How or Why is an Octopus toy Considered Antisemitic

[theclaud]

'Monkeys and bananas pre date human existence so any reference to those 2 things in connection with black people couldn't possibly be interpreted as a racist allusion. Anyway, people of all races eat bananas so they can never be used as a racist trope'.

Does it not get tiresome, pretending not to understand things that you understand perfectly well?

 

[Ian H]

Understand that, but one would expect that if it’s offensive to Jewish people, the Israeli leaders would not use the same reference to describe Iran or Islamists?

There's a history of oppressed minorities taking back control of offensive words - queer, n****r, etc. It's possible the Israeli government is doing the same.

 

[winjim]

'Monkeys and bananas pre date human existence so any reference to those 2 things in connection with black people couldn't possibly be interpreted as a racist allusion. Anyway, people of all races eat bananas so they can never be used as a racist trope'.

I don't think anyone's claiming that the image of an octopus isn't, hasn't or can't be used as antisemitic propaganda.

 

[Ian H]

Does it not get tiresome, pretending not to understand things that you understand perfectly well?

Perhaps only to others.

 

[theclaud]

There's a history of oppressed minorities taking back control of offensive words - queer, n****r, etc. It's possible the Israeli government is doing the same.

I don't think so - I think it's more the case that the Israeli government is quite happy to deal in racist tropes. Especially when they're about Muslims, Arabs, or Palestinians, or course, but more interestingly the sort of simplistic and specious sensitivities about language and expression that characterise mainstream media and political discourse in the UK don't seem to be a thing in Israel itself, where of course Netanyahu's government is widely recognised as extremist. Liberal papers like Haaretz are much more frank and critical than anything you'll find in the Guardian, whilst of course the Israeli right is openly off-the-scale racist in ways that make most of the UK right look like Owen Jones.

 

[AuroraSaab]

The use of a disability aid as a political weapon.

You can surely see that you are doing the same as you are accusing others of doing though? How many people would see a stuffed toy octopus and automatically think 'aid for autism'? How can it be weaponised when people don't make that association? Which is what you are saying about the Jews/octopus trope - 'How can it be offensive when people don't make that association.... It's just a toy.' The difference I'd say is that the Jews/octopus trope is historically well established, even if some posters on here think it isn't.

 

[matticus]

Home educator.

Ah - very impressive. This exact factoid was on QI last night!

 

[AuroraSaab]

Does it not get tiresome, pretending not to understand things that you understand perfectly well?

I'm certainly tired of posters who are triggered by the union flag and statues of dead slave traders but pretend they don't understand antisemitic imagery.

 

[Fab Foodie]

It’s interesting that some pro-Israeli individuals and groups are referring to the octopus as an anti-Semitic trope, but Israeli politicians often use the term to describe Iran and Islamism.

They can’t have it both ways.

4 legs one way, 4 the other?

 

[theclaud]

I'm certainly tired of posters who are triggered by the union flag and statues of dead slave traders but pretend they don't understand antisemitic imagery.

Do you know anyone who is triggered by either of those things? Cos I wouldn't want people to think you were being disingenuous by saying 'is triggered by' when you mean 'has an opinion about'.

 

[winjim]

You can surely see that you are doing the same as you are accusing others of doing though? How many people would see a stuffed toy octopus and automatically think 'aid for autism'? How can it be weaponised when people don't make that association? Which is what you are saying about the Jews/octopus trope - 'How can it be offensive when people don't make that association.... It's just a toy.' The difference I'd say is that the Jews/octopus trope is historically well established, even if some posters on here think it isn't.

Jesus Christ you are obnoxious. You're just a really thick, horrible person aren't you?

 

[Fab Foodie]

It only takes the briefest of searches to see that the poor octopus has been used as a propaganda tool depicting all sorts of countries and people in cartoons.

It's by no means uniquely antisemitic.

We've all been suckered....

 

[Fab Foodie]

Home educator.

Pedant....

 

[matticus]

How many people would see a stuffed toy octopus and automatically think 'aid for autism'? How can it be weaponised when people don't make that association? Which is what you are saying about the Jews/octopus trope - 'How can it be offensive when people don't make that association.... It's just a toy.' The difference I'd say is that the Jews/octopus trope is historically well established, even if some posters on here think it isn't.

I do get your point - I think! - but for me, the sincerity of the "offended" party went out of the window when they refused to accept Greta's apology/correction. It then became a totally disporportiionate response - especially aimed at a very young woman, with KNOWN mental disability, who is VERY unlikely to know about the octopus-evil-jews connection.

 

[theclaud]

Pedant....

It ain't pedantry if it illuminates.