss this.
If you’re talking about trying to get my ISP to take the account down, why bother? I’m switching ISPs in a few weeks anyway.
You think that in Israel we don’t care about freedom of speech? You think we’re some 3rd world country? wake up! We are one of the most advanced countries in the world.
Freedom of speech is imported, but has limits.
Freedom of speech cannot be an insult to a group of people…
Also you do admit you enjoy this argument, and telling you the trust I do as well, but thats not my reason for posting here, and that ain’t your reason as well.
Your trying to protect your “Freedom of speech”, just to remind you what a wrong use of freedom of speech can cause (you are lucky Jewish people are civilized):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons_controversy
Look around here.
Also freedom of speech used the wrong way, got some big shots killed…
I’m starting to think you care about no one but yourself.
Why wasn’t my last message approved?
wtf: Looks like your last comment went into the moderation queue… and then the notification e-mail got caught in Gmail’s spam filter. You gotta love technology.
You’re right, I’m glad Jewish people are civilized. And you know what, I’m glad that your comments are on the record here for people to read. People stopping by can read the whole discussion and decide for themselves where they stand.
Christians will find this funny of course, because it doesn’t concern them.
Same for Muhammad caricature, I find it very funny but as a act of respect, I’m not going a putting it on my blog.
And after you have been so disrespectful and a very much egoist, please tell me why you are not taking this picture down. It’s clearly disturbing to Jewish people (and by saying that I don’t mean the group of atheists in NY)
WTF,
So please, don’t start with your “awareness to the situation” and act, tell Mr. (or is it Mrs?) Edelman to take this offensive picture down.
David can do what he pleases – he needs no advice from me.
Some unasked for advice.
No one is looking at this picture – it’s got not traction in the press or on the internets – no one cares.
If you make a big deal about this and involve the press, lawyers, David’s ISP, whatever – people will notice. They’ll pay attention. They’ll post this picture … everywhere. People will care, they’ll have opinions, people who have never heard of David will have an opinion about this.
It won’t go away. The image will spread far and fast and you won’t have the money to track down every blog that posts the picture.
This isn’t a threat – this is just the way the world works. If you want this to go away then do let this sleeping dog alone and in a week .. it’s over.
Agreed. That post sat around for months after the contest ended. No one said anything about it. I haven’t seen it mentioned or the picture posted anywhere until you guys started bringing it up again. That’s the only reason it’s gotten any attention at this point and the only reason it will continue being an issue.
All right. So I am a Christian. That’s not the reason I found this amusing, though. I just didn’t think this would be such a huge fuss for people and thought it was being done by some web trolls. I’m not laughing at your feeling insulted by this image, or trying to protect others who might be. I do have a basic understanding of what it’s like to see lots of religious images and people from my faith be used in comic situations, and, like David, I find the best path to that is just laugh or shrug and otherwise ignore it. There are times when I think it’s offensive, but that’s the nature of this world. We get offended. We deal with it within context.
“No one is looking at this picture – it’s got not traction in the press or on the internets – no one cares.”
” I haven’t seen it mentioned or the picture posted anywhere until you guys started bringing it up again.”
guys you should try to search on google (on pictures search) the word jewish
and what we will find ? this fucking image on the top of the first page. do you see what i mean ?. why do i have to see this pictue on the first page when i type jewish ? its work for the word Christian too ? idont think so…. (But dont understand me wrong I am very happy that this is like that . and like that need to be as regards every race or religion even that they are many divisions of opinions .
You’re right, RRR… the werewolf image comes up at number 5 or 6 in the Google Images search for “jewish.” I had no idea — I figured it would only turn up at the top of a search for “jewish werewolf.”
I would note that result #2 shows a Jewish girl using a menorah to light a cigar, and #14 shows an old-timey ad with the word “Jewface” in large type. Result #19 for a Google Images search for “jewish” is a photo of the Pope standing in front of a bunch of armed Austrian soldiers.
I’m tired of this argument. Feel free to discuss further here, but I’ve said enough. The picture is staying up.
whait one second before you leave this.
maybe on the google.com search you have it on the 5 or 6 page on isrealy google site you find it on the firstt….
prove :
i hide just my id i promise
sorry its didnt work here it is :
http://img441.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nonamepy6.jpg
its little bit tight idont now why but ididnt touch except my id
The fact that other ass holes are out there, doesn’t mean you have to be one.
I’m tired arguing as well, your just not listening, steps will be taken regarding this photo.
I’m tired arguing as well, your just not listening
My ex-wife used to say that. To her I would reply that I was indeed listening to her bile I simply did not agree with her.
Disagreement does not equal ‘not listening’.
So. Good luck with that suppression of free speech thing, Ace.
Its isnt suppression every thing in the world have limit.
Brian:
That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day! Thanks!
Its isnt suppression every thing in the world have limit.
Who defines those limits?
>Who defines those limits?
the people who disagree with your opinion, usually. They insist on their right to be heard, but severely frown on those who would disagree with them.
It’s how you end up with the Nazi’s and Al Qaida to begin with. During the Apartheid era, the press lived under government censorship as well. Great way to exclude the public from the shit you’re really pulling, and the wars you’re sending their sons to while publicly insisting that you’re doing nothing of the sort.
Well, the South African press have their freedom back, and while current government is muttering about censorship again (calling it treason and racist and all those juicy words), I am certain they are not going to surrender it again, no matter what happens.
Once a freedom like that is given away, it is almost impossible to get back.
Y’know, this could be an interesting discussion – offensive imagery and speech, and should or should they not be allowed and to what degrees, and the slippery slopes of curtailing, etc, etc.
Another time, perhaps, with more rational and less emotionally-reacting, threatening consonant police at hand.
dve
I am proud that you have learned to be so opoen minded an are such a supporter of freedom of speech. You have shown that you can you recognize the importance of everyones right to espouse unpopu;ar opinions. I thinkit is time for you to show resppect to the peop;e who feel belittled and hurt by the the image (a jewish werewolf) . It is time for you show more sespect to those of us who feel demeaned by the subject image and remove the picture.