Hipster Jew » Humor/Comedy

Watch A Sluiced Bill Murray Talk for 3 Minutes About ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, Pants

Alex - Resident Goy Writer — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:58:15 +0000

While we’re still waiting to find out if Bill Murray is even going to be in Dan Akroyd’s hypothetical Ghostbusters 3 movie, we at least know he’s still going strong in things that have “Directed by Wes Anderson” and “Written by Wes Anderson” in their credits. Thus this video, featuring a rum-imbibing Murray wandering around the Moonrise Kingdom set (in scenic Newport, RI!), explaining how the film was made, as well as the composition of his (fairly skinny) pants and Wes Anderson’s feeling in regards to the length of pants (also, some funny barbs about Ed Norton and Bruce Willis).

//This one via the AV Club

Counterpoint: ‘Girls’ Might Not Be Racist, But You’re Not Wrong For Saying It Is

Alex - Resident Goy Writer — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:50:23 +0000

On Monday, my fearless editor called the Internet out over the running debate over Lena Dunham’s show Girls in his article “The show ‘Girls’ isn’t racist; you are.” Sure, it may be a little bit late to the game, but we’re here now. And while Chicky makes a lot of good points about how the show is indicative of larger trends in society and television in general and how there are plenty of other shows, especially half-hour comedies, that seem to focus exclusively on white culture, I disagree with his central thesis that Girls shouldn’t catch flak for its lily-white characters and portrayal of Brooklyn, and I want to present a challenge to it in a way that’s just too long for a comment reply.

A couple of things before I lay on the hammer. First, if you have no idea what Chicky and I are talking about, I encourage you to read the articles about this. Here’s a piece from Gawker that outlines the whole dispute back when this was super fresh (and, frankly, when I stopped paying attention), so you’ll have to do some more research to find what’s current. Here’s a piece from the AV Club about the problems of categorically calling out whiteness as a problem.

Second, in the interest of full disclosure, I personally can’t stand Girls. Maybe it’s because I’m a man and the show is geared towards women, but I don’t think so. I don’t dislike it because the leads are in possession of vaginae. I don’t dislike it because it seems like a mumblecore sitcom. And I don’t mind that the characters are reprehensible (I was fine with that in Seinfeld and The UK Office). I dislike it because it’s not funny and the characters seem really thinly written. It’s a shame it runs back-to-back against Veep on Sundays, because that show is about 1000x funnier and it’s got much stronger (and better developed) female leads. Girls seems to approach humor like its imitating a particularly dry Britcom without any charming British people to sell the lines. And that’s not even particularly accurate, because I just mentioned The Office, a Britcom which is dry and hilarious, and Veep, which is written by the guy who’s made one of the funniest Britcoms (and television shows in general) I’ve ever seen: The Thick of It. I’m not surprised Girls is produced by the guy who made the incredibly misleadingly titled movie Funny People.

Cut the middle guy out and it might be true!

So, I’m not a Lena Dunham fan, so far. I realize I’m in the minority of reviewers here. I want it noted that I don’t like the show based on the content of its character, not the color of its skin. I didn’t hate it, then tried to justify that hate by calling it racist.

But Girls does have a serious problem with racism. Not racism in the way that we, as white people, conceive of racism. It’s not the oppressive “Bull Connor, fire hoses and dogs unleashed on women and children” form of racism that was the hallmark of the Civil Rights movement. No one can accuse Lena Dunham and her writers of infringing on their rights with an HBO show about white girls. Certainly, no one’s rights have been violated.

Instead, Girls is indicative of a different troubling trend: a refusal to even confront and deal with race. Bull Connor hated black people, but at least he engaged with them, even if it was just to hit them with fire hoses, sick dogs on them, and throw them in jail. I’ve just mentioned a slate of shows that have exclusively or almost exclusively white lead casts: Seinfeld, The Office (British), and Veep. And every single one of them has confronted race directly, in at least one episode. Seinfeld did it over and over again, and controversially (“The Puerto Rican Day”). Hell, Veep is only four episodes into its first season and it’s tackled race twice (Ep.2: “Frozen Yohgurt” and Ep. 4: “Chung”).

But Girls, on the other hand, won’t even touch it. And it bends over backwards to do so. You could be forgiven for not realizing that Brooklyn is only 40% white, given how it’s portrayed in Lena Dunham’s television show.

And let’s be clear: the women behind the show have not exactly reacted with grace and quality in response to the criticisms. Yes, some criticisms are less valid than others (I, for one, had never heard the stereotype that Asians are proficient at Photoshop) and don’t warrant a response. But when NYTimes Jenna Wortham writes that she wishes she “saw a little more of [her]self on screen, right alongside” the characters in the show, it’s not okay to tweet “What really bothered me most about Precious, was that there was no representation of ME” as Girls writer Lesley Arfin did. What a fucking asinine response.

Chicky points out that society is to blame, and I totally agree with him on that. The society in which Millennials like myself, Chicky, and Ms. Dunham were born and raised in is the most segregated in US history since the time of Jim Crow, done without any of the intentional discrimination. And white people of our generation are quickly becoming defined by their categorical opposition to dealing with racial inequity. Nearly 60% of white Millennials (laughably) believe discrimination against whites is at a level comparable to that of blacks and Latinos. Just ask George Zimmerman, amirite? Where my disgruntled whiteys at?

There they are.

Now, despite the above image, I’m not calling what Lena Dunham and her writers are doing comparable to the cross burning, murder, and intimidation of non-whites that the Klan was guilty of during the height of institutionally segregated America (although, she is lynching comedy). But I do believe she’s helping perpetuate an idea of an All-White America that shouldn’t exist. And I don’t buy her dismissive hand-wave argument that Girls‘ race problem is unintentional. Yes, I can understand how an all-white group of writers would not think to include characters who weren’t white. And how a bunch of white execs would approve that show. But here’s the thing: writing and casting, those are two things you just can’t do without intent and without making intentional choices. They were certainly made white because someone decided to do that, even if no one decided that they shouldn’t be black or Latino (those might seem to go hand in hand, but believe me, they don’t). And you can’t say you don’t see color when doing those things, but that’s bullshit when Stephen Colbert says it, and it’s just as much bullshit when someone says it sincerely.

Now, I’m heading towards 1500 words, which is way too long for Hipster Jew, so I’ll wrap this shit up. Lena Dunham’s show is not any more racist than 90% of television. Hell, every CBS comedy is a walking poster child for whites-only television. As Chicky touched on, there are plenty of places to take your entertainment needs that don’t have nearly the same problem (off the top of my head: Community or Happy Endings could always use more viewers). Girls shouldn’t attempt to correct itself and get more diverse. It’s got its strata of gentrified white children of privilege that it’s portraying and that’s fine. Also, it sucks at portraying people who aren’t white, such as the stereotype nannies in Episode 4 “Hannah’s Diary” who are surprised to learn one lead character isn’t a movie star (Read my lips: Fuuuuuck Yoooou), so I’m not sure I’d even want to see what crazy hijinks Dunham and her writers would get up to in that department.

But the problem with art is that it both reflects and reshapes the society that produces it. It’s a mirror that changes you slightly every time you look into it. I could wax poetic about the doll experiments and other sociological studies that demonstrate the serious detriment the false portrayal of a disproportionately white America in media has on people of color. So, when a show like Girls is made that mishandles race and then wildly mishandles the fallout to their mishandling, of course people should holler and raise a fuss. This is America, damn it. We deserve art that reflects who we are as a society, not art that reflects what our white coddled liberal arts minds perceive to be who we are as a society. Some white critics have criticized white people who criticize the white writers of Girls for being white (threatening the creation of a critical white mass that finds Tyler Perry trite and knows the lyrics to “Bohemian Rhapsody” by heart–don’t even pretend like that doesn’t describe you), but I think it’s great. We live in a prejudiced society; maybe enough white people saying they’re tired of lily-white TV will get some attention from white execs that hasn’t been paid to the people of color who’ve been saying it for decades.

I just wish somebody had raised a fuss about the CBS comedies as well, because they too have overlooked the central tenet of comedy: humor. And now, because one critic said you should listen to him if you were gonna write about race in television, here’s white boy Phil Ochs to show how funny is done:

Getting even more “Arrested” then previously believed!

Mikvah McElroy — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:27:22 +0000

OMGGGGGYALLLL

THIS IS HUGE
The show made an agreement with Netflix that all ten episodes of the fourth season will be aired simultaneously in early 2013. BUT now here are hints that there may be even more than one season!

Netflix: Helping me further fulfill my stoney potential since 2008.

Magic: It’s a Black Thing (or the artist previously known as “I’m not racist”)

Gandalf Long Boarding for the win

Chicky — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:38:20 +0000

It’s like Gandalf is my colon during Passover. The cars are poop.

Muppets are now Jews and have their own Anti-Muppet Defamation League

Chicky — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:37:47 +0000

Muppets are in. They are kinda almost cool to NPR dads once again. So don’t close your eyes, because it’s once again the 1980s. And you may be humped by a man dancing the robot. Reagan is in power, New Wave is the rage, and the Safety Dance happens on a daily basis. It’s terrible. Cue the Muppets + financial blockbuster Wall Street (2). It’s probably as funny if they had called all poor people Jews, and then the real anti-Defamation League came and bitched and moaned. But I’m a classist so boooooo rich Wall Street execs booooo!

/ Do you think these tertiary muppets are a bit like those X-men characters who were copies of other X-men characters but evil/good? How many personalities can muppets really have?

// All I could think about when this video was playing was: WHY DID THEY CANCEL GREG THE BUNNY.
That show was 1,000 times better.

Draw the Shitler wants you to be precise when you wipe your ass

Chicky — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:11:21 +0000

If the Incredible Hulk and Hitler had a child, and then this child’s cartoon image was transposed to toilet paper for the purpose of wiping your ass, this is what you’d get. Perfect gag gift for the man who is obsessed (in a kind of possibly acceptable way) with Hitler.

//Boing Boing

Funny Nerdy Jewish Men are Finally Getting Picked Over Jocks

Chicky — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:42:22 +0000

You wanna be him. We all do. Don’t be embarrassed.

Someone once told me that there is no ‘poon’ in comedy. But there is lots of ‘dick’ in comedy. Atleast that’s what was discovered in a recent poll.

More than music, more than sports, more than “personal style,” comedy has become essential to how young men view themselves and others, the research showed.

Stuck in an elevator? Sixty-three percent of young men surveyed said they would choose to be there with Jon Stewart (or some other favorite comic), and only 15 percent said they would prefer that time with Eli Manning (or some other idolized athlete).

Take THAT. Young males throughout the world prefer Jews/comedians over big dudes with lots of muscles who make millions of dollars and try to kill eachother all the time, all the while society treats them like Gods. THERE IS A GOD.

As an aspiring stand up comedian, I can only assume that all of you male readers out there love me, need me, and want to be me. Horay for RESEARCH!

And if we have learned anything from Hipster Comedian Aziz Ansari, it’s that this a fucking trend people. Musicians like Lana Del Ray and Vampire Weekend are constantly berated by ‘true’ Hipsters. Yet everyone loves a good comedy.

“Comedy is so central to who they are, the way they connect with other people, the way they get ahead in the world. One big takeaway is that unlike previous generations, humor, and not music, is their No. 1 form of self-expression.” // Nytimes

These days everyone is a musician, and ALMOST everyone is a comedian. But there’s just enough ~~winners~~ losers that haven’t been beaten into thinking comedy is a good idea. Let the age of Hipster Comedy commence!

After School Special on the dangers of skinny jeans

Chicky — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:08:54 +0000

We all love skinny jeans. Atleast, if you just read that last statement, odds are that you do. And sometimes, when my parole officer forces me to, I do some community service. Posting this video counted for 1 hour of my CS. So thank you, internet. And enjoy some bootleg video my some college kids back in 2009. Or don’t. Fuck it. It’s Friday and I just want to suck on an ice cold microbrew.

NSFW Gilbert Gottfried discussing his 9/11 and Japan Tsunami jokes

Chicky — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:33:04 +0000

Holy shit. The first half of this interview is hilarious. I couldn’t stop laughing. After watching this I don’t know how you could still hate on Gilbert Gottfried. The man is a talented artist, plain and simple. He destroys news anchors. He destroys Aflac and all the people who were upset with his Japanese Tsunami tweets. His story about Elie Wiesel? I was literally LMFAO. Gottfried, you crazy sonofabitch.

// Comics Comic

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I’m Starting to Think This Whole Groundhog Day Thing Is Bullshit

Alex - Resident Goy Writer — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:05:46 +0000

Every year, twelve days before Valentine’s Day*, the nation gets together for its age old tradition of forcibly evicting a woodland rodent from his burrow in order to arbitrarily predict the weather for us. You’ll remember it because they made a movie about all about it starring Bill Murray (very originally titled Groundhog Day). There’s a minor subplot where Bill Murray confronts a hellish existence wherein he relives February 2nd until he convinces Andie MacDowell to sleep with him.

By the way, the Wikipedia entry for that movie features the most overwrought thing I’ve ever read in a Wikipedia movie summary:

They kiss. It is true love, and it conquers all: Phil is surprised as snow begins to fall, which is a departure from his recollection of the day’s events. They retire together to Phil’s room, and he wakes the next morning to find the time loop is broken; it is now February 3, and Rita is still with him! Phil is jubilant. After they go outside into the freshly-fallen snow, Phil lifts Rita over the gate as if over the threshold into a whole new life, and floats the idea of the two of them living on in Punxsutawney.

Ahahaha! For me it's only been a single day, so you're coming on WAY too strong! Ahahaha!

Anyhow, this week, after watching some of the hullabaloo surrounding the events in Punxsutawney and the town’s eponymous groundhog’s, Punxsutawney Phil, prediction, I’ve come to the conclusion that all of this is probably a huge load of bullshit.

I know, it's shocking–how can that many guys wearing top hats be wrong?

And it’s not that Phil predicted we’d have a long winter again this year, or that he has a 39% lifetime accuracy rating even considering that his lifetime has been 122 years, vastly exceeding the record setting 14 year lifespan achieved by a groundhog in captivity.

Seriously, if he's 122 then he should be riddled with tumors.

No, what convinces me that Phil is a fraud, sent here to bilk the American public out of their hard-earned hope for spring is that there are over thirty different groundhogs that make a weather prediction on February 2nd. Seriously, here’s a list. And, yes, most of them have delightfully cute alliterative names like “Balzac Billy” and “Chattanooga Chuck” but that doesn’t excuse the single fact that comes out of there being so many different groundhogs: they don’t agree with each other. In fact, by my count, Phil is in the minority, as only nine other groundhogs predicted the continuation of winter. Twenty-seven predicted an early spring.

And that puts me in a dilemma: do I trust Phil, who is the most famous groundhog celebrity, but who has a shitty accuracy rating, or do I trust someone like General Beauregard Lee, who seems to be named for two Confederate Civil War generals and yet apparently has a stunning 94% accuracy rating (but apparently dropped the ball on the 1993 Storm of the Century)?

So that’s why I’ve settled on the far more reliable methods of weather prediction available to humans living in the modern age: reading tea leaves.

Oh, "broken gate with a cross above it" in the center. Looks like it's gonna rain fire again.

*by the way, and I’ve never heard anything on this before, but I’m guessing that unless you’re Catholic or Lutheran, you probably shouldn’t be celebrating Valentine’s Day, as it’s a Saint’s Day. That just occurred to me while writing this post. Anyone who has done so is probably going to hell or whatever happens when you violate your religious precepts (that’s right, I just used “precepts.” Look it up if you have to). So, this Valentine’s Day, I refuse to buy my one true love chocolates or flowers or romance her in any way, lest I damn her immortal soul. And yes, in an unrelated note, it is looking like I’m going to be spending Valentine’s Day alone.