Is Steven Colbert's new bit [*] good for the Jews?
Cons:
* The phone plays hava nagila when it rings
* It has a big blue star of david on it
* He says Shalom with a faux yiddish accent when he answers
* The original number was 1800 klei tzadik (in hebrew); when he didn't get any calls, he announced that Jews weren't calling "because Jews have phones like everyone else" ie: no hebrew letters. So he changed it to 1(888) OOPS-JEW. (Call it for a laugh.)
* He keeps mispronouncing Rosh Hashana, in the way that gentiles almost always do.
* The Jews who call to apologize (all celebrities who are in on the joke) tend to grovel too much for my liking.
Pro:
The whole thing is done in-character, and "Steven Colbert" is supposed to be a GOP buffoon.
[*] The bit: From before Rosh Hashanah Steven Colbert has been encouraging Jews to call and apologize for imagined slights and insults. Each show starts with Colbert explaining that during the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Jews are required to beg forgiveness from other people. The telephone number is flashed, and then Colbert either insults a Jew who hasn't apologized yet (ie: Joe Leiberman "for not appearing on my show") or the phone rings and an apologizing Jew (ie: Frank Rich or Mort Zuckerman) is on the other end.
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