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10/15/2003 Entry: "TAKE OUT THE GORE AND KILL BILL IS AN EPISODE OF "MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS"

WAS HE ON THE SAUCE WHEN HE WROTE THAT?: Gregg Easterbrook, popular with this writer for his Tuesday Morning Quarterback, fell into a pit yesterday with a blog entry at TNR about Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Volume 1. For the most part Easterbrook was sane but his last paragraph went a little far for some people:

Set aside what it says about Hollywood that today even Disney thinks what the public needs is ever-more-graphic depictions of killing the innocent as cool amusement. Disney's CEO, Michael Eisner, is Jewish; the chief of Miramax, Harvey Weinstein, is Jewish. Yes, there are plenty of Christian and other Hollywood executives who worship money above all else, promoting for profit the adulation of violence. Does that make it right for Jewish executives to worship money above all else, by promoting for profit the adulation of violence? Recent European history alone ought to cause Jewish executives to experience second thoughts about glorifying the killing of the helpless as a fun lifestyle choice. But history is hardly the only concern. Films made in Hollywood are now shown all over the world, to audiences that may not understand the dialogue or even look at the subtitles, but can't possibly miss the message--now Disney's message--that hearing the screams of the innocent is a really fun way to express yourself.

Not surprisingly more than a few people's jaw dropped. Does that make it right for Jewish executives to worship money above all else, by promoting for profit the adulation of violence? Like Orrin Judd, I'm trying real hard to come up with an interpretation that isn't offensive but I'm unable to. I don't believe that Easterbook is an anti-Semite but I can't explain this paragraph at all...

Meryl Yourish responds here, Orrin Judd wonders what Easterbook was thinking here and Oscar nominated screen writer Roger Simon is astonished here.

Replies: 1 Comment

Dear Mr. Easterblogg,

Your point about how all the world watches our movies
is more relevant than you may know. Have we thought
about the PR and foreign policy nightmares that we may
reap? Shouldn't those in charge of Hollywood know
this?! They (Israel) are the major benefactors of the
"war on terror". They should produce movies that are a
better reflection of our character, that will boost
are image and raise our moral stock. Only when we
change our image from one of decadence and ugly death,
an image promoted mostly by Hollywood, and so easily
controlled by executives there, will we win over the
hearts of the Muslims. I've heard it said that many
people there say a version of this,"...if strip bars,
hollywood movies and drugs are democracy...we don't
want democracy..." Hollywood executives, whatever
their religion, should consider this angle! It is more
important than they may know. It's how the world sees
us! Understands us! Get it stupid?!

And if anyone reading this says that I'm a religious
fanatic because I'm interpreting Tarantino's so called
art incorrectly, that I'm not looking at it from an
Impressionist angle; your brain is so screwed up and
manipulated, it's amazing that your autonomic nervous
system has the sense to even make your lungs breath in
and out without a respirator!!

Peter James, Dallas Texas

Posted by peter @ 10/17/2003 04:09 PM EST