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.

As Laurence Olivier said to Dustin Hoffman "Why not try acting, dear boy?"

One of my teachers had a poster up in her classroom that said “Just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.”

Sometimes the opposite is also true.

Because LB did have a big nose. Plenty of Jewish people dont and had that been the case here, and the film makers had added one anyway then yes, 100% offensive. But he did. The photos shown here are not representing the issue faithfully and the OP is being disingenuous by using them to try and prove a point.

My heart sank when I read this. Whatever the rights and wrongs, surely someone on the team should have thought it might be controversial. To me it’s unnecessary, similarly to Nicole Kidman playing Virginia Woolf. I spent most of the film looking for the joins. Both of them already look enough like the characters already - no need for the nose prosthetics in either case! They are good actors and don’t need prosthetics to bring the character to life.
Having come across several quite unpleasant examples of anti-semitism from unexpected quarters recently I can understand Jewish people being upset, even if the family are ok with it.

@BibbleandSqwauk
"Because LB did have a big nose. Plenty of Jewish people don't"

Of course plenty of Jewish people don't. But it is a very common anti semitic stereotype. So simply better not to go there.

Even if they had cast a Jewish actor, they may have well needed the fake nose. I know nothing about Bernstein but how he looked presumably affected how he was treated and the level of antisemitism he received, as opposed to a Jewish person who 'passes' as white. It's a tiny bit like when they cast Keira Knightly to play Lizzie Bennett and all the other characters were calling her plain, when she is the opposite. It just didn't ring true.

The term ‘JewFace’ is offensive and I agree with PPs that he was simply trying to more closely resemble the character (whatever their race).

It is an interesting point though as there would be an uproar if someone changed their skin colour for a role to resemble a black or Asian person. That anger would probably also apply if someone wore prosthetics to create features (eg nose) that looked like the non-white person being portrayed.

Don’t you see how this post just proves that YOU are the one being racist and ridiculous?

@babysharkdoodoodedoodedoo "Don’t you see how this post just proves that YOU are the one being racist and ridiculous?"

Well, I don't! Enlighten me?

I don't think it is the same as black face. Its just making an actor look more like the person he is portraying.

The same as fat suits are worn, or a blonde wig used for a Monroe character or other prosthetics for Amy other reason

Are we all just looking for something to be offended at?

YANBU it doesn’t even make him look more poker Bernstein it makes him look like a Jewish stereotype.

and it is very different to Churchill Woolf etc due to the history of behaviour towards Jewish people. Less than 100 years ago “looking Jewish” ie a nose shape was used the harass and hurt people

I'm pretty sure Cooper wasn't intending to be anti semitic. It just would have been so much better NOT!

Any comment on Helen Mirren's portrayal of Golda Meir?

It's the critics that seem most antisemitic to me as they are the ones associating the facial characteristic with Jewish people, whereas Cooper is simply trying to look like one particular individual.

Jewface Is creating a horrible caricature. This isn't intending to do that it's intended use is to make him look more like LB like many other prosphetics have in the past for actors.

This is a ridiculous argument! 🙄

If prosthetics are okay when actors want to look more the part when they portray non Jewish people, they're okay when they portray Jewish people.

Argue against the use of prosthetics, if you want, but to say it's wrong when playing Jewish people, but fine when playing non Jewish people is just nonsensical.

And probably anti-semetic itself, since Jewish people are being singled out here.

Prosthetics in the movies to make actors look a bit more like the real life person they’re portraying has happened since prosthetics were invented. Really this feels like such a non issue to me and I’m Jewish. If the character had had a massive mole on their face, they’d have added a massive mole because without it the actor wouldn’t look like them and people would comment.

We are looking to be offended these days. Everyone needs to unclench before civil war breaks out over whether someone is opening a packet of Walkers in the “correct” way as that’s the direction we’re headed.

I am Jewish and have absolutely no issue with BC wearing a prosthetic nose, and besides, there's NO such thing as a Jewish nose and those whom continue to repeat this are perpetrating antisemitic tropes used by the Nazis. Studies have found that the percentage of ethnic Jews with prominent noses is in proportion to every other ethnicity, IIRC, it's around 40%. So stop with this whole Jewish nose crap, it's offensive and antisemitic.

Actors wear prosthetics to play a part on screen. When they are playing an actual nonfictional person, this is essential to resemble the character as much as possible, along with changing their mannerisms, diction and other characteristics in line with the person they are portraying. If LB's family have given their consent and made a statement that they haven't a problem, then no-one else should.

Am far more offended by womanface.

I'm Jewish and I think you are being ridiculous

I am Jewish and I agree totally with this post

Interesting. Thread posters in the trot are Jewish and have said they dont care.

Non Jewish community, please chill out. If we’re not offended then you really don’t need to be on our behalf.

I think if he was playing a generic Jewish person and had worn a big nose that would be bad. But he’s recreating a specific person and is wearing a fake nose which recreates that person’s nose which I don’t think is the same.

Because he wasn't just wearing a prosthetic to play a Jew, any Jew, he was playing a specific person and was made up.to resemble him more closely.

If someone is playing a specific real life character isn’t that different than just dressing up as a generic Jewish person?

this is my feeling on it too, if it was a made up character and he wore the nose that would be wrong, but as it is he is playing a real person and using makeup and prosthetics to look as similar as possible. I have been wondering about it quite a bit today and if I think it’s right or wrong. If it was a Jewish actor and they wore the nose would that be wrong? My mind is not fully made up on what way I feel but for me the fact he’s playing an actual person rather than stereotyping and also that the family are on board make me swing more to the yabu

I’m Jewish and I agree with all you say.
If someone were to play a generic Jewish character with a big nose then I can see the issue, this would be anti-Semitic, but I can’t get worked up about this one.
In fact to me it minimises the issue, there are a lot more instances of Jew hate which need to be taken more seriously than an inaccurate nose.