Sunday, March 29, 2015

Lena Dunham and A Note on Humor

Lena Dunham is in dog, or is it Jew, trouble.  Her quiz is drawing condemnations as being anti-Semitic.

In any case, what I found most interesting was this comment from David Remnick, who said 

“The Jewish-comic tradition is rich with the mockery of, and playing with, stereotypes. Anyone who has ever heard Lenny Bruce or Larry David or Sarah Silverman or who has read ‘Portnoy’s Complaint’ knows that. Lena Dunham, who is Jewish and hugely talented, is a comic voice working in that vein. Richard Pryor and Chris Rock do the same about black stereotypes; Amy Schumer does it with women and gender. I don’t mind if one reader or another didn’t find the piece funny. People can differ on that. But considering all the real hatred and tragedy in the world, the people getting exercised about the so-called anti-Semitism of this comic piece, like those who railed at Philip Roth a generation or two ago, are, with respect, howling in the wrong direction.”

I'd wish Remnick and friends would treat Israel's administration of Judea and Samaria with at least an equal equanimity.

And if you think that a joke, you have a Jewish sense of humor.

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