# What's your interpretation of this comic strip? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2006, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047 "2006-11-28T08:02:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/121 "2006-11-29T23:23:10Z")
**kaylasdad99** , (4) and (5) refer to the numbered points “4.” and “5.” in my argument. And I dont really think you understand what I am trying to say. Also, I suspect you disagree with (1), although I find that weird. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/122 "2006-11-29T23:28:23Z")
[QUOTE=Carnick] The part that sets people on edge is the connection you drew, either intentionally or not, between being money grubbing and Jewish. That’s a very real stereotype, as well as the whole Jewish Hollywood thing someone mentioned earlier. It doesn’t bother this Jew, as offensive stereotypes can be funny in the right hands (see South Park, Family Guy, etc). ´ [/QUOTE] Where in the strip do you see this connection? As I said, I think the strip insinuates that Jews have reasons to make movies that have nothing to say about real life. But I don’t see the money grubbing thing. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/123 "2006-11-29T23:34:19Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] Yeah, like _that’s_ about to happen. The treatment **Gordon McAlpin** is getting around here is likely to scare him off… [/QUOTE] Huh? I think he’s been treated pretty well, all things considered. If he was a regular, someone would probably have pitted him by now. And to avoid consecutive posts… **Carnick** , I didn’t think the strip was very funny, but otherwise I agree with your points. Well said. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/124 "2006-11-29T23:35:15Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] IEither the strip is badly written, or the strip supposes that Jews don’t have anything substantial to say about real life. [/QUOTE] …anything substantial to say about real life OR CHRISTMAS, IN A CHRISTMAS MOVIE. 1. Why would you expect them to? 2. Who, these days, _does_ demonstrate that they have something substantial to say about real life or Christmas in a Christmas movie? Anything produced since 1990 would be good. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/125 "2006-11-29T23:36:48Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] How come? [/QUOTE] Oooh, I’ll avoid that one and just say that I’ll “leave it up to your interpretation”. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/126 "2006-11-29T23:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] Where in the strip do you see this connection? As I said, I think the strip insinuates that Jews have reasons to make movies that have nothing to say about real life. But I don’t see the money grubbing thing. [/QUOTE] It’s the first frame, where the movie actors say that the purpose of Christmas is to buy stuff, added to all-Jewish production credits. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/127 "2006-11-29T23:39:29Z")
[QUOTE=Oakminster] Huh? I think he’s been treated pretty well, all things considered. If he was a regular, someone would probably have pitted him by now. [/QUOTE] Guess I should smilied, then. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/128 "2006-11-29T23:39:47Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] Why should the Jews want to make movies about christianity? [/QUOTE] The fact that someone is Jewish has no bearing on his or her capacity to make a good movie about Christianity. People make movies for a whole variety of reasons, not just to advance their particular ideological or theological agendas. Many Jews are involved in the entertainment industry – TRUE Most Christmas movies are secular and not spiritual – TRUE However the fact that both of these statements are true doesn’t mean that one is caused by the other. You might as well argue that Hollywood doesn’t make very good Christmas movies because it never snows in L.A., which is also TRUE. Ultimately, Hollywood makes movies that make MONEY. That’s why Hollywood, despite being supposedly full of tree-hugging, gun-banning, liberal latte-drinkers has no trouble making movies about big muscley guys with guns kicking the crap out of people. If the studio execs thought they could make money with an earnest movie about the Nativity, they would be all over it like rabbis on a knish. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/129 "2006-11-29T23:41:52Z")
_have_ should _have_ smilied :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/130 "2006-11-29T23:43:52Z")
Art by committee sucks. The strip is fine, Gordon…and better than that, it’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/131 "2006-11-29T23:45:05Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] _have_ should _have_ smilied :smack: [/QUOTE] Yeah, well…you know what this means, don’t ya? You just wooshed me a Merry Christmas 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/132 "2006-11-30T00:01:47Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] …anything substantial to say about real life OR CHRISTMAS, IN A CHRISTMAS MOVIE. 1. Why would you expect them to? 2. Who, these days, _does_ demonstrate that they have something substantial to say about real life or Christmas in a Christmas movie? Anything produced since 1990 would be good. [/QUOTE] You are still not understanding my argument [QUOTE=Oakminster] It’s the first frame, where the movie actors say that the purpose of Christmas is to buy stuff, added to all-Jewish production credits. [/QUOTE] You’re right. I forgot about that. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/133 "2006-11-30T00:31:13Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] You are still not understanding my argument [/QUOTE] I think I get what you’re saying. The characters in the strip identify two problems with Christmas movies. 1) they’ve nothing to do with Christ and 2) they don’t say anything about real life. The strip presents the credits as an answer to question 1. It does not present an answer to question 2, unless one assumes that the credits are meant to answer that, too. Since the credits are full of Jewish names, the conclusion we are apparently meant to draw is “Christmas movies don’t say anything about real life because they’re made by Jews.” Now, a Christmas movie doesn’t have to be about Christ to say something about real life, so the fact that Christmas movies don’t say anything about real life cannot be laid to the dichotomy between a Jew making a movie about Jesus. Therefore, the only remaining conclusion is that “Christmas movies don’t say anything about real life because they are made by Jews, and Jews don’t have anything to say about real life.” Is that more or less your train of thought? Anyway, I’ve been reading _Multiplex_ for a few months, now, and my main complaint about it is that it doesn’t go far enough. This comic is a good example of this. I’ve read enough of the comic to understand the sort of humor Gordon was going for, here, but it doesn’t work because the humor isn’t so far over the line that it becomes ridiculous. The joke is neither so outrageously offensive that you can’t help but laugh, nor is it such a patently absurd set-up that one can recognize that he’s mocking people who actually hold this sort of opinion. Outside of the context of the entire run of the strip, there’s nothing here to make one think the artist isn’t using his strip to advance his own political/social agenda. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/134 "2006-11-30T01:03:57Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] I think I get what you’re saying. The characters in the strip identify two problems with Christmas movies. 1) they’ve nothing to do with Christ and 2) they don’t say anything about real life. The strip presents the credits as an answer to question 1. It does not present an answer to question 2, unless one assumes that the credits are meant to answer that, too. Since the credits are full of Jewish names, the conclusion we are apparently meant to draw is “Christmas movies don’t say anything about real life because they’re made by Jews.” Now, a Christmas movie doesn’t have to be about Christ to say something about real life, so the fact that Christmas movies don’t say anything about real life cannot be laid to the dichotomy between a Jew making a movie about Jesus. Therefore, the only remaining conclusion is that “Christmas movies don’t say anything about real life because they are made by Jews, and Jews don’t have anything to say about real life.” Is that more or less your train of thought? [/QUOTE] Yep, that’s it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/135 "2006-11-30T03:03:01Z")
[QUOTE=Pochacco] The fact that someone is Jewish has no bearing on his or her capacity to make a good movie about Christianity. [/QUOTE] Certainly it may have some bearing on their **desire** to make a **meaningful** movie about **a Christian holiday**. Not that they’re Jewish, but that they’re not Christian. I’m not Christian, and my lack of Christianity has a direct bearing on my lack of a desire to tell a meaningful story about Christmas. The idea that this feeds into antisemites’ hands is fantastic. I hope it does, because if it tricks antisemite dumbasses into reading the rest of the strip, they’ll get to see their ideas thoroughly excoriated and mocked, which is an experience I’ll happily wish on them. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/136 "2006-11-30T03:03:07Z")
[QUOTE=Pochacco] You may not be intending to keep this sort of company. But it is the company you’re keeping. [/QUOTE] Who, Dolly Parton? There have been times in my life when I would have been very happy to keep company with her. Gee whiz, guys. It doesn’t take a conspiracy theory to realize that there are a lot of Jews in the movie industry. It’s a matter of common knowledge. Why is that anti-Semitic? Leave poor Dolly Parton out of this. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/137 "2006-11-30T03:24:14Z")
A good analogy occurred to me. Hollywood rarely makes a film set in the South that rings true to Southerners. Such films are usually filled with annoying stereotypes and badly-faked Southern accents. Why is this so? Becuase there are relatively few native Southerners producing, writing and directing such movies. And the non-Southerners who often direct and star in them really just don’t “get” the culture. Similarly, you have to accept the possibility that a Jewish screenwriter might not “get” Christmas in the same way that a Christian does, or might be inclined to focus on the secular aspects of the holiday. That doesn’t strike me as an anti-Semitic observation. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/138 "2006-11-30T03:30:06Z")
Still no getting around that “money grubbing Jew” thing… ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/139 "2006-11-30T03:35:03Z")
I didn’t see anything about “money-grubbing Jews” in the strip, though. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047/140 "2006-11-30T04:34:25Z")
[QUOTE=Oakminster] Still no getting around that “money grubbing Jew” thing… [/QUOTE] It was the bit about making matzoh from the blood of babies that really bothered me about the comic. Daniel [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-interpretation-of-this-comic-strip/382047.md?page=8)