muse-musin': point to consider Mel Gibson's _Passion_

point to consider seriously concerning Mel Gibson's movie _The Passion_
(despite its possible inhistorical accuracies and New Testament bias):

If it is so anti-Semitic, why is it in Aramic, a Semitic language that
Jesus Christ, Jesus ben Joseh or whatever, of Nazareth, definitely a Jew, spoke?

--- º°`°º ø,¸¸,ø º°`°º ø,¸¸,ø º°`°º ø,¸¸,ø º°`°º º°`°º ø,¸~->

Hanuman "Mister Sinister" Zhang, Sloth-Style Gungfu Typist
- "the sloth is a chinese poet upsidedown" --- Jack Kerouac {1922-69}

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry
because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with
passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and
necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we
stay alive for." - Robin Williams, _Dead Poet's Society_

"Chance is the inner rhythm of the world, and the soul of poetry." - Miguel
de Unamuno

"One thing foreigners, computers, and poets have in common
is that they make unexpected linguistic associations." --- Jasia Reichardt

"There is no reason for the poet to be limited to words, and in fact the
poet is most poetic when inventing languages. Hence the concept of the poet as
'language designer'." --- O. B. Hardison, Jr.

"La poésie date d' aujour d'hui." (Poetry dates from today)
"La poésie est en jeu." (Poetry is in play)
--- Blaise Cendrars

In a message dated 2/16/2004 11:51:11 PM Eastern Standard Time,
czhang23@... writes:

>
>
>
> point to consider seriously concerning Mel Gibson's movie _The Passion_
> (despite its possible inhistorical accuracies and New Testament bias):
>
> If it is so anti-Semitic, why is it in Aramic, a Semitic language that
> Jesus Christ, Jesus ben Joseh or whatever, of Nazareth, definitely a Jew,
> spoke?
>

Using Aramaic is not mutually exclusive with not being anti-semitic. By the
way, there are Aramaic-speaking communities dotting Syria.

Maybe using a language practically no one can understand lends a certain
abstract quality that Gibson liked. Also makes for vaguer meanings, and invites
multiple interpretation, as the present debates in the media would suggest.

All I can say is that each side (every side?) is uncomfortable with the
subject matter. What is there that is cozy with nails-in-the-hand hanging?

best, Johnny

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In metatuning@yahoogroups.com, czhang23@a... wrote:
>
> point to consider seriously concerning Mel Gibson's movie _The
Passion_
> (despite its possible inhistorical accuracies and New Testament
bias):
>
> If it is so anti-Semitic, why is it in Aramic,

Aramaic

> a Semitic language that
> Jesus Christ, Jesus ben Joseh or whatever, of Nazareth, definitely
>a Jew, spoke?

What does that have to do with anything? Millions of Jews spoke
German for centuries, and so did Hitler.