THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 3: DECEMBER 6 | OPINION
Antisemitism in entertainment needs to stop now SAMANTHA GOLDSTEIN STAFF WRITER I am Jewish. I love baking challah and cooking latkes. I love celebrating Hanukkah and Passover with my family. I have curly hair and a big nose, and I love these things about myself. However, there is one thing I don’t love about being Jewish, and that’s how Jews are portrayed in entertainment. As a child, when I would turn on the TV, I would see characters like Hermione Granger and Belle, and immediately see myself. After all, they were a lot like me, with the same curly brown hair and passion for learning. Despite this, I found myself constantly being compared to characters like Mother Gothel and the goblins from Harry Potter. Just in elementary school, I didn’t understand why my classmates only compared me to
villains when, in my eyes, I was so blatantly similar to some of my favorite fictional heroes. In 2010, families flocked to theaters to watch “Tangled”, Disney’s reenactment of the Grimm fairytale, “Rapunzel”. Fans fell in love with Rapunzel’s bubbly personality and Flynn Rider’s humor and charm. Mother Gothel, on the other hand, was widely disliked-- and understandably so. In the movie, she kidnaps baby Rapunzel and uses her magical hair to maintain her youth and power. This storyline has striking parallels to the antisemitic Blood Libel myth, which tells of Jews kidnapping Christian children, murdering them in rituals, and using their blood to gain power. Additionally, Mother Gothel’s character is animated with a large nose and dark, curly hair, both features commonly associated with Jews. Because of this, it’s not difficult to subconsciously view her as Jewish. When taking a look at “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, it’s easy to see the antisemitism rooted in the Gringotts goblins, who are heavily based on the misconception that Jews are greedy and deceitful. This stereotype dates back to the Holocaust, when many Jews could only find work at banks or in finance. So,
Let’s Go Back. Please.
RIDHIMA KODALI MANAGING EDITOR Staff shortages. Rising COVID-19 cases. Multiple absences. School closures. About a year ago, I wrote an article expressing how I was on board with the district keeping us virtual. If we had been back last year, then it would have been a muddle of COVID-19 and for that, I thank Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS). However, it does not change the fact that if these problems do continue to persevere, it’ll leave our district left pining for even more ruination and destruction. We need to go back to virtual. We have to go back to a virtual setting. It’s our best bet and a temporary solution for now. Already three months into
The Goblins from Harry Potter and Mother Gothel from Disney’s Tangled are examples of Antisemitism in media. (Left: Amaury Laporte/flickr.com, Right: Charles Rodstrom/flickr.com) it only seems fitting that these goblins work in the wizarding bank, Gringotts. When these characters are first introduced in the book, Harry is immediately told to never mess with goblins. This automatically enforces the goblins’ corrupt characterization. On top of this, the goblins are portrayed with large, hooked noses and beady eyes, a depiction that is disturbingly similar to antisemitic Jewish caricatures from the 1930s and 1940s. Although it isn’t confirmed that the Gringotts goblins are based off of Jewish features and stereotypes, that
in-person school and these issues persist. And I am annoyed. I am flabbergasted. I am upset and frankly, I am bothered. Yes, vaccines are available. Yes, I know, AAPS is trying its hardest to find solutions and reduce the damage that has been done, but it’s time to face reality. The purpose of this column and for upcoming articles is to talk about how everything isn’t rainbows and butterflies or how everything is normal. The truth is, nothing has been normal ever since we came back and some are just too naïve to admit it. Amidst all the fake normalcy lying in Huron and the piles and piles of work teachers are giving students, nobody is discussing the real issues we should be talking about. Everyone is moving on or at least attempting to, which is understandable in some cases. Every single day, there are floods of people walking in late, teachers are absent because they either are following the COVID-19 mitigations or protocols or have contracted COVID-19. And some students are not even wearing their
connection could easily be made. However, this isn’t to say that progress hasn’t been made towards completely eliminating antisemitism from entertainment. If one were to compare “Harry Potter” and “Tangled” to Nazi propaganda made with antisemitic intent, they would see a stark difference in the portrayal of Jews and Jewish-coded characters. With the increase in positive Jewish representation, and more light being shed on antisemitism and how to address it, large improvements have been
masks correctly. Michigan has the most COVID-19 cases in the United States thus far — leading with an average of 7,768 cases as of Dec. 3, according to The New York Times. The fall semester carries 500 cases, according to the AAPS COVID-19 case dashboard. All of these can be fixed with one solution: virtual learning. It may not be everyone’s favorite solution or option, but it is the right one for now. It’s the only way to mend the current status and issues of AAPS. Going back to virtual learning, there will be a reduction of COVID-19 cases, and school closures would not have to be such a big issue, nor would staff shortages. Also, having closures especially during the wintertime can be beneficial, considering the recent flu outbreak at the University of Michigan of Ann Arbor. In fact, the CDC had to come on campus to investigate the outbreak that surged the campus. Also, staff absences do not seem to be getting better considering 94 percent rate of the staff being vaccinated. Superintendent Jeanice Swift did say the
reason for such high staff absences is due to staff following COVID mitigations. However, many are sent to the cafeteria and COVID-19 cases seem to be increasing, not only in Michigan, but as a district. This is leaving AAPS at the breaking point. Things will only become worse from here on out if we do not go back to virtual learning. Going back virtual will give us the opportunity to take a precautionary measure before things get heated with a rise in cases and absences in staff. AAPS, we can not just sit and wait for everything to crash and burn. We need to take action and go back to virtual learning. There will be minimal COVID cases (considering sports), rare staff absences and students do not have to come late to school every day. It’s what we have to do now. It’s what we should do. Regardless of what AAPS decides to do, I am here to talk about how the glass is half-empty and for every optimist, there is a pessimist.
............................... GRAPHICS BY AMY XIU
made in erasing overtly harmful Jewish stereotypes. Nonetheless, it is evident that these stereotypes continue to be spread, just in a more discreet manner. As the generation that grew up watching movies like “Tangled” and “Harry Potter” continues to make their mark in society, it’s more important than ever to take a look at classic books and movies, as well as our own institutions and debunk these harmful stereotypes. Jews aren’t villains, and they need to stop being portrayed as such.