November 26, 2007
Jews Take Time Out From Controlling The World's Money Supply To Complain About 'PW' Cover
![]() |
Yes, PW's cover pissed off some Jews who felt it was similar to the Nazis. And if making me invoke Godwin wasn't enough, well, here, you read it:
"Where did your art director receive her training?" wrote Solomon Moses in an angry letter he sent to PW and then forwarded to the Exponent. "At the Heinrich Himmler Academy of Design?"
It's amazing how much funny shit is in this article.
The problem with the cover, apparently, is that Jews have historically been compared to hamsters. Or something like that.
Other animals featured on inside gift-guide pages include cats, dogs and parrots decked out in Christmas, Kwanzaa and winter garb, including a dog in a Santa Claus hat on a sleigh pulled by another pup dressed as a reindeer.
The only rodent in the entire spread is the critter on the cover.
Well, what other rodents could possibly be considered cute? Guinea pigs, maybe; are they rodents? What about those things that like play in the dirt, chinchillas or something? As you can tell, I'm an animal expert here, and as an animal expert I just don't think there are any rodents other than hamsters that could possibly be construed as cute. QED.
Tim Whitaker, editor of PW, said that "it never occurred to us" that the front page could have been seen as offensive. Originally, he said, the idea was to use the dog on the sleigh as the lead image -- that is, until the hamster one was presented.
I know what you're saying: Dan, how did you not run in there and stop him (and art director Sara Green) from taking a dog off the cover?! Well, you know, it's not really my place, and since the paper wasn't using the cutest puppy ever, I wasn't going to battle.
[Liz] Spikol said that once it was decided to have "cuteness" as the theme for this year's guide, cute animals came to mind. She immediately thought of her male hamster, whose name is, coincidentally, Tinsel, and whom she described as "super cute."
Ahh, as you can see here, the Jewish Exponent doesn't believe the hamster is cute on its own, choosing to cite Spikol in quotes instead of stating it as fact.
But why dress him as an Orthodox Jew? Why the overtly Jewish symbols to highlight the least religious of the religion's holidays?
I knew I should have bought that poster "Ranking Of Jewish Holidays In Order Of Religiousness" and put it up in the office.
"I'm not even Jewish and I'm offended," [some woman] said. "It's an insult. They didn't stop to think that it's insulting."
Fine. I'll never think of Jews as cute, cuddly and adorable again.
Image of Rodent Stirs Ire of 'Weekly' Readers [Jewish Exponent]
Posted by D-Mac on November 26, 2007 11:55 AM
Posted to Heinrich Himmler Academy Of Design
, Jews
, Offended People Of The Day
, Outrage
, PW
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
https://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/6649
Comments
Richard Gere had a gerbil dressed like the Dalai Lama stuffed in his butt for the Anderson Awards - the bald head, flowing robes ... striking.
Posted by: Anonymous at November 26, 2007 12:56 PM
The cover is in poor taste. It's unfortunate that people see this as funny.
Posted by: Todd at November 26, 2007 03:49 PM
Well, congratulations! Yet another publication/public figure has managed to garner attention by offending a group of people!
Why not use smart writing, and terrific editing? Because most of us in the US, still would not ever have known about said publication...without their little jibe! So, since I am here posting, I guess you all got what you wanted; but here's the thing. I still have not read a single article, nor will I most likely be able to tell you what city this little mag is published in.
And neither will most everyone else!!
Posted by: Karen at November 26, 2007 03:55 PM
Good one Karen, for a second I though you were actually serious. Funny stuff "nor will I most likely be able to tell you what city this little mag is published in."
That's just gold.
Posted by: yt at November 26, 2007 04:04 PM
You guys don't get it. Clearly, PW was using the image of a cute hamster to subliminally trick people into hating Jews or possibly thinking they're cute cuddly little animals.
It's all part of the anti-Zionist conspiracy, which is secretly controlled by future King of America, Ron Paul.
Posted by: dmac at November 26, 2007 04:11 PM
People need to lighten the fuck up. It didn't even cross my thoughts - for a second - that the cover could be construed as offensive to anyone.
That someone's rage is being spent on this is truly amazing with all the real problems in the world.
Posted by: friendlynerd at November 26, 2007 04:27 PM
So there are no cute Jews? I don't get it. What could possibly be offensive about a hamster? Is it because part of the word is "ham"?? Is it because it rhymes with "shyster"? It isn't a guinea pig -- would that be more offensive for the "guinea" part, or the "pig" part? Is the hamster a goy? Are there any Jewish hamsters who should have been depicted rather than the one actually photographed? Would the objectors prefer to have the pelessim and yarmulke on a dog? Or is it offensive to have any animal in Hassidic garb? Could you all be a little more specific? Could it be that you all are just a tad bit too easily offended? It isn't like it is a religious holiday, anyway. Now, if this picture was posted on a Yom Kippur or Pesach reminder, THAT might be offensive. Shalom, y'all.........that means "peace", like, don't be so quick to get your knickers in a twist, eh?
Posted by: Deborah P. at November 26, 2007 05:48 PM
I now regret naming my hamster Tinsel. The reporter from the Exponent challenged me on that point, as if to ask why would a "real" Jew give her pet a name that has Christmas-tree connotations. Maybe I should have named him Tevya?
Posted by: Liz at November 26, 2007 07:26 PM
The PW cover is clearly totally inapproppriate in its absurd comparison of hamsters and Jews. Hamsters do not spend most of their time whining over imaginary offenses.
Posted by: Robert at November 26, 2007 08:24 PM
Is the hamster not circumcised? Perhaps that's the problem.
Posted by: Lynn at November 26, 2007 11:49 PM
Dude, guinea pigs aren't rodents - they're their own species, called "cavies." And people actually eat them in other heartless countries!
Maybe this was a subliminal way of telling the people in those countries to eat Jews?
Posted by: Susie from Philly at November 27, 2007 10:25 AM
Where did your parents get your name, Solomon Moses? The Prophet Hall of Fame?
Posted by: Double D at November 27, 2007 12:10 PM
Well on the plus side, this doesn't cause hordes of angry Jews to riot and put a fatwa on the editors' heads--in the 21st frickin century--unlike another monotheistic religion...
And no it ain't Christianity. I said 21st century, not the Dark Ages.
Posted by: Janus at November 28, 2007 05:42 AM




i'm offended that no one asked what the difference was between a pizza and a hamster dressed as a rabbi.
Posted by: chrissmari at November 26, 2007 12:45 PM