Max Weinberg's Gift to the Mormons…
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock (or don’t live 24/7 inside the jblogosphere, like we do), Republican Mormon senator from Utah Orrin Hatch (who apparently has a big song-writing hobby) loves the Jews so much, he decided to give us a brand new song about Chanukah. Jewschooler Aryeh Cohen covered the song here. Tablet originally posted the song.
In return, Jewschool started thinking about a way to return Hatch’s gift with a song about a Mormon holiday. (Big tip o’ the nib to RebYudel and KRG.) We were looking at ways to record it, had come up with some great lyrics, but this was used on the show before we had a chance to polish it off and post it ourselves. Our RobK passed it along and the result?
Conan O’Brien and his Jewish sidekick Max Weinberg decided to return the favor with this. Enjoy. Chappy Chanukah.
Editor’s note:
Our blogger Rob Kutner adds more of the back end to the story – again, note that the idea came from a discussion offline among Jewschool’s contributors:
I saw the idea being bandied about among Jewschool’s contributors. Someone had a pretty brilliant riff to the tune of Maoz Tsur. Then it occurred to me that the Tonight Show band leader, Max Weinberg, is Jewish – and maybe he could be the centerpiece of such a response to the Mormons. I pitched the idea to Conan, and then my colleague (and Heeb 100er) Todd Levin and I wrote new lyrics to the more universally known (if not necessarily beloved) “I Have A Little Dreidel.” Unlike the scathing Maoz Tsur lyrics, Standards & Practices was skeptical, so we made our focus the average American’s cluelessness/misunderstandings of Mormonism. It’s definitely an interesting moment when Jewish culture is mainstream enough to provide a window on another minority religion’s relative marginalization.
One more cultural nugget: I had the idea to liven it up by bringing in the “Mormon Tapper-nacle Choir,” and one of the tap dancers told me last night that she was Jewish, but that her hair was too frizzy, so they had to put a straight wig on her to make her look more “Mormon.”
One last little tiny update. For those who are jonesin’ to know what the lyrics were, we include them below. We wanted to have a song that was special to a Mormon holiday, and the one we found was Joseph Smith’s birthday, to the tune of “Oh, Chanukah, Oh Chanukah.” Thanks to our Mormon friends for taking it all in a lighthearted spirit. Just to be clear (in case it isn’t) the lyrics are meant to make fun of Orrin Hatch, not Mormons or Joseph Smith.
Oh Joseph Smith, Oh Joseph Smith
The prophet of the Mormons
On Dec 23 we toast your birth
(Though not with coke or tea or bourbon)….
An angel showed to you a bunch of golden plates
Leading you to make your people mi-grate
And Jesus …did visit …the natives of this land
giving revelation, that lead to celebration
and moving to Ohio with his band.
But financial collapse and other mishaps
brought them to Utah and senators who like wiretaps
As a Mormon, I thought this was pretty funny…thanks Max and Conan.
Also, a Mormon, I thought this was great. I kept thinking that I was going to be ridiculed (and sort of was), but it was in good taste, and frankly, hilarious.
One more Mormon vote in the “loved it” column. Happy Chanukah.
I have often wondered why it is still politically correct to deride Mormons. Imagine if a similar song was written about Muslims or Jews- we would never hear the end of it. Orrin Hatch’s song celebrates the Jewish culture and history. The Mormon faith is the only religion in the history of the U.S. to have a government sanctioned extermination order on it. You would think Jews more than any other people would show more respect and sensitivity.
As a Mormon, I thank Max and Conan giving me a good laugh. The skit was hilarious. I loved the Mormon Tappernacle Dancers.
Where’s the derision in this song? I mean, it pokes fun at mainstream ignorance of Mormon faith and culture, but that’s more down on non-Mormons.
Imagine if a similar song was written about Muslims or Jews- we would never hear the end of it. … You would think Jews more than any other people would show more respect and sensitivity.
Jews just cut out the middle man and make fun of themselves.
Check out the story behind Hatch’s Hanukkah song.
http://jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/12/a_melody_fit_for_a_maccabee.php
As a Mormon, I thought it was pretty funny. It could have been MUCH funnier if Max had consulted funny Mormons.
There was one big error in it that is not funny. Big Love is not a “Mormon” family. And Witness? Amish? That’s not us either. Children of the Corn? Won’t go there.
Mormons are not pentecostal Christians with constant wearing of long dresses and scarfs around women’s heads.
Think: Some Brady Bunch episodes. Eight is enough. Dan in Real Life. Big Fat Greek Weeding (loud and sometimes obnoxious large families). Family Ties. Little House on the Prairie (relationships). 7th heaven.
And, what do we think?
We want good jobs to raise healthy and broadly educated families.
What do we do?
Clean living and humanitarian service are pillars of the faith.
What do we drink?
Non-alcoholic and decaff please! However, we do love sugar!
i’m just curious – do this many Mormons read Jewschool or do you folks all have “Mormon” on google alert?
thanks to everyone for chiming in.
Looks to me like an invitation for Orrin Hatch, or other Mormon representatives, to come on the show and explain the Latter Day Saint (Mormon) faith and culture.
James, I think they know those shows/movies aren’t about Mormons. But I think it’s again all about exaggerating how little non-Mormon Americans know about their Mormon neighbors.
I’m a Mormon who googled “Mormon” today and here I am. All I have to say is, if you google “hilarious” you will find Conan O’Brien.
“I have often wondered why it is still politically correct to deride Mormons. Imagine if a similar song was written about Muslims or Jews- we would never hear the end of it. Orrin Hatch’s song celebrates the Jewish culture and history. The Mormon faith is the only religion in the history of the U.S. to have a government sanctioned extermination order on it. You would think Jews more than any other people would show more respect and sensitivity.” —Christian
hmmmm….Have you ever heard about the indigenous peoples that lived on this land before it was colonized? What do you think happened to them and their religious practices?
Leah writes:
Have you ever heard about the indigenous peoples that lived on this land before it was colonized? What do you think happened to them and their religious practices?
You can read all about it in the Book of Mormon!
I just saw the clip and heard some of the story behind this. Another Mormon here, and I thought it was hysterical! That was excellent. 🙂