Writer Takes Jews to Task for [Movie] 'Kill Bill'

By BERNARD WEINRAUB

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16 - A senior editor at The New Republic has published a column on the Internet that deplores the violence in the film "Kill Bill" and criticizes Harvey Weinstein, the co-chairman of Miramax, which released the film, and Michael Eisner, chairman of the Walt Disney Company, (below), as "Jewish executives" who "worship money above all else."

The article by the senior editor, Gregg Easterbrook, appeared Monday on The New Republic's Web site. Within the site, Mr. Easterbrook has his own "Easterblogg" column.

Mr. Easterbrook said on Thursday that he planned to apologize "for a really bad choice of words."

In the article, Mr. Easterbrook attacked Quentin Tarantino, the director of "Kill Bill," calling him a "phony" who "does nothing but churn out shabby depictions of slaughter as a form of pleasure."

The movie, which opened last week and was No. 1 at the box office, is a bloody revenge epic and a homage to Asian action movies.

Mr. Easterbrook criticized Miramax, and its parent company, Disney, as seeking profit by "wallowing in gore" with movies like "Scream" and "Kill Bill."

He said, "Disney's C.E.O., Michael Eisner, is Jewish; the chief of Miramax, Harvey Weinstein (right) is Jewish."

"Yes, there are plenty of Christian and other Hollywood executives who worship money above all else, promoting for profit the adulation of violence," Mr. Easterbrook said. "Does that make it right for Jewish executives to worship money above all else, by promoting for profit the adulation of violence?"

Mr. Easterbrook went on to say, "Recent European history alone ought to cause Jewish executives to experience second thoughts about glorifying the killing of the helpless as a fun lifestyle choice."

In a joint Disney-Miramax statement, Matthew Hiltzik, a Miramax spokesman, said, "It is sad that these terrible stereotypes persist and that these comments are receiving a wider platform. It does not deserve any further attention."

Peter Beinart, the editor of The New Republic, said: "Gregg made a mistake. He recognizes that. He's a very valuable member of the staff. And I don't think he's the least bit prejudiced."

The New Republic is a liberal magazine that has traditionally had a deep interest in Israel and Jewish affairs.

Mr. Easterbrook said he planned to apologize in his Web site column on Friday for "stumbling into a use of words that in the past people have taken as code for anti-Semitic feelings."

Mr. Easterbrook said he wrote a column last week about Mel Gibson's coming film "Passion," and added: "I raised the issue that Mel Gibson professes to be an ardent Christian. Maybe he is. But his background previous to this movie is making movies that glorify violence."

"I raised the exact same question about a Christian," Mr. Easterbrook said, and "there was not a single peep."

Website dossier on the origins of anti-Semitism

Easterblogg: the column in question | his subsequent groveling apology