So my conservative counterpart Donald Douglas of American Power was in New York City over the weekend for the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. His main post on the events has a lot of pictures taken from around the city and while it's a little heavy on religion and rantings about "the left's Media-Industrial-Islamist-Complex" it's still rather interesting to check out but it's his follow-up post about "the America-bashing, anti-Israel left" amongst the sign-carrying protesters of the various ideologies present that day that I found particularly entertaining. Amidst his claims about supposedly out-debating some anti-war "leftists" on the street I found this gem of an accusation:
Then turning around, I saw this kid yacking it up for the crowd, obviously having a blast with this ugly Jew-hating sign. And what does that mean, "SASQUATCH ISRAEL"? This is a play on the "legitimacy myth" of Israel's existence. As there's of course a "Sasquatch myth," it's worth noting the implied comparison: that Israel is also an ape-like beast existing only in historical folklore. Absent legitimacy, Israel has "no right to exist." This kid's sign is but one more example of eliminationist anti-Semitism. And look at how overjoyed he is in boasting this hatred. Creepy.I'm sure you're all just as familiar as I am with this oh-so-common yet extraordinarily awkwardly worded insult comparing the country of Israel to the cryptozoological creature known as Sasquatch in order to advance the agenda of anti-Semitic eliminationism, right? You know, all those political cartoons you've seen in which Israel is portrayed as a large hulking fictional beast crashing through the dense underbrush of the Middle East with the words "SASQUATCH ISRAEL" written across its chest? Wait, you're not? Yeah, neither am I and it's because Don's claim qualifies as the very definition of the phrase "desperately grasping at straws". Here's a picture of said kid:
Now tell me, if you had to make a guess would you say that his sign reads "SASQUATCH ISRAEL" or does it perhaps read "SASQUATCH IS REAL"? One might even guess that there's a very good reason that this kid is seemingly "overjoyed" and "having a blast" whilst holding up his sign:
So he's either just some kid having a laugh (or being somewhat serious, who knows?) about the disputed existence of Sasquatch or else he's an unabashed anti-Semite openly boasting of his ugly Jew-hating agenda, thus confirming Don's paranoid fears about the "nihilist left" (oh, and he can't spell very well either). This is what happens when the modern Republican persecution complex goes looking for anti-Semitism around every corner: it inevitably finds it, even in the face of incredulity at the obviously nonsensical nature of it. And on a personal anthropological note, I haven't seen a case of Sasquatch FAIL this bad since the fake freezer Bigfoot from a few years back. I've always suspected that the Sasquatch had a liberal bias...
14 comments:
Omigod that's hilarious, JBW. Is Don getting dumber or just way fucking crazier? I love how he makes up this whole paranoid conspiracy theory to go along with the sign. Yeah, because as a leftist I hate the "Isrealis," I compare them to Sasquatch all the time.
He "raelly" doesn't present a good example of university educators in this country. I hope.
This is awesome. I have to admit I couldn't quite grab on to where Don-Don was going with this, and I spent a moment or two trying to recall whether or not I'd ever confronted this specific conspriacy (note, I came up empty handed). Then I saw the sign.
Does having a dicky-do (look it up Donny) impair cognitive capacity? Or does being a douche bag just make you say douche baggy things?
I was thinking of opening my new mosque in Long Beach JBW. Got a deal on some property next to the community college from Maria Shriver.
My only worry is that there might be some infidel Sasquatches or closed minded, backward thinking neocon fools running around.
You think it's safe around there?
Tag, Sasquatch denier.
And Ayatollah, I think it's safe in Bong Beach, er Long Beach. All the Sasquatches and crazy neocons are in NYC looking for a good time.
Can't he be getting both, ex DLB?
I totally had to look up "dicky-do", BD. And again, I think both are true.
If rap music has taught me anything AT101 it's that the LBC is a safe enough place to plot America's demise, although I doubt that the Sasquatch there are as kosher as the NYC variety. Everyone knows that Hasidic Bigfeet are the only legitimate Bigfeet. Shalom.
The sign doesn't qualify for the Teabonics Wall of Shame because the kid spelled it correctly, and was probably there as a jape. And I don't mean "ape." (Look that one up too, eh?) Is there a website for "Teathinkics"?
Great illustration, too.
Surely this Don fellow has to be one of the asshole anonymus from over on /b/ on 4chan, no one can really be that way, surely. PLEASE SOMEBODY TELL ME THAT THIS IS A JOOOOOOOKE! AAAAAHHH! please! could someone hold me in their arms, coo sweet nothings in my ear and tell my it was all just a hoax!
Hey, errybody. Just so ye know, I am that kid with the sign. I go to Pace University (only a few blocks away) and visited the protests on 9/11. I found the amount of hatred wafting around in the area to be completely ridiculous as the Muslim Community Center has just as much of a right to be there as any other building, and decided to poke fun at the entire protest.
I went to CVS and bought the sign and a marker and since I believe that Sasquatch is real I wrote it out and went back to spread the word of Bigfoot. The sign has absolutely nothing to do with Israel whatsoever and it was chosen for the sole purpose of being a completely ridiculous thing to be "protesting," which reflected my feelings on the protests that were happening there to begin with.
The idea that people can take an innocent "Sasquatch Is Real" sign as something politically, racially, or ethnically charged is pretty disconcerting and makes me feel like Americans are looking to cause problems wherever possible.
I have no problem with Israel or it's mainly Jewish population (I'm in a Jewish themed band), I was simply ridiculing the stupidity of the protests.
Also, I obviously know the difference between spelling "Israel" and "Is Real." Do you really think that kids these days are that stupid?
@DarthChen
Maybe I'm biased because I am your sister, but I assumed that's what your purpose of the sign was months ago when you posted it as your profile picture. I was going to respond to this blog post to essentially say the same thing as you, but since you beat me to it I'd like to point out the internet firestorm this has created as more than one person got the point.
Just one example of many: http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2010/12/beware_of_sasquatch_israel.php
And a personal favorite comment of mine from this blog:
http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2010/09/16/also-it-turns-out-that-to-serve-man-is-a-cookbook-who-knew/
"If you think about it hard and long enough (!), the sign carrier may have a message that we’re missing.
1. He is Sasquatch. His sign is misspelled. On the front it’s meant to read, “Sasquatch Israel.” On the back it reads, “Or bust.” He’s trying to hitch a ride.
2. He is not Sasquatch. His sign is misspelled. “Sasquatch Israel” is a directive, imploring Sasquatch to visit the Holy Land.
3. He is not Sasquatch. His sign is deliberately misspelled because he knows that Donald Douglas is in the crowd. The agent provocateur has achieved his mission.
4. He is an agent of Sasquatch. Sasquatch wishes to say something. He is Jewish. Or wishes to convert. Sasquatch not know; Sasquatch just pawn in game of life.
Until we speak to the young man with the sign, anything else is speculation."
Clearly people know how to read...well...most people.
@Darth: If it really is you in that pic, you are my hero, man...
The thing is, pretty much nobody misunderstood your sign or your purpose but that one guy, Donald Douglas... He may've misread the sign by accident, but the myth he concocted out of whole cloth to smear the Left (and you, you smug little self-hating sasquatch, you) was intentional maliciousness, and is the kinda "boy-who-cried-wolf" bullshit that does as much to cheapen the charge of anti-semitism and indirectly hurt Jews than some anti-semitism itself...
This is what I said at the time (and what's still on the sidebar of my blog, along with your now infamous photo): "...to most of us, misreading the sign--seeing "Sasquatch Isreal," rather than "Sasquatch Is Real," isn't a big deal... A cringe-worthy mistake to be sure, especially when one goes out in public--say, on one's blog--misreading it for the whole world to see--but minor in the general scheme of things...
But making up some myth about anti-Semitism based on misreading the sign, and lying about a whole group of people just because you disagree with them politically, is pretty friggin' bad. - Dear Jan... (Repsac3's reply to an inquisitive American Power commenter)
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See what others had to say, here: Sasquatch Israel (and don't miss SI's descendant--or ancestor, if you believe the aliens might've been here first--Jewbacca)
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And dude... You know about the t-shirt, right?
Thanks again for being the unwitting foil who inadvertently exposed Dr. Donald Douglas for the kind of man he really is... (Yes, he's a political science professor at a city college in CA, and he really does have a doctorate, taboot.) ...if that really is you, that is (A healthy does of skepticism for things one reads on the internet is always a good thing... No ill will intended, Darth... You're prolly as honest as the day is long... but I don't know you from... ...well... Sasquatch, himself... Better to be safe than sorry... 8>)
healthy dose
(Damed automatic spellcheck...)
Repsac3- I'm glad I could at least expose one fool for what he is! If you have a Facebook I just created a Page called "Sasquatch IsREAL." If you could Like it and post it/invite people to it/whatever you can do it'd be a great help!
And yes I saw the shirts, in addition to a whole line of various clothes, cups, mugs, bags, teddy bears, stickers, clocks, and calendars. It's quite overwhelming to think that I caused something this big!
So now I know whom to blame for my misfortune?
Darth, you started a rather lengthy Cheney of events in which mistaken identity, pairs of twins, and even the Shakespearean Fool ended up playing a part.
I suppose I should be angry, but dammit...you're just so cute!
I'm in NY. I'd like to shake your hand and buy you whatever recreational imbibement of your choice, when school is back in session. Reppy? Care to join?
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