Wednesday, July 03, 2002

Eric Alterman says that this picture crosses the line, arguing that suicide bombers are just something you can't joke about, even when the joke isn't actually about suicide bombers really.

Hasn't he seen The Producers ?


Heil myself
Watch my show
I'm the German Ethel Merman
Dontcha know !


Not that every joke on every topic is funny, but every topic can be funny.

And, some Israelis agree:



TEL AVIV
AFTER a week in March when 25 Israelis had been killed in terrorist attacks, nearly half in the suicide bombing of a Jerusalem café, the television show
"Only In Israel" presented a skit in which its two stars went out on a date. They sat at a table guarded by a rifle-toting sentry and ordered a full meal with
champagne. When the waiter popped the cork, they flung themselves to the ground for safety. "Are you mad?" screamed the woman. "What do you think
you're doing, going around opening bottles?"

The couple climbed back into their chairs and tried to calm themselves by singing a folk song about the beautiful night. The man accidentally knocked a glass
off the table, and as it shattered, they dived again. Seated anew, they launched into a famous anthem of the Israeli peace movement, waving a balloon all the
while. It popped. Once more they crumpled and shrieked. "Don't leave me alone!" the woman called as her boyfriend fled. "I can't move, my knees are
shaking."