by Izzy Grinspan
A old anti-Semitic stereotype suggests that Jews maintain their stranglehold on the world by only helping out fellow Hebrews. This is totally unfair, as it’s never so much Jewish favoritism as the simple fact that nobody else is qualified. I mean, seriously, you want we should turn the international economy over to the Episcopalians?
Joking—joking. But let’s think about this stereotype for a minute. The music industry is full of Jews, as you might have noticed while exploring this site. Are Jewish rock stars using their fame to unfairly promote other Jews?
There’s only one way to find out: the iTunes celebrity playlists. The iTunes people ask movie stars, rock stars, and generic star stars to contribute their top ten to fifteen songs. Over the past year, they’ve gotten playlists from several notably Jewish groups. Are these tribesfolk biased towards fellow Yids? Our examination reveals the truth.
Carol King
Second song on her list: the Wallflower’s “6th Avenue Heartache.” That’s pretty Jewish.
Al Franken
Not one but two Grateful Dead songs: “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider,” both live in Paris in 1972. Mickey Hart was, of course, a Yid—but it seems like Al just really, really, really likes the Dead. He also lists one by Bob Dylan: “Forever Young.”
Maroon 5
Another Dylan: “Simple Twist of Fate.” Hmm.
Joel Schumacher
Speaking of Jewish stereotypes: the mega-producer lists “Money for Nothing,” by Dire Straits, and explains that it’s his favorite song (“I want it played at my funeral”). Oy. Also has the Leiber and Stoller-penned “Hound Dog”—not the Elvis version, but the earlier one by Big Mama Thornton.
Phantom Planet
This was around Christmas/Hannukah 2004, which poses a real challenge to a mostly Jewish band: how to deal with the celebration of our secular country’s biggest national holiday? For Phantom Planet, the only solution was the bridge-building, all-pleasing genre of indie rock, which “should put you in the mood for Christmas, or whatever you celebrate,” as Alex Greenwald generously offers. Any Jews on the list? Beck with “The Little Drum Machine Boy” off of something called “Sleighed – the Other Side of Christmas,” which was released before he became a Scientologist.
Scissor Sisters
Nothing notably Jewish. Nothing at all.
Mix Master Mike
Michael Schwartz likes the Clash (“This is Radio Clash”). Then again, nobody associates the Clash with Judaism, anyway.
Conclusion? Out of the seven Jews on iTunes in the past year, nobody’s too jazzed about other Jewish artists. (It does seem that Jews like Bob Dylan—but so does everyone on iTunes, since listing Bob Dylan makes you look smart without being remotely controversial.) But hold on—why are there only seven Jews interviewed on iTunes in the past year? Isn’t there anyone Jewish working at iTunes? Can’t they give their fellow Yids a hand?