Jewish gags by Joan Rivers, Seth MacFarlane slammed

Buzz Buzz RSS

Jewish gags by Joan Rivers, Seth MacFarlane slammed

Mark Wahlberg says he knows why Seth MacFarlane's Jewish joke bombed at the Oscars, but insists that their sketch shouldn't have been taken so seriously.

Mark re-teamed with his movie sidekick Ted, an animated teddy bear voiced by the Oscar host, to present an award at the ceremony, but one gag drew anger from America's Anti-Defamation League, who called the joke "offensive and not remotely funny".

Ted said to Mark, "I was born Theodore Shapiro and I would like to donate to Israel and continue to work in Hollywood forever", to which Mark replied, "You're an idiot."

Mark has now spoken out about the criticism, telling E! Online, "It's one of those things that's a very sensitive subject for certain people, so I understand. I didn't expect [the criticism], but then looking back, I get it...

"Hopefully people don't take themselves too seriously. It was meant to entertain and that's it... I can't control what Ted says. He's got a potty mouth. He's got a mind of his own. If I tell him not to say something, he's going to push the envelope even further."

Meanwhile, Joan Rivers has come under fire for her comments on her hit show Fashion Police. Joan, whose parents were Russian Jewish immigrants, critiqued a dress worn by Heidi Klum on Monday's episode, saying, "The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into the ovens."

The remark, in reference to Jewish prisoners killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust, upset ADL leaders who are now demanding an apology from her.

ADL director Abraham H Foxman, a Holocaust survivor, says, "Of all people, Joan Rivers should know better. This remark is so vulgar and offensive to Jews and Holocaust survivors, and indeed to all Americans, that we cannot believe it made it to the airwaves.

"Almost as bad as her original comment is the fact that she sat there doubled over with laughter after saying it. There are certain things about the Holocaust that should be taboo. This is especially true for Jews, for whom the Holocaust is still a deeply painful memory.

"It is vulgar and offensive for anybody to use the death of six million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust to make a joke, but this is especially true for someone who is Jewish and who proudly and publicly wears her Jewishness on her sleeve."

Joan, however, says she's not sorry and added, "My husband lost the majority of his family at Auschwitz, and I can assure you that I have always made it a point to remind people of the Holocaust through humour."