I think Tom makes the main point that there is a relevant discussion to be had here, but it easily regresses into progressive caricature when it abandons nuance and flexibility.
I think the most problematic part of Silverman’s argument is the use of the term “Jewface” (not sure if that was part of the original Time article Tom refers to). The problem with Blackface is not primarily that famous white actors got roles denied Black actors. Blackface was explicitly part of a larger social process of stigmatizing, de-legitimizing and rationalizing a pervasive, violent antiBlack regime. The analogy is not to Rachel Brosnahan playing an attractive, intelligent and very likable Mrs Maisel, but maybe to something that could have existed in 1930s Germany with Aryans wearing stereotypical noses and clothing and enacting characters that would justify the attitudes and assumptions that led to the Holocaust. I don’t necessarily blame Silverman for this, the whole modern critique of blackface has tended to turn it into the “representation” issue that Silverman is writing about, which tends to minimize and trivialize what the problem with blackface was. On Wed, 6 Oct 2021 at 10:05 PM Steve Timko <[email protected]> wrote: > I don't quite feel the passion about this today that I did yesterday. I > know you're all on the edge of your seats waiting for my comments. > Clearly, there can be problems casting the wrong people in roles. Like Zoe > Saldana for Nina Simone. Simone felt she was treated differently because of > her especially black skin. Saldana was lighter-skinned and attractive. > Simone called her look her "essential blackness" and you don't get that > with Saldana. > On the other hand, there was some actual criticism of having Chris Pratt, > who is not Italian, play the Italian caricature of Super Mario. No one is > really best suited to play a cartoon character. > I knew Joan Rivers was Jewish but she didn't wear it like so many Jewish > comics. She seemed more strongly urban than Jewish. Also, Jews have had > many positive reforestations on screen. > But I think that the comment, "Write Yiddish, Hire Britsh" raises a point. > Jewish humor was so wrapped up in American humor that Jewish people are not > recognized or credited. So maybe Silverman has a point there. Hire > Jewish actors to cure that problem. > > On Wed, Oct 6, 2021 at 7:29 AM Tom Wolper <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On Wed, Oct 6, 2021 at 1:08 AM Steve Timko <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Article: >>> https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sarah-silverman-jewface_n_615c2c20e4b0487c85637d71 >>> >>> >>> https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUlYF1CFDIp/?utm_medium=copy_link >>> >>> I Have lots to say about this but I will do it when I am at a desktop >>> computer. >>> >> >> I read an opinion piece about this, using the same examples, at time.com >> last week. The first half of the article was predictable, about >> cross-casting and representation. The second half became more interesting >> as it questioned the authenticity of female Jewish stories when Jewish >> women were excluded. The counterexample the writer offered was Broad City >> where Jewish women not only played the lead roles, they wrote the series >> and had control over the stories that were told. >> >> Silverman is piggybacking off that article, using the same examples, >> which will amplify the story. On the other hand, she wants to make it more >> inflammatory and less thoughtful. >> >> https://time.com/6101055/jewish-women-not-cast-in-jewish-roles/ >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "TVorNotTV" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAJE-FiFzkCDnQwgXTRkzB1VoAxo7kbBb1eKCP6QZOBmQPgRBpQ%40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAJE-FiFzkCDnQwgXTRkzB1VoAxo7kbBb1eKCP6QZOBmQPgRBpQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TVorNotTV" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAH5J8yyXHRc78cL24NBOOcRkX6X%3D5v9nJ0nkwzo62Fk5QbTBDQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAH5J8yyXHRc78cL24NBOOcRkX6X%3D5v9nJ0nkwzo62Fk5QbTBDQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Sent from Gmail Mobile -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAKGtkYL9Uk8ta7yh61X_rB2ecWk7v8Ou2TTvr_pmtGh9e%3DuG5g%40mail.gmail.com.
