To many of us, prior to the 2013 Oscar Ceremony, the name “Seth MacFarlane” meant very little. As a matter of fact, the man is widely unknown to most people 35 and older, unless you are part of the entertainment industry. MacFarlane is the creator and the many voices behind the cartoon “Family Guy” that contains nothing I could recommend for family viewing. He is also the director, writer and producer of the recent movie “Ted” starring Mark Wahlberg and an animated nymphomaniac teddy bear with a very dirty mouth. No, I have not turned my blog into a movie review platform, but since I need to bring our attention to MacFarlane’s pathetic Oscar performance, I felt it necessary to list some of his credentials.
I used to await Oscar night with great anticipation when movies were still made to make us think, laugh and cry. The ceremony seldom disappointed, as it was always a perfectly well balanced blend of wit, class and wholesome entertainment. This last Sunday, I did not watch the Oscars, primarily because I had only seen two movies that made the list and I felt a big disconnect between what Hollywood praises and what I consider worth watching.
The morning after, a plethora of articles and YouTube snippets were a testimony to the horrendous hosting job done my Seth MacFarlane. In short, he bombed! His jokes included some extremely disturbing comments on weight gain, sex, gays, blacks, Lincoln’s assassination, Hispanics, pedophilia, and of course Jewish people. None of those topics should ever be used as joke material and hopefully, Hollywood will have learned to choose their host more carefully next time (I do not hold my breath though). While I abhor all these racist and sexist jokes that are usually only used to cover-up for lack of real comedic talent, let me now turn to a skit involving Mark Wahlberg and Ted the teddy bear.
What Do Seth MacFarlane and Martin Luther Have in Common?
The recurring myth of the Jews controlling Hollywood (not to mention the banks and Wall Street) was not born yesterday. The “Jewish world domination” syndrome goes back in history and was probably put on the map by “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion“, a Russian pamphlet first printed in 1903. It was rapidly proven to be a hoax, even though it is still widely disseminated today amongst anti-Semitic circles worldwide.
Frankly and simply put, if the Jews did indeed control Hollywood, they would have never allowed such an anti-Jewish skit at the Oscars!
But before I am accused of going on an anti-liberal-right-winged-bigoted witch-hunt, let me make a statement about Mr. MacFarlane. While I clearly believe that his bad taste took over any talent he might have and that there is no excuse for the inappropriateness of his performance, I cannot affirm that he is anti-Semitic.
This being said, I can tell you that the Ted and Wahlberg skit was scripted in a way that did offend me as a Jew, and that it used several stereotypes that only ignorance at best and anti-Semitism at worse could fuel.
The real danger with such a performance in front of more than a billion spectators worldwide is that it will unnecessarily promote and encourage others to deliver their own message of hate against Israel and the Jewish people. God knows the world certainly does not need any encouragement in this area. In other words, what the host might have only seen as a joke, could be taken further by somebody encouraged to “finish what MacFarlane started”.
Let me bring this concept a little closer to home if I may.
In 1543, Martin Luther published a pamphlet titled “of the Jews and their Lies” that has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt to be one of the most virulently judeophobic treatise on the Jewish people. It was towards the end of Luther’s life and the reasons for such a diatribe is beyond the scope of this article. Nevertheless, in his pamphlet, Luther was responsible for statements such as:
Now what are we going to do with these rejected, condemned, Jewish people?
… I will give you my true counsel:
…First, that we avoid their synagogues and schools and warn people against them. And such should be done to the glory of God and Christendom, that God may see that we are Christians and have not knowingly tolerated such lying, cursing and blaspheming of His Son and His Christians.
…Secondly, that you also refuse to let them own houses among us.
…Thirdly, that you take away from them all of their prayer books and Talmuds wherein such lying, cursing, and blaspheming is taught.
…Fourthly, that you prohibit their Rabbis to teach.
…Fifthly, that protection for Jews on highways be revoked. For you should not and cannot protect them unless you want to be partners of their abominations.
Sixthly, that their usury be prohibited.
Much more is said in the pamphlet that my article allows me to publish, and while I do not want to take away the incredible contribution that Martin Luther brought to the faith as the father of the Reformation, I cannot forget – neither can my people – what he wrote about the Jews, and the implications it had to this very day.
History is our witness as writer Lucy Dawidowicz in her book “The War Against the Jews 1933-1945″ said that: “The line of anti-Semitic descent from Luther to Hitler is easy to draw.”
On page 65 of “Mein Kampf”, Hitler was quoted saying: “I am convinced that I am acting as the agent of our Almighty Creator. By fighting the Jews, I am doing the Lord’s work.”
Hitler was convinced that he was in the center of God’s will as he thrived to completely destroy the Jews. He of course couldn’t be further from the truth.
Additionally, during his trial at Nuremberg the Nazi propagandist and editor of the infamously anti-Semitic paper “Der Stürmer“, Julius Streicher, argued that if he was on trial, Martin Luther should be standing next to him. The weekly paper’s motto was nothing else than Luther’s expression “The Jews are our misfortune”.
So while I certainly do not wish to compare Seth MacFarlane with Martin Luther in any other fashion, I would argue that both men’s verbal attacks on the Jews had similarities. We know from history how Luther’s writings were used to decimate my people, as the Nazis were proud to simply be “finishing up what Luther started”.
Mr. MacFarlane, if you do not wish to be responsible for somebody “finishing up what you started”, I strongly advise you to stay away from controversial statements against the Jews because they are libelous, destructive and eventually you will have the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to reckon with.
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31)
shame on audiences -“God, give us ears to hear what causes others to tear – and break us from greedy hard hearted humorists – cause us not to laugh or applaud at the pain-aimed drivel spewing from today’s comedians” amen