‘Self-Hating Jew’: ‘Jewcam Sam’ Video Lands Plastic Surgeon With Ethics Investigation
- Posted on March 30, 2012 at 12:17pm by
Billy Hallowell
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Michael Salzhauer, also known as “Dr. Schnoz,” is igniting controversy for reinforcing stereotypes about the sizes of Jewish individuals’ noses. Salzhauer, who is currently under investigation, commissioned a music video about rhinoplasty a few months back that many people in the Jewish-American community see as inflammatory. The clip, which was performed by The Groggers, an Orthodox pop-punk band, deals with controversial subject matter.
The video highlights a young, Jewish man’s struggles over the size of his nose and his efforts to get the girl of his dreams. In the end, following a rhinoplasty procedure, the boy does, indeed, end up with a beautiful woman — a message that is certainly problematic for those encouraging young people to be themselves and to not conform to societal demands.
In exchange for the music video, Salzhauer apparently offered the band members free nose jobs. The lead singer took him up on the offer, which is evident in the video.
Religion News Service has more on the drama surrounding the clip:
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons…deemed the video “inappropriate and offensive” in a March 13 statement, and has opened an ethics investigation.
More generally, Jewcan Sam has revived debates about Jewish stereotypes and prompted questions about whether rhinoplasty patients are cutting off their noses to spite their Jewish faces.
Andrew Rosenkranz, the Florida director for the Anti-Defamation League, called the five-minute video “hurtful” for featuring a Jewish young man who is rejected by a fetching young woman because of his beaky nose.
Below, watch the video in question:
A description posted under The Groggers’ video explains that the clip, “explores how far a person would go for love.” Additionally, the text makes the following claim: “This video marks the first time in history that a band underwent plastic surgery for the sole purpose of a music video.” Under this text, people interested in plastic surgery inquiries are forwarded to the surgeon’s web site.
The name of the project — “Jewcam Sam” — was inspired by Toucan Sam, the mascot of Froot Loops cereal. Some critics have wondered if Salzhauer is a “self-hating Jew” as a result of his participation in the project. But The Groggers’ lead singer, L.E. Doug Staiman, has dismissed critics’ charges.
“We’re all Orthodox Jews and very proud Jews,” Staiman said. ”Isn‘t there a KKK rally you’ve got to break up somewhere?”
Both Staiman and Salzhauer contend that the video isn’t meant to serve as a commercial and that it is meant to be a spoof. RNS continues, providing more information on the video:
The video follows the yarmulke-wearing Staiman as he tries to resist a knife-wielding surgeon — played by Salzhauer — and his thuggish orderlies. Everywhere he goes, he faces pressure to get a nose job. At one point he bumps into a bush clipped in the shape of scissors.
After the nose job, Staiman doesn’t get the sexy girl. (The video was filmed both before and after Salzhauer performed the operation.) But he does get a different sexy girl.
Is it a mixed message on rhinoplasty? Yes, said Staiman, whose band has a reputation for making edgy music videos on themes in Jewish life, and not always taking clear positions on them.
To add to the controversy, Salzhauer is now purportedly providing “scholarships” to Jewish girls who may want a nose job to better attract boys.
(H/T: Religion News Service)
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Comments (34)
oswell
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:16pmLiberals live to be offended, but only on behalf of other people.
Report Post »Endstatism
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:28amIn the movie Just Go With It, Adam Sandler`s character initially appears with a exaggerated stereotype Jewish nose. No one made a issue about this movie.
Report Post »Nora
Posted on March 31, 2012 at 8:52pmnose, shmoze, who cares!
Report Post »wdittgasn
Posted on March 31, 2012 at 1:51pmFree nose jobs with Obamacare.
Report Post »Cesium
Posted on March 31, 2012 at 3:26pmThe title of this article is absolutely inappropriate! It is misleading. I’m jewish and so are these guys.. I find it funny. This making fun of anti-semetic people who claim jews have big noses.. Blaze idiots
Report Post »walkandtalk
Posted on March 31, 2012 at 4:57amMusic video with a moral. Don’t have plastic surgery to please someone else. If you are going to have it it should be for yourself. Notice the girl who encouraged or rather mocked the boy indicated she would go out with him if he had rhinoplasty. After word she said she only went out with athletes. Selfish and self-centered is always selfish and self-centered. It was a lesson. The doctor did advertise but maybe it will make people think. Know why your doing something especially plastic surgery. Teens can be self conscious about many things. This was about a nose. Kids diet, lift weights, wear the latest fashion, style and restyle their hair, some fight acne or other skin problems, some have weight problems that are medical. The teen years are all about discovery and learning who you are. It can be an uphill battle for some. It isn’t easy growing up.
Report Post »HiredMind Blog
Posted on March 31, 2012 at 3:47amUgh. It’s “JewcaN Sam” With an N not an M. You guys spelled it wrong in the title and in the body of the article.
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on March 31, 2012 at 1:20amWhat’s up with that headline, Blaze? I didn’t see any self-hating Jew stuff in there. I think they were just poking a little fun at themselves, and the song was excellent too, IMHO. The Jews are just trying to fit in with the rest of us, if anything. After six thousand plus years of persecution, wouldn’t you? That’s why most of them vote liberal, and liberal policies are more inclusive.
Report Post »CulperGang
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 8:49pmit is funny. and in the jewish culture nose is an issue….like with blacks hair is an issue………get over yourselves. it is what it is. you liberals stop whinnying about being offended about this that and the other. asian are forever getting rhinoplasty to build a nose bridge…it is what it is, get over yourselves.
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 6:32pm“Andrew Rosenkranz, the Florida director for the Anti-Defamation League, called the five-minute video “hurtful” for featuring a Jewish young man who is rejected by a fetching young woman because of his beaky nose.”
Hurtful because it accurately reflects human behavior? Because men and women DON’T reject potential mates solely on the basis of physical attractiveness ALL THE TIME? What world are YOU living?
The sort of good news, good news depending upon your perspective I suppose, is that for men, luckily your physical attractiveness won’t be the PRIMARY characteristic upon which your suitability as a mate is determined, at least it won’t for the entirety of your life, which is good because people tend to get uglier as they get older. For men, women will primarily evaluate your desirability as a potential mate based upon your ability to support progeny–crudely, how materially endowed you are. Men, for their part in the shallowness, will more simply (and perhaps ultimately more cruelly and unfortunately for women) select mates upon physical attractiveness, primarily focusing on certain hip-waist ratios, which aren’t the same VALUE for individual men and or cultures, but tends to be a metric commonly (if unconsciously) employed for measuring aesthetic beauty.
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 6:23pm“a message that is certainly problematic for those encouraging young people to be themselves and to not conform to societal demands.”
What do you mean “not conform to societal demands”? That’s the whole POINT of capitalism–responding to its demands for consumption. It NEEDS people to respond to its social pressures, to buy its products, to perpetuate its own existence–any economy NEEDS this to happen to sustain its own existence, and fulfill its purpose. And what about social norms? We WANT people to submit to THOSE societal demands–it would be a bad, and likely short-lived, society were the vast majority of the members didn’t internalize and capitulate to the societal demand to abstain from murder.
As for plastic surgery and having to do things to appear desirable to whatever sex you are attracted to–welcome to the entire history of human existence, and the purpose underlying almost all human activity. The pressures to do things so others will act in a certain way is great, and not always wrong or misdirected (as I showed examples), but I can see how it can engender harms, for societal pressures do not always point towards what is the most beneficial outcome. The only real solution though is personal judgment. These social pressures aren’t likely to disappear soon, and many of them shouldn’t. Men will largely continue to make choices based upon how women will receive those choices, and vice-versa.
Report Post »Watchyer6
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 5:15pmNone of my Jewish friends found this offensive. They thought it was kinda funny.
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 4:07pmcrass
Report Post »ConservativeCanucklehead
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 2:52pmWow! I really enjoyed the song, and was very impressed by the musicianship. The video was well-structured and entertaining. The group seems like a Jewish “Bare Naked Ladies” … delivering musically interesting, light-hearted songs. At least, that’s the sense I take from just this one song. But it definitely leaves me wanting to sample more of their music. Overall, I’d say it was a job well-done. (On the nose too.)
Report Post »Constructionist
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 2:51pmI’m not sure why getting a nose job makes you a self-hating Jew. Does paying to ‘straighten’ your hair make you a self-hating black woman? Perhaps tanning makes you a self-hating caucasian. Sounds like an ethics investigation looking for a reason to happen.
Report Post »deeberj
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 2:34pmSince when are music videos so important.
Why doesn‘t anyone talk about Madonna’s new video with mostly naked men and her in chains? Just the little bit I saw looked so twisted, but people were upset because she smoked a cig in it. THE HORRORS! PC crap is idotic. It focuses on the unimportant.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 2:21pmI was in high school in the early 60′s, and many jewish girls got a nose job. It was their choice-we seem to forget about choice when we see something like this-and so did some guys. Some non-jewish girls and guys did too, so what is the big deal? People are allowed to make choices in their lives and it isn’t any of our business. This is much to do about nothing!
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 2:31pmAmen, sister. To all the self-important Progressives posting here, MIND YOUR OWN DAMNED BUSINESS!
The guy put his name and point of view out the public. There’s nothing hidden here. The people who used his services knew exactly what they were getting into.
Jeez-Louise, you people are amazing. – “Freedom for all, unless it violates my sensibilities. I mean, c’mon, I can only hold onto principles until I’m annoyed.”
Report Post »Pontiac
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 1:48pmGo to youtube, vote that crap down for any multitude of reasons.
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 1:41pmNever could stand pop….
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 1:39pmCombining the best of the worst of this newest generation. Bad music, metro-sexuals who are worried about their looks, even though they look as androgynous as they can.
Report Post »Plastic surgeons PREY on people with self-image problems.
Jaycen
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 2:32pmOh, I know…those poor, innocent babies had no idea what this monster was going to do to them. His predatory medical practices should be outlawed. My goodness, what a PREDATOR.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 1:05pmOkay, I see nothing wrong with this. I know plenty of non-Jewish people who have large snozolas. People do get turned off by facial features. Look at Jimmy Durante, he had a big nose and he was not Jewish. He turned it into a positive.
I thought it was a cute video.
Report Post »Schteveo
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 9:38pmAs a man with a large honker, I’m not upset that OTHER people get their noses snipped. (you know what they say about men with big noses) I‘m not upset that the doctor paid for a ’spoof’ video, of people who get nose jobs. (it got his amed mentioned in HOW many newspapers) I’m not upset by the musician taking the doctors offer of a free schnoz shortening. (he’s a struggling musician, it was something he evidently he wanted and it was free…so who got hurt)
Then again, maybe I don‘t get it because I’m not a hyper-sensitive, Jewish (in name only), NYC / LA liberal igdet either.
I guess, truthfully, THAT is why I’m not outraged!? So,.I guess I’ll just OY gevalt his one too then!
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 1:04pmThat does not look like a real nose. They are mocking people, but that boy better be careful because someone might go to whinning about that too. Someone with a snozz like Bill Maher might trip him with his nose and his face and nose could swell up to some out of the ordinary size for him.
Report Post »It seems we do comment on about anything. LOL
SgtB
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 1:42pmI’m reminded of a movie I saw once where Steve Martin played a man with a humongous nose and whenever people would try to make fun of him, he would belt out more jokes than they could ever put together and embarrass them in the process while making himself more attractive to the ladies. Point being, I’m sick of these liberal @55hats who try to rule everyone else’s lives and want to say they have a RIGHT to not be offended when such a right is obviously nonexistent.
I don’t see anything wrong with this. A plastic surgeon commissioned a song about rhinoplasty; said song was made and the surgeon offered the guy who made the song a nose job for free. There was no one being forced to do anything they didn’t want to do and nothing illegal took place. If anything, this shows how defunct and back@55ward the American medical system is if they can bring up two adults acting of their own free will on charges of any kind.
Report Post »SpeckledPup
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 4:22pmmovie was based on cyrano de bergerac
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 1:00pmDr. Schnoz hates himself?
Report Post »Smug
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:55amOne of my BFF’s is Jewish but he doesn’t hate his self, he just doesn’t like polo shirts they make him sad………MSSMUG
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 12:32pmBlogging & bloggers have a oppinion on everything , lmao.
Report Post »randy
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 12:24pmFunny
Report Post »oldguy49
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 12:23pmlets see……….muslims advocate distroying america and israel and kill all non muslims and you spend your time picking a nose…………..
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on March 30, 2012 at 12:50pm“Let’s see. Muslims advocate destroying America and Israel, and further advocate killing all non-Muslims; and you spend your time picking a nose? Oy Gevalt! “
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