Posted on 10/25/2007 2:21:28 PM PDT by blam
Halle Berry apologises for 'Jewish nose' gaffe
By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 1:40pm BST 25/10/2007
Halle Berry, Hollywood's leading black actress, has been forced to apologise after making a joke about the size of Jewish people's noses on a US television chat show.
The Oscar-winning star remarked that a digitally-altered photo of her face made her look like her "Jewish cousin", during an appearance on Jay Leno's Tonight Show.
As Leno squirmed and the audience sat in embarrassed silence, Berry appeared to appreciate the gravity of her error.
"Oh God, Have I just ruined my career?" she asked.
The word "Jewish" was cut from the dialogue when the show was broadcast on Friday night, but audience members leaked full details of the exchange onto the Internet, prompting Berry, a vociferous critic of Hollywood racism, to issue a full apology.
"I didn't mean to offend anyone. I didn't. I didn't mean any harm … It was just supposed to be a silly segment. I am so sorry, and I apologize," she told The New York Post newspaper.
The actress, 41, went on to claim that her Jewish assistant had actually come up with the nose "joke" backstage, whilst leafing through the distorted photos that were to be used on the show.
"I guess it was fresh in my mind and it just came out of my mouth. But I didn't mean to offend anybody," Berry said.
The photos had been created by Berry herself using computer software which allows people to warp their own images.
Three of her assistants were Jewish, Berry added.
The one-time Bond girl, who was close to tears during her phone call to the Post according to the newspaper, said that she had asked the programme's producers to cut out her remarks after she realised the offence they may cause.
Berry, who is four months pregnant, is currently in London promoting her new film Things We Lost In The Fire.
In 2002 she became the first black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar when she was honoured for her role in Monster's Ball.
She has also appeared in the Bond film Die Another Day, Catwoman and the X-Men series.
It won't hurt her at all.
But if a white actor said something about "nappy hair"...
Whoa there!
Racism?
You’d have to be in orbit around Alpha Centauri to be farther off!
What’s wrong with ‘bi-racial’? Therefore not claiming to be all of either parent’s race?
You say it’s society’s fault for forcing mixed race people to identify as one or the other race( usually black if there’s a drop of black blood anywhere), now you think it’s racist if I DON’T think that way? Now, telling mixed-race people they can claim all of their genetic heritage is pushing their African-ness down and believing everything good about them is due to European ancestry?
That’s a helluva conclusion to jump to!
And it, in itself, is racist.
No you silly thing, you're black, you're a democrat and you're one of the super-rich elite ! Say what you want, it doesn't matter.............
Exactly!
But I’m willing to bet underwater property in New Orleans that she would NOT accept a sweet apology if someone else had made a comment about black people’s noses! That would be racist!
What she said isn’t?
BIG SIGH!
Geez he’s hot
That means she had time to think it over.
Ironically she’s actually had her nose “thined” earlier in her career. Check out the film she made with Eddie Murphy.
Of course, follow the money....
Lets see. She’s the one that one the Academy Award that year that Hollywood felt they had to award one to a “black” actress, right? A gratuitous award.
Well..she was right....it does.
Thank you!!
Oh MY!
You’re my new best friend.
Not even that inspiring Oscar acceptance speech?/sarc off. You're sure right about looking though.
Well you are right of course, it is called the ‘one drop’ rule. That is where terms like Quadroon, Octaroon, and ‘High Yellow’ came from. Many states, before the civil war, both north and south, had laws forbidding free blacks from living there, blacks being any one with a single known black ancestor (or who looked that way, and could not prove otherwise). This was revolting racial bigotry which 20 years ago we seemed to be getting rid of, but is coming back in a distorted way these days, through victimization politics.
Don’t hate me because I’m really, really, really good looking!
I’d weep if you’d post some pics of Vin Diesel.
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