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Galliano’s lawyer is Jewish – why are we not surprised?

This just in: John Galliano’s lawyer is Jewish.

In case you haven’t been following the story, the Paris-based fashion designer was arrested for making anti-Semitic comments in a bar. It was all captured on film and posted on YouTube.

We posted a link on our Facebook page just as the story was breaking, and watching the video, hearing Galliano say “I love Hitler”, there really didn’t seem to be much space for wiggle room.

But that’s what lawyers are for, right? Apparently Galliano is not anti-Semitic, but “ill”, according to Stephen Zerbib, his attorney. Blame should be assigned to the mix of alcohol and drugs because, again, as Zerbib says, “It could happen to any of us.”

Really? There are lots of people out there who drink and party. Do their evenings always conclude with espousing love for fascist dictators and lauding mass extermination? Don’t you find it just a tad disturbing, Stephen, that your client’s go-to drunken rant is bigoted and hateful? You know, there are mean drunks, funny drunks, and apparently a subgroup of anti-Semitic drunks.

Of course Zerbib is Jewish, which both the media and Galliano himself are loving. It reeks of the “I’m not racist, my best friend is black” defense.

We know everyone’s entitled to a legal defense. One question: Why does it always have to be the Jewish guy taking up the mantle?

Thankfully other MOTs are reacting differently, as covered in this week’s IJN editorial on Oscar-winning Natalie Portman’s strong reaction.




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