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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ihnp4!ihuxt!martillo
From: martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo)
Newsgroups: net.comics,net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Marvel Comics, Jews and Other Ethnic Groups (Green)
Message-ID: <403@ihuxt.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Apr-84 12:05:33 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxt.403
Posted: Wed Apr 11 12:05:33 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Apr-84 05:55:35 EST
References: <393@ihuxt.UUCP> <6119@rochester.UUCP> <402@ihuxt.UUCP> <1234@mhuxi.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 49

[]

>I think that Mr. Martillo's "residual contempt for European Jews" is more
>of a problem/issue than alleged antisemitism in Marvel Comics.  The old
>T.V. show "Bridget Loves Bernie" was a poor take-off of "Abie's Irish
>Rose".  I don't think either are worth discussing anymore.  To paraphrase
>my grandmother,  this whole comic book debate is "hocking meir mitt chinik";
>that is, talking about China, or something equally irrelevant.  To be fair
>to any Chinese people reading this, most 19th century Jews had little contact
>or knowledge about China, it was a place far away.  The expression was not
>a put-down of the Chinese, just as comic book characters are not put downs
>of racial/ethnic groups, just one form, albeit low, of entertainment.

The treatment Spanish/Oriental Jews received in Israel is the issue, not
my personal feelings.  Until my family came to Israel, we did not even
know there was a difference between Ashkenazim and Sefardim.  Among my
people, I am an Ashkenazophile.

I did not accuse Marvel of antisemitism but rather of ignorant
insensitivity.

I see your pride in being Ashkenazic does not include producing proper
translations of Yiddish (unless you are joking).  Many Jewish
organizations monitor the portrayal of Jews in the media.  Black
organizations and Arab Christian and Arab Muslim organizations also
monitor the media.  Comic books may be a low form of entertainment but a
lot of people read them especially children.  The American Congress held
hearings on comic books during the fifties.  Der Spiegel about three years
ago produced a major cover story on the importance of comic books in
American culture.

>One last note, I wish I had time to post hundred line articles.  It is
>getting tedious to read hundreds of lines about Marvel Comics, and probably
>quite expensive too.

You can always type n to your readnews program.  Only one copy of these
articles exist on the disc.  They simply contain pointers to two
newsgroups.

>Ashkenazic & Proud,
>David Seth Green    Bell Labs  ..mhuxi!dsg
>P.S.  I don't mean to offend comic book readers, but this debate is being
>carried in net.religion.jewish, I don't think it really belongs there.

-- 

                    Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo

  (Some ideas are so stupid only intellectuals can believe them)