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.

Would it have helped if they'd cast a black actor as Bernstein or a woman?
It's acting, I've watched Shakespeare played by a black actors and by women, it didn't matter to me I was there to watch the play. A black Hamlet or female Macbeth doesn't bother me provided they draw me into the story.

TV and film is much more visual and I can understand them wanting to try and make him look a bit more like the character and it takes time to do the makeup and prosthetics so he's not going to be taking it off while not on set during filming.

Exactly this!

Agree. That looks like a bad choice for the nose as it’s so pointy.

I’m assuming the nose wasn’t the only thing he had added to alter his appearance? I assume he also had hair, make up etc to make his appearance more like the original person.

personally I think adding a prosthetic nose to look like a specific person, is very different to adding a prosthetic nose to place a random Jewish character. However I can see why it is being questioned given the history of characterisations of Jewish people with a focus on hooked noses.

I will be following the thread with interest.

it’s a terrible prosthetic nose! BC’s own (not particularly small!) nose was actually closer to LC’s nose and would have been totally fine. i think its a lovely comment from the family - who clearly want to temper the criticism of BC. but really - he managed to play John Merrick (the Elephant Man) on stage on both Broadway and London without prosthetics - i think he could have managed without this one

much of the Jewface criticism would probably have been avoided had the nose not been so startlingly large!

YABU and turning this into a race thing. Not everything in the world has to come back to race and nor does it have to be offensive. Give it up FFS.

I’m looking at my family now… any actor playing my grandfather, DH or DS would need a prosthetic nose, as feh each have/had what my grandma called a ‘healthy sized nose’. Hollywood has used Jewish American actors to play catholic Italians.

it’s acting - and if it makes the actor look more like the real person, then that’s costume and makeup.

wasn’t there complaints about the actor who played Nina Simone?

I'm Jewish and not offended. There have been many Jewish actors who have played non Jewish roles over the years, like Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Natalie Portman, etc. If we say only Jewish actors can play Jewish roles, then it would be fair to say the reverse and the world would have lost out on some great films.
I have a largish nose, so did my Mum. My Dad had a small nose. My nose doesn't make me Jewish but it is part of my face. I don't look 'English', people assume I'm Mediterranean.

It really is bad

I just googled young LB and he looks similar enough to BC anyway

To me the question is who has the right to be offended by this; is it the family or is it all Jewish people?

If the family spent time with him on the set while he was filming and thought that the prosthetic was appropriate, that should lend weight surely

Good point!

I genuinely can’t tell if many of the posters on this thread are completely ignorant about antisemitism, or if they’re just being deliberately obtuse.

Of course and actress wearing a prosthetic to looks like Diana, for example, is not the same as this. Many of the antisemitic caricatures had an over exaggerated nose, it’s a classic antisemitic trope so of course people are sensitive about it.

Shall we bring up white chicks? Ahh no sorry, white people have to just sit and take it

it’s a classic antisemitic trope so of course people are sensitive about i*t
*
In my view, the classic antiemetic trope is arising because commenters are equating an actor seeking verisimilitude with the person he is portraying - who had a big nose - with the idea that the prosthetic nose is being chosen to make a statement on 'Jewish people having big noses'.

It's doing no such thing. The prosthetic is being worn because the specific individual had a big nose. It makes no assertion on the part of any other Jewish person

If the family took no issues with this I dont think anyone else should

I think I tend to be guided by this approach.
I listen to the community involved & go by what they say (appreciate all jewish people, all black people, all autistic people etc etc are not a homogenous lump)
But, it's better than me, as an 'outsider' deciding whether something's 'wrong'

Honestly it doesn’t matter that he isn’t Jewish, the role goes to the actor who can best portray the person they are playing. I can’t speak for other Jewish people but it doesn’t offend me (and I have a stereotypically large “Jewish” nose) prosthetics are used in movies all the time to ensure the actors resemble the character they are playing.

I must say I don't like the term "jew face" either it makes me feel uncomfortable. A little like the people who think they detect rascism in someone else who has said nothing but the detector turn goes onto say things about "smelly forriners stealing our jobs". I've often wondered if it isn't an actual ruse to be racist

No, they aren't ignorant,you just have an incredibly rigid and reductive understanding of what counts as problematic.

Sigh.

Stop equating large noses as a signifier of being Jewish. It's only an antisemitic trope because the Nazis perpetuated it. There is zero scientific proof to back up the fallacy that Jews have larger noses than any other ethnicity.

It's something that is repeated ever so casually everywhere, particularly here on Mumsnet. Those whom are repeating this are part of the issue. Just stop it. Please.

I don’t see the drama about the nose. He was wearing a prosthetic to look more like the real person he was playing. That’s what people do when they’re acting. There’s no reason why that very normal thing should change or suddenly become offensive just because the person being played is Jewish.

I haven’t said Jewish people have large noses, you’ve said yourself there’s no scientific evidence of this. I’ve said it’s a classic antisemitic trope, so seems like we’re in agreement there 🤷🏾‍♀️

@Purpleavocado Exactly this! And I know how you feel, I inherited my grandmothers and fathers nose, it’s something I actually struggle with but people always assume I’m from the Mediterranean but I’m also Portuguese so I don’t have a typical “English” look.

I think for me the deciding point is that BC isn't playing a fictional character or a generic, unnamed Jewish person, in which case the addition of the prosthetic I would agree is offensive and pandering to anti-Semitic stereotypes.

We know LB had a larger nose, and although I'd agree the prosthetic isn't the best, I don't think it's offensive if someone is trying to accurately portray an individual.

The reason BC is wearing a prosthesis is because he's playing LB, not because he's playing a Jewish person.

If BC had been playing a Jewish character and decided to wear a prosthetic to make himself look "more Jewish", it would be a problem, it would be "Jewface".
But that isn't what he is doing, he is using makeup and prosthetic nose to make himself look like a specific person (who happens to be Jewish).
There's a huge difference between the 2 scenarios. I do not find that the nose is exaggerated, it looks very much like LB's nose.