AH: Why did you make this video?
MDT: Our primary intention was simply to provide some comic relief for a community (Palestine solidarity activists) that is still grieving for the nine innocent people who were murdered by the Israeli military aboard the Mavi Marmara. And if we could embarrass some of the folks responsible for the incredibly sloppy PR work we've seen from Israel in connection with the attack, all the better. They should be embarrassed. They're not only apologists for a brutal act by a brutal regime: they're also really bad at their job.
Was there any particular significance to your choice of "Video Killed the Radio Star" as opposed to any other song you could have parodied?
We chose to base the piece on "Video Killed the Radio Star" because, much like the original, this piece is about the inability of a communicator to adapt to a new medium. I think that's exactly what we're seeing with the Israeli PR apparatus as it struggles to remain effective in an increasingly democratized media landscape. Israel understands the threat of a medium that bypasses intermediaries and allows ordinary people to disseminate content to a mass audience. Journalists aboard the Mavi Marmara have said that the top priority for soldiers boarding the ship appeared to be the seizure of all the photographic equipment they could find, thus allowing their government to control the media narrative. The only way Israel could exert any measure of control was by cutting off the flow of information. And despite their best efforts, information still got out, some of it during the attack itself. As the web continues its evolution into a real-time medium, this strategy will become increasingly unsustainable.
You also told Ma'an News that the parody was a response to the well-known "We Con the World" video, but it's only racked up a fraction of the views received by that clip. How do you explain that?
It's a very particular type of person who's going to laugh at Frank Luntz playing air guitar. Horrifically racist depictions of Arabs, on the other hand, have a much broader appeal. If our intention had been to reach a mass audience, we would have sacrificed quality for the sake of rushing the piece out as quickly as possible, and dispensed with the litany of inside jokes. Considering that this video was released months after the incident, clearly targeted a niche audience, was produced on a budget of zero, and didn't have the benefit of government officials actively promoting it, I think we've done pretty well. Besides, Latma's effort had set a certain benchmark with wordplay, acting, costume and set design and so on, so we felt obliged to take all the time that was necessary to match that standard. And then we just spent the next two and a half months fine-tuning it.
How do you feel about the media response?
Overall, we've been very pleased. Naturally, much of the coverage has focused on the blocking, and some articles have attached ascribed undue significance to specific images in the video. The one-second image of Hitler was used to illustrate the absurdity of the IDF's clearly-fabricated "go back to Auschwitz" audio, which effectively accused flotilla participants of being closet Nazis. We needed a recognizable anti-Semite. Unfortunately, Mel Gibson's people didn't get back to us in time, and the evangelical Christian right were busy attending AIPAC functions. I think the intention is quite clear in context, but just to provide further clarification, we posted a comment on the video, in which made our position quite explicit. We promptly began receiving hate mail from deeply-offended Nazis, and we're quite happy to have offended them.
On your YouTube page, you refer to yourselves as "anarcho-Yiddishists". What does that mean, exactly?
Well, first of, we think it's a great term, so we wanted to do our part to multiply the number of times it shows up in the Google index by a few hundred. Most of those involved in the production were Jewish, and we draw a tremendous amount of inspiration from satirists like Allan Sherman, Mickey Katz, and Tom Lehrer—all of whom were also Jews. And Tom Lehrer, as far as I know, is still a Jew. Humor as a tool for ridiculing the oppressor is nothing new, but Jews living under Tsarist rule developed it into a true art. And the language in which they assailed the autocracy, from the subtle and sly to the audaciously acerbic, was Yiddish.
We're anarchists in that we reject all forms of oppression, and we're Yiddishists in the way we wield satire as a weapon. Our activism, and our activism on this issue in particular, is a primary means by which we engage with our Jewishness. It's not just the Yiddish language that's important to preserve; it's the whole set of aesthetics which breathe life into it. Zionism has helped to place both of those things into dire jeopardy, and that's one more reason why we oppose it.
So what's next for Minor Demographic Threat?
Thanks to our powerful Saudi backers, we're planning to establish a network of satirist training camps throughout northern New Jersey. We're also in an ongoing process of seeking out new collaborators—just not the kind in Ramallah. Finally we're working on some new videos, including a short piece starring Eden Abergil which should be out in the next few days. Our future's so bright, we need desaturation filters.
Any parting words?
We'd like to thank the internet, and some of the people on it, especially people who work for the IDF and have names beginning with "@" signs. They were an indispensable source of material. We also want to thank people for sharing our video far and wide, and even translating it into other languages. And we hope that our work will help to inspire other, similar efforts: we think it's entirely possible that a sufficiently funny internet video, combined with systematic global campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanctions, can actually end Israeli apartheid.
awesome!
By far the scariest moments in the clever satire music video are the snippets of israeli spokesman Mark Regev – that guy is just creepy and scary – the soulless look in his eyes – yikes a brilliant little repetitive nano-loop that says so much about that man and what he sells
Anyone perusing the array of internet videos of the events came away completely clear that the men fighting the IDF on the Mavi Marmara were not innocent, were not peaceful, were violent, planned their violence, were not aid workers, and were pretty idiotic to go against the IDF.
The IDF doesn’t come off too well either. But they clearly didn’t intend to cause anybody on the ships any physical harm; they intended to redirect the ship.
The entire physical confrontation, by the way, makes no sense whatever for either side, unless the guys on the ship intended to kidnap Israeli commandos.
But they clearly didn’t intend to cause anybody on the ships any physical harm; they intended to redirect the ship.
Yes, they were just peaceful pirates engaged in harmless hijacking.
Anyone who has already made up his mind to ignore the facts.
The IDF didn’t intend to cause harm, and yet they were already shooting when they came down from the helicopters.
The guys on the ship intended to kidnap the commandos, but not only did they forget to take any firearms with them, when they managed to disarm one or two of the Israelis, they threw the weapons over the side.
Oh, and one more thing…
The MSM widely and loudly reported the event as a PR failure for the Israelis, but rarely made accusations of improper violence or excessive aggressiveness. The 9 deaths were widely portrayed as a failure, not as premeditated murder. The internet wrestled the balance back toward the Israeli side, ending in a near-tie.
nothing you’ve said exonerates israel of their despicable actions here and in relation to the prison camp they have set up in gaza.. the fact israels idf boarded the boat is enough of a clear sign of their intent… it was unnecessary and could’ve been settled very differently… however, israel is so insecure for good reason, they must always settle sensitive issues with war and hostility… live by the sword and die by the sword certainly will apply to israel if they continue in there ways as they have here.. apartheid israel has a short shelf life as i see it..
Must be nice to shoot automatic weapons into a crowd of people in international territory and not have to stand trial for murder. I suppose those IDF soldiers might have well been standing in the West Bank gunning people down. Like they are every other day of the week.
Yes, the Israelis are very good at promulgating lies, particularly when they manipulate the evidence and destroy most of it.
Anyone perusing the array of internet videos of the events came away completely clear that the men fighting the IDF on the Mavi Marmara were not innocent
completely! say it again say it again say it again say it again say it again
ok, i will.. completely totally totally abundantly clear.
Oh, and one more thing…
The MSM widely and loudly reported the event as a PR failure for the Israelis, but rarely made accusations of improper violence or excessive aggressiveness.
i’m shocked. really our msm? our very msm with a grand total of zero non zionist journalists rarely makes accusations of improper violence or excessive aggressiveness?? well do tell because i am all ears. if they rarely make accusations of improper violence or excessive aggressiveness it stands to reason there might be just one itty bitty msm article in the US main stream media accusing israel of improper violence or excessive aggressiveness and i don’t believe it’s crossed my path area man.
please link to it, otherwise some people just might get the impression the msm is anything but impartial. in fact some people just might get the impression criticizing israel could get them fired from their jobs or demoted into the hitherlands of the mail room or some detached blog out here in the ozone.
some people just might get the impression the msm is kinda just a little ‘in the bag’ for israel, just a little and all that. some people just might get the impression reading blogs is more informational wrt israel. but sometimes i agree w/the msm, it was a PR failure. all israel’s belligerent racist hostile aggressive shenanigans are a pr failure because generally belligerent racist hostile aggressive actions are perceived by most people as pr failures.
I won’t be able to view piece until I get home but I like it already from the quality of answers the interviewee gives. Very astute.
It definitely delivered. Hard hitting satire.
Not only are people condemning Israel, they are also taking the piss.
Dear Area Man,
What a repugnant posting. Do you think the Turks backed into the IDF assassins too aggressively, forcing them to shoot them in the back of the head? Here’s another theory: the Turks shot THEMSELVES in the head, several times apiece, to delegitimize the IDF. Sneaky bastards!
ADL’s letter to Fareed:
link to adl.org
Disgusting. Foxman is too stubborn to recant.
and too smug and snide in his tone to Fareed.
I love how he refers to what Tim Rutten did, as an example of how to play ball with the ADL. What a sad man.
“Rest assured that the ADL you “long admired” is the same one doing battle against the bigots, even if we hold different opinions on this issue.”
Sincerely,
Abraham H. Foxman
National Director
How exactly does Foxman think that sending a letter with a condescending tone makes him look any better? So now Foxman wants to tell Muslims where to built their mosques (even though it’s not a mosque) and they should respect and defer to a Jewish organization because it would be disrespectful to contradict a Jewish organization protecting Jewish interests (well, what they perceive as “Jewish interests,” anyway) and so take the award and a pat on the head and GTFO?
Sometimes, I wish I were aloof enough to laugh at the Zionist lobby’s antics.