In last Sunday’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David accidentally urinates on a picture of Jesus. One splash remains in the form of a tear under the image’s eye. When the homeowners, devout believers, see the “tear,” they imagine they have witnessed a miracle. Bill Donohue of the Catholic League understandably takes offense.
Was Larry David always this crude? Would he think it comedic if someone urinated on a picture of his mother? This might be fun to watch, but since HBO only likes to dump on Catholics (it was just a couple of weeks ago that Sarah Silverman insulted Catholics on “Real Time with Bill Maher”), and David is Jewish, we’ll never know.
Meanwhile, in other interfaith news, there’s this:
Political observers across New York are asking today whether Erie County Executive Chris Collins has irreparably damaged his prospects for statewide office after he compared Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to Adolf Hitler and an Antichrist during a Saturday speech in Buffalo.
Collins has already apologized for what he called “a poor joke,” delivered during a speech at the county Republican Party’s annual fundraiser in the Adam’s Mark Hotel.
That’s when the county executive referred to French seer Nostradamus’ prediction that the world would experience three Antichrists in conjunction with the Apocalypse, whose origin is the New Testament’s Book of Revelation.
Collins then said it’s generally accepted that the first was Napoleon, the second Hitler, and that he was “pretty sure” the third is Silver, an orthodox Jew from Manhattan.
The county executive said this in the context of Silver as part of Albany’s “three men in a room” budget process, in which the Assembly speaker, the State Senate majority leader and the governor make most budgetary decisions.
Chris Collins probably should have resisted the urge to compare his political opponents to the Antichrist. But the idea that this statement represents some kind of antisemitic outrage is crazy. (Would he have resisted the urge if the Assembly Speaker had been named Silvio Argento?) Really – as a tribe, we Jews have to learn either to be more polite or less sensitive.
25 responses so far
1 MI-GOPer // Oct 29, 2009 at 8:46 am
Why is it that Larry David, the perfect Hollywood values, liberal Jew, can engage in anti-Catholic bigotry –just like Bill Maher or Jon Stewart and dozens of other Hollywood valued liberal Jews– get away with it and succeed at making Catholics the hate-mongers for calling them out?
Oh, it’s because they’re part of the Democrats’ VictimHood Industry. Larry David is an obnoxious Jew with Hollywood values; no wonder the entertainment industry is in the pits.
2 ProfNickD // Oct 29, 2009 at 8:48 am
So much for the idea that there is “Christian fundamentalism” or “Christian terrorism” — I suspect that Larry David doesn’t have to worry about being beheaded or blown-up.
Now, if he had pissed on Muhammad…
3 Moderate // Oct 29, 2009 at 9:10 am
Speaking as a Catholic…
I’m not too offended. Curb Your Enthusiasm is following the same trend of escalation as most other “edgy” comedies. Each episode has to be more shocking than the one preceding; each taboo violated must be more sacrosanct than the previous.
To paraphrase Chris Rock, I’m not saying Larry David should have made that joke, but I understand.
4 mymy // Oct 29, 2009 at 9:40 am
Now if Larry David urinated on Pres. Obama there would be hell to pay
5 MI-GOPer // Oct 29, 2009 at 9:57 am
moderate says: “Speaking as a Catholic… I’m not too offended.”
First off, let me enjoin that IF you actually are a Catholic, which I doubt from some of your other comments here on other topics, your explanatory excuse for giving Larry David a “Pass” is that this is just how Hollywood entertainment industry works. And then you use a Hollywood entertainer’s “wisdom” for insight –a guy who has a mouth that makes a Calcutta sewer look clean?
Dude, you gotta get to a real Catholic Church and spend some time on your knees reflecting on the corrosive effects of Hollywood entertainment on Western values. Maybe God can help restore that alleged “Catholic” nature in you because you’re not doing too well at it. Moral values are not, Mr Moderate, relativistic… it doesn’t even take a novice in the convent could tell you that… a 1st grade Catholic school student could.
6 midcon // Oct 29, 2009 at 10:45 am
As a Catholic, I am offended and will note that he did not have the b*lls to urinate on an image of Muhammed. Lucky for him it was an image of Jesus, who commands that we turn the other cheek and not someone who would have commanded decapitation.
7 balconesfault // Oct 29, 2009 at 10:54 am
Eh – check out Kinky Friedman’s “Men’s Room, L.A.” sometime. And Kinky got half a million votes in the Governor’s race in Texas.
8 LFC // Oct 29, 2009 at 11:04 am
Bill Donohue is yet another member of the PVA; Professional Victims Association. I have no respect for it from Al Sharpton, and I have no respect for it from Donohue. When somebody is attacked, threatened, denied a job, etc., then it’s time to speak up. Until then, quit your f***in’ whining.
9 Moderate // Oct 29, 2009 at 12:16 pm
mi-goper,
There’s been a misunderstanding: I’m not giving Larry David a pass, because I’m not in a position to do so. It’s his TV show; he can put on it whatever he wants. If someone doesn’t like it, he or she is free to not watch the show.
You’re free to be offended all you want. Personally, I’d abstain: there’s just not enough time to be offended by every slight from pop culture.
As an aside, please don’t lecture me about my faith. If I want to hear that, I’ll call my mother.
10 sinz54 // Oct 29, 2009 at 1:06 pm
If Christians are offended,
they can organize a boycott of the show, and of the sponsors’ products.
Such a boycott was instrumental in getting the anti-Christian NBC dramedy “Book of Daniel” pulled off the air after only 6 episodes.
Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it; there’s so much garbage coming out of Hollywood these days that it’s pointless to focus on just one.
But if they really wanted to, they could be effective.
11 LFC // Oct 29, 2009 at 1:41 pm
they can organize a boycott of the show, and of the sponsors’ products. [SNIP] But if they really wanted to, they could be effective.
I think that if they could effectively boycott a show, South Park would have been off the air ages ago. The “Bloody Mary” episode was SOOOOOO much more sacrilegious than an accidental drop of urine. “Red Hot Catholic Love” was a brutal send-up of the pedophile priest scandal. “Fantastic Easter Special” not only made fun of the Catholic Church, but slammed Bill Donohue by name (he was a character).
12 Reason60 // Oct 29, 2009 at 3:13 pm
“Dude, you gotta get to a real Catholic Church and spend some time on your knees reflecting on the corrosive effects of Hollywood entertainment on Western values”
I am a Catholic; but when I go to Mass I spend my time praying about my own soul, and pretty much let Hollywood worry about its own.
For 2,000 years various and sundry people have mocked the Church, attacked the Church,, critiqued the Church, and abandoned the Church.
And yet it stands.
My faith isn’t threatened or diminished by Larry David’s humor. Yours shouldn’t be either.
The above-mentioned PVA (Professional Victims Association) is spot on; being on hair-trigger Outrage Alert and running to sob to the media about being offended is a sign of weakness and thin skin, an unwillingness to tolerate the slings and barbs of those who disagree with us.
And honestly, some gentle teasing is the least of the Church’s issues.
13 MI-GOPer // Oct 29, 2009 at 5:55 pm
moderate gets into a twisted conflict: “There’s been a misunderstanding: I’m not giving Larry David a pass, because I’m not in a position to do so.”
Ahh, but you did give Larry David a pass by stating and EXCUSING his behavior with the line that this is just what Hollywood (TV-entertainment) does… your word: “edgy”. No, it’s not edgy, it’s obscene to real Catholics –and should be, including the fake ones admitting their Catholism on this site.
You even gave Larry David the pass by referencing a fellow Hollywood-values comedian, Chris Rock, as some wise, insightful sage for this issue.
You gave David a pass, Mr Moderate. That you can’t admit and you backtrack now is confirmation that you realize you were wrong… again.
14 MI-GOPer // Oct 29, 2009 at 5:57 pm
btw, Mr Moderate, your caution here “As an aside, please don’t lecture me about my faith. If I want to hear that, I’ll call my mother”.
Sorry, you need to be lectured if you keep writing stupid things like you did above. Besides, you aren’t Catholic… that was just a rhetorical tool to gain you some credibility on this issue.
15 ottovbvs // Oct 29, 2009 at 7:03 pm
mi-goper // Oct 29, 2009 at 5:57 pm
………You need help pal
16 ottovbvs // Oct 29, 2009 at 7:08 pm
…….Since religion bores me to death I’m not awfully interested in this thread……..on the face of it David, who I find as boring as religion, would appear to have behaved in a somewhat stupid and ill mannered fashion in disrespecting the christian religion so he probably deserves censure……but is it important in the scheme of things……not really.
17 DM // Oct 29, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Ya know what, I was going to write a long post about people not having a sense of humor when it comes to religion, but you all just prove that point and I’m not going to change any of you by saying a thing.
However, I’m glad to see you benevolent Catholics standing up for the other groups discriminated against on Mr. David’s horrible show: handicapped, black, Jewish (y’all obviously don’t watch the show enough to realize that Larry is a caricature of a Jew in every episode), women, blind people – the list goes on. Yet I’ve seen many pose the hypothetical “What if he pissed on Muhammed’s face?” Well you know what – he already has taken cracks at Muslims. In 2004. He didn’t piss on Muhammed’s face, but he made fun of the culture, which is exactly what he did to Catholics (the prevalence of “miracles” in this episode). You know what happened? Not a peep from the Muslim community. This doesn’t indicate anything in particular – the show may not have a large Muslim fanbase, for instance. But I imagine there are enough Muslims who watch the show for at least one to have a problem with that, and enough Muslims in the world to make a case against Larry David if that one complained. But we never heard from them.
I’ve made my point, realize there are many facets of every religion -no, every aspect of life – that can be turned comic. If you happen to be the one on the receiving end, please don’t saturate the news with your discontent. Just change the channel.
18 sinz54 // Oct 30, 2009 at 9:27 am
lfc:
It’s much easier to get a new show pulled off the air, before it has a chance to find a loyal audience, as South Park has done. The attacks need to start when the pilot film is shown to sponsors for the first time.
That’s why conservatives were able to shoot down “Book of Daniel.”
And that’s why liberals were able to shoot down Dr. Laura’s TV show (whose title I forgot).
19 sinz54 // Oct 30, 2009 at 9:32 am
dm:
After Iran test-fires their first nuclear bomb, and stagflation reappears in America, I think you’re going to see more shows that make fun of liberals.
I’ll bet those liberals will squeal like stuck pigs.
Obama has already shown that he can’t take criticism from conservatives. He wants them marginalized, muzzled, ignored.
20 LFC // Oct 30, 2009 at 9:35 am
That’s why conservatives were able to shoot down “Book of Daniel.”
And that’s why liberals were able to shoot down Dr. Laura’s TV show (whose title I forgot).
I don’t want to come off as snarky, but are you sure they weren’t just bad shows?
21 MI-GOPer // Oct 30, 2009 at 11:00 am
sinz54 says: “Obama has already shown that he can’t take criticism from conservatives. He wants them marginalized, muzzled, ignored.”
And he can’t take criticism from GOPers, either. None of our far Left Democrat trolls here can –it’s genetic for them. And he can’t take criticism from Fox News, either. Or the US Chamber of Commerce. Or the insurance industry. Or the health care profession. Or doctors. Or car dealers still stuck and unpaid by the Cash4Junkers program.
As for troll lfc’s contention that Dr Laura had a bad show –no, my quickly forgetful toll– Dr Laura was hounded off the air by liberals –gays & blacks & their media enablers– because she dared to say that many gays have a psychological defect and poverty and stressed out inner city schools could be greatly reduced/aided if black women would learn to keep their knees together.
Great advice. But it royally pissed off two groups dominated by loud mouthed trolls, like you.
22 LFC // Oct 30, 2009 at 3:42 pm
mi-goper incoherently sputtered… As for troll lfc’s contention that Dr Laura had a bad show –no, my quickly forgetful toll– Dr Laura was hounded off the air by liberals –gays & blacks & their media enablers– because she dared to say that many gays have a psychological defect and poverty and stressed out inner city schools could be greatly reduced/aided if black women would learn to keep their knees together.
I did a little research. (Maybe mi-goper should try it sometime.) Dr. Laura’s TV show ratings were in the basement when they pulled the plug. They tried re-tooling the show, twice, but her brand of rhetoric was definitely more suited for the Fox News audience rather than the average American. Advertisers left her show like crazy.
Yes, there was a big push to get her off the air, but that’s not what caused her show to be canceled. It was crappy ratings.
23 MI-GOPer // Oct 30, 2009 at 9:50 pm
lfc, it was a corporate decision at Paramount… the decision was made after intense lobbying and a full scale boycott by far Left groups like
http://www.stopdrlaura.com/
From their website: “On March 1, 2000, five friends got together and launched StopDrLaura.com with the goal of forcing Paramount Television to cancel Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s then-upcoming TV show. Schlessinger had repeatedly called gays and lesbians “biological errors” and deviant — (one of our favorite Dr. Laura quotes: “How many letters have I read on the air from gay men who acknowledge that a huge portion of the male homosexual populace is predatory on young boys?”) — and we were outraged that Paramount would give a national platform to someone intent on spreading that kind of intolerance against a class of Americans. Of equal concern, two weeks before StopDrLaura.com was launched, the Los Angeles Times reported that a national gay rights group had reached a “tentative accord” with Paramount in which they agreed that Schlessinger’s TV show could run. Like many in the community, we were outraged, and decided to do something about it. Thus StopDrLaura.com was born.”
Now, you were saying…?
Yeah, I thought so… cowards like you always run from the truth. Troll, heal thyself.
24 MI-GOPer // Oct 30, 2009 at 9:54 pm
But I can appreciate why you feel a need to defend your fellow-trolls and loud-mouthed, far Left goons.
Here’s what Reuters had to say about it:
“LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) — The struggling TV talk show hosted by Dr. Laura Schlessinger, whose outspoken commentaries outraged homosexuals and spurred ratings declines, taped its final episode Thursday, Paramount officials said. The announcement Friday came seven months after the syndicated “Dr. Laura” show premiered amid an uproar in the gay and lesbian community. At issue were Schlessinger’s comments on her syndicated radio show referring to homosexuality as “deviant” and “a biological error” which spurred a vigorous campaign urging advertisers to drop her shows and an almost immediate ratings decline.”
and
“After the show premiered last year Schlessinger’s detractors mounted a vigorous campaign urging advertisers to drop sponsorship of both her programs. More than 90 sponsors across the U.S. eventually dropped ads to the TV show.”
http://www.atforumz.com/archive/index.php/t-41969.html
Next time, lfc, bring either a buddy with a brain to the debate who can do your heavy lifting or stay on the sidelines… because your mouth is writing checks your brain can’t cash, boy.
25 SFTor1 // Nov 1, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Religion has a corrosive influence on your ability to reason.
Just say no to organized religion. Give it up, the sooner the better.
You will discover that nothing bad happens when you do, and besides, you get your Sundays (or Saturdays) back.
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