Friday, January 8, 2010
40 Jealous Whores / Woods Guess Who's Provoking Der Fuhrer's Outrage Now? ('Hester, You Weasel!')
Posted by Jeff Woods on Fri, Jan 8, 2010 at 6:58 PM
I can't speak for everyone, but the conclusion I came to is that one of the best ways to fight back against anti-Semitism is to show Hitler and his followers as people to be mocked, not feared. Let's not forget that mocking Hitler actually occupies an important place in Jewish comedic history.
Comments (59)
Showing 1-50 of 59
Where was Mark Brown's righteous indignation when this video was being dubbed several times over the past year or so to lampoon various other issues?
Keep in mind that Mark Brown is probably being paid to take the moral high ground on the convention center. Principles bought & paid for.
The Bredesen Democrats amuse me to no end. Reagan Democrats by another name.
like
dislike
I am with S-T M on this one. This video has been used for so many other issues that it has become cliche. This one is pretty funny though. Pretty inside politics so I think I will give it a B+.
"Don't worry Krissa, we'll still get paid."
Which explains the position of Cooley, Brown, McDaniel, Barclay, et al. It's our job. And we're personally outraged - cause we're paid to be.
I have to admit to snorting at the Target joke and the Belle Meade and Madison line. The wife's two million dollars and the shout out to Cooley and his minions narrow focus on Sharpe were aloe hilarious.
Wow, the Nashville's Priorities trolls are out in full force. They are obviously worried about this.
Wassamattah, afraid little Catherine McTameney stepped over the line?
Hey NotSo - whassamattah you? pissed off that your "overwhelming" support turns out to be everyone who is paid to support?
Looks like the number of people thrilled about those sub$10/hour tourism jobs is roughly equal to the number of people happy to see a large call center selling life insurance and extended warranties. That is amazin since you stand a better chance of getting benefits from a call center than from a hotel or from an as-needed conference server.
He who uses the Hitler reference first loses
Since Erik Cole first raised the WWII reference as an analogue to the referendum on the convention center w/WPLN, then I guess convention center boosters lose first then.
You know, Godwin's Law is not an absolute law.
I'd be willing to bet the people who are offended by this also think the one where Hitler is a Georgia fan ranting about Tebow coming back from his senior season is just HILARIOUS.
The Jewish blogs have already beaten to death the issue of whether the "Downfall" parodies are offensive, and concluded that mocking Hitler is ok.
I, for one, did not see the humor in the teabaggers waving "Obama is Hitler" signs, and I do not see the humor in a video calling Mayor Dean Hitler. Using a Hitler reference is a clear sign that someone has nothing substantive to say.
I also doubt that Councilman Steine sees the humor in being called a Nazi.
he probably doesn't like to be reminded that he is a thief still allowed to run the finance committee as well.
What has happened to the level of civic discourse in this country? The president is a Nazi! The mayor is a Nazi! Our councilmembers are thieves!
Can we not disagree civilly?
Emily Evans, Catherine McTameney, Mike Jameson, and Mike Byrd just can't get over that trouncing David Briley took in the mayor's race, can they? What a bunch of sore losers. How are they going to handle getting beat on this one?
keep attacking personalities Jester, that is working really well. Maybe you can drop the "you work for Gaylord" anvil on us while opponents use the new media to attack the silliness of public financing a playground for meeting planners (jealous because Gaylord hogs the business way outside the castle walls of downtown).
The real Nashville is in the neighborhoods, not in the downtown envisioned by tourism and neourbanists.
"Neourbanists"????? "Noeurbanists"?????
No wonder David Briley got his ass spanked with people like you running his campaign, Zoot.
I could care less about Gaylord and I could care even less about some stupid convention center that I'll never set foot in. I just like to see snivelling progressives like Catherine McTameney, Mike Jameson, and you get beat down.
So suck on my "neourbanist," Zoot.
What is the difference between this video made by opponents of the convention center and this video?
In both, a Jew is called a Nazi.
one thing I have never been confused with is "progressive". You have made my night.
In summation my personal beliefs:
The entire tourism industry is a festering boil on the communities and economy. Even Gaylord
Only a liar would say tourism is the 2nd largest employer in Davidson.
Government should quit its support of tourism and the unrealistic goal of downtown utopia development and start concentrating on improving the lives of all Nashvillians living in the real neighborhoods of the city. Efforts can be achieved via actual government services.
Nashville should extract itself from these silly intercity mine-is-bigger-and-newer-than-yours League of Mayors arms races. How did all the great world cities survive for centuries without downtown minor league stadiums, downtown convention centers, newer downtown convention centers, downtown land ports, light commuter rail, monorails, and every other item some downtownites decry our city for not having?
Just my peculiar and pedantic ways, but if I were going to take the trouble of producing such a video, I would hire the right talent to make sure we didn't misspell the names of key players like Riebeling and Pigott.
Did someone call my name?
A couple of points of clarification, before I go back to real life and a lovely snow day:
1. I didn't make that video. I thought it was funny, but it's not my style. And I don't understanding about 40% of the references anyway. As I viewed it, the video was an inside-baseball poke at the frustration that must be mounting in the offices of people who didn't think they'd have any trouble getting this project done. The video clip has been used in similar ways a number of times before in other campaigns. It's nothing new.
2. As I've said a bazillion times since 2007, I like Mayor Dean and want him to be successful. He and I have been on the same side of issues far more often than we've been opposed. And I care about my city too much to want its leaders (particularly the ones with whom I often agree) to fail. Do you trolls need me to go give him a hug or something to convince you? Let it go.
3. I'm a private citizen. I get involved in public issues when I think it's my civic duty to do so. I don't pick which ones to invest my time in out of some vendetta or old grudge- that's also, alas, not my style. As people who've worked with me before on other campaigns (including, I'd argue, the ones who are working now for the MCC) should be able to attest, I engage deeply in issues that I care about and I don't get paid to do it (although I hear that's a pretty lucrative industry.) You proponent trolls may feel like you're doing some great service to your cause by attacking me personally. I don't understand the strategy, but it doesn't change the fact that the numbers on this deal just don't benefit most of us. Maybe instead of taking your paid time to attack private and largely unknown local citizens, you could put some of those energies toward educating the 72% of Nashvillians who don't want to see this project move forward without our voice heard.
And finally, I don't post anonymously on blogs. You know why not? Because they're not anonymous. That said, if any real human beings would like to have a conversation with me about why I think the proposed financing model for this convention center is a reckless use of public funds, I would be happy to sit down and talk to you about it, face to face. I work on Peabody Campus. Maybe you could recommend a restaurant somewhere off 21st Avenue and we could meet for lunch. I like that place across from where Faisons used to be.
Hugs and Kisses,
Catherine
Hugs and kisses,
Catherine
In this video like all the other videos that this group has released, the same people's names are misspelled. It is obvious an amateur added the subtitles but someone probably encouraged them to misspell a few things so that it didn't appear that they spent a lot of money or time making the videos. Funny subtitles but they should have stuck with the upbeat music and format of the prior series. Too many people get offended with the Nazi association.
You proponent trolls may feel like you're doing some great service to your cause by attacking me personally .... it doesn't change the fact that the numbers on this deal just don't benefit most of us. Maybe instead of taking your paid time to attack private and largely unknown local citizens, you could put some of those energies toward educating the 72% of Nashvillians who don't want to see this project move forward without our voice heard.
Nicely said, Catherine, but actually making a case based on common sense is not the Dave Cooley Public Strategies way. Character assassination and straw man attacks are.
These mercenaries claim to have discovered a secret for electing Dems like Bredesen to office and for winning big capital projects in red state Tennessee, but a lot of it is nothing more than cloak and dagger stuff dished by anonymous stooges who lack the guts to insult you to your face in front of witnesses.
Besides, acting the asshat publicly might threatened a hired gun's percentage of the Music City Center boondoggle. So, when they have to put their name by their comments, they conveniently locate their morals. And they're forced to trot out far-fetched dogs that won't hunt with a clear majority of Davidson Co voters. Those kind of manners simply don't result in a big payback.
Catherine,
You lie!
This video first appeared on your Facebook page. Have you taken it down yet?
You have made all of the other anti-convention-center videos, and, as others have noticed, you have misspelled the same names in each one. Maybe that's intentional. Otherwise, it's very embarrassing for an education professor.
You made the videos for the Briley for Mayor campaign. How'd that work out?
Your husband is a high-priced attorney in Kevin Sharp's law firm. You know Kevin "Not So" Sharp, the head of the convention center opposition.
You actually think this "new media" communication matters, that it somehow impacts public debate. You spend most of your free time online pontificating and prognosticating.
Did you make this video on your Peabody computer? Did you post it anywhere from a school computer? How would the school feel about you using their equipment to produce offensive videos?
Even if you didn't use Peabody equipment, how does the school feel in general about you producing offensive videos? How does the school feel about you insulting Nashville's elected leaders?
Maybe someone should ask them . . .
You know Kevin "Not So" Sharp, the head of the convention center opposition.
Wait--are you saying she actually knows Kevin Sharp? Slam dunk!
I've seen some sorry "evidence" presented in this snakepit of anonymous sniping, but that wins the booby prize.
I'm going to say here exactly what I said on Post Politics.
Both sides in this debate have lost all perspective. Whether we’re talking about Mark Brown or Catherine McTameney or whichever name either side wants to throw around now (BTW, we’ve never heard of these people and we don’t care about your inside baseball name dropping).
Both sides run around the blogs flinging insults at each other and calling everyone else trolls. You file petty petitions, and you make vile videos with unconscionable references to Hitler.
You should all be ashamed. If there were a way for both sides to lose, I would be for it.
How does the school feel about you insulting Nashville's elected leaders?
Maybe someone should ask them . . .
And thus we move to the final step in the Cooleygan's lobbyist playbook: threaten your opponent's livelihood when they won't shut up and go way. Attempt to scare them into silence.
That really is chicken shat. The thugs and bullies are running scared.
The thing about lobbyists and political "consultants" is that you can never go after their jobs by threatening to report their insults of leaders to their employers. Their employers pay them to attack others.
It's like being in the mob. The hooligans are protected.
Here's a question for Mike and GoldnI:
You agreed, as I did, when the Tennessee Democratic Party rightfully objected to the depiction of an African-American state representative as a blackbird. This blog wrote about it several times.
Why is the Tennessee Democratic Party not objecting to the depiction of a Jewish Metro Council member as a Nazi? Why are you not objecting? Both cases amount to base demagoguery.
How low are we going to allow political discourse in our state to sink before we say, "Enough!"
Maybe I haven't made my perspective clear, so let me try to do that now.
On the topic at the heart of all this, Nashville's new convention center, BOTH sides have been childish, petty, and low class. That demeans our city, and Nashvillians deserve better. I dare say that most Nashvilians agree with me.
But I'm concerned with something much broader, much deeper, and much more important. That's the state of political discourse in this country and, more specifically, in this state.
Anyone that doesn't realize that politics in Tennessee has sunk to the lowest depths of demagoguery in the last four years (at least) simply isn't paying attention.
Harold, call me
Barack the Magic Negro
Remember those?
If we Tennesseans have become so desensitised to these low-ball tactics that we find a video "funny" that depicts one elected official as Hitler and a Jewish elected official as a Nazi, then I am worried about where we're headed.
Did we find the email that Sherri Goforth forwarded "funny"? No, we didn't.
GoldnI, who posted about Goforth on Daily Kos and helped take the story national, wrote an excellent post on the subject at the time. I'll quote some key passages.
But ultimately, I have no regrets over what happened. And I'm sorry if that makes me self-righteous or someone who yelled "monster" in order to hand out torches and pitchforks. . . .
I wasn't trying to "make myself feel better" or hold up "the superiority of my beliefs." My goal was simply to get the word out and to show exactly what those of us in red states are dealing with right now. I know we generally don't like to "air our dirty laundry" in the South, but sometimes the light of the day is the best disinfectant. . . .
Again, if this were just a one-time thing, I could easily see the uproar as an overreaction. If it hadn't come from the same people who brought us "Hey Harold, call me", "Barack Hussein Obama the secret Muslim", the Nathan Vaughn blackbird mailer, and "Barack the Magic Negro", then yes, the resulting uproar would have been an overreaction to one simple lapse in judgment. But this was not what happened here. This was someone thinking they wouldn't get caught. . . .
You can't have a teaching moment or a conversation about a problem with those who refuse to acknowledge that there is a problem in the first place. . . .
So, fellow bloggers, I'm sorry if that makes me self-righteous or part of a torch-and-pitchfork mob. But I'm not going to be made to feel guilty for calling attention to something that unquestionably needed attention.
Good gracious.
The video did not "first appear" on my facebook page. I did not make this video and I don't know who did. It's not even an original video. It's a spoof and, more importantly, it's not one I have to defend because it ain't my work.
When I have spoken out about the convention center project, it has always been about the weaknesses of the project, never the people involved. There are plenty of weaknesses. And I am happy to take credit for trying to maintain the public eye on issues that I think are important to the city that I love. I believe that we can and should wait for a better deal, one that relies on private investment and that is equally attractive to institutions putting their own resources behind it as it is to public officials willing to allocate mine. I don't think a convention center is a bad idea. But I think this one is.
As to whether or not the people for whom I work would be bothered by the views I hold personally, I think you'd have to ask them. I keep a very solid line between my work as an educator and my activism as a citizen. Both are very important to me. I do both for the same reason: because I really do believe that we're capable of building a better community than we have so far. But just as I don't ask for payment from the organizers of issues about which I care, I don't exploit the resources of my employer. Some of us actually are able to separate our work and our personal lives. It's an important standard, particularly when you're willing to put your name on both.
So, remind me again of the scandal I'm supposed to be in the midst of? Is it that I laughed at a video that I didn't create? Is it that I married someone who six years later went to work with a guy who six years after that turned out to agree with me about responsible fiscal management? Is it that my last name is hard to spell? Because, so far, I can't figure out what it is that I've done that's made you so angry. And, again, I don't know how attacking me, a private citizen who most people have never heard of and who has absolutely nothing to gain, helps your cause. Unless, it's that by scandalizing some small potatoes neighborhood volunteer we can be distracted from talking about things like responsible use of public dollars, or smart growth, or infrastructure, or public education.
And, for what it's worth, I'll even point out where we agree: I do actually think this "new media" communication matters, that it somehow impacts public debate. I think you feel that way, too, or you wouldn't spend nearly as much time online attacking the people with whom your clients disagree. You would have no reason to go after me personally if you didn't think that voices like mine were being heard. If you can't attack the argument, you've got to take down the messenger.
I'll offer it again. If you are interested in having a conversation with me about why I oppose this project, let me know when and where. If you don't want to go to one of those pricey Midtown restaurants, I'll make you dinner. Some of the protrolls on this thread have already been in my home- you won't even need directions. If you're able to convince me that it should go ahead, I promise you that I'll try to do the same for the 52% of Nashvillians who are already against the center and the additional 25% who haven't made up their minds. But so far, all you're convincing me of is that the people who support this center have only personal attacks and intimidation upon which to rely. My city and my leaders are better than that. They can do better than that. As a private citizen, I stay involved because I believe we all can.
It is really funny and anyone not thinking so is probably not being completely honest, but PC'ing around generally sits well here.
The blog and the SCENE call people they don't know bigots routinely, attack Christians, and the best one of all, use the word "biz-pig" with scarcely a murmur.
I do not support the convention center but I am offended that the people I stand with in support against it are not condemning this video and trying to make sure that people know we did not have anything to do with it. Please don't let a few crazies distract us from the main arguement and make us look like anti-semites!
Point taken on the overall state of political discourse, john. Maybe we all need to take a look at how we say things online.
But back to this video. Of the Goforth email, TNDP Chair Chip Forrester told CNN, "This e-mail is reprehensible, insults the office of the president, and is embarrassing to all Tennesseans regardless of political party" (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/16/tennessee.email/index.html).
I agree. I just wonder why the chair isn't now saying, "This video is reprehensible, insults the office of mayor, and is embarrassing to all Nashvillians regardless of political party."
Ben,
I appreciate what you're saying, and I probably agree with your wish that both sides could fail somehow.
As someone who is Jewish, I do take seriously accusations of anti-Semitism (or racism). But at the same time, I am wary of what happens when you use those accusations too much, for things that are not necessarily racist or anti-Semitic. The moral of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" is as true now as it was back then.
Is this the first time you've seen a spoof video involving this particular scene from the movie "Downfall"? Because I've seen them, skewering every single current event, over the last two years. We've debated, ad nauseum, whether these parodies are offensive. And actually, a lot of my friends no longer care, they just think the whole meme is getting old.
And that's what it is...an Internet meme. It's not like the blackbird mailer or the Goforth email, which used well-known racist symbols to discredit their opponents. This is a well-worn Internet meme in which people just insert whichever names or situations they like. In this case, one of the names just happened to be Jewish.
But I've seen one of these videos using Hebrew subtitles, with Hitler ranting about how hard it is to find a parking spot in Tel Aviv and how expensive the fines are. Was the person who made that video seriously comparing Tel Aviv traffic cops to Nazis, or just inserting that situation into a well-known Internet meme? Or was the person who made the Tebow video seriously accusing Georgia fans of all being like Hitler, or were they just finding a way to make fun of Tebow and the irrational anger he inspires in other SEC fans?
So, I'm more sensitive to accusations of anti-Semitism than probably anyone else who's posted on this subject. I don't want to speak for anyone else, but I see this as an argument I've already had, awhile ago, and concluded that it was an Internet meme, nothing more.
That being said, this video isn't even that funny. And the joke is starting to get old, although not as old as the "Ronnie Steine in Target" jokes. Give it a rest, y'all.
As far as why the state party isn't getting involved, well, it's not a state issue (while the Goforth email and the blackbird mailer both specifically involved state legislators). Neither state party hasn't gotten involved here, because it's a local issue.
Perhaps it'd be more appropriate to voice your concerns with the Davidson County party. And if you can figure out how to get in touch with any of them, please do share with the rest of us.
I've got a theory - I wouldn't bet the farm, but I'd wager a little money - that the pro-MCC folks put this out themselves. They've seen the successful ant-MCC YouTube videos, and they didn't get any traction with their own videos attacking Gaylord. They are running scared and can only say "invest in Nashville" so many times before people's eyeballs roll into the back of their head. This may be their Hail Mary - make it look similar to earlier anti-MCC videos, spell a few names wrong to then suggest the anti-MCC folks were doing it, and then act outraged. The pro-MCC folks have never really relied on facts, figures, or reasoning - this is just another straw-man they are creating in hopes something will rally their folks. It's kindof sad they've resorted to this, but they've got nothing left.
Since "NotDaveCooley" is a well-known anti-convention center troll (Don't insult our intelligence by denying it.) her/his charge is suspect, but I'll join him/her in saying that some reporter or blogger should look into this video and find its origin. Earlier on this thread, someone claimed it first appeared on Facebook. Someone else denied that. I think we'd all like to know the origin. Let's find out.
GoldnI, your points are very well taken, but I think you are too easily discounting the intent of this video. I think it is intended to discredit Mayor Dean, and given the Target reference, I think the shot at Councilman Steine is very intentional. I also have a hard time believing the creator didn't know that Steine is Jewish. (BTW, if "NotDaveCooley" is correct, the intent is still to discredit a political opponent.)
I have seen this video before, but I have never seen actual, real people put in the roles of Hitler and the Nazis. I also haven't seen it used for political purposes. Since this is a political video, I believe this video is no better than teabagger tactics. It is reprehensible, and it is a far different beast from a silly sports video or that video about the Nashville gas shortage (which, BTW, I thought was hilarious). I'll point out again that those videos did not target actual people.
You're right about the Davidson County Democratic Party. They should condemn this video. My point is that TNDP came to the defense of one Democratic elected official that was the target of a base attack. They should do the same now that two Democratic elected officials are the target of the same base attack.
Catherine and NotDaveCooley are working hard to confirm my suspicions. It was a safe bet that Catherine would squeal once her name was attached to this video. Let's note, though, that she did not deny making the other Nashville's Priorities videos. Everyone knows she did those.
Taking Catherine at her word, that leaves only one other person that could have done it . . . Then NotDaveCooley jumped in with the ridiculous claim that maybe, just maybe her opponents actually made the video.
Just like Councilperson Emily Evans to think that she's smart enough to feed a line of unmitigated bulls--t to Pith readers.
You see, Em, everyone knows that you are NotDaveCooley. I know that Catherine or you did the video because of your obsession with a former political ally. Only you two are catty enough to keep going on about it.
We all know how petty and vindictive you are, but lately you've come unhinged, Em. Do you think it's wise to drop the Hitler bomb on the mayor? And what's with the Steine shots?????? That's the lowest hit job I've seen since Nancy Kerrigan. Mmmmrrooowwwww, Em.
Take a deep breath and rethink your tactics. Your recent actions have put your political future in serious jeopardy.
The gratuitous shots at Steine and Hester tip this off as having come from someone in the erstwhile Briley mayoral camp.
We would not be looking at this video if the Dean administration was not trying to shove a $650 million unwanted, unneeded project down the throats of the public. When you are so out of touch with the public as the Mayor appears to be you will be the target of parody and other silliness. The solution is to stop this crazy project not complain about your hurt feelings.
Again, someone misses that I'm talking about the state of political discourse in Tennessee. The topic of a given debate is irrelevant. (Again, I could care less whether Nashville builds a convention center or not.)
The level of demagoguery in Tennessee politics is disturbing. An African-American politician is depicted as a blackbird. A legislative staffer forwards a racist depiction of the president. In this debate over the convention center, both sides have flung childish insults all over the internet. One side files a petty petition. The other side produces a vile video calling elected officials Nazis.
I think Tennesseans deserve better.
OG Ben, did you just teleport here from another universe? It's a rare moment when any Tennessee politician isn't engaging in demagoguery.
Okay, that anon comment is way out of line. Pithmeister should pull it down.
It also doesn't help further a serious discussion. This video is a very real attempt to call Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, his staff, and his allies on the Metro Council Nazis in an attempt to agitate teabaggers to oppose the convention center. It is the same as what the teabaggers try to do to President Obama on almost every issue.
I'm not saying the supporters of the convention center are any better in their tactics. I'm saying Nashville deserves better.
That's my point, Woods. There's too much of this garbage being flung around by Tennesseans all over the political spectrum.
Am I the only one that thinks we deserve better?
Tell you what, instead of debating a $650 million project that burdens our city for 30 years, produces little in the way of benefit and demonstrates that our elected officials are out of touch, let's put on our cordoroy jackets with the suede elbow patches, get out the pipe tobacco and sit around the fire and talk about how we should not hurt each others feelings. We should really see meaningful change then.
For what it's worth, HS, my point is exactly that we should be talking about the merits or lack thereof of this project, but the proponents and opponents of the project would rather do things like make videos comparing the mayor and others as Nazis.
OG I concede that the Nazi parody didn't add much to the the debate. But I am afraid I will still give the edge to opponents when it comes to substantive arguments. On these pages I have read opponents talk about the experience to other cities, the inadequacy of revenues, the lack of plan B for current uses of tourism dollars, etc. Proponents appear more fixated on the personalities and who should be threatened today. Just my thoughts.
Could be, HS. From what I've seen, both sides are obsessed with throwing petty insults at people no one has ever heard of and generarlly acting like a bunch of drunk junior high kids.
But I'm making a larger point about this video. It's the latest symptom of a disease that is killing Tennessee politics. Whoever made this video is no better than Bill Hobbs and Robin Smith and their Barack Hussein Obama press releases.
This video is an attempt to demagogue and important dicsussion and to belittle a political opponent. It is teabagging at its worst.
