A new conspiracy?

Well, the fascists have finally entered the building. The benignly named Parents Television Council has come out and said it: It’s the Jews [“Advocacy Group Says TV Has Little Respect for Religion,” by Lynn Smith, Dec. 17, and “Yule Tidings of a Culture War,” by Tim Rutten, Dec. 18]. Sorry, but I didn’t catch the intended sarcasm claimed by its leader, L. Brent Bozell. In fact, I’m still wondering why Jews were even mentioned if they weren’t relevant to the topic of the abuse of religion on television.

But then I did catch the historical reference: Just as the Nazis, before they built their efficient death camps, used propaganda that presented the majority Christian German population as the victims and the minority, powerless Jewish population as the perpetrators (remember the “Jewish Conspiracy” which led to the “Final Solution”), the new Nazis blame Jewish Hollywood for abusing the Christian majority.

And since the 80% of Americans who claim to be Christian are so dense, they don’t understand the abuse being heaped upon their religious institutions. If they did, they would probably rise in revolt and stop watching the godless sitcoms, the religious-bashing dramas and soul-crushing reality shows. Fortunately, we have the Parents Television Council to protect us from this new Jewish conspiracy.

Barry Simon

Studio City

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Tim Rutten writes that “Bozell doesn’t want to say it too clearly, but the Jews control Hollywood.” It must indeed be unclear, since the paragraph before actually contains Bozell’s words: “No, I don’t think [that Hollywood is Jewish and taking care of its own].”

It would seem that Rutten knows better than Bozell himself what Bozell thinks. This disrespect of Bozell is shocking, and Rutten is indeed small-minded if this represents any portion of his rhetorical style.

Edward J. Mercer

Santa Ana