- cross-posted to:
- palestine@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- palestine@lemmy.ml
Rapper Macklemore is a vocal supporter of Palestine and Gaza residents. During a recent concert at MetLife Stadium, he yelled “Free Palestine!” onstage, projected images of devastation in the area, and performed protest song “Hind’s Hall.”
Now, it seems that American venues are not willing to play ball with the Seattle artist, and he has been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
“After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates,” according to Messina Touring Group, the promoter of Loop Tour. This news follows backlash from organizations like StopAntisemitism and others, such as pop star Pink.



If Pink’s reply (which seems thoughtful and balanced) is to be believed, it’s not due to support of Palestine as much as trotting out grotesque antisemitic caricatures and blaming all Jews for the Gaza genocide.
From the article:
“Blaming all Jews,” riiiiight.
I watched the video of Macklemore, and he makes it crystal clear that criticism of apartheid and Israel is not criticism of judeism.
Which is why there are pics of these caricatures and recordings of his “blaming all jews”.
Right?
Here’s a picture of the caricature
This was back in 2014 and the ADL accepted his apology for it. So he’s at least had antisemitic moments. Does that mean he’s blaming all Jews for the genocide? No.
The costume he put on with absolutely no other jewish or jewish adjacent context or even a little history of anti-semitism?
The one where after he wore it once, he was told by a bunch of jews ‘hey that’s a jew costume! Stop making fun of us!’ To which he responded, ’ Oh, shit, I never saw it like that. I can see where you could get that now. I’m sorry." Then he promoted the ADL, never wore it again, and never did anything “anti-semitic” again for over a decade? That is, until this “anti-Semitism” of saying ‘israel should stop genociding people’?
That incident? That’s the photo you’re providing as proof?
Yes, that is the image I found when I searched “Macklemore Jewish Caricature”. You aggressively asked for pictures of said caricature. I gave you a picture and provided the context that the ADL accepted his apology and I pointed out that it doesn’t mean he blames all Jews for the genocide.
Why are you mad?
I’m not mad, but the fact that you feel my first post asking for pictures was “aggressive” gives me a good insight into your emotional sensitivity. I apologize if my phrasing caused you discomfort.
It is very discomforting for me to see the entire major media landscape and almost all politicians in support of genocide and the violent suppression of voices and actions lifted to attempt and stop genocide. I use humor as a way to disarm my own feelings of terror at the sight of such overwhelming, callous destruction.
You responded to my request for pictures of Maclemore’s antisemitism, for which Pink is claiming he was just fired for, with a well publicized 12 year old picture. It seemed like you were attempting to pass it off as proof of his current position,.or of antisemitism at all. My mistake if you were just confused as to why it’s irrelevant. And my apologies for phrasing my response as if you were being intentionally misleading if you were not.
Nope not trying to pass it off as his current position. I genuinely thought you were demanding pictures of his past actions. I did not mean to be misleading.
I was classifying the costume as an antisemitic moment, which it was. He has since apologized and made good in the eyes of the Jewish community (apart from Pink) and doesn’t hold the views that that costume would suggest.
More to the point, saying “Free Palestine” isn’t an antisemitic statement at all.
Excellent! I’d like to speak to the costume itself. You seem to have a very different view of it than I do, and I’d love to get some guidance if you feel up to providing it.
I see the “anti-jewish propaganda nose” that is very obviously the nose from antisemitic literature over the years, but I do not see any other signs of this being and attempt at a “jewish costume”. Every other part of the costume, to me, screams of being a caricature of an upper middle class middle eastern business owner. I have never seen the bowl cut, beard, gold shirt, etc aspects of the costume as associated with jewish people at all.
I understand where Israel resides on an map and the history of the jewish people, I’ve just never seen overlap with those two caricatures. I am also not saying that Macklemore saying “hey I’m a greasy slimeball brown businessman” is any better. I’m just relaying what I see in an attempt to see what you, and others, saw.
Are racists really portraying jewish people in this way and I’ve just missed it? I’m sure there is a mountain of modern, online, magat cave, racist tropes that I’m just not caught up on.
You’re not going to recognize every single dog whistle that is out there and trying to will drive you insane. Go easy on yourself for not seeing this one.
I mean it’s pretty clearly irrelevant to the current topic
This literally didn’t happen. How do you live with such lies you tell? Does genocide make you happy?
“Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you” - Macklemore’s statement to his Jewish fans. Doesn’t really sound like he’s “blaming all Jews”, at all.
Pink is succesfully minimizing and normalizing actual antisemitism with this garbage.
I don’t think I’d be using Pink as a source anymore. She’s been up there with Bibi for a while.