From: les@jmdl.com (onlyJMDL Digest)
To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org
Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V1 #241
Reply-To: joni@smoe.org
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onlyJMDL Digest Wednesday, October 27 1999 Volume 01 : Number 241
The Official Joni Mitchell Homepage is maintained by Wally Breese at
http://www.jonimitchell.com and contains the latest news, a detailed bio,
original interviews and essays, lyrics, and much more.
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The JMDL website can be found at http://www.jmdl.com and contains
interviews, articles, the member gallery, archives, and much more.
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TOPICS and authors in this Digest:
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Re: Otis and Marlena - a question ["Patricia O'Connor"
]
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Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 02:08:02 -0400
From: "Patricia O'Connor"
Subject: Re: Otis and Marlena - a question
Eric wrote:
> I've always thought this song was about a Jewish couple like Mr & Mrs
>Seinfeld or Fran's mom from The Nanny. But then I've recently wondered if
>Otis could be the Black man who appears on the DJRD cover.
In previous discussions of this song over the last couple of years, I have
wanted to bring something up but have not because I wasn't sure if I could
make myself understood and didn't want to deal with the flames if I was
misunderstood...here goes:
I have *always*, from my very first listen on the day DJRD was released,
heard anti-semitism in this song.
Unlike Eric, I didn't picture Otis and Marlena as Jews, I thought of O&M as
Joni and Don Alias, I have the strong impression that the guests at Miami
Royal are elderly Jews.
Why elderly Jews and not simply elderly people of any creed?
Because of the consistant duality in Joni's lyrics, (nowhere more evident
than on DJRD) I heard the "they" in "They've come for fun and sun" as a
play against the Muslims sticking up Washington.
So because I interpreted the lyric in that way I also found it to be racist
and downright nasty, listen to it that way and you'll see what I mean.
That's not to say I dislike the song.
Furthermore; last year on a long drive with a childhood friend and fellow
Joni fanatic, heading home from our second Joni concert in 2 days, O&M was
playing in the car:
"Do you think this song is anti-semitic?" I asked, without any explaination
of why I was inquiring.
"Yes" she said.
POC
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Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 02:49:48 -0400
From: "Eric Taylor"
Subject: Re: Otis and Marlena
Patricia O'Connor wrote:
<< I have *always*, from my very first listen on the day DJRD was released,
heard anti-semitism in this song.
Unlike Eric, I didn't picture Otis and Marlena as Jews, I thought of O&M as
Joni and Don Alias, I have the strong impression that the guests at Miami
Royal are elderly Jews. Why elderly Jews and not simply elderly people of
any creed?
Because of the consistant duality in Joni's lyrics, (nowhere more evident
than on DJRD) I heard the "they" in "They've come for fun and sun" as a
play against the Muslims sticking up Washington.
So because I interpreted the lyric in that way I also found it to be racist
and downright nasty, listen to it that way and you'll see what I mean.
That's not to say I dislike the song.... >>
I don't find anything antisemitic about O&M the same way I don't find
anything antisemitic about the humorous Jewish stereotypes portrayed by
Seinfeld, The Nanny, Northern Exposure, SNL or Joan Rivers!
One of the many things I admire about Jewish people is their sense of
humor & ability to poke fun at themselves (something we Irish should take a
lesson from). Joni is certainly not being nasty or racist in her caricature
of Otis & Marlina. Rather she paints two adorable characters I have grown to
love more & more over the years.
E.T.
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End of onlyJMDL Digest V1 #241
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