Sunday, October 03, 2010



Anti-Semitic Imagery Used in musician's Tour

For once I think I agree with Foxy: The guy is a contemptible Leftist bigot but he is entitled to express his opinion
"The Anti-Defamation League is criticizing what it says is the dark side of Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters, claiming imagery the British rock icon used in his latest tour is anti-Semitic.

Waters, a longtime vocal critic of Israel, takes aim at the Jewish nation's West Bank security fence during a segment of his 2010-2011 "The Wall Live" tour by using imagery associated with stereotypes about Jews and money, ADL officials say.

During Waters' recent performances of "Goodbye Blue Sky," an animated scene has projected images of planes dropping bombs in the shape of Jewish stars of David, followed by dollar signs -- an "outrageous" juxtaposition, according to Abraham Foxman, ADL's national director.

"While he insists that his intent was to criticize Israel's West Bank security fence, the use of such imagery in a concert setting seems to leave the message open to interpretation, and the meaning could easily be misunderstood as a comment about Jews and money," Foxman said in a statement.

"Of course Waters has every right to express his political views about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through his music and stagecraft," Foxman's statement continued. "However, the images he has chosen, when put together in the same sequence, cross a line into anti-Semitism."

Source

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

All art is open to interpretation. If you don't like Water's message, then don't go to his concerts. Simple, eh?

Bobby said...

"All art is open to interpretation. If you don't like Water's message, then don't go to his concerts. Simple, eh?"

---It's not politically correct to complain about something you don't like. The ADL isn't suing anyone, they're not demanding censorship, they're simply protesting something they don't like.

As a supporter of Israel, I am offended by this video, why not make a video of Palestinian babies becoming bombs and exploding? Now that would take real courage.

Jonathan Lewin said...

Hey "Anonymous" the only thing that is simple is YOU. It's not a matter of refraining from going to Walter's concerts in order not to be offended.
Time and time again, Jews have seen anti-Semitic imagery lead to violence against Jews. This has happened in every generation. Our objection to anti-Semitic imagery is not that we feel uncomfortable seeing it but that we are forced to see it as a vanguard of acts of cruelty and murder against us.

So don't over simplify the issue. Perhaps you would feel a greater incentive to write an intelligent message of you had the courage to attach your name to your message.

Anonymous said...

Jonathan - as a professor of mathematics I would have thought that you would know that correlation doesn't imply causation. However, even if it did in this case, the fact that sometimes outrageous messages propel idiots and lunatics to violence isn't necessarily reason for the message to be banned.
While I think Waters' images are foolish and are clearly intended to suggest something more than he admits, is that reason enough to ban the message?
Is the speaker always to self-censor because some crazies might take the message too far?

Anonymous said...

"Of course Waters has every right to express his political views about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through his music and stagecraft," Foxman's statement continued. "However, the images he has chosen, when put together in the same sequence, cross a line into anti-Semitism."

Um, pick one or the other, but you can't have it both ways. Either he has rights of expression or he does not. If you accept his freedom of expression, suck it up and get over it. If he's violating laws, then bust him. Just stop agreeing with the law and then complaining about it.

-sig