Is Fajo an ugly Jewish Stereotype?

[Zameaze]

It's been a long time since I watched the ep, so I found it on YouTube. One of the users I subscribe to has been posting old TNG eps, and just a few days ago, posted this gem. I can see a little more clearly why the OP could get that impression -- that funny hat does look a bit like a yarmulke. So you could kind of make the OP's argument. But I still don't see it as much as the OP does. Still, it's understandable! -- RR

I never did object to what the OP might have subjectively seen in the episode, only to the hurtful images he drew in relation to races. I'm probably just oversensitive, but sometimes I just get tired of the racists and tired of the people who are forever calling everyone else racists: I think they might be cut from the same cloth.

 

[Kross]

I think of Irish elves. Irish elves with fair skin, graceful pointed ears, beautiful green eyes and hair of red fire...

I've got to go...


J.

Dwarves with their short stoutness, their rippling...muscles and their long course...beards....so rough....

*Ahem* Did it just get hot in here? *fans self*

I found other parts of the episode far more interesting, like Data firing the disruptor just as O'Brien beamed him out. One thing puzzled me though: Why the hell would they move their best tactical officer to ops? Geez, its not like Troi does anything on the bridge other than sit there and give Worf nice down blouse shots.

 

[Gary Sebben]

I can see a little more clearly why the OP could get that impression -- that funny hat does look a bit like a yarmulke. So you could kind of make the OP's argument. But I still don't see it as much as the OP does. Still, it's understandable! -- RR

I don't think I see it any more clearly than you do. I just thought it was worth bringing up. It actually didn't come together for me until I saw that Fajo poisoned the water supply on that planet. At that point I was like "hmmmmm......"

 

[Admiral Pike]

The same can be said about klingons, that they are a black stereotype, because they're violent and uneducated thugs with a dark skin colour who are predominantly played by black actors.

Or that the ferengi are a jewish stereotype, because they're greedy and cheap bastards, who are mostly played by jews. In fact, all of the major ferengi characters -- Quark, Nog, Rom and Grand Nagus Zek -- are all played by Jewish actors.

 

[Zameaze]

Or that the ferengi are a jewish stereotype, because they're greedy and cheap bastards, who are mostly played by jews. In fact, all of the major ferengi characters -- Quark, Nog, Rom and Grand Nagus Zek -- are all played by Jewish actors.

And a few Jewish actors not playing Ferengis--William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, and Brent Spiner.

Also a couple of Jewish writers--David Gerrold, and Harlan Ellison.

 

[Gary Sebben]

And a few Jewish actors not playing Ferengis--William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, and Brent Spiner.

Also a couple of Jewish writers--David Gerrold, and Harlan Ellison.

And for the second time you are talking about casting decisions made by different people decades apart. And citing two writers who wrote an episode each and had no other input.

Not to mention the attitude of the two shows in general. Although TNG was writing in the PC 90's it really is like some kind of hands off English Empire. The crew look down their nose at other "lesser" cultures that haven't evolved as much as them. There are multiple episodes where the crew considers a species about to go extinct from natural caused (novas, exploding planets, etc.) as tough luck. PD allowed them to sit on their hands and be smug about it.

A sharp contrast to TOS where, besides some odd white vs yellow cold war analogies, the only really racist element was McCoy and his deep south attitudes that could sometimes rear up. But otherwise the crews general outlook was that all life in the galaxy was equal and often went out of their way to prove it. Cloudminers comes to mind most fiercely, but Kirk believed people had the right to self determination no matter what their level of tech or cultural values. No aliens were backward in TOS, just misunderstood.

 

[CaptainStoner]

^ That never made sense to me, either. Actually, gnomes and dwarves sound more like something the Irish would come up with. And that's me.


J.

Really? Whenever I think Elves, I think English or Scandinavia, the latter of which had Elves and Dwarves in their pre-Christian mythology.

And Trolls! Ireland is generally more known for its "little people", various types of faeries and ghosts, etc. And there are references to pre-Celtic people of Ireland that wove into the mythology, as well as Giants. Then you also have the Vikings landing in Ireland, founding many of its cities actually, so you have a lot of crossover there.
With English people, that is basically a combination of Celtic, Roman, and Germanic peoples, with English being a Germanic language. So quite a rich tapestry.
I think the various elves, dwarves, faerie folk, spirit folk, and etc., probably go back to early human history, perhaps even, in some mythological references, referring to Neanderthal Man.

 

[Zameaze]

And a few Jewish actors not playing Ferengis--William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, and Brent Spiner.

Also a couple of Jewish writers--David Gerrold, and Harlan Ellison.

And for the second time you are talking about casting decisions made by different people decades apart. And citing two writers who wrote an episode each and had no other input.

Not to mention the attitude of the two shows in general. Although TNG was writing in the PC 90's it really is like some kind of hands off English Empire. The crew look down their nose at other "lesser" cultures that haven't evolved as much as them. There are multiple episodes where the crew considers a species about to go extinct from natural caused (novas, exploding planets, etc.) as tough luck. PD allowed them to sit on their hands and be smug about it.

A sharp contrast to TOS where, besides some odd white vs yellow cold war analogies, the only really racist element was McCoy and his deep south attitudes that could sometimes rear up. But otherwise the crews general outlook was that all life in the galaxy was equal and often went out of their way to prove it. Cloudminers comes to mind most fiercely, but Kirk believed people had the right to self determination no matter what their level of tech or cultural values. No aliens were backward in TOS, just misunderstood.

Calm yourself. Admiral Pike was not being serious and I was only playing straight man to him. Read his post again:

Or that the ferengi are a jewish stereotype, because they're greedy and cheap bastards, who are mostly played by jews. In fact, all of the major ferengi characters -- Quark, Nog, Rom and Grand Nagus Zek -- are all played by Jewish actors.

Take a look at his emoticon, also.

 

[Cyrus]

When I saw this episode initially I did think the character looked somewhat like a Jewish stereotype. But if there is anything there it's just due to the way the actor portrayed it. There was obviously no bad intentions on part of the producers. Another actor was initially supposed to play that role, and the producers in charge of TNG at the time, Rick Berman & Michael Piller were Jewish.

Similar observations have been made with the Ferengi characters and again I can see why people may feel that way (though in this case I didn't get that impression myself). But the writer/producers that loved the Ferengi and featured them in many episodes were Jewish themselves, namely Berman, Piller and Ira Behr. So again there was really nothing to it.