Re: Tangential to the Madonna Thread

[Alex J. Lubet <lubet001...>]

As an old Trekker, I'm sorry this is happening, not sure what to make of
it.  The one thing I feel confident of, from past experience, is that
it's not strictly speaking a 1st Amendment issue, although it obviously
has much to do with freedom of expression.

For purely accidental reasons of name-sharing (and I hope this is not
too far off-topic since it deals with pop culture if not exactly music),
I wonder if anyone else watches Law & Order:  Criminal Intent.  Of all
the L & W's, it's the one by far most focused on a single character, a
detective named Bobby Goren, whom I've always assumed (though it's never
stated) is Jewish.  He's portrayed as unbelievably brilliant but also
bordering on obnoxious and maybe even a touch evil.  One rarely gets the
sense he's a moral crusader, more a gamer, unlike a lot of other tv
cops.

Obviously, I've reacted pretty strongly to this portrayal (and it's not
unrelated to the work I do on Jewish in American popular music), so I'm
curious as to whether anyone else has noticed this as a rather unique
Jewish media image.

MaxwellSt (at) aol(dot)com wrote:

> Jewish Fund-Raiser Drops Nimoy Over Nude Book Photos
> Organization Says Actor Contracted Talk Of His 'Jewish Journey'
> POSTED: 11:52 a.m. EDT October 11, 2002
> UPDATED: 5:53 p.m. EDT October 11, 2002
>
>
> Actor and photographer Leonard Nimoy says he's "shocked" over being
> dropped from a Jewish fund-raiser because of his book that features
> naked and near-naked women with Jewish artifacts.
>
> The star of the original "Star Trek" told the Seattle Times that the
> book "Shekhina" is "reverential," and is about the "feminine presence
> of God." He added that "this is not some figure that is a foggy mist
> in a cloud somewhere. I have depicted her as being a flesh-and-blood
> woman."
>
> But Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle's director Barry Goren said
> the organization got complaints about the photos, which led to the
> cancellation in an interview with the Times.
>
>
> The Times described the book's cover, which shows a woman with a
> nipple visible through a translucent garment. She also has
> phylacteries -- a traditional Jewish prayer accessory -- wrapped
> around one arm.
>
> Goren added that the federation "invited Leonard Nimoy because he's a
> well-known Jewish person that would be a draw for our donors." He
> claimed he contracted Nimoy in July "not to talk about his book, but
> to talk about his 'Jewish journey,' a speech he has given in Jewish
> organizations before."
>
> According to the Times, Nimoy's publicist nor the Jewish Federation
> would release a copy of the contract.
>
> Nimoy learned he was being replaced during an "unpleasant"
> conversation with Goren. He told the Times the cancellation "may be an
> anomaly. I hope it is. We have not had this kind of reaction anyplace
> else."
>
> Former "Saturday Night Live" actor and political satirist Al Franken
> replaced Nimoy at the event, scheduled for Oct. 23.
>
>

--
Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music
Adjunct Professor of American and Jewish Studies
Head, Division Of Composition and Music Theory
University of Minnesota
2106 4th St. S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612 624-7840 612 624-8001 (fax)


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