Greg Easterbrook @ The New Republic lays a heavy trip on Jewish Hollywood over Tarantino’s new revenge flick, Kill Bill.

Set aside what it says about Hollywood that today even Disney thinks what the public needs is ever-more-graphic depictions of killing the innocent as cool amusement. Disney’s CEO, Michael Eisner, is Jewish; the chief of Miramax, Harvey Weinstein, is Jewish. Yes, there are plenty of Christian and other Hollywood executives who worship money above all else, promoting for profit the adulation of violence. Does that make it right for Jewish executives to worship money above all else, by promoting for profit the adulation of violence? Recent European history alone ought to cause Jewish executives to experience second thoughts about glorifying the killing of the helpless as a fun lifestyle choice. But history is hardly the only concern. Films made in Hollywood are now shown all over the world, to audiences that may not understand the dialogue or even look at the subtitles, but can’t possibly miss the message–now Disney’s message–that hearing the screams of the innocent is a really fun way to express yourself.

But, aside from the fact that no “innocents” die in Tarantino’s film, does Easterbrook’s argument hold water? Atrios chimes in with an interesting response:

Collective responsibility is just the flip side of collective blame. Both poisonous. Both bigoted.

This was the kind of thing that got Congressman Moran in trouble, but with Moran it was more just clumsy expression of what could have been a valid observation. Easterbrook runs right out and says that those rich money-grubbing Jews shouldn’t be promoting violence because as Jews they have a greater responsibility. Or something.

The joys of being a religious, racial, or ethnic minority – always open to this kind of criticism by idiots like Easterbrook.

Shorter Easterbrook: I don’t like Tarantino, and I blame the Jews.

(c/o Aphid)