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Sat 30 Oct, 2004 07:48 am
iwas horrified last night when the Italian Dad said to the camera referring to the woman who was his "new wife for 2 weeks." I think the horns are coming out at any minute." Every Jew knows that this is a reference to the Bible which was misinterpreted to say that Jews have horns. Ask anyone who has met someone who has never met a Jew and they will tell you this might have happened to them.
The woman in question is Jewish. His wife also had problems being with a biracial family. This is disgusting! As someone who has never posted to a website before, I feel like I must do something to counteract this!
Welcome to A2K Jillian but I have to add...wait up a sec..
I never heard of this inference, but I recognize Italian Dad's statement as being...perhaps an Italian-American remark. Is it possible you misunderstood?
If you are Jewish and have never been asked , "Where are your horns?" you are lucky. Try a road trip thru the south and Texas. I had a college roomate (at Boston University!) who asked me that question having never met a Jew.
Since this is a clear, often used, anti-semetic statement, I can't believe it got by the sensors. Bet they weren't Jewish (or too busy to catch it!)
I've heard of it, Jillian. Eek, it's hard to believe people still think that way. At Boston University in 1979, I was sometimes the first Jew people had seen. While I don't recall anyone specifically asking about horns, I do recall a certain fascination by some, as if I were some sort of odd lab experiment.
Goes to show I don't know much about this anti-semitic take...
We all do...but with reality tv comes reality racism...I guess.
Have I heard the expression yes indeed. In fact in 1949 while stationed in Texas a new recruit from Oklahoma who I had befriended when he found out I was Jewish. Looked at me in disbelief since he had been taught that all Jews had horns.
Regarding the statement referenced. I doubt that it was meant to be anti Semitic. It is an Italian statement used all the time. Can't translate exactly but meant Wishing something bad on you.
yeh, my wife had her horns removed in an out patient procedure, years ago. But every so often, she still gets a taste for human blood.
My grandmother related an exact story to au's to me when I was a kid. Not knowing Italian, I can't judge whether the statement made on the show was anti-semetic or not.
Cav
I have lived and worked with Italians most of my life. In my corner of the world if you were not Jewish you were Italian. In fact most of my friends and neighbors are Italian. Have heard and used that expression many time. In fact there is a hand sign used to give horns.
Well, with Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel, I suppose the two groups reached an 'understanding'.
To be honest, I have never met an anti-semetic Italian, not in this city anyway.
It was guns and butter :wink:
Heh heh...I find all this fascinating in light of the original post.
I can only hazard a guess that the original statement in Italian refers to 'the devil' of Catholic mythology, and is not necessarily related to being Jewish.
my take
or perhaps a cuckold reference