You Won't Succeed on Broadway
I did my Jewish post over two years ago. It's my one claim to fame. It's my one (as far as I know) link that can be found in Wikipedia, the one post of note in this literary undertaking of mine, such as it is. For the record, that post is still responsible for almost as many hits on this blog as the fact that I have scantily clad women on the right, and both of those are responsible for more hits than everything else on this page put together, (excluding people looking for Feist's 1-2-3-4 song, which seem to come here in droves because I link to the video - seems they could eliminate the middle lumberyard and go straight to you tube, but, whatever)..times ten. That should give you an idea of my insignificant speck of a place in cyberspace.
As I said yesterday, we went to Spamalot Sunday, and the show was very good, but there was one part that left me wondering...where the hell did this come from, and why is it here?
One of the departures from the movie is that Arthur is charged with creating a show on Broadway, and in that regard, we get the song that features the concept, you won't succeed on Broadway if you don't have any Jews. Can someone help me with that, because the concept is just completely lost on me? Is it a cosmopolitan New York thing that rubes like me in J'ville don't understand? Do people of the Jewish faith somehow own what goes on along that strip known as Broadway? The song goes on for a while, with bits of traditional Jewish music and Fiddler on the Roof references, and Arthur lamenting his goyishness, and whatever, but I really wasn't getting why this whole thing was supposed to be funny. Is it supposed to be the same as saying, you can't succeed at the Apollo if you have no blacks? The obvious conclusion was...let's round us up some Jews. I was cringing more than chuckling. Call me overly sensitive, maybe. It took me to a place with a chill down my spine.
It just...had all the makings of a slur, but...it was supposed to be a funny slur?? from the same people who make a fairly liberal point of poking fun at the idea that gay marriage is a controversial subject? It just seemed a bit out of context, uncomfortable, and straight out of left field for those of us in the rest of the country who don't understand what possible link there is between Broadway and Jewish people, if such a thing exists.
As I said yesterday, we went to Spamalot Sunday, and the show was very good, but there was one part that left me wondering...where the hell did this come from, and why is it here?
One of the departures from the movie is that Arthur is charged with creating a show on Broadway, and in that regard, we get the song that features the concept, you won't succeed on Broadway if you don't have any Jews. Can someone help me with that, because the concept is just completely lost on me? Is it a cosmopolitan New York thing that rubes like me in J'ville don't understand? Do people of the Jewish faith somehow own what goes on along that strip known as Broadway? The song goes on for a while, with bits of traditional Jewish music and Fiddler on the Roof references, and Arthur lamenting his goyishness, and whatever, but I really wasn't getting why this whole thing was supposed to be funny. Is it supposed to be the same as saying, you can't succeed at the Apollo if you have no blacks? The obvious conclusion was...let's round us up some Jews. I was cringing more than chuckling. Call me overly sensitive, maybe. It took me to a place with a chill down my spine.
It just...had all the makings of a slur, but...it was supposed to be a funny slur?? from the same people who make a fairly liberal point of poking fun at the idea that gay marriage is a controversial subject? It just seemed a bit out of context, uncomfortable, and straight out of left field for those of us in the rest of the country who don't understand what possible link there is between Broadway and Jewish people, if such a thing exists.
Labels: Bizarro World
John put this out here at 7:51 AM
5 Comments:
It's EXACTLY like saying the Apollo can't exist if there aren't any blacks.
Broadway, and its money, and its performers, were primarily Jews, thus the reference. Remember, too, that most of vaudeville was Jewish, and all those performers in the catskills? They were the ones who often either couldn't make it on Broadway, or were supplementing their income there.
Regarding funding (in the old days): jews = money = banks = funding (or backing). Thus, lots of the money on Broadway came from the jews.
Starting to make more sense?
Thank you Jessie! I didn't now, and now consider myself a bit more educated. It does make a lot more sense now.
I didn't read your blog back in the "jewish post" days. I went back and read it.
You know JessieE here is a jewgirl. I hate that expression "jewed down" and have often called people on it. It's a classic stereotypic prejudicial comment; and one that is hateful and harsh.
I could go on a riff here about how I'm one of the least cheap jews I know, and how the catholic guy I was married to was WAY cheaper than anyone in MY family has ever been, but I'll let that go. Instead I'll just make my standard comment about how it would be so nice if we could all stop judging other people based on the color of their skin, or the way they choose to worship, or the kind of food they choose to eat, or the trees they choose to hug.
And I'd point out to you, John o'Lumberyard, that Judaism is not a race. It's a religion, and also a culture or ethnicity, but never a race.
We have, very generally, three strains of the human race, caucasoid (the whites), negroid (the blacks), and mongoloid (the asians). Other scientists/ biologists break these down further (and I wouldn't argue with that), but for these purposes, three work.
Everything else becomes ethnicities or nationalities. Judaism is slightly different; it's really a religion, but has really strong cultural overtones.
Me? Just for info, I'm caucasoid. I'm Russian, Hungarian, and Polish. I'm Jewish. I'm also blonde and short. Sometimes stubborn, often bossy.
Never cheap.
:-)
Mark this day on the calendar girl, because it doesn't happen often. Not only are you right, but I'm admitting you're right and that I made a mistake.
Judaism is not a race. I hadn't really thought of the distinction before, but I stand corrected (mark it on the calendar twice)...anti-semitism is a nasty prejudice, but it's not racist.
Never my intention to correct...only to inform.
clearly, my work here is done.
LOLOLOL
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