Facebook Follies of Friends and Families

[Malthus]

I'm sure it's ignorant, not realizing Jewish people don't observe Lent. Or that the image is showing Jewish people.

What is "I'm giving up people for Lent" supposed to mean?

I took it as a "blood libel" cannibalism reference - that these Jews were giving up baby-eating (the "blood libel" is that Jews used baby blood for making Matzos, which they would then eat). The "joke" (scare quotes intentional) being that Jews don't celebrate Lent, so they are not, in fact, giving up baby-eating.

[Maximus]

I'm sure it's ignorant, not realizing Jewish people don't observe Lent. Or that the image is showing Jewish people.

What is "I'm giving up people for Lent" supposed to mean?

I took it as a "blood libel" cannibalism reference - that these Jews were giving up baby-eating (the "blood libel" is that Jews used baby blood for making Matzos, which they would then eat). The "joke" (scare quotes intentional) being that Jews don't celebrate Lent, so they are not, in fact, giving up baby-eating.

"I'm giving up people" is a commonly expressed sentiment from people frustrated with the stupidity/cruelty/etc of the general population.

I didn't realise it depicted Jewish people until it was mentioned and I went back and saw the scroll. I don't usually look very closely at the pictures on these things as they are usually pretty meaningless.

It would not have occurred to me to get blood libel out of it. I guess that's why we have these discussions.

[Admiral Yi]

"I'm giving up people" is a commonly expressed sentiment from people frustrated with the stupidity/cruelty/etc of the general population.

This is the way I took it.

[Valmy]

"I'm giving up people" is a commonly expressed sentiment from people frustrated with the stupidity/cruelty/etc of the general population.

This is the way I took it.

That is the way I took it at first...but then was baffled by the Jews in the picture. So I don't get what the fuck the person assembling that image originally was trying to say.

But then the weird choice of images is something Syt's relatives are specialists on.

[Barrister]

"I'm giving up people" is a commonly expressed sentiment from people frustrated with the stupidity/cruelty/etc of the general population.

This is the way I took it.

I definitely took it as a blood libel joke.

[dps]

"I'm giving up people" is a commonly expressed sentiment from people frustrated with the stupidity/cruelty/etc of the general population.

This is the way I took it.

Me too.  So I was completely confused as to why Oex found it anti-Semitic. 

But yeah, if the man and boy are supposed to be Jewish (at first I thought that they were supposed to be some sort of eastern rite Catholics or members of some Orthodox sect), then it is an example of the blood libel.

[Malthus]

"I'm giving up people" is a commonly expressed sentiment from people frustrated with the stupidity/cruelty/etc of the general population.

This is the way I took it.

Me too.  So I was completely confused as to why Oex found it anti-Semitic. 

But yeah, if the man and boy are supposed to be Jewish (at first I thought that they were supposed to be some sort of eastern rite Catholics or members of some Orthodox sect), then it is an example of the blood libel.

They are definitely supposed to be Jews.

-Wearing kippahs
-Reading from Torah scroll (the stuff in front of the kid is the traditional Torah scroll décor)
- the adult is wearing a prayer shawl

[Malthus]

I'm sure it's ignorant, not realizing Jewish people don't observe Lent. Or that the image is showing Jewish people.

What is "I'm giving up people for Lent" supposed to mean?

I took it as a "blood libel" cannibalism reference - that these Jews were giving up baby-eating (the "blood libel" is that Jews used baby blood for making Matzos, which they would then eat). The "joke" (scare quotes intentional) being that Jews don't celebrate Lent, so they are not, in fact, giving up baby-eating.

"I'm giving up people" is a commonly expressed sentiment from people frustrated with the stupidity/cruelty/etc of the general population.

I didn't realise it depicted Jewish people until it was mentioned and I went back and saw the scroll. I don't usually look very closely at the pictures on these things as they are usually pretty meaningless.

It would not have occurred to me to get blood libel out of it. I guess that's why we have these discussions.

That may be part of the "joke". If the image depicted some random person (or with no image at all) it would be innocuous, a simple expression of frustration at people.

By adding Jews, it gains a double meaning.

[Admiral Yi]

If it's the blood libel, the two don't make any sense in connection.

"Transgenders are fucked.  Because of this, kill all Jews."

[Malthus]

If it's the blood libel, the two don't make any sense in connection.

"Transgenders are fucked.  Because of this, kill all Jews."

I didn't take it that the two were intended to be connected.

I just assumed one was aimed at attacking "libtard academics" about gender issues, and the other was a nasty Jew-hating joke.

[Maximus]

That may be part of the "joke". If the image depicted some random person (or with no image at all) it would be innocuous, a simple expression of frustration at people.

By adding Jews, it gains a double meaning.

Only if the image has meaning, which it usually doesn't, but in this case yea, it's probably not safe to assume that.

[Razgovory]

I'm sure it's ignorant, not realizing Jewish people don't observe Lent. Or that the image is showing Jewish people.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but your people have claimed ignorance regarding Jews before.

[Syt]

I have to admit that this text/image was creating a reference to blood libel didn't even cross my mind until it was mentioned. AFAICT it's not something that comes up in discussions of antisemitism much over here.

[Tamas]

Yeah the blood libel is a very fringe thing even in the fringe rabid anti-Semite circles nowadays, in Hungary at least.

But I guess it's hard to find any other point to that drawing.

[Barrister]

Yeah the blood libel is a very fringe thing even in the fringe rabid anti-Semite circles nowadays, in Hungary at least.

But I guess it's hard to find any other point to that drawing.

Oh I don't think even rabid anti-semites actually believe in the blood libel.

But that's what makes it a "joke".  You're referencing the blood libel, but only "ironically".