"Where Are the Jews?" Ask Academy Museum Donors

Salvador Dalí, Col. Jack L. Warner, 1951. Syracuse University Art Museum
Rolling Stone reports that some Academy Museum supporters are complaining that the institution's displays shortchange the role of Jews in founding the American film industry. Some of the quotes are unsourced, but notable is one donor willing to go on record: Haim Saban, whose name is on the main museum building. He and his wife Cheryl made a $50 million gift, the museum's largest. "Cheryl and I firmly believe that the Jewish contributions to the film industry, from its founding to today, should be highlighted," he said. "We shared our perspective with the Academy Museum’s management and appreciate that they are taking our feedback seriously."

As a measure of how seriously, museum president Bill Kramer says an installation on the film industry's founders and the studio system will go on view in about a year. Originally planned to be temporary, it will be the first and only permanent exhibition. (For now?)

The Motion Picture Academy is, if nothing else, cringily over-reactive. #OscarsSoWhite has led the museum to tout the contemporary film industry as a kaleidoscope of diversity (it's not), while presenting the past as problematic. That has left one of the biggest stories of a minority overcoming the odds on the cutting room floor.

Comments

Anonymous said…
"Ideology trumps art."


https://youtu.be/j8aVT8WSHsc


Mao Tse-tung was on that kick back in the 1960s. We all know how that turned out for China.
Anonymous said…
^^^Tarantino should make a film about the Save-LACMA mob and the Proud Boys...

Oh wait, he already has... Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, a movie which hearkens back to a time when it was ok to think that white, heterosexual men were the true heroes in the world.

Who would ever mistake that for ideology? Just a feel-good film for white men clinging to the macho myth of their inherent supremacy, guns and all.

Just art for art's sake. As if anyone, but a bunch of intellectual incels, would ever consider Tarantino an authority on culture and ideology.

On that note, if anyone is interested in tracing the intersection between the Save-LACMA mob, right-wing militia groups, and Trump, let me suggest you review the other titles at the youtube channel linked above. In addition to the Tarantino clip, you will find the following titles: "Joe Biden's Brain Malfunctions", "Alex Jones Breaks Down Woke Hollywood Roots", and "People chanting 'We Love Trump'".

Yup, nothing remotely ideological to see there...
Anonymous said…
^ LOL.

Michael, don't you have better things to do?

Seek counseling. Please. For your own sake.
Are bands of "Anonymouses" posting here?
If yes, it's hard to follow your viewpoints.
Perhaps adopting pseudonyms will be helpful for readers.
How about Wilma Mankiller? Or Silence Dogood?
You're giving us the vapors.
Anonymous said…
It's not about race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexuality or certainly talent. It's all about how check boxes on the political list can be either marked off or not marked off.