I'm sure you're right to argue that the Jewish world would benefit from more well known performers, but Bad Bunny (I don't think) should be held up as the example to imitate. His fame (or rather infamy) right now derives from offending millions Americans at an iconic American ritual, the Superbowl. His lyrics are pornographic and just plain stupid. As far as I can tell, he is being used to ideologically subvert and internally weaken the USA by undermining its traditions. He is not a positive role model. Prior to his sports event, I had never heard of him, and now I wish I hadn't.
That having been said, there are many great Jewish thinkers, artists, composers, comedians, and films -- too many to list -- that the world would do well to read, listen to, or watch.
Joshua could have picked a better example. If anything this guy created more anti Puerto Rican hate than they deserve. Jews have more than enough of it. Jewish stand up comedians have for years, since the borscht belt resorts, are recognized for uniquely Jewish sense of humor.
I saw him perform in front of a thousand people in NYC the week of the Bondi Beach Massacre. The crowd clearly felt the spiritual significance of the recent tragedy, and still it was every bit the rave, with smoking beats and a huge mirror-ball dreidel spinning on the ceiling. You talk about a cultural force that makes Jewishness feel confident cool and modern… All of those elements were there… To make it “unavoidable” requires amplification.
I think that a major issue is the way non-Jews view Jews vs the way they view Puerto Ricans. The latter fall into the “oppressed minority“ category, making their artists almost a cultural obligation. That’s not true for Jews.
There needs to be an acknowledgment that the US is the outlier of the Jewish Diaspora. The rest of the Diaspora has issues in the Jewish communities but nothing compared to the US. American Jewry is tainted with incredibly high assimilation rates, total lack of Jewish education for most young people and adults, and filled with self-hating Progressive Red Guards and old 60s hippies reliving their socialist youth, who fully support Hamas atrocities and the eradication of Israel. This is the direct result of long term major issues ignored for decades. Reform taught Jewish youth to despise Israel and demonize religious Jews by many of the Reform rabbis and leaders, and is a sect with a tinge of Judaism, Tikkun Olam, a tiny aspect of Judaism as their whole focus. This supports the decision in the 1990s to become a social activist sect, where we have witnessed these same entitled people standing up for every religious minority including those who would kill Jews in a second, but and a big but, except other Jews, unless they bow down to their new religion of Progressivism and now their new god, Marxism.
I think you are right. I think Ofra Haza really was a cultural icon in the 80's- more in Europe than the US and in the period I was growing up in the 60's, I think it was Jewish comics that held the torch for identity. It roped me in when I was protesting the restrictions of my parents and kept my identification strong.
I have seen Matisyahu when he was still in his hassidic stage. He is basically a jam band festival performer now and has no chance of a real cultural impact.
I'm all about Jews finding anything useful to us, relying on our cultural, artistic and spiritual strength; but Bad Bunny and his show were atrocious. Offensive even. There have been talented successful popular Jewish artists, like Matisyahu, and there are immensely better Latin artists than Bad Bunny. I wish I could unsee that show.
We have four top TV celebrities here in the UK who are proudly Jewish and get absolutely prime time slots in our Media here. British culture works more discreetly than the American: Perhaps less ‘swagger’ but with all sparky intellect and humour of true stars, and our Jewish stars no less bright for this. Here in The UK, we Jewish people certainly have already crossed into the Mainstream, and are successful across the culture.
Nowhere outside of Israel have Jews been more mainstreamed than the United States. Our entertainment and music industries are filled with people that many don't even realize are Jews because they don't talk about it or make it central to their identity or their act. Hundreds upon hundreds a disproportionate number in fact and many times more than anywhere else in the diaspora. Indeed while we have a growing antisemitism problem just like everywhere else, the United States remains the one actually philo-semitic country in the diaspora.
Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder were pretty brilliant in their day! The film The Producers was absolutely fantastically funny. But then we had Marty Feldman and Peter Sellers… Check.
Why not just post the lyrics sung by Bad Bunny? Based on the degeneracy of his words, if you agree that he's a cultural breakthrough for Puerto Rico than you easily deserve a one-way ticket to an empty K-Mart parking lot in Flint, Michigan.
There was a time when support for Israel was this. The movie Exodus starring Paul Newman began an era when pride in Israel was extreme in the diaspora. I have no idea what a modern Jewish Bad Bunny would look like but anything that doesnt include total defense of and support for the Zionist idea in general and Israel in particular is a non starter.
Joshua, I agree with you on almost everything you write but this time not. Would a Jewish Bad Bunny protect us from Iran and its proxies. Saved us from the Bondi Beach massacre? Our incredible music, dance, art travels the world for all to see but is often boycotted or cancelled. And yet we have an Israeli Bobsled team in the Olympics despite it all!!!
Jews own comedy, clean and blue, have had iconic and colorful badasses in American history and it’s made no difference. Bad Bunny. So what? Couldn’t understand a word he said, unless you speak Spanish, and imitated humping the audience while his group of female dancers complied with his overtly sexual advances. All this to a worldwide audience that included thousands of children, pre and post pubetic. We don’t need our own Bad Bunny. You missed the mark with this one, Joshua. Badly, buddy.
I'm sure you're right to argue that the Jewish world would benefit from more well known performers, but Bad Bunny (I don't think) should be held up as the example to imitate. His fame (or rather infamy) right now derives from offending millions Americans at an iconic American ritual, the Superbowl. His lyrics are pornographic and just plain stupid. As far as I can tell, he is being used to ideologically subvert and internally weaken the USA by undermining its traditions. He is not a positive role model. Prior to his sports event, I had never heard of him, and now I wish I hadn't.
That having been said, there are many great Jewish thinkers, artists, composers, comedians, and films -- too many to list -- that the world would do well to read, listen to, or watch.
Joshua could have picked a better example. If anything this guy created more anti Puerto Rican hate than they deserve. Jews have more than enough of it. Jewish stand up comedians have for years, since the borscht belt resorts, are recognized for uniquely Jewish sense of humor.
Nobody needs a bad ffing bunny, but England needs an IDF
(And the rest of the U.K…)
Sorry … yes all home nations
Have you ever been to a Matisyahu concert?
Yes, just last year. He had potential but didn't make it big enough to make the impact I described in this essay.
I saw him perform in front of a thousand people in NYC the week of the Bondi Beach Massacre. The crowd clearly felt the spiritual significance of the recent tragedy, and still it was every bit the rave, with smoking beats and a huge mirror-ball dreidel spinning on the ceiling. You talk about a cultural force that makes Jewishness feel confident cool and modern… All of those elements were there… To make it “unavoidable” requires amplification.
I think he had a lot of potential earlier on - as he evolved into his current music, it didn't seem to draw in the same kind of audience.
Jewish culture will survive because Jews have a covenant with God, as do Christians....and the covenant is open to all who will open their hearts
What about Benny Friedman?
I think that a major issue is the way non-Jews view Jews vs the way they view Puerto Ricans. The latter fall into the “oppressed minority“ category, making their artists almost a cultural obligation. That’s not true for Jews.
There needs to be an acknowledgment that the US is the outlier of the Jewish Diaspora. The rest of the Diaspora has issues in the Jewish communities but nothing compared to the US. American Jewry is tainted with incredibly high assimilation rates, total lack of Jewish education for most young people and adults, and filled with self-hating Progressive Red Guards and old 60s hippies reliving their socialist youth, who fully support Hamas atrocities and the eradication of Israel. This is the direct result of long term major issues ignored for decades. Reform taught Jewish youth to despise Israel and demonize religious Jews by many of the Reform rabbis and leaders, and is a sect with a tinge of Judaism, Tikkun Olam, a tiny aspect of Judaism as their whole focus. This supports the decision in the 1990s to become a social activist sect, where we have witnessed these same entitled people standing up for every religious minority including those who would kill Jews in a second, but and a big but, except other Jews, unless they bow down to their new religion of Progressivism and now their new god, Marxism.
I think you are right. I think Ofra Haza really was a cultural icon in the 80's- more in Europe than the US and in the period I was growing up in the 60's, I think it was Jewish comics that held the torch for identity. It roped me in when I was protesting the restrictions of my parents and kept my identification strong.
Others have mentioned Matisyahu - I hope he has some crossover runway ahead of him…if anyone could do it in North America, he should be it.
I have seen Matisyahu when he was still in his hassidic stage. He is basically a jam band festival performer now and has no chance of a real cultural impact.
I'm all about Jews finding anything useful to us, relying on our cultural, artistic and spiritual strength; but Bad Bunny and his show were atrocious. Offensive even. There have been talented successful popular Jewish artists, like Matisyahu, and there are immensely better Latin artists than Bad Bunny. I wish I could unsee that show.
We have four top TV celebrities here in the UK who are proudly Jewish and get absolutely prime time slots in our Media here. British culture works more discreetly than the American: Perhaps less ‘swagger’ but with all sparky intellect and humour of true stars, and our Jewish stars no less bright for this. Here in The UK, we Jewish people certainly have already crossed into the Mainstream, and are successful across the culture.
Really? I think the only person close to what Josh is describing, in the UK is Sasha Baron Cohen.
And of course his fame was obtained in Hollywood.
Nowhere outside of Israel have Jews been more mainstreamed than the United States. Our entertainment and music industries are filled with people that many don't even realize are Jews because they don't talk about it or make it central to their identity or their act. Hundreds upon hundreds a disproportionate number in fact and many times more than anywhere else in the diaspora. Indeed while we have a growing antisemitism problem just like everywhere else, the United States remains the one actually philo-semitic country in the diaspora.
Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder were pretty brilliant in their day! The film The Producers was absolutely fantastically funny. But then we had Marty Feldman and Peter Sellers… Check.
Why’d you even watch it when you could have seen the other show on TBN???!!
Ishay Ribo
Why not just post the lyrics sung by Bad Bunny? Based on the degeneracy of his words, if you agree that he's a cultural breakthrough for Puerto Rico than you easily deserve a one-way ticket to an empty K-Mart parking lot in Flint, Michigan.
There was a time when support for Israel was this. The movie Exodus starring Paul Newman began an era when pride in Israel was extreme in the diaspora. I have no idea what a modern Jewish Bad Bunny would look like but anything that doesnt include total defense of and support for the Zionist idea in general and Israel in particular is a non starter.
Joshua, I agree with you on almost everything you write but this time not. Would a Jewish Bad Bunny protect us from Iran and its proxies. Saved us from the Bondi Beach massacre? Our incredible music, dance, art travels the world for all to see but is often boycotted or cancelled. And yet we have an Israeli Bobsled team in the Olympics despite it all!!!
Jews own comedy, clean and blue, have had iconic and colorful badasses in American history and it’s made no difference. Bad Bunny. So what? Couldn’t understand a word he said, unless you speak Spanish, and imitated humping the audience while his group of female dancers complied with his overtly sexual advances. All this to a worldwide audience that included thousands of children, pre and post pubetic. We don’t need our own Bad Bunny. You missed the mark with this one, Joshua. Badly, buddy.