By Jennifer Larson
When you wish upon a star, you just may end up in court. And when you sing about needing a Jew, you will incur the wrath of Hollywood. The irreverent comedy THE FAMILY GUY has just experienced both, after airing an episode in which patriarch Peter Griffin sang about “needing a Jew” because his finances weren’t in order. While that may be offensive to many Jewish people in the industry,
eonline.com says “Bourne Co, which owns the rights to the Oscar-winning Pinocchio song ‘When You Wish Upon a Star,’ has filed a copyright breach lawsuit against Fox and THE FAMILY GUY creator and producers, claiming they illegally lifted the tune and damaged the company by repurposing the song with “anti-Semitic lyrics.”
Fox is known for pushing the envelop, where taste is concerned, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are getting sued for it. And considering how many Jewish people work in Hollywood – especially in the many high-powered positions – it isn’t shocking that they would find the song and message offensive. But is this taking political correctness too far? Well, yes and no; Being Jewish myself, I can’t stand the constant association with Jews and money. Just because so many Jewish people work in the economic field, doesn’t mean we are cheap, it means we are good at math and finances. However, the song wasn’t putting Jewish people down, it was actually a twisted kind of compliment. If you need help with your finances, Jewish people are known to be expert in that area, so why not go to the best. As far as whether the song was a copyright infringement on the Disney classic, well that’s better left to the experts.
If they did lift the song, than I say they should be penalized. If, however, this is more about angering the Jewish community, I say let it go. It is a politically correct comedy after all. You have to look at the source, with these kinds of things. Besides, as viewers, we have the most power of all; we can turn the channel and refuse to watch anymore. If the offense seems to deserve more than that, write a letter to the network. Trust me, they want us to keep tuning in, so if enough people say they won’t, things will change. Just look at the campaign that broke JERICHO back to life.