The latest crisis in Israel and Gaza has divided communities and friendships, but most of us can at least agree that Amy Schumer needs a timeout from her phone.
In her most recent Instagram post, Schumer described herself as “the most successful female comedian of all time.” She’s clearly out of touch, but that was already made evident as a result of her numerous pro-Israel posts in which she has rationalized Israel’s collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza, rejected helpful advice and critical pushback, and abused her influence to punch down and claim victimhood.
I believe we would be better off ignoring the “deep thoughts” of most celebrities during a conflict that has decades of layers, context, and pain. We don’t need to hear Ja Rule’s opinions on every crisis or read a carefully curated social media post most likely written by a publicist. (Although, if you’re a celebrity and have to say something, follow Angelina Jolie’s lead.)
It’s important to focus on Schumer’s posts, however, because they illustrate the obscene double standards, lack of accountability, and asymmetry at play when it comes to the dehumanization of Palestinians and Muslims in America. Schumer’s comments help us reflect on who gets a pass for expressing genocidal tendencies. Who is allowed to fail up, while others are censored and permanently punished?
In a since-deleted Instagram post from Oct. 24, Schumer shared a single-panel comic that portrayed American pro-Palestinian supporters holding posters and signs that read “Gazans rape Jewish girls only in self-defense,” and “Proud of our rapist martyrs.” In addition to her outrageous and inflammatory claims, Schumer felt perfectly fine posting a cartoon that blamed all Gazans instead of Hamas, the militant organization that controls Gaza and was responsible for committing war crimes and killing 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7. Ever since the 9/11 terror attacks, Muslims, Palestinians, and Arabs have become…
Read the full article here
