{"id":163790,"date":"2021-02-23T09:58:19","date_gmt":"2021-02-23T14:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=163790"},"modified":"2021-02-23T10:29:36","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T15:29:36","slug":"snls-michael-che-if-youre-going-to-tell-a-jewish-joke-at-least-make-it-a-funny-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/snls-michael-che-if-youre-going-to-tell-a-jewish-joke-at-least-make-it-a-funny-one\/","title":{"rendered":"SNL\u2019s Michael Che, If You\u2019re Going To Tell A Jewish Joke, At Least Make It A Funny One"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">36<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsnls-michael-che-if-youre-going-to-tell-a-jewish-joke-at-least-make-it-a-funny-one%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=163790&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Michael-Che.png?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span>Michael Che is the co-anchor on Saturday Night Live\u2019s<\/span> <em><span>Weekend Update<\/span><\/em> <span>segment. Alongside Colin Jost, he hosts a fictional news program based on current events with an apparently comedic slant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This weekend, Che got into some hot water after one of his \u201creports\u201d appeared to rely on an anti-Semitic smear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIsrael is reporting that they vaccinated half of their population, and I\u2019m going to guess it\u2019s the Jewish half,\u201d Che said with a grin.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It&#8217;s all fun and games until you start promoting antisemitic myths, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nbcsnl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NBCSNL<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Every Israeli citizen\u2014Jewish and Arab, Muslim, Christian, of any or no faith\u2014is eligible to be vaccinated; 2\/3 of Israel&#8217;s Arab citizens over 60 already have been.<\/p>\n<p>Apologize.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EMA9pK1kC0\">pic.twitter.com\/EMA9pK1kC0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AviMayer\/status\/1363474004896538626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 21, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>Some people immediately criticized this comment as anti-Semitic, with Fox News<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/saturday-night-live-star-michael-che-faces-backlash-for-weekend-update-joke-some-deemed-anti-semitic\"><span>reporting<\/span><\/a> <span>that the American Jewish Committee called for NBC \u201cto retract its outrageous claim and apologize immediately.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Conversely, the editorial board for The Jerusalem Post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/opinion\/response-to-michael-ches-snl-joke-is-unreasonable-659839\">disagreed<\/a>, saying that the response to \u201cMichael Che\u2019s SNL joke [was] unreasonable,\u201d and that \u201cif everything is antisemitic, then nothing is, so the appellation must be used sparingly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In order to judge both whether Michael Che is anti-Semitic and what we should do about it, there are two things we need to consider: content and context.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Regarding content, we should ask what Che is trying to imply. Is it that there is a \u201cJewish half\u201d of Israel that receives preferential treatment to the other non-Jewish half? That vaccines are being given to Jews first? That Jews are in some ways selfish? None of these, or any realistic interpretations of his comment, are accurate, and so it\u2019s impossible to deny that the content itself was anti-Semitic. At its core, his joke argued or implied that Jews are immunizing their own to the detriment of non-Jews, amounting to a blood libel \u2014 a blood libel debunked immediately given that non-Jewish Israeli Arabs have also received the vaccine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Then, given that the content itself is anti-Semitic, we should next consider the context. After all, there is a difference between Ilhan Omar saying \u201cIt\u2019s all about the Benjamins, baby\u201d while slandering Jewish Americans as disloyal and driven by money, and a Jewish comedian mimicking her bigotry in order to criticize her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Saturday Night Live \u2014 contrary to reality \u2014 claims to be a comedy show, and so we should judge Che\u2019s statement in the context of comedy. In this light, Che is likely to have been hoping to achieve one of three different goals. First, to be objectively funny. Secondly, to use irony to condemn the bigotry of others. Lastly, to share his political viewpoint.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>First, his \u201cjoke\u201d is simply not funny. It doesn\u2019t even make any sense. Second, there is no obvious target of satire beyond Jews themselves, and so it\u2019s difficult to argue that he was criticizing anti-Semitism with ironic anti-Semitism. That just leaves the third option, that Che was sharing a political viewpoint under the guise of \u201ccomedy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This conclusion becomes more likely when we notice that Che has an unfortunate pattern of telling entirely unintelligent and non-amusing anti-Semitic jokes, with Amy Spiro of Jewish Insider sharing another previous clip of Michael Che.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cGoDaddy has shut down a website that hosted a \u2018Miss Hitler Beauty Pageant.\u2019 Coincidentally, \u2018Miss Hitler Beauty Pageant\u2019 was the working title for the Ingraham Angle. By the way Colin, if you\u2019re wondering who the winner of the \u2018Miss Hitler Beauty Pageant\u2019 was, Miss Israel!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I\u2026 don&#8217;t get it? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nbcsnl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@nbcsnl<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LGOwd64zlX\">pic.twitter.com\/LGOwd64zlX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Amy Spiro (@AmySpiro) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AmySpiro\/status\/1259435251727826944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 10, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) maintains a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.holocaustremembrance.com\/resources\/working-definitions-charters\/working-definition-antisemitism?focus=antisemitismandholocaustdenial\">working definition<\/a> of anti-Semitism, which includes \u201c<\/span><span>Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis\u201d as an example. Either Che is joking that a Jewish woman could win \u201cMiss Hitler\u201d in an unsuccessful bid to solicit laughter through shock, or he is<\/span> <span>drawing this very comparison between Israel and Nazis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Both examples of Che\u2019s \u201ccomedy\u201d are demonstrably unfunny. Both examples are arguably \u2014 by definition \u2014 anti-Semitic, whether spreading a blood libel or drawing a comparison between Israel and Nazis. Both examples seem to make a political statement, with no alternative target of ridicule or satire.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>So, yes. In these cases, you can certainly argue that Michael Che is anti-Semitic. The next question is whether \u2014 given that he describes himself as a comedian \u2014 we should even care.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Frankly, the answer should rest entirely on whether or not Michael Che is funny. After all, comedy is not a serious platform for ideological dissemination, and is also a space which encourages the pursuit of the shocking and the surprising. The comments or actions of comedians are often judged not on their content, but on their results. If people laugh, it was a good joke. If people don\u2019t, it was a bad one. The content is usually \u2014 for better or for worse \u2014 irrelevant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Ultimately, both conservatives and Leftists are getting it wrong with Michael Che. Conservatives are hypocrites if they wring their hands with outrage when Che tells a Jewish joke but chortle with glee when he makes a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/snls-michael-che-again-slammed-as-transphobic\">joke<\/a> about the transgender community. Leftists are hypocrites if they condemn Che\u2019s jokes about transgender people but giggle into their kombucha when he comments on Jews or Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Yes, Michael Che\u2019s comments in isolation were probably anti-Semitic. But what matters first is whether or not he\u2019s funny, and whether his delivery and intent behind these comments were designed to be ideological in nature, or satirical.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>With this in mind, we should simply shrug and suggest he practices his chosen craft.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Michael, if you\u2019re a comedian and you\u2019re going to tell a Jewish joke, at least make sure it\u2019s funny. Otherwise, you\u2019ll probably just be labeled as another unfunny anti-Semite, and the Democrats have more than enough of those already.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ighaworth\"><em>@ighaworth<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michael Che is the co-anchor on Saturday Night Live\u2019s Weekend Update segment. Alongside Colin Jost, he hosts a fictional news program based on current events with an apparently comedic slant. &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2274010,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Michael-Che.png?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"SNL\u2019s Michael Che, If You\u2019re Going To Tell A Jewish Joke, At Least Make It A Funny One","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-163790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Michael-Che.png?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"SNL\u2019s Michael Che, If You\u2019re Going To Tell A Jewish Joke, At Least Make It A Funny One","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163790\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2274010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}