_(english).jpg "Taking the Spiritual Dive")
_(english).jpg "Genetic Screening for Breast Cancer Genes")
_(english).jpg "When Bad Things Happen")
_(english).jpg "Judaism and the 12-Step Program")
+.jpg "Knowledge and Wisdom")
+.jpg "Moshe, Miriam and Prophecy")
+.jpg "Don't Give Up")
Published:
January 24, 2009
- Home
- » Jewlarious
- » JTube
_(english).jpg "Little Britain USA")
Little Britain USA
Has anti-Semitism become more "acceptable"?
by Jewlarious.com Staff
|
Give Tzedakah!
Help Aish.com create inspiring
articles, videos and blogs featuring timeless Jewish wisdom. 
|
Visitor Comments: 32
(27) MB, January 28, 2009 10:48 AM
Old ideas remain
This is about southern white protestants and their supposed anti-Semitism. I have lived in the south my whole life. There is still a level of racial and religeous predjudice here, just as in the rest of America. I have, however, heard much more negative feelings expressed toward Mormons and other less accepted protestant sects than I have ever noticed concerning Jews. It really isn't the southern Christian right that concerns me. I see a much more alarming trend in the media controlled by the athiest elitest left and , dare I say it, the leadership of the black community. While we were looking at the south, the west and northeast took their place as leaders of the anti-Isreal, anti-Semitic cause.
(26) fran greer, January 28, 2009 9:07 AM
Not funny
Potentially funny if punch line was delivered better. Point was unclear.
(25) David Leach, January 28, 2009 8:56 AM
Do you recognize satire when they see it?
Obviously this is satire and it makes southerners look like bigots and idiots. As a jew I'm not offended. If I was a southerner I would be.
(24) HR, January 28, 2009 7:42 AM
BH Obama
I don't think Americans understand the British sense of humour. Satire is the highest form of British humour. No-one should take offense at his. And isn't it true that if Obama's middle name was Mordechai instead of Hussain he wouldn't have had any hope of obtaining a Presidential nomination???!!!!
(23) ata, January 28, 2009 7:01 AM
i can't understand why someone would think that it is acceptable to make a comment like that. if a comment like that was made about a black person, people would be in outrage. but it's ok to say that about a jew?
(22) Nachama, January 28, 2009 12:45 AM
I really don't think this clip can possibly fall into the category of anti semitism. How can this reflect a 'hatred for jews'? That is my understanding of what anti-semitism is.
(21) Moshe ben Mordecai, January 27, 2009 3:42 PM
Not antisemitic at all
First, Little Britain goes after absolutely everyone. Second, if this went after anyone, it was US southerners. Third, "Shooting Jews" was clearly said by someone who was supposed to be seen as a bigot. Lighten up, people.
(20) Gary Katz, January 27, 2009 1:23 PM
An antidote for anti-Semitism?
Jews are used to getting blamed for all the world's problems. So what would happen if G-d transported all Jews to another world for 100 years? Think of it: no Jew anywhere to blame for anything. Then we'd return after a century, to the worst anti-Semitism of all. "Why did you desert us? You traitors! You left us in the lurch!"
(19) Anonymous, January 27, 2009 12:31 PM
Hillarious
I think the video was hillarious. The message was more about prejudices in the Deep South rather than against Jews per se I would think. One can get too precious about snifing out predjudice.
(18) Fred, January 27, 2009 12:27 PM
We Get It
To those of you who are defending this show: We get it! We grew up on Monty Python et al. We know that it's humor. But the people who wrote and aired the sketch did so with the expectation that it would lead to discussion, and we are in fact discussing the issue raised. And it's obvious that, while bigotry against most groups comes and goes, antisemitism always remains. Any negative feelings about others can usually be explained away as the influence of the Jews behind the scenes.
(17) Aaron, January 27, 2009 11:22 AM
Little Britain is anti-racist
The Little Britain team mock the rascist attitudes of The upper, middle and lower classes of British society, the humour they use impacts, because they mirror and show the truth of human behaviour in it's inequality, the clip discussed has a double whammy and it's aim is to support the Jewish people, by showing that the racism that Jews as an identity suffer is still around, but countries and individuls pretend it isn't. The result, without going through a realy long breakdown of the process in short. "It is now politicaly correct to be comic about coloured racism to "educate" because as a nation (unlike other some nations) we have collectively held up our hands and admitted coyley that, okay we were wrong, even though coloured racism is still around it is by a minority of idiots. What this clip shows is that it with a submissive rhetoric you can be mock racist but, there's such a internal reaction about anti-semitism because a majority of the world "who are silent anti-semitics" have not yet been submissive and admitted to it, as nationalties apologised or confronted the reality unlike the resolution process that has occured with racism in general, Jews still have this issue to resolve, Little Britain reminds us that we still owe a debt to Judaism and it's world citizens, for the anti-semitism which lays dormant and unspoke in every area from government to boardroom, from the work place to the classromm, from the media to our homes, if as they have proved it is more uncomfortable an issue it is an issue that is yet to be resolved and Little Britain just reminded everybody. Matthew Richard Lucas was born into a Jewish family.
(16) Batsheva, January 27, 2009 10:21 AM
funny
I thought this was really funny. It was obviously meant as a parody of anti-Semites and racists. The really offensive anti-Jewish comments masquarading as comedy came from Susie Essman on the View. They were beyond offensive and not even funny.
(15) Adam, January 27, 2009 9:41 AM
Antisemitism in its new form
Straight antisemitism remains fairly uncommon in the US. Its close cousin anti-Zionism, though, is more prevalent than ever.
(14) Avraham Broide, January 27, 2009 8:54 AM
not anti-Semitic
By pairing anti-Semitic bias with anti-black bias, it is clear that the skit is opposing anti-Semitic bias.
(13) David Zweigle, January 27, 2009 8:52 AM
tolerant mindset
Cathryn and James remind me of folks during the sixties who resisted, sometimes violently, resisted folks who spoke out against public schools, authors, movies, music etc that encouraged our youth to ignore peer advice, encouraged sexual freedom, encouraged "God less independant thinking and lifestyle". Forty years later based on breaking news flashes everday I would say society is extremely "tolerant" regarding personal accountability, sexual purity and committments. Generally God is nowhere to be found in human thinking. I think a good dose of "incensing" is due today. I refuse to believe your rhetoric and choose to stand for truth. Life is serious. Killing Jews is not something to laugh at.
(12) James Goulding, January 27, 2009 1:42 AM
Missunderstood
I think a lot of people have misunderstood the main issue. It's not anti semetic for a Jew to have a laugh at themselves. Nor is it if a non jew has a laugh with a Jew. It is only true anti-semetism when there is some hatred or foreign agenda. If little britain is such a problem, don't worry, it purposely satirises all kinds of people based on race/class/sexuality. It is not attacking the people themselves, but if you watch carefully, it attacks peoples attitudes. It is aimed towards laughing at predudice. Watch more carefully.
(11) Barbara, January 27, 2009 1:37 AM
Yes
Anti-semitism is almost politically correct, just give it another short while. Recently Susie Essman was on the view and was saying how orthodox Jewish women are all ugly and etc. Not one of them tried stopping her. It is sad but i do not think there is much to do to stop it, This is the fate of our history. We just gotta live like g-d wants us to and then some more.
(10) yitzchak, January 26, 2009 11:08 PM
growing up in texas
when i was young, they used to try to beat me up because i was jewish...and then... ...around 1967, they would try to beat me up because i was also white. i guess it sometimes is hard not to be a target. israel has to show the world that we won't settle for being a target....again
(9) Cathryn Preston, January 26, 2009 9:18 PM
Riots and protests
I can pretty much guarantee that no Jews or African-Americans rioted or protested about this skit. It's called 'not taking life so seriously', and it's a better way to live than becoming incensed over cartoons or movies that merely mention your religion or race.
(8) Yochanan, January 26, 2009 6:55 PM
Danger of Satire
My family lives in the Southeast U.S. Racism and anti-semitism is very much a part of life here. My children tell me of the things that they hear and have done to them. I have had someone show me his tattoo at work... it was a swastika. To many people of the south this is just a way of life. They take pride in there hatred. To make light of such things does not bring about anything but more acceptability. Some things should be kept serious. I having endured such behavior find this as just another insult. People have forgotten that Hitler used Satire to promote his way of thinking. This is not funny. It is scary.
(7) Anonymous, January 26, 2009 3:14 PM
antisemitism is real, but the solution is almost "unreal"
I am a Jew from the very deep-South living in France for quite a while now. Southern antisimitism is on a nursery school level or even a pre-natal stage level compared to Europe. So, is there a solution?....analmost unreal solution.. Several weeks back in Bereshis (Genesis)Parashas Vayigash, Ch.45, v. 16 states: "It was heard in Pharaoh's house that Joseph's brothers have come to Egypt...and it was pleasing in the eyes of Pharaoh and his household." Josehp and his brothers had just kissed and made up in harmony, no animosity, no jealousy, no vengance.....They were unified together and this is perhaps a prototypical verse in the Torah which shows that when the Jewish people can be nited with love and goodwill for each other, perhaps, just perhaps, we will be looked at differntly by the nations. It's how WE view ourselves that counts, not how OTHERS view us. We have the Torah and the wonderful promises of our Hebrew prophets. We have every reason to stand strong together. However, it seems that this will be our happy fate in or focused through the land of Israel. "And the Lion will lay down with the lamb and man will practice war no more and peace will come forth through ZION" (Isaiah, Zachariah, Micah, and other great Jewish prophets).
(6) Neil, January 26, 2009 12:45 PM
Little Britain
I do not believe this was meant offensively. British humour is often about self-parody. Some of my friends are gay and there is a very famous gay character in the show played by Lucas who is himself gay (and Jewish). They see Lucas' character as humerous.
(5) Norman, January 26, 2009 11:29 AM
I'm a fan of the program and I believe they were ridiculing anti-semitism
(4) jack shnaier, January 26, 2009 9:44 AM
The reporters of the BBC & CNN are latent anti semites.Goebbels once said "the greater the lie the more people will swallow it."This is true when blatant posed pictures on tv are showen over & over again.people start believing half truths .the way they are presented makes the viewer hate the jews and so the latent anti semitism comes out.
(3) Andrew, January 26, 2009 9:14 AM
One of them is Jewish
I think that you may not relaise that Matt Lucas ( playing the mother ) is in fact Jewish himself. Maybe the irony has been lost on some of you..
(2) Ash, January 25, 2009 10:31 PM
parody
Perhaps this Little Britain clip seeks to highlight the American view of how older generations of non-Jews demonstrate the 'dislike of the unlike'. I doubt very much that the comedy duo here are inciting anti-semitism - on the contrary, they seek to ridicule anti-semitism. American anti-semitism, to be exact.
(1) Moshe Rosen, January 25, 2009 8:23 AM
anti-Semitism in pop culture
There is much anti-Semitism, or disingenuous remarks made about Jews in the pop culture media. Such instances include a restaurant scene in Monty Python, where someone cleaning said, "at least I don't work for Jews" (followed by a bucket put on her head). Also, on VH1's, "I Love the Holidays", there was a segment on Chanukah, where the talking head celebrities said that a candle burning for 8 days and 8 nights was "no miracle - just a very good candle". On the contrary to that, this candle wasn't like a long or Roman candle, but that of limited oil that G-d somehow miraculously preserved. All in all, laughing about anti-Semitism is dismissing a serious matter as a joke, which must be repented for.
stub
_(english).jpg "Accepted")
(32) Taylor, April 11, 2009 8:44 PM
Matt Lucas
The man playing the old lady is Matt Lucas who is a very proud Jew. Little Britain makes fun of the stupid people in the world who judge people based on stereotypes. If one would watch an episode or series one would see they are making fun of the small minded people of the world. It's as though they are putting a mirror in front of their face and showing them how ignorant they appear. If one would watch this show they would see they make fun of all people but they are making fun of the people who are racist of many types of ethnic groups, types of people and people with disabilities. They do a wide range of skits of many different stereotypes. It's their way of telling the world how cruel they can be in hopes it mind change their way of thinking toward someone who is different.
(31) c s, April 1, 2009 11:04 PM
listen to yourselves!
i admit that it is much easier to sit back and be "liberal" and laugh along with jokes that are funny, but sit and think for a second. We have enough anti-semitism nowadays that for a Jew to prosecute himself is absurd. why add to the prosecution? This only shows a lack of pride as a Jew. Another ethnic group would not laugh at an extremely deragatory remark made about them, so why would me? Be strong, and have some of you own self-pride!
(30) Capt Martin Clayton, February 21, 2009 11:23 PM
Anti Semitism - Little Britain
St Albans - UK Althoughthe clip has a remark which you could take as Anti - it is very funny.. the two guys are from North London and ARE JEWISH!! and I could tell that joke in mixed company without any problem oh, and yes I am a Zaida and of course Jewish.. Great web site, keep it up.. Capt Martin (Zaida)
(29) Ben Taylor, February 2, 2009 9:50 AM
Too Sensitive
First, I am a proud Jew. Second, as a whole we (and all minorities) have become too sensitive at times. If there was real malice or hatred behind bits like this that would be one thing, but it's obvious that they are poking fun at ignorant anti-semitics. This is perhaps the one group that deserve to be made fun of. David Leach (25) stated the case very well. As Sgt. Hulka stated in the movie "Stripes"..."Lighten up Francis".
(28) Dvirah, January 28, 2009 3:20 PM
Two for the Price of One
I found this funny, but also a warning. Still, in a jocular spirit, I'd say that one racial "flaw" is OK but to have two...! Wonder what Sammy Davis Jr. would have said...