Why so many jewish actors
 

There are not that many jews in the world, but there are very many succesful jewish actors. I am not against jews in any way, and I like to watch their movies, but I have been wondering this for a while.

Is it because the movie studios´ bosses are mostly jews and the hire jews? If so, then how do they know in casting that someone is jew?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Jewish_actors

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

Eegads. Okay. Technically, this violates no rules, but I'm gonna put a big, fat warning: this topic will be locked and/or removed if it veers off into any of the many, many places it could go. If it remains a thoughtful analysis of the number of Jewish actors and the reasons this number may be disproportionate to the population as a whole, that's fine. Beyond that, it's gone. Fair warning.

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

Okay, that said, I see one potentially big issue here: the assumption that there are many Jewish actors. Just looking at that list doesn't tell you much, because it's not compared to any other total. And, frankly, it kind of looks like a small list. Anyway, you'd first need to establish that there are a great many Jewish actors before even asking the question, I think.

If that were established, or if we were to simply accept it for the sake of argument, my personal theory would be that they're far more likely to enter show business to begin with. There are a number of books on Jewish culture and how it often emphasizes and encourages many of the habits and decisions that lead to various types of success, be they academic or entrepreneurial. When you grow up among family and friends who value these things, your odds of success probably go way up, and this may be self-reinforcing as a minority sees other members of that minority succeeding, and decides to go the same route.

Jewish actors? Would it be so wrong bubby?

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

"The following 200 pages are in this category, out of 768 total." 768 is quite a few, because you can find many famous names there.

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

Ah, didn't see that. Feel free to ignore that part of my message. The rest, however -- about needing perspective with non-Jewish actors and the like -- still applies.

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

There's only 800 people on that list. I wouldn't think they got hired by studio bosses because they're Jewish even if the studio boss was Jewish. What's the point in that - surely they hire the best person for the film regardless of their religion.

There's a long tradition of Jewish theatre in Eastern Europe and Russia so it stands to reason that when Jewish people emigrated to the US they would get involved in the beginnings of the film industry and success breeds success within communities.

I'll take you at your word that this isn't anti-Semitic, but it reminds me so much of my brother's shameful claim that Jews control Hollywood. I don't believe it.

That list isn't so much stretched out over decades from the silent pictures of Broncho Billy Anderson to those of the Jewish faith playing 20-somethings in today's films. How would it compare to the number of Catholics in the movie industry? I'm really surprised at someone assembling such a list, but then I've never picked a movie on the basis of the director's or star's religious beliefs--other than "Mad Mel," of course, but he offends me on many other levels, too.

At one time there may have been a disproportionate number of Jewish prize fighters (including some of the actors listed), but that gave way in time to the Irish and Italian and then to black fighters and more recently to Hispanic fighters since the ring was a place for minorities to win fame and fortune. Same thing with crime--there were a lot of Irish and Jewish gangsters many years ago, but they gave way to the infamous Mafia as the number of Italian immigrants grew and more legtimate business opportunities opened for the Irish and Jews. Leading to the question: Is the number and percentage of Jews in the movie business increasing or (more likely, I think) decreasing from an earlier peak? And where is the proof there was ever a "disproportionate" number of Jews in the movie or any other business. That's like assuming a disproportionate number of blacks are professional dancers. Bottom line: Who really gives a damn about such divisions?

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

There are a lot of Jews in show business, probably disproportionate to the population. I don't know if it is true with contemporary comics, but they were particularly dominant in comedy for decades. Jews dominated Broadway musicals for many years. Rogers and Hart and later Hammerstein, the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Lerner and Loewe, Stephen Sondheim, etc. The only major Broadway composer from the first half of the twentieth century who wasn't Jewish was Cole Porter.

So who says white boys ain't got rhythm? :)

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

There are also a lot of gays in show business. I'm not going to speculate why.

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

Why would this be an important issue :bored: who cares what race actors are :rolleyes:

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

It's kind of interesting, but it has nothing to do with conspiracies. It has been speculated about before and the usual theory is in the earlier part of the twentieth century when Jews faced more discrimination than now, show business was an area they could enter because more polite society looked down on it.

It's a Zionist conspiracy I tells ya! I think the infamous "protocols" mentioned something about this.

Phase # 1: Produce Three Stooges
Phase # 2: ????
Phase # 3: Profit/Initiate Takeover

But seriously, this thread is a offensive joke. Is there something wrong with having a person, or persons in this case, have a religious disposition in an industry? Race, creed, sex, orientation, and all parts in between, really shouldn't matter in this day and age. It's sad some still care about these petty things.

to be fair, a lot of threads started here aren't what you'd call "important".

dunno that anyone here has actually said there's anything wrong with it. all i see is speculation.

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

Jew Comics from the thirties and forties

Marx Brothers
Three Stooges
Ritz Brothers
Eddie Cantor
Danny Kay
George Burns
Jack Benny
Bud Abbott

Gentile Comics

W.C. Fields
Mae West
Bob Hope
Jimmy Durante
Laurel and Hardy
Lou Costello
Gracie Allen
Red Skelton

All the famous silent comedians were Goys.
Jews must open their mouths to be funny (except Harpo).

Re: Why so many jewish actors
 

Admittedly, this thread is walking a fine line, but I don't think the original poster really meant anything offensive. He just noticed a trend and was curious. Does it really matter? No. No more than the afformentioned trends in boxing. Such stats only really mean anything to people of those communities. Children of whatever group that may feel like they are being looked down on will look for successful people who share their heritage as proof that they, too, can accomplish greatness. At least, that used to be the case, which was why in the old days boxers and wrestlers really played up their heritage, real or fictional.

You are right :yup: it is just my Jewish side coming out :D