Re: FW: RUN-DMC?

[George Robinson <GRComm...>]

Rmsarig (at) aol(dot)com wrote:

> > I used the heading because reading the anti-Semitism thread I realized
> >  that I never tracked down a selection that someone (maybe Wolf)
> >  referred to several months ago by The Clash -- a video/song
> >  (Salim/Kalif ?? ) Don't Like It" which had Arab/ sterotype Khasidim.
> >  Help anyone?
>
> The song is "Rock the Casbah". It's the video more than the song that
> contains Arab and Hasidic caricatures. There's another Clash song, by the
> way, that's more often cited as anti-Semitic. An older song called "Working
> for the Clampdom," which contains the line "Is this man a Jew..." (I can't
> quite decifer the surrounding lines). However, I'm also under the belief
> (though I don't think it's been established) that Clash leader Joe Strummer
> is himself Jewish. It wouldn't necessary prove the song isn't anti-Semitic,
> but it seems likely the lyrics in question adopt the voice of a
> fascist/anti-Semite to be ironic, since otherwise the Clash are known to be
> among the most outspoken leftist rock bands of their time.
> -Roni
>
>

The lyric, "Is this man a Jew?" is spoken by a character in the song, a cop or
something like it, and is clearly not a sentiment of the singer's.

George Robinson



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