THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE HUMOR:

WITH JEWISH HUMOR AS A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE

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CUNY Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Conference March 2023

Professor Linda Weiser Friedman

Baruch College of the

City University of New York

Disclaimer: Sometimes to illustrate a concept, I use a brief portion of a media clip found on YouTube. Unless I created that video myself, I take no responsibility for its authenticity or ownership.

INTRODUCTION

• Some humor, while making us laugh, contains shadows of hostility toward those who cause strife – the racists, the bigots, the unaware and uneducated.
• Instead of mocking targets of bigotry, we mock bigotry itself. We mock hatred and intolerance.
• Humor can educate, and counter stereotypes. And, maybe, get even.

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WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE HUMOR?

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LET’S START WITH AN EXAMPLE OR TWO

• David Finkelstein, The Captioned Swastika, https://youtu.be/kLhF478q3g8?t=90
• Some stand-up comics vocalize marginalization and injustice they’ve faced, while making the audience laugh. That’s Social Justice humor. The goal of the humor is to mock the oppressors and those in power and demonstrate how absurdly they behave
• What about this one? Gabriel Iglesias, The Racist Gift Basket. Not so angry, but it gets the job done. https://youtu.be/UDLpEQmdNZE

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SOCIAL JUSTICE HUMOR

• Social justice humor combines humor with social activism. It attempts to make the world a better place, using humor as a tool to change society.
• It can take people out of their comfort zones and change their attitudes, �beliefs, and perceptions.
• Helps maintain self-esteem and human dignity.

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The great comedian Charlie Chaplin said that the function of comedy is to sharpen our sensitivity to the perversions of justice within the society in which we live.

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Negin Farsad, a Moslem, Iranian-American who considers herself a social justice comedian:

Why does social justice comedy work? Because first off it makes you laugh. And when you’re laughing, you enter a state of openness. And in that moment of openness, a social justice comedian can stick in a whole bunch of information and, if they’re really skilled, a rectal exam. https://youtu.be/XiDAztWWAuM?t=176

JEWISH HUMOR – SURVIVAL WITH DIGNITY

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IN ANTIQUITY

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1556 BCE:

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Biblical humor is often used to mock idolatry. One example of this is in the story of the matriarch Rachel and the teraphim. Rachel’s husband Jacob took his family and fled from his father-in-law Laban in Haran, after noticing that he was not being treated by Laban as in the past. Unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachel had stolen her father’s teraphim, small personal statues used for idolatry and divination. When Laban caught up with Jacob, he asked (Genesis 31:30): “Why have you stolen my gods?” (REALLY??!!)

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The reader is certain to realize that a god that can be stolen cannot be much of a god. Even worse, Rachel hid her father’s deities by sitting on them. These idols did not get much respect. The reader understands the foolishness of worshipping deities that can be sat on and not do anything about it. Sit on your dog and cat and see how they respond!

JUMP AHEAD - IN THE “SHTETL”

• Two Jews are about to face a Russian firing squad. The two condemned men are offered blindfolds. One of them accepts it, but the other does not, defiantly saying: “I don’t want your blindfold.” His friend urges: “Shh, Izzy, don’t make trouble.

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• Big Bang Theory. “Were our families neighbors in Poland?” https://youtu.be/2kVMCnfIQSA

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BLOOD LIBEL

• In a small village in Ukraine, a terrifying rumor was spreading: A Christian girl had been found murdered. Realizing the dire consequences of such an event, and fearing a pogrom, the Jewish community instinctively gathered in the synagogue to plan whatever defensive actions were possible under these circumstances. Just as the emergency meeting was being called to order, in ran the president of the synagogue, out of breath and all excited. “Brothers,” he cried out, “I have wonderful news! The murdered girl is Jewish!” (Novak and Waldoks, 1981, p. 73).

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HOLOCAUST

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Two elderly Holocaust survivors die and go to heaven. When they get there, they tell each other Holocaust jokes.

God happens by and tells them he did not find the jokes funny. In fact, He found them to be rather offensive.

They just look at God and say to Him: “I guess you had to be there.”

HOLOCAUST

Eric Idle: How to get into Dachau. https://youtu.be/5VH4c0-p-CY

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HOLOCAUST

Eric Idle: How to get into Dachau. https://youtu.be/5VH4c0-p-CY

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ANTISEMITISM IN THE US 20^TH CENTURY

During the Second World War, a Mississippi dowager, product of an old Southern family still living in the ante-bellum age, decided to invite three soldiers at the nearby training camp to celebrate Thanksgiving at her colonial mansion. She telephoned the camp and was referred to the Lieutenant in charge of personnel.

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“Lieutenant,” she crooned, “send me three nice lonely boys. It doesn’t make any difference whether they are Northerners or Southerners, just as long as they aren’t Jewish.. No Jews, if you please!”

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“Thank you, Ma’am,” said the lieutenant. “You are a generous woman, and on behalf of the Army, I want to thank you.”

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On Thanksgiving Day a knock sounded on the door and when the lady went to admit the boys, there on the threshold stood three of the blackest Negro youths she had ever seen.

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“B-b-but … there m-must be some m-mistake,” she gasped, completely flustered.

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“Oh, no, ma’am,” one of the young men assured her. “Lieutenant Goldstein never makes mistakes!” (Spalding,1985, p. 201)

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ANTISEMITISM IN THE US 20^TH CENTURY

A Jewish man moves in next door to Rockefeller. He decorates his house just as Rockefeller does. He does his garden precisely the way Rockefeller does. Buys the same car that Rockefeller does. And one day, Rockefeller goes up to the Jewish man, saying, ‘You think you are as good as me, don’t you?’ And the Jewish guy says, ‘No, I think I’m better.’ Rockefeller says, ‘Why?’ And the Jewish guy says, ‘Well, to start with, I don’t live next door to a Jew’ (Moment, 2021; Told by A. Zweibel).

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ANTISEMITISM TODAY

A vicious anti-Semite is drinking in a bar. He notices a Jew with a yarmulka and tzitzis (ritual fringes) sitting at a table nearby and is quite unhappy about it. So he shouts over to the bartender so everyone in the room can hear: "Bartender!" he says, "A round of your best Scotch for everyone except for the Jew over there!" Everyone happily receives a glass of premium scotch. The anti-Semite looks over at the Jew with a superior grin. The Jew smiles back, waves to him and says, “Thank you.” The anti-Semite is infuriated. In a loud voice he says: "Bartender! Give everyone a drink of your finest, most expensive Scotch!" He looks directly at the Jew and adds, "For everyone except the Jew." The Jewish man looks at the anti-Semite, smiles again, waves, and says, “Thank you!” Furious, the anti-Semite says, "What’s the matter with that Jew? I’ve ordered two rounds of drinks for everyone in the bar except for him, and all he does is smile and say “thank you” to me. Is that Jew crazy?" The bartender replies: "Oh no, sir, he owns the place."

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MORE ANTISEMITISM HUMOR

• Cathy Ladman�https://youtu.be/LVrZPfS99To (0:51)

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• And don’t forget Borat, for example, https://youtu.be/Vb3IMTJjzfo

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So I'll go in for an audition and I'll read the part. The casting person said to me one time, she said: "Thank you very much, but you're too Jewish." I don't even know what that means, you're too Jewish. I'm a Jew. That's what I am, I can't help it. I'm a Jew. I'm a Jew trapped in the body of a Jew. Who's a Jew. And there's another Jew in there too. Like those little Russian dolls, you keep opening them up, and there're just More Jews. They just get littler, but they're all Jews. (EffinFunny, 2010)

Comic Modi Rosenfeld, on

How we punish anti-semitism.

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https://youtu.be/R90_EeRP2wc

ASSIMILATION

In the former Soviet Union:

Telephone rings. “Hello.”

“Hello. May I please speak to Moshe?”

“There is no Moshe here.”

“Really? There is no one called Moshe there?”

“No Moshe here.” Hangs up.

Ring. “Hello.”

“Hello. Is Mischa there?”

“Just a moment.” Calls out, “Moshe! It’s for you!”

In the U.S.

Three Jewish converts to Christianity are having drinks in an exclusive country club. "I converted out of love," says one. Seeing the dubious looks on his friends' faces, he adds, "Not for Christianity but for a Christian girl. My wife insisted that I convert." "And I converted in order to succeed in law," the second one says. "I would never have been appointed a federal judge if I hadn't become an Episcopalian." The third says, "I converted because I think the teachings of Christianity are superior to those of Judaism." To which the other two respond indignantly. "What do you take us for, a couple of goyim?”

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ARAB-JEWISH STRIFE

• Two Arabs are on a short flight from Washington to New York.  One sits in the window seat, the other in the middle seat.  Just before take-off a fat, little Jewish guy gets on and takes the aisle seat next to the Arabs.  He kicks off his shoes, wiggles his toes and gets himself comfortable. Just then, the Arab in the window seat says, “I think I'll go up and get a Coke.” “No problem,” said the Jew.  “I'll get it for you.” While he is gone, the Arab picks up the Jew’s shoe and spits in it. When the Jew returns with the Coke, the other Arab says, “That looks good.  If you don’t mind, I think I'll have one too.” Once again, the Jew says, “No problem,” gets up, and goes to the galley to get the soft drink. Of course, while he is gone the Arab in the middle seat picks up the other shoe and spits in it. The Jew returns with the Coke, and they all sit back and enjoy the short flight. As the plane is preparing to land, the Jew slips his feet into his shoes and immediately figures out what had happened. “How long must this go on?” he exclaims.  “This enmity between our peoples ... this hatred .... this spitting in shoes and peeing in Cokes?”

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MODERN ISRAEL

• A very pious individual is praying at the Kotel (Western Wall) when, suddenly, an Islamic extremist grabs him from behind and puts a large knife to his throat. The Jew quickly recites the blessing for someone who is about to die for his religion: “Baruch ata … al kiddush Hashem!” The terrorist, impressed with his victim’s piety, stops what he is doing and turns to leave. The Jew, pointing to his throat, calls out impatiently to the terrorist: “Nu! Nu!”
• “Honey, you are a gift that came down to me 50 years ago from Heaven!” Pause. “Of course, there was no Iron Dome at the time…”
• Israeli comic Shahar Hason, https://youtu.be/R9oV5vGF1lQ (start at 0:10)
• More Shahar Hason on why Israelis are not good at staying in line https://youtu.be/R9oV5vGF1lQ?t=215 (start at 3:35)

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MORE HUMOR VS. ANTISEMITISM

More David Finkelstein https://youtu.be/EWtsC8uYtew

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WHO GOES TO HEAVEN?

Rabbi Beroka Hozaah asked Elijah the Prophet: “Is there any person in this market who is destined for Paradise?” He replied, no. ...

While they were conversing, two people passed by. Elijah said: “These two are destined for the world to come.”

Rabbi Beroka approached them and asked them what they did. They replied: “We are jesters, and we cheer up people who are depressed. Also when we see two people who are quarreling, we work hard to make peace between them” (From the Talmud).

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THANK YOU! ANY QUESTIONS?

Linda Weiser Friedman, PhD

Professor of Statistics, Information Systems, Operations Research and Jewish Humor

Baruch College and the Graduate Center of the

City University of New York

Prof.Friedman @ gmail.com

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SIDEBAR: GOD AND PHILOSOPHY (HUMOR)

• Descartes - poof!\
• Chulent - if you had a brother
• Kant + other morganbessers
• I guess you had to be there
• Green herring in a tree
• 100 murderers riddle – AI got it wrong
• Where is the line? (Holocaust humor, dark humor, The Racist Gift Basket.)

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