Portman references Agriprocessors raid in Oscar presentation http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/portman-references-agriprocessors-raid-in-oscar-presentation/ For those who missed last night’s Academy Awards, one of the highlights of the evening came when Jewish actors Natalie Portman and Ben Stiller took the stage to present the award for cinematography.  en-us mobiustrip@the44.net Copyright 2009 2009-02-23T;22:12:00-05:00 Comment by Ami Eden aeden@jta.org I think we’re all missing the point… Is it possible that Joaquin Phoenix got the idea for his makeover from the JTA story? I think we’re all missing the point… Is it possible that Joaquin Phoenix got the idea for his makeover from the JTA story?

]]> 2009-11-19T;22:58:01-05:00 Comment by Daniel Sieradski dsieradski@jta.org That story didn’t just land on Digg, it landed all over the blogosphere, the Twittersphere, Facebook, etc.  Your presumption that awards show writers have no significant familiarity with what’s happening online is undermined by the countless parodies of popular Internet memes that have turned up on television in the last five years. I can show you like, 25 celebrity parodies of Chris Crocker’s leave Brittany alone video, but you can’t believe that an article that was the top story on Digg one day might have actually reached a comedy writer?  Who’s the one out of touch with reality? That story didn’t just land on Digg, it landed all over the blogosphere, the Twittersphere, Facebook, etc.  Your presumption that awards show writers have no significant familiarity with what’s happening online is undermined by the countless parodies of popular Internet memes that have turned up on television in the last five years. I can show you like, 25 celebrity parodies of Chris Crocker’s leave Brittany alone video, but you can’t believe that an article that was the top story on Digg one day might have actually reached a comedy writer?  Who’s the one out of touch with reality?

]]> 2009-11-19T;22:58:01-05:00 Comment by Steven I. Weiss mail@kosherbachelor.com Dan - No offense, but “most viewed content on JTA.org in its history” is hardly the level of notoriety that makes something an accepted pop-culture reference. Awards-show writers probably don’t assume any significant level of familiarity with what goes on the front page of the New York Times; they’re certainly not “digging” into the top stories from JTA. I think if you’d written this post more as “oh, how cute would it be if...” then it’d seem like it was coming from the land of reality. But to assert it outright is kind of spacey. Dan - No offense, but “most viewed content on JTA.org in its history” is hardly the level of notoriety that makes something an accepted pop-culture reference. Awards-show writers probably don’t assume any significant level of familiarity with what goes on the front page of the New York Times; they’re certainly not “digging” into the top stories from JTA.

I think if you’d written this post more as “oh, how cute would it be if...” then it’d seem like it was coming from the land of reality. But to assert it outright is kind of spacey.

]]> 2009-11-19T;22:58:01-05:00 Comment by Daniel Sieradski dsieradski@jta.org I disagree with you all.  That Hasidic meth lab story was the #1 story on Digg the day JTA reported it.  And while yes, it was clearly a joke, the joke was in reference to the meth lab at Agriprocessors.  I sincerely doubt any Hollywood writer merely invented such a concept from their own imagination.  They were making reference to a news story that, FYI, is the top viewed content on JTA.org in its history. I disagree with you all.  That Hasidic meth lab story was the #1 story on Digg the day JTA reported it.  And while yes, it was clearly a joke, the joke was in reference to the meth lab at Agriprocessors.  I sincerely doubt any Hollywood writer merely invented such a concept from their own imagination.  They were making reference to a news story that, FYI, is the top viewed content on JTA.org in its history.

]]> 2009-11-19T;22:58:01-05:00 Comment by Ami Eden aeden@jta.org I told him, but he wouldn’t listen. I told him, but he wouldn’t listen.

]]> 2009-11-19T;22:58:01-05:00 Comment by ASC asc@njjewishnews.com I’ll second SIW—the joke was aimed at Joaquin Phoenix, not Stiller, and not Agriprocessors, and references both the bushy beard JP wore on Letterman and his seemingly drug-addled demeanor. I’ll second SIW—the joke was aimed at Joaquin Phoenix, not Stiller, and not Agriprocessors, and references both the bushy beard JP wore on Letterman and his seemingly drug-addled demeanor.

]]> 2009-11-19T;22:58:01-05:00 Comment by Steven I. Weiss mail@kosherbachelor.com Dan - I doubt she was referencing the Agriprocessors raid. More likely, she was just making what we in the biz refer to as “a joke.” Dan - I doubt she was referencing the Agriprocessors raid. More likely, she was just making what we in the biz refer to as “a joke.”

]]> 2009-11-19T;22:58:01-05:00 Comment by John Q. Public kerry.berger@gmail.com Don’t you think we are being a little overly sensitive about this and the comments?  I would say that Ben Stiller looks like a member of the Hells Angels on a Harley or playing for ZZ Tops.  That style is kind of cool for many middle aged gentlemen. Don’t you think we are being a little overly sensitive about this and the comments?  I would say that Ben Stiller looks like a member of the Hells Angels on a Harley or playing for ZZ Tops.  That style is kind of cool for many middle aged gentlemen.

]]> 2009-11-19T;22:58:01-05:00