[Liz]

This is a very good review of Neil Gabler's 1988 book in which he chronicles how Jews and Jewish sensibilities created and controlled the Hollywood film industry.

The Gabler book comes to mind as the world waits in expectation for the Mel Gibson film production, "The Passion of the Christ."

Some 140 million American Christians are expected to see the Gibson film. One 20-screen cineplex owner, and perhaps others, plans to show the Gibson film simultaneously on every screen 24/7. Global Christianity numbering in the billions are also expected to see the film about Jesus Christ's last 12 hours of life.

Gibson's film has also garnered negative comments.

Many Christians complain about Hollywood's double standard. They say Hollywood continually denigrates Christian beliefs but when Christians complain, the Hollywood coterie shrugs off Christian concerns by saying, "it's just a movie," and "if you don't like the subject matter, don't go see it."

Christians are aware that most of the naysayers against Gibson's film are Jewish, and, while trying to be sensitive to Jewish concerns, Christians wonder why individuals deploring aspects of The Passion of Christ subject matter, remain silent while Hollywood continually degrades and marginalizes Christian beliefs.

[onyx]

Is the author the same sniveling twit who appears on Fox News Watch? If so, is his (this) book worth reading?

[BlessedBeGod]

They say Hollywood continually denigrates Christian beliefs...

It didn't used to be that way. The Jewish moguls produced a lot of terrific Christian movies back in their day. It's shameful how Hollywood and the new studio heads have deteriorated into what they are now.

[Just mythoughts]

To even discuss this book is going to get accusations of being ANTI!

Maybe it is because Mel did this on his own has ticked some off. The main problem here is that we are talking about the HEART of Christianity and those who oppose the HEART do not believe or have even read the WORD.

As Christians know the OLD foretold hundreds of years prior to the first advent of Christ what would be .... Psalms 22.

[Heatseeker]

A very good book - I have a copy here and have re-read it more than once.

[dennisw]

You always post anti Jewish crapola. Your agenda is obvious. Non the less I read the book years ago and like it. But the book is not anti Semitic. Only you are.

[Steve Eisenberg]

Christians wonder why individuals deploring aspects of The Passion of Christ subject matter, remain silent while Hollywood continually degrades and marginalizes Christian beliefs.

Liz, I'm Jewish and I don't really know. In the earlier era, nobody was more patiotic and even pro-Christian ("God Bless America" and "White Christmas", by Irving Berlin) than American Jews. The naysayers ("Give me Delinquency, Give me the U.S.A." -- Cole Porter) were less likely to be. Now it seems, to some extent, reversed, what with most US Jews being liberals, and with liberalism more and more meaning hostility to authentic Christianity. It's obvious to me that a stronger Christianity leads to a stronger Judaism.

[uncbob]

Christians wonder why individuals deploring aspects of The Passion of Christ subject matter, remain silent while Hollywood continually degrades and marginalizes Christian beliefs.

Cause Christians have bent over and taken it all these years with nary a peep

And they continue to go to the movies watch TV shows and visit Disney World

And continue to spend big bucks to send their kids to colleges where they are brainwashed by anti religious left wingers and continue to donate to their alma maters as long as the football and basketball teams put on a good show

And add to that that they continue to buy newspapers that are clearly anti religious etc etc

This would stop overnight if the $$$$ dried up

[veronica]

Christians are aware that most of the naysayers against Gibson's film are Jewish, and, while trying to be sensitive to Jewish concerns, Christians wonder why individuals deploring aspects of The Passion of Christ subject matter, remain silent while Hollywood continually degrades and marginalizes Christian beliefs.

Who are the "Christians" for whom you presume to speak?

I ask you again, have you seen Gibson's film, since you are obviously using it to push your own personal agenda...

Since you have so far refused to answer whether you have seen the film, I assume you have not, so on what basis are you seemingly trying to whip up animus toward Jews? What's your agenda here, LIZ????

Yes Liz, Jews have very prominent in Hollywood, and you should thank God they have.

Folks like Billy Wilder for instance, who fled Nazi Germany and came here to make some of the greatest films ever made. And folks like Irving Berlin, who wrote White Christmas.

[AppyPappy]

Christians are aware that most of the naysayers against Gibson's film are Jewish,

Proof please.

[Caipirabob]

Hollywood was an excellent example of Capitalism. As a new middle class emerged in America, it demanded more activities to fill in the new concept of "liesure and family time". Hollywood met that demand by providing entertainment with the brand new media of film and then later, television.

It's been at the center of American culture for decades.

It's sad that over the past few decades, there have been leftist who have decided that the media should be turned into a tool for leftist propaganda and cultural perversion. Still, this is a secular/liberal issue and hopefully those of us who have a problem with Hollywood realize that.

At any rate, today I revile Hollywood and have little inclination to subsidize any of the refuse that spews from it. The culture war in in full swing, and Hollywood is on the wrong side of it. The question still stands, will it be the losing side?

[Sam Cree]

"Indeed, these men created "America" and American values. America the strong, the wholesome, the honorable, the upright, the incorruptible and the upstanding -- but definitely not Jewish."

A really obnoxious statement by the reviewer. Not only did these men not create America and American values, there is no conflict between American values and being Jewish.

OTOH, these guys are good examples of the American dream, of individuals following their personal dreams and achieving what the Left despises, material and personal success.

[thesummerwind]

Neil Gabler's 1988 book in which he chronicles how Jews and Jewish sensibilities created and controlled the Hollywood film industry.

It is too bad for the country and especially it's younger members that those chronicled "sensibilities" have, to a large degree, gone right down the sewer in the most recent decades.

I often wonder how much of the degradation of these "sensibilities" is purposeful or merely unconscious on the part of these Hollywood owners and operators.

What do you think?

[AlbionGirl]

Boy, Foxman has created a real pickle here. Number 1, he's provided cover for the real anti-semites out there, so they can couch their mania (and helped stoke it some more) under the auspices he's erected for them. And number 2, he's given many people who are not anti-semitic, the impression that he and his organization doesn't care much for the Christian Faith.

It's not his job to tell us what our Religion should be all about, if he doesn't like the Scriptural facts then he needs to take that up with the Jewish authors of them, for goodness sake!

I will say that I agree w/the premise of this article, because I think it's really indisputable. But I don't see what that really denotes in the end. Many Italians and Germans and so on and so forth voted for Administrations like FDR's who wanted to stack the SC in order to pass his social programs. That was certainly contrary to America as it was designed to be.

I don't think you can deny that there was a lot of anti-semitism in the Republican Party of old and as consequence repelled American Jews. It'll take a long time to build a true trust between them and the Republicans, but it will happen. It's already begun.

What I don't understand though is the inability for many Jewish democrats to see the rabid, and I mean rabid, anti-semitism in their left and left of center ranks. If I were Jewish, that contingent of the Dems would scare me to no end. They are definitely oven lovers.

[Caipirabob]

Great post. You got a lot of people thinking today.

[PJ-Comix]

Stange. But the movie considered to be most sacriligeous (Last Temptation Of Christ) was directed by an Italian guy based on a novel by a Greek guy.

[Ciexyz]

The studio system in the '50's made marvelous religious spectaculars like "The Robe" and "King David" starring Gregory Peck. They presented Biblical stories in a sympathetic manner. What a contrast to the way Hollywood of today demonizes every mention of religion. One example: "Silence of the Lambs" when Hannibal Lector is punished by being exposed to the broadcast of a TV preacher.

[Terry Mross]

I can't believe this author used the term "the Jews". I got reamed for calling them "THE Jews."

[Revolting cat!]

Words fail. Let's just say than that mooltee cooltee don't work! The cat votes for total ethnic, religious, cultural apartheid!

[MarkL]

Christians are aware that most of the naysayers against Gibson's film are Jewish, and, while trying to be sensitive to Jewish concerns, Christians wonder why individuals deploring aspects of The Passion of Christ subject matter, remain silent while Hollywood continually degrades and marginalizes Christian beliefs.

While I believe that most "Jewish Leaders" did exactly what you describe, I do have to take exception in one case of which I'm aware.

Let me start by saying that I disagree with Rabbi Morris Margolies, Rabbi Emeritus of Kansas City's Beth Shalom synagogue, on just about everything. He's rabidly liberal, and against nearly everything that I'm for. However, when Scorcese's "Last Temptation of Christ" was about to be released, he forcefully implored his congregation to boycot the movie. He plainly stated for the record, that he believed that this movie was designed to do nothing more than shock and hurt those who believe in the Diety of Jesus. He said that while Scorcese is a brilliant film maker, that there was no justification in the hurt that this "work of art" would produce.

So, like I said, while the "Jewish Leadership" was silent on the matter, there was at least one case where a leader of a Jewish congregation forcefully spoke out against what he believed would be taken as blasphemy by many Christians.

Mark

[narses]

Ping.