Joke on 2Broke Girls with Anti-Semitic Overtones?

jacobp · 10-07-2011, 10:24 AM

I've hesitated writing this note because i am not one to complain or want to do anything to censor TV shows or comedy, but a joke that was on the most recent (I believe) episode of 2 Broke Girls really got under my skin.

The two girls were in Goodwill, when the blond found some shoes she liked. They were marked with a $8 price tag. When they got to the checkout register, she commented that she thought the shoes were overpriced. After some banter, the cashier said she could reduce the price to $6. The other "broke" girl then remarked "I cannot believe you just 'shoed' her down."

Of course, this is only funny because it is a play on the very anti-semitic notion of someone "jewing" down someone in a price negotiation.

I thought the comment was offensive and just wanted to share this with the rest ofyou in case you didn't see this.

Frylock · 10-07-2011, 10:39 AM

I can see where you are coming from, but I don't think it was really meant as an anti-semitic remark. If she had said "I cannot believe you just 'jewed' her down", then yes, I would agree. I think by using the 'shoed' term, they were trying to make a joke, by NOT being anti-semitic. Was it the best joke? No. Do I think it was meant to be anti-semitic? No.

Jon J · 10-07-2011, 11:39 AM

You had to be looking really, really hard for something to be offended about to take that as offensive.

dswallow · 10-07-2011, 11:48 AM

Jokes play on stereotypes. I think the real problem here is the writers apparently felt the need to be PC by not saying "jewed" and instead chose a rhyming word like "shoed", this telling everyone listening "yes, we meant jewed, but we feel we can't say 'jewed' in prime time on network television so we'll say 'shoed' instead and wink wink nudge nudge, you know what we meant."

Either stick with the joke in all its glory, or find something else to say.

Ment · 10-07-2011, 11:54 AM

Seeing as Kat Dennings is Jewish, I thought that was a good line. Did they make fun with a stereotype, yes. Was it done in an offensive way, no.

Steveknj · 10-07-2011, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dswallow

Jokes play on stereotypes. I think the real problem here is the writers apparently felt the need to be PC by not saying "jewed" and instead chose a rhyming word like "shoed", this telling everyone listening "yes, we meant jewed, but we feel we can't say 'jewed' in prime time on network television so we'll say 'shoed' instead and wink wink nudge nudge, you know what we meant."

Either stick with the joke in all its glory, or find something else to say.

I agree. It's kind of like saying to an African American, he's just a "trigger" (when wink wink, you know what he actually meant but can't say it). I'm sure the writers thought it was cute.

I don't know the background of the writers, but when I first moved to Arizona in 1980, I worked in a pizza restaurant when I was in school. My boss was dating a Jewish girl and they had a conversation about something he bought and in passing he said, well when he told me the price, I just jewed him down and got it cheaper. The look on his girlfriend's face said it all. He said, did I say something wrong? And she said, you don't even realize what you said do you? Well it turned out, he'd been using that expression all his life and never even realized that what he said was offensive. Somehow though, the writers must have known, otherwise they would have used the actual expression.

NatasNJ · 10-07-2011, 11:58 AM

It amazes me that people get offended by the littlest things. 1st world problems I suppose.

NatasNJ · 10-07-2011, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steveknj

Somehow though, the writers must have known, otherwise they would have used the actual expression.

What? If they used the actual expression then it would have not been a joke a just a anti-semitic comment. They played off the fact that most people have probably heard that phrase before and played off it with shoe

BK89 · 10-07-2011, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacobp

I've hesitated writing this note.

You should have went with your first instinct.

Fish Man · 10-07-2011, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frylock

I can see where you are coming from, but I don't think it was really meant as an anti-semitic remark. If she had said "I cannot believe you just 'jewed' her down", then yes, I would agree. I think by using the 'shoed' term, they were trying to make a joke, by NOT being anti-semitic. Was it the best joke? No. Do I think it was meant to be anti-semitic? No.

This.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon J

You had to be looking really, really hard for something to be offended about to take that as offensive.

This.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ment

Seeing as Kat Dennings is Jewish, I thought that was a good line. Did they make fun with a stereotype, yes. Was it done in an offensive way, no.

and this.

busyba · 10-07-2011, 12:53 PM

Ninja please.

jakerock · 10-07-2011, 01:00 PM

If I were in line with a Jewish friend who had a sense of humor that was similar to mine, then I'd have said that joke too. So I don't know if it offensive or not. I am sure my friend wouldn't find it offensive though.

Supfreak26 · 10-07-2011, 01:00 PM

No support for you here. Bad joke? Sure. Offensive? Only if you choose it to be.

smark · 10-07-2011, 01:16 PM

Don't ever watch Family Guy. Or South Park.

jsmeeker · 10-07-2011, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dswallow

Jokes play on stereotypes. I think the real problem here is the writers apparently felt the need to be PC by not saying "jewed" and instead chose a rhyming word like "shoed", this telling everyone listening "yes, we meant jewed, but we feel we can't say 'jewed' in prime time on network television so we'll say 'shoed' instead and wink wink nudge nudge, you know what we meant."

Either stick with the joke in all its glory, or find something else to say.

Yeah.

Go big or go home.

See Trey Parker and Matt Stone on lessons on how to do it.

Turtleboy · 10-07-2011, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dswallow

Jokes play on stereotypes. I think the real problem here is the writers apparently felt the need to be PC by not saying "jewed" and instead chose a rhyming word like "shoed", this telling everyone listening "yes, we meant jewed, but we feel we can't say 'jewed' in prime time on network television so we'll say 'shoed' instead and wink wink nudge nudge, you know what we meant."

Either stick with the joke in all its glory, or find something else to say.

No, it was a play on words. It was because they were haggling on shoes.

I didn't see it, but it sounds clever to me.

But then again, I enjoy ethnic humor.

Squeak · 10-07-2011, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtleboy

No, it was a play on words. It was because they were haggling on shoes.

I didn't see it, but it sounds clever to me.

But then again, I enjoy ethnic humor.

Ethnic humor? Wait! I thought it was religious humor?

Fleegle · 10-07-2011, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squeak

Ethnic humor? Wait! I thought it was religious humor?

crazywater · 10-07-2011, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supfreak26

No support for you here. Bad joke? Sure. Offensive? Only if you choose it to be.

Yeah, like if you're Jewish maybe?

busyba · 10-07-2011, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smark

Don't ever watch Family Guy. Or South Park.

Or leave your house.

busyba · 10-07-2011, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacobp

I thought the comment was offensive and just wanted to share this with the rest ofyou in case you didn't see this.

So that everyone could have a chance to be offended?

wmcbrine · 10-07-2011, 02:27 PM

It's funny, I never even heard the expression "jew [someone] down" until well into adulthood. Like, the last few years, even. I don't think it's at all common anymore, at least among the people I've heard.

Now "gyp", on the other hand...

Fleegle · 10-07-2011, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmcbrine

It's funny, I never even heard the expression "jew [someone] down" until well into adulthood. Like, the last few years, even. I don't think it's at all common anymore, at least among the people I've heard.

Now "gyp", on the other hand...

Gypsies don't control the media.

Sorry, couldn't resist!

nickels · 10-07-2011, 03:15 PM

After just reading it in the Modern Family thread I am reminded that they also did an anti-Semitic joke in their last episode:

Manny: Hello Ma'am, do you love Christmas?
Neighbor: Actually I'm Jewish.
Manny: Well then you must appreciate a good value.
Jay: Oh Jesus....

Manny didn't beat around the bush or use word play, he went right for the Jewish people are cheap angle. Was this offensive or just plain hilarious?

jamesbobo · 10-07-2011, 03:59 PM

This reminds me of an incident on the Opie and Anthony show back in the day when they were on WNEW in NY. They were doing a live commercial read. Waiting on the phone to be interviewed was Ben Stein. The commercial was for a company that buys used cars. Opie (or Anthony) said why go through the hassle of selling the cars to strangers who will try to chew down the price.
After the commerical Ben came on the phone and asked if he heard them say "Jew" down the price. They said no, they used the word "Chew". Ben said people would know that they meant Jew and that he found it offensive. They argued with him and said that he was crazy for thinking that and Ben hung up on them.
As a listener, I did not think about Jew when I heard Chew and thought that Ben was being too sensitive.

busyba · 10-07-2011, 04:26 PM

This would be the same Ben Stein who said a person is couldn't possibly be a rapist because he is an economist , right?

Who gives an F what he thinks?

jsmeeker · 10-07-2011, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by busyba

This would be the same Ben Stein who said a person is couldn't possibly be a rapist because he is an economist , right?

Who gives an F what he thinks?

Anyone?

Anyone.......

astrohip · 10-07-2011, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacobp

The two girls were in Goodwill, when the blond found some shoes she liked. They were marked with a $8 price tag. When they got to the checkout register, she commented that she thought the shoes were overpriced. After some banter, the cashier said she could reduce the price to $6. The other "broke" girl then remarked "I cannot believe you just 'shoed' her down."

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickels

Manny: Hello Ma'am, do you love Christmas?
Neighbor: Actually I'm Jewish.
Manny: Well then you must appreciate a good value.
Jay: Oh Jesus....

I'm Jewish. I thought both these were funny. They are playing off our preconceived notions of stereotypes, which is what about 75% of humor is based on.

I thought the 2 Broke Girls joke was ok, a nice play on words, but not really that funny. The Modern Family scene was, like almost everything they do, great. Manny rocks!

Modern Family has, in its few short years, tweaked at Jews, Colombians, Peruvians, gays, straights, kids, parents, old people, bikers, realtors, soccer moms, lawyers... you get my drift.

DougF · 10-07-2011, 05:34 PM

Manufactured controversy fail.

Jstkiddn · 10-07-2011, 05:45 PM

I'm sure I'm going to be handed my rear end on a platter, but I have to ask.

Why exactly do Jewish people find that particular stereotype so offensive? Is there something wrong with being frugal or wanting to get a good deal? I mean that isn't necessarily a bad thing, is it?

Maybe there is more to the Jewish "stereotype" than I'm aware? After all....I am just a dumb blonde.