The brothers Weinstein, formerly of Miramax Entertainment, are soon opening up a “Faith Based” (aka Christian, because other religions clearly have no faith) distribution label and are signing a first-look production deal with Christian shingle Impact Entertainment.
Now, the mere fact of the the Weinstein’s Jewishness may lead some to find the decision odd, but really, has any Hollywood producer ever been accused of making business decisions based on principals?
Nonetheless, they aren’t the only ones seeing the next big trend in marketing (find Jesus, and find that he makes you lots and lots of money). With 83% of Americans identifying themselves as Christians, it would take an unhealed blind man to not see the light.
So fine, America is a Christian country, and Christian buying power may come to influence more and more of the entertainment available. But who’s really got the last laugh? The Christian Majority herding themselves into theatres and theme parks, or we of the mosaic persuasion who not only gave the world this Jesus, but learned how to profit off him?
Let’s just call it revenge for the Inquisitions.
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Thank you for every other informative blog.
A faith based movie studio would enable Matisyahu to make and market a professional movie. The Muslims are the real threat. The Christians will be on our side and we will benefit from working with “faith-based” groups. Because they also see Muslims as a threat and want a strong Israel and a strong Jewish community. I bet you that a “faith-based” Christian group would sooner jump on a Matisyahu marketing project then a secular Jewish group. And if you’re really afraid of Christian America, then come here to Israel and make your own movies.
Oh my! Look! It’s the resurrection of 50 Shekel on Jewlicious.com – a site run inpart by a guy called ck (me). Know what ck stands for Aviad? Christ Killer. That’s how your friends think of us. And me? I don’t give a shit one way or the other. Being proselytized by a has been, never was “artist” sell out of the crappiest dimensions imaginable, well… suffice it to say that your inane ramblings are hardly going to be compelling.
Go ahead Aviad. Turn the other cheek.
I don’t care who the messiah is, your music is still the greatest of sins.
Don’t go thinking anyone has forgotten that you sampled Bette Midler last year.
Are you implying that Milton Friedman was resurrected. Will a fifth of the world’s population be worshipping a 5’2″ Nobel prize winning economist in two thousand years?
That was proselytizing? Calling us meshugenah?
Anyway, there are lots of much better dead Jews to worship. Some even have fax numbers.
Do we allow proselytizing on this site?
Oh well, Yeshua (Jesus) is the King of kings, Lord of lords who reigns. He’s the Jewish Messiah. Most famous Jew on the block 🙂 Salvation is through Him, our Mashiach….first for the Jew and then for the Gentile. It was prophesied that since we rejected Him, that salvation would go to the Gentiles and then they would provoke us to jealousy. From the looks of it, God was right. Christians are doing just that. Worshipping the God of Israel, embracing the Jewish Messiah and it’s making Jews meshugenah….having them wonder, how these Christians are reading from the Tanakh and even celebrating God’s Biblical feasts.
Ofri, you are of course correct. I’ve edited the post to be clearer.
You’re right Ofri – Miramax has nothing to do with the Harv and Bob. Disney bought them out awhile ago. And the big boys are still rocking with good ultra-liberal fare like “Bobby”. I’m sure Laya knows the history of Jews in the American film and music industry, and they’re ability to put aside their personal/religious beliefs for the sake of the market, from the Goldwyn/Meyers production of the very Christian “Ben Hur” to Rick Rubin-produced Slayer records (never mind the band is definitely not fascist but some of their fans are – ever been to a Slayer show and stood in the midst of sieg heiling?). In fact the brothers got a lot going on…
http://www.cinematical.com/2006/07/13/weinsteins-developing-urban-entertainment/
Not that the urban market isn’t faith-based. In fact, the two film divisions might have more than less in common.
First of all, the brothers Weinstein are no longer affiliated with Miramax. They were bought out and now operate under the name The Weinstein Company. So, it’s unclear (to me) from this post whether it’s the Weinsteins of Miramax fame who are cashing in or Miramax of Weinstein fame. Not that I’d put it past the Weinsteins. I’m just sayin’.
That said, I’m not sure I see a problem with this “faith-based” distribution label. There’s a market, and some people sincerely want what they consider to be wholesome entertainment, so it’s not really so terrible to cater to that demand. Innocuous fare like The Nativity Story and Seventh Heaven is hardly offensive, except to people of discerning tastes with an aversion to sentimental schlock.
Laya,
I know you’re kidding and all, but these Anglo-Protestants shouldn’t be held accountable for the actions of the Spanish and Portugese Catholics. I mean, fair’s fair, right? I mean, I may as well hold Jewlicious responsible for the sins of Jewlarious.