Bradley Cooper and 'Jewface'

[Shimto]

His biopic of Leonard Bernstein, and the release of the trailer show BC wearing a prosthetic nose to play Bernstein.

Leonard Bernstein's family have issued a warm, supportive and beautiful statement supporting BC's commitment to the role and rejecting the criticism.

I was really surprised to see the prosthetic. I understand the cries of Jewface. I think BC is an intelligent, talented actor and producer. My initial reaction was 'what was he thinking?' while also finding the family's statement so heartfelt.

Sorry if there's another thread - my quick search didn't find one. I guess my AIBU is whether BC was right or wrong here - I've been pondering it today.

Meryl Streep, who isn’t British, played Margaret Thatcher and wore makeup and a wig to resemble her…YABU

There is a huge history of antisemitism where they use the nose. Including Nazi propaganda.

This is exactly why I find it a problem. I also find it incredibly triggering seeing people on here (and the media) throwing about the word 'Jewface'.

Is that the equivalent of jew face? I don't think so.

I'm really glad you started this because I saw this and thought it was really strange. The big nose trope is anti-semitic in my opinion. It's great that the family are supporting him, but I don't think I'll be going to see the film.

Dear God, Leonard had an otherworldly beauty didn't he. I think the prosthetic make-up nose is more prominent than Bernsteins nose and doesn't look any more like Bernsteins nose than without it, plus it looks a bit comical and detracts from the performance of the acting and the story being told. I mean look at us already, talking about a nose.

I don't have a lot of stock in this as I'm not Jewish, so the "Jewface" not my place to decide...
However, I do think that actors act. If they are playing a real person then a passing resemblance is good enough for me. Don't care if they are Jewish, atheist, muslim, gay, straight, ginger, blonde, French, Australian, whatever..if they can appropriately act the part and convincingly so then what's the problem?

If Leonard Bernsteins family have given their blessing, they are surely the ones who have the most say on this? Admittedly probably a bit close to the bone with the prosthetic nose, but that's not my call to make.

I seem to recall Zoe Salanda got similar backlash for the Nina Simone biopic?

If LB was Jewish and didn’t have a large nose, and they gave BC one, I’d be horrified. But..:he did. He just did. Usually biopics involving looking like the person you’re playing. Fuss over nothing IMO

I think it’s hard for actors/actresses to portray a part these days. They can’t play a part if they aren’t gay, transgender etc. I ask myself this. Am I going to see a shit actor in a film because they’re gay/straight etc or would i rather look past that to watch a good actor tell a story that increases my knowledge on a subject. Of course there will always be the exception

AND! Before everyone jumps on the bandwagon. My daughter is gay, my nephew transgender so no i don’t have an issue….

No idea but would prefer to take a Jewish perspective on this.

but in the 90s rented a flat from an Indian Jew (sorted by my Indian Hindu family) so don’t understand massively the entire nose issue or a race. Also, in the 80’s there was a big push for live aid with Israel being asked to help Ethiopian Jews. So with this experience, I’m confused about looks.

For me, acting is acting, but happy to be corrected and learn.

I take offence at the prosthetic being so bad!
In that respect I can understand, because it doesn’t even look like it should.

Googled Bernstein, and he was very handsome with a lovely nose. BC’s prosthetic nose is distracting.

Are you saying that by wearing a bigger nose they’re stating that all Jews have big noses?? Surely wearing makeup or prosthetics to look more like the character you play is normal?
Why is it ok for black people to dress up as white people or play white characters and this be considered ok? Or men to pretend to be women… or infact black men play white women and that’s comedy genius …. More over ‘blonde bimbos’…. Americans regularly play an English person and we are made out to speak in some ridiculous pompous posh accent - because of course we are all snobs and sound like the queen!
Imagine the uproar if a white person played Martin Luther king in a film about him…. But we were racist to suggest Anne Boleyn (A huge historical figure) should have been played by a white woman. Everyone told they were racist for being annoyed about the misrepresentation of one of our historical figures!
Totally agree if the prosthetic was a poss take and looked nothing like the bloke the actor was playing, but if the nose made the actor look like the man he was playing then what’s the issue.

If it’s an issue, then in future only people in wheel chairs should play characters in wheel chairs, only Jewish actors should play Jewish characters…. But it has to work both ways…. Only white people should play white historical characters and films such as ‘white chicks’ where 2 black men dress as 2 white blondes and act dumb should also come under the same criticism …. I mean was that not ‘white face’, ‘woman face’ and ‘dumb blonde stereo type face’….
was the Anne Boleyn producer not wrong to cast anyone but an English white woman to play her?
Mr Bean - Is it comedy genius or should we all be offended that he’s taking the piss out of intellectually challenged people?!
Should we be offended that a non diabetic actress plays a diabetic in one of the U.K. soaps? I mean I’m sure there are plenty of teens out there with type 1 that could’ve played and portrayed the condition better…. The list is endless.

I certainly don’t think of a certain nose shape when thinking of Jewish men… do they have one?? Lots of films I watch though portray them in black hats, having a beard and wearing a long coat…

i often wonder if a black man plays Michael Jackson in a film about his life in years to come…. How will it be portrayed by the ‘critics’ when they fake his skin turning white with vitilgo… or his changing nose from his accidents and following plastic surgeries…. Or will they simply get a black man with vitilgo to play him so as not to offend anyone with the condition.

Being politically correct is of course essential… we have to be fair, treat people with respect and not discriminate… but we also have to be reasonable and except that if a historical figure has a certain nose shape, or is known for their big ears, or ginger hair etc…. That the actor playing that person may need a prosthetic nose, or ears, hair dye or make up to make their skin looked scarred etc… I’m sure in the crown when all the actors playing Charles had to wear ‘big ears’ we Brits all didn’t moan and say “The Americans are trying to say all English men have big ears!!’

racism is ugly….. but changing yourself to look like the character you’re playing is just normal…. How many actresses loose or gain weight for a role?! all same principle.

How ridiculous to dismiss what the family, the ones who really care more about Bernstein more than anyone else, have to say about the nose. This really is a non issue and honestly risks verging on the preposterous l.

We allow womanface constantly, we even encourage it. Full BBC shows about the misogyny - celebrating it.

If that's ok, I don't understand why a fake nose to look like a specific person's nose wouldn't be.

I always wonder why Catherine Tate has not been banished for Oldface. Shocking how she has gotten away with "Nan" for years. There are plenty of old actresses who could play her, but no, there she is with her prosthetics making herself look old.

The absolute nerve of her. What a £$%£$%£ liberty

But that’s ridiculous - are you suggesting that normal use prosthetics can’t be used if the character being portrait is Jewish? Surely that in itself is the prejudice of the complainant!

No- one is saying that only Jewish people should play Jewish people. We are saying that it was unnecessary in this case to use a prosthetic nose because the two people already look quite alike and because of a history of Jewish people being ridiculed over allegedly having big noses.
I’d like to say disingenuousnesses on this thread is astonishing but unfortunately it isn’t.

Hadley Freeman has written a good column about this in The Times today if anyone knows how to do share tokens.

It’s nonsense, though. It’s not about wearing a prosthetic to look more like a generic stereotype of a Jewish person. It’s about wearing one to look like a specific person, who happened to be Jewish.

And frankly, I think the thing about actors only being allowed to play people exactly like them is utter nonsense anyway.

Actually a couple of people have suggested exactly that.

I certainly don’t think of a certain nose shape when thinking of Jewish men… do they have one??

It strikes me that not only do some people not understand racism and how its historical context feeds into modern day racism, they simply don't want to. It's been explained on this thread why this is an issue for Jewish people - although not all - but if it doesn't affect you then why bother listening eh.

But we were racist to suggest Anne Boleyn (A huge historical figure) should have been played by a white woman. Everyone told they were racist for being annoyed about the misrepresentation of one of our historical figures!

Yikes.

I agree with this.
LB’s nose changed as he got older, as happens with many people. So his nose was larger and different at the tip when he was an older man. That pic there above of him as a young man, next to BC, well BC’s nose there looks ridiculous and unconvincing, his own nose would have been a better fit than that Dairylee cheese slice they have given him.
In other images from the film of him later in life though, the nose looks much more realistic, and he does look very much like the older LB.
Of course using prosthetics to fine tune a likeliness as with Gary Oldman’s Churchill, can give a reasonably convincing effect, but with something so commonly used to portray Jews as ugly it is obviously going to be a sensitive issue.

As a Jew I find it awful. Also the ignorance on this thread.

... And less than 100 years ago from those horrors, some individuals come up with THESE sorts of first-world-problems...
Memory and respect fades awfully quickly for some when living peace&health.

Bradley Cooper gives me the ick. There is something so very creepy about him.