Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
tabula rasa ·
Sep 27, 2011 at 1:44pm
(H/T: Big Hollywood)
In an article discussing the reissuance of Ben-Hur on blueray, the L A Times provides us with this groaner:
Based on the novel by Lew Wallace, the period drama revolves around Judah Ben-Hur (Heston), a Palestinian nobleman who is enslaved by the Romans, engages in one of the most thrilling chariot races ever captured on screen, and even encounters Jesus Christ.
The juxtaposition of "Judah" and "Palestinian nobleman" may be the year's leading candidate for stupidest new oxymoron.
Extra points question: Who was the "Palestinian" head of state back in those days?
Although not mentioned in the article, Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur's creator, was a general in America's War of Northern Aggression.
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Comments :
May '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
I don't think you're imagining things. Using the word "enslaved" to avoid the label "slave" is a PC dictum as well.
Jun '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
I didn't even know that about "enslaved." I've become enslaved to PC-speak and don't even know it. The horror.
Edited on Sep 27, 2011 at 9:29amJun '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
Yeah, and Judah Ben-Hur was hanging out with his other Palestinian friends, Mordechai, Yitzchak, and Ehud. Geez, give me a huge break. Thankfully, the commenters in the article didn't let this one slip past the goalie.
Dec '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
Extra points question: Who was the "Palestinian" head of state back in those days?
Although not mentioned in the article, Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur's creator, was a general in America's War of Northern Aggression.
I dunno, was it Jack Hawkins or Stephen Boyd?
And I believe you mean the Southern States Contingency Operation, don't you?
Jun '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
Western Chauvinist
Extra points question: Who was the "Palestinian" head of state back in those days?
Although not mentioned in the article, Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur's creator, was a general in America's War of Northern Aggression.
I dunno, was it Jack Hawkins or Stephen Boyd?
And I believe you mean the Southern States Contingency Operation, don't you? · Sep 27 at 1:13pm
I think it was Jack Hawkins (Mahmoud Abbas is his illegitimate son).
I would amend your description slightly: Southern States Kinetic Contingency Operation. About 600,000 men were kineticized and we learned that "kinetic contingency operations are hell."
Sep '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
If the LA Times is going to rewrite the story shouldn't it end with a bang?
Mar '11
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
Scarlett O'Hara: "Oh, kinetic contingency operations, kinetic contingency operations, kinetic contingency operations! Is that all you boys talk about?"
Feb '11
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
If he were Palestinian why was he not ibn- rather than ben-Hur?
Jun '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
Western Chauvinist
And I believe you mean the Southern States Contingency Operation, don't you? · Sep 27 at 1:13pm
I object to that characterization, Suh!
Dec '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
You don't seem to recognize the method behind the madness. The goal is to redefineJews as a variant of ancient Palestinians - therefore with A claim to the land of Israel, but not THE claim, or a claim superior to that of the modern-day Palestinians.
Only the Jews in that land at that time were not Palestinians, they were Judeans. Palestine as a label for that land came later, an effort by the Romans to erase Judea and humiliate the Jewish people by giving their homeland the name of the despised and defeated Philistines.
So this L.A. Times writer wants to improve on the Roman's methods by recognizing that, hey, BOTH the Jews and the modern-day Palestinians have equal rights to theoretical Palestine (comprised of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, but for some reason excluding Trans-Jordan, which was part of the historical British mandate called Palestine). It's a clever rhetorical device for delegitimizing the Jewish state of Israel and calling for the "single-state solution."
For thousands of years, Arabs tolerated Jews as subjects of Muslim rule. Apparently what gets their goat is the idea that Jews can thrive without Arab rulers.
May '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
But the fun thing is, before 1948 that would have been just a teeny-weeny bit right - Jewish inhabitants of Palestine were called "Palestinians". Palestinian Arabs were called "Arabs".
But in Roman times clearly there was a king of Judea until direct rule of the province of Judea in 6 AD. Since Pontius Pilate was there from 26-36AD, I'm guessing he was the local representative (in the Province of Judea) of Tiberius Caesar, who would, I suppose, qualify as head of state in answer to tabula rasa's tricky question.
Jan '11
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
For interesting reading on Lew Wallace, check out VDH's "Ripples of Battle"
Feb '11
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
You know my favorite part about Ben-hur? No Muslims. It's another 500 years before the jew-hating can begin. All we have is the Romans, those good 'ol equal opportunity oppressors.
Oh, and my second favorite part is that the Arabs that do show up are nice, nice and polytheistic, always referring to 'the gods' and such.
Sep '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
The story is set in first-century Palestine. Judah Ben Hur would have been a Jew or, more properly for the era, a Judean, not a Palestinian, which is a modern term. (Which means, of course, that the first Palestinians were Jews.)
Sep '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
If it's the first century, in Jesus's time, the Roman governor of Judea would have been none other than Pontius Pilate.
Jan '11
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
Lew Wallace was also the governor who ended the Lincoln County War -- those of you who saw the John Wayne movie "Chisum" might know the Hollywood version of the story.
Dec '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
I seem to remember something about a horn and a walls tumbling down. The Jews were not the first.
Dec '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
Yes the Roman Governor was Pontius Pilot, but the head of state was King Herod, much admired by ZPG.
May '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
Foxman
Yes the Roman Governor was Pontius Pilot, but the head of state was King Herod, much admired by ZPG. · Sep 27 at 3:57pm
By now Herod the Great was long dead. The Herods one reads about in this later period are his sons (Herod II, Herod Antipas), and these are tetrarchs, not Kings, ruling a quarter of the Roman province as Rome's agents.
Dec '10
Re: Major PC Alert: L A Times Calls Ben-Hur a "Palestinian Nobleman"
Robert Dammers
Foxman
Yes the Roman Governor was Pontius Pilot, but the head of state was King Herod, much admired by ZPG. · Sep 27 at 3:57pm
By now Herod the Great was long dead. The Herods one reads about in this later period are his sons (Herod II, Herod Antipas), and these are tetrarchs, not Kings, ruling a quarter of the Roman province as Rome's agents. · Sep 27 at 4:07pm
OK, but it is still not PP.
Edited on Sep 27, 2011 at 5:04pm