# "Jews totally run Hollywood" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 4, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058 "2010-10-04T22:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/41 "2010-10-05T09:55:01Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > [@Alessan](#): > > > > In my experience, Hollywood tends to stay away from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict like the plague. > > …Could be that the whole thing is too divisive in America to dwell on (making movies about Apartheid South Africa was all right, everybody this side of the pond agreed who the bad guys were)… And there were how many of those while Apartheid was in place? Or even after? ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/42 "2010-10-05T10:08:14Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It probably has something to do with the fact that it’s easier in California to round up a whole bunch of people who can pass for German than it is to round up large numbers of people who can pass for Japanese. There is also the theory that blames racism; the idea that most Americans never got as outraged over Japanese atrocities because we considered them inferior in the first place and so didn’t expect any better; they were inadvertently playing into our stereotypes. The Nazis are also viewed as a group distinct from Germans as a whole, so you can get away without pulling any punches. Even in movies made during the war there would be “good German” characters. The same kind of mental compartmentalization doesn’t exist for the Japanese, making it harder to go after wartime Japanese without seeming to appear racist against modern day Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/43 "2010-10-05T10:26:47Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > The Nazis are also viewed as a group distinct from Germans as a whole, so you can get away without pulling any punches. Even in movies made during the war there would be “good German” characters. The same kind of mental compartmentalization doesn’t exist for the Japanese, making it harder to go after wartime Japanese without seeming to appear racist against modern day Japan. Note that the approach applied to Americans only. The U.S. was fighting the Nazis; the British and Russians were fighting the Germans. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/44 "2010-10-05T10:28:40Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > The Nazis are also viewed as a group distinct from Germans as a whole, so you can get away without pulling any punches. Even in movies made during the war there would be “good German” characters. Probably necessary also considering a good bit of the American audience were themselves ethnic Germans and grew up listening to their parents still speaking the German language at home. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/45 "2010-10-05T13:24:44Z")
[QUOTE=Polerius] Humor aside, when men ruled society (i.e. were in all the top spots), the fact that some poor shmoe in a small town in Iowa, in response to a feminist telling him that men run everything, could truthfully say that he isn’t seeing any personal benefit from the fact that men run everything, doesn’t mean that men were not running everything. The feminist’s statement was true and women did see adverse repercussions from that fact, even if not every man benefited from it. [/QUOTE] So, since The Juwes run Hollywood and give us _Marmaduke_, _Piranha 3D_ and _Hot Tub Time Machine_, it’s evidence of a plot against Christians and Muslims. Okay. :):eek:🙂 > [@Captain Midnight](#): > > Why and how did this small minority of people get a stranglehold of this? Reminder to self…must use powers **wisely** … ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/46 "2010-10-05T17:59:01Z")
I hesitate getting into this since I don’t want to waste a lot of time defending my position. Any ethic group is going to have biases, both positive biases as well as negative. That is not to say that every member of the group will subscribe to those biases and even when one such member does, it does not mean they will subscribe to the same degree. The extent and homogeneity of such biases will depend on a variety of factors including the extent to which the group sees itself as an identifiable and cohesive entity. If we assume that Jews in the US see themselves as such an entity, and from personal observation I would be inclined to believe that they do, then I think it is likely that they do in fact subscribe to certain preferences and biases that are not shared with other groups or the population in general. To the extent that this is also true, then in a situation where such a group does in fact dominate an industry, those biases will be reflected in the choices that they make. Realizing that several caveats have been issued along the way, I don’t think the logic of this line of reasoning can be questioned. Practically speaking what that means is that while the logic may not be infallible for every single and conceivable example, it should in general be capable of providing some amount of guidance. As an example, I would suggest reviewing how Jews tend to be portrayed in television and movies. This has been touched upon in a few posts but has mainly been ignored. For characters who are either explicitly or by fairly explicit implication identified as Jewish, are the portrayals predominantly positive or negative? My sense is that they are overwhelmingly positive. That isn’t to say that many times positive characters don’t have negative traits. They have to. It simply isn’t realistic otherwise and would too obviously smack of bias. But the overall portrayal seems to be extremely positive. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/47 "2010-10-05T18:46:59Z")
> [@dzero](#): > > I hesitate getting into this since I don’t want to waste a lot of time defending my position. We understand. You have more important things to do. > [@](#): > > I would suggest reviewing how Jews tend to be portrayed in television and movies. This has been touched upon in a few posts but has mainly been ignored. For characters who are either explicitly or by fairly explicit implication identified as Jewish, are the portrayals predominantly positive or negative? My sense is that they are overwhelmingly positive. That isn’t to say that many times positive characters don’t have negative traits. They have to. It simply isn’t realistic otherwise and would too obviously smack of bias. But the overall portrayal seems to be extremely positive. Do I sense disappointment? You might feel better knowing about a couple of negative examples that come to mind. There’s the Bernie Bernbaum character in the Coen Brothers’ _Miller’s Crossing_, a truly loathsome and unlikable figure. Eli Wallach’s character in _Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps_ is not exactly a sympathetic character either. And you don’t have to look too hard to [find](http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?ID=975) [complaints](http://www.jewishjournal.com/cover_story/article/negative_depictions_of_jews_raise_the_age-old_question_20100126) from Jewish groups about Hollywood portrayals of Jews\* (I don’t have any particular gripes on this subject myself). It may well be that there are fewer vile or unlikable Jewish characters than, say, Christian ones. In addition to this reflecting proportional numbers, it seems to be the case that minority characters in general are less likely to be portrayed in movies as nasty and/or evil. > [@](#): > > I don’t think the logic of this line of reasoning can be questioned. Have you considered making this your sig? :dubious: \*my favorite is the dust-up over Woody Allen’s rabbi in _Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex_, who appeared on a game show called “What’s Your Perversion?” and was shown tied to a chair being whipped by a beautiful blonde, while watching his wife eat pork. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/48 "2010-10-05T18:57:52Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > > [@dzero](#): > > > > I hesitate getting into this since I don’t want to waste a lot of time defending my position. > > We understand. You have more important things to do.Do I sense disappointment? You might feel better knowing about a couple of negative examples that come to mind. There’s the Bernie Bernbaum character in the Coen Brothers’ _Miller’s Crossing_, a truly loathsome and unlikable figure. Eli Wallach’s character in _Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps_ is not exactly a sympathetic character either. And you don’t have to look too hard to [find](http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?ID=975) [complaints](http://www.jewishjournal.com/cover_story/article/negative_depictions_of_jews_raise_the_age-old_question_20100126) from Jewish groups about Hollywood portrayals of Jews\* (I don’t have any particular gripes on this subject myself). > > It may well be that there are fewer vile or unlikable Jewish characters than, say, Christian ones. In addition to this reflecting proportional numbers, it seems to be the case that minority characters in general are less likely to be portrayed in movies as nasty and/or evil. > > > [@](#): > > > > I don’t think the logic of this line of reasoning can be questioned. > > Have you considered making this your sig? :dubious: > \*my favorite is the dust-up over Woody Allen’s rabbi in _Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex_, who appeared on a game show called “What’s Your Perversion?” and was shown tied to a chair being whipped by a beautiful blonde, while watching his wife eat pork. As I said, several caveats were issued. If you think those were meant insincerely or you think I’m a closet antisemite, those are your issues to deal with, I already have plenty of my own. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/49 "2010-10-05T20:26:57Z")
Speaking of dealing with (your) issues, there’s the one where you announce that your logic is inescapable and then ignore evidence that runs counter to it. You didn’t even cite anecdotes in the first place, just your feelings. Of course, if you don’t care about presenting a convincing argument, it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/50 "2010-10-05T20:40:45Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Speaking of dealing with (your) issues, there’s the one where you announce that your logic is inescapable and then ignore evidence that runs counter to it. > > You didn’t even cite anecdotes in the first place, just your feelings. > > Of course, if you don’t care about presenting a convincing argument, it doesn’t matter. The argument consists of a series of implications. I thought that was obvious. As such it does not have the power of peer-reviewed empirical data. However it can still be useful. Hence my comment about it providing guidance. I did not provide anecdotes since anecdotes do not improve the veracity of the implications. There’s also the fact that I do not keep a ledger of such things. I believe that within the caveats I mention the logic is valid. If you have a criticism that discounts this claim, feel free to make it. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/51 "2010-10-05T21:08:04Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > > [@Polerius](#): > > > > As an extreme example, are there any movies by the big studios that portray Jewish people in a negative light and the Palestinians in a positive light? (I’m not saying that there _should_ be such movies, just that there have to be some people who believe the Palestinians are in the right and would like to make a movie about it, but face getting their project greenlighted by a major studio) > > Hollywood makes few, if any, films about Israel or Palestine in general (and no, You Don’t Mess With the Zohan doesn’t count) and for a very simple reason - no one in North America would watch them. There are certainly non-Hollywood movies that deal with Arab-Israeli themes to come out recently. For example, \*Waltz with Bashir \*, made in Israel, was nominated for a whole slew of film awards - and won many. > **[Waltz with Bashir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltz_with_Bashir)** > > Waltz with Bashir (Hebrew: ואלס עם באשיר, translit. Vals Im Bashir) is a 2008 adult animated war documentary film written, produced, and directed by Ari Folman. It depicts Folman's search for lost memories of his experience as a soldier during the 1982 Lebanon War and the Sabra and Shatila massacre. It was the first Israeli feature-length animated film released theatrically since Joseph the Dreamer in 1962. > The film premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'... Another Israeli film released even more recently was _Lebanon_. > **[Lebanon (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon_(2009_film))** > > Lebanon (Hebrew: לבנון, romanized: Lvanon; called Lebanon: The Soldier's Journey in the UK) is a 2009 war drama film written and directed by Samuel Maoz. It won the Golden Lion at the 66th Venice International Film Festival, becoming the first Israeli-produced film to have won that honour. In Israel itself the film has caused some controversy. The film was nominated for ten Ophir Awards, including Best Film. The film also won the 14th Annual Satyajit Ray Award. > Maoz based the film on his exper... The problem is … these films are not money-makers. _Waltz With Bashir_, while winning piles of awards, earned the princely sum of - $10 million worldwide. So yes, North Americans are not rushing out to see them. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/52 "2010-10-05T21:28:39Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I believe the sentiment is wrong regardless of the facts. Some Jewish people may run Hollywood, but Jews as a unit, a single entity do not. “Jew Unit”–Israeli Band Name? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/53 "2010-10-05T22:16:55Z")
If there’s any bias at work, I’d think of it as “like them or hate them, but oh those Jews!” – the rather annoying presumption that everyone instantly recognizes and enjoys every arcane aspect of Jewish culture, usually in the form of self mockery. Most of everything I know about Jewish life I’ve picked up from entertainers “poking fun at themselves.” It’s like listening to a coworker constantly babble on about the crazy hijinks of her family members, none of whom have you met or really have an interest in meeting, quite frankly. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/54 "2010-10-05T22:53:34Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Note that the approach applied to Americans only. The U.S. was fighting the Nazis; the British and Russians were fighting the Germans. I don’t know if U.S. servicemen made the distinction. In _Up Front_ Bill Maudlin mentions that he keeps hearing about how the Americans are at war with the Nazis and not the German people. He scoffs at this saying that other than a few specialist SS divisions he hasn’t seen a Nazi. He’s been fighting Germans. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/55 "2010-10-06T02:22:30Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > > [@Alessan](#): > > > > Note that the approach applied to Americans only. The U.S. was fighting the Nazis; the British and Russians were fighting the Germans. > > I don’t know if U.S. servicemen made the distinction. In _Up Front_ Bill Maudlin mentions that he keeps hearing about how the Americans are at war with the Nazis and not the German people. He scoffs at this saying that other than a few specialist SS divisions he hasn’t seen a Nazi. He’s been fighting Germans. In the Brazilian documentary “Senta a Pua”, which talks about Brazilian fighter unit in Italy in WW2, a couple of the soldiers made the difference that those on the Wehrmacht were soldiers and decent, but the SS units were devoid of military morals ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/56 "2010-10-06T02:57:03Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > > [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > > > I believe the sentiment is wrong regardless of the facts. Some Jewish people may run Hollywood, but Jews as a unit, a single entity do not. > > “Jew Unit”–Israeli Band Name? Would extended mixes of their greatest hits go into an album entitled: “Jew Unit: Uncut”? Come on, you had to see that coming a mile away. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/57 "2010-10-06T04:36:50Z")
“Jews run the media” canards aside, don’t the numbers suggest some discriminatory hiring practices? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/58 "2010-10-06T06:59:49Z")
Question: DO eyetalyun -Americuns run the Mob? ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/59 "2010-10-06T07:19:55Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > “Jews run the media” canards aside, don’t the numbers suggest some discriminatory hiring practices? Arguably about the same amount that the disproportionate number of African-Americans in sports teams implies discriminatory hiring practices. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058/60 "2010-10-06T09:48:37Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > > [@Spoke](#): > > > > “Jews run the media” canards aside, don’t the numbers suggest some discriminatory hiring practices? > > Arguably about the same amount that the disproportionate number of African-Americans in sports teams implies discriminatory hiring practices. I suspect that nepotism would play a much higher role in hiring for a movie than hiring for sports. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-totally-run-hollywood/556058.md?page=4)