It's Just Not Quidditch!
Just days before the latest Harry Potter movie hits the big screen, the movie¹s star Daniel Radcliffe conjured up controversy by telling a joke that portrayed Jews as money-grabbing and avaricious.
In an interview in The Guardian published on Saturday that may find the 20-year-old wishing he had a spell that could turn back time, the actor
quipped: ³Did you hear how copper wire was invented? Two Jews fighting over a penny.²
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However, it was no laughing matter as far as the Board of Deputies was concerned. Chief Executive Jon Benjamin criticised the comments, telling the Jewish News: ³Daniel Radcliffe clearly needs some better material because, Jewish or not, comments that stigmatise and stereotype any group are not terribly amusing.²
The Community Security Trust also failed to see the funny side. Voicing his concerns over the level of sensitivity involved in making such a historically slanderous generalisation, the CSTıs Mark Gardner said: ³We have seen many times how jokes can upset some people, and it may prove to be the case once more.² Claiming he was ³upset and disturbed² by the joke, one Jewish News reader who called us said: ³Itıs bad enough when anti-Semites make comments like this, but someone who says theyıre proud to be Jewish should be ashamed of themselves for peddling this filth.²
The sentiment was echoed by Zionist Federation President Eric Moonman who
said: ³What a pity that Radcliffe couldnıt think of a better joke to tell.
Itıs a shame that heıs not prepared to recognise that as a personality, the things he says will be heard and reviewed.
³The fact that one is of a certain group or ethnicity usually makes one more sensitive or cautious about telling these kinds of jokes. I myself would never tell a Jewish joke, or if I did, I would be very cautious about the context of that joke. And I would make sure it was much, much funnier than this one.²
Despite repeated requests, neither Radcliffe nor his publicist were available for comment.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had its world premiere in Leicester Square on Tuesday evening, with the world release set for next Wednesday.
The last Potter film, The Order of the Phoenix, earned £50 million in ticket sales.
Read the latest copy of The Jewish News Online by clicking here.
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