Stereotypes - Goblins are to PS Movie as Jar Jar is to Episode 1?

[heathernmoore]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at y..., "irene_mikhlin" <irene_mikhlin at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPFGU-Movie at y..., "cornflower_o_shea" <tenpinkpiggies at h...> 
> wrote:
> > This wasn't something I picked up on in the movie at all, but on my 
> > second viewing I dragged my non-obsessed spousal unit along. He 
> > thought the Gringott's Goblins seemed to be based on old cultural 
> > sterotypes of Jews, a la Merchant of Venice - hooked nosed, yellow-
> > skinned, cold, calculating, unfeeling money-counters. Did anyone 
> > else feel this? I looked for previous discussions, but nothing came 
> > up in my search. Comments?
> 
> Well, my comment would be it's a double-edged sword to accuse 
> Columbus of using stereotype of Jews for the Goblins. Because the 
> answer to that is "they look and behave like Jews only if *you* think 
> the Jews look and behave like that".
> 
> Irene 


  Hrm... I think it's fair enough to say the movie goblins are modeled on Shylock, though, and many people dislike that character because they take it as a slur on Jews. Just as many people take the "Mammy" image as a slur on blacks; I recall a fascinating old episode of A DIFFERENT WORLD in which one of the characters came to understand that visual stereotypes like those can be transcended. I do think that for the most part, the automatic equation of Shylock with "Jew" has itself been mostly transcended.

By that token, you could accuse Snape of being Shylock, too: sallow-skinned, longish dark hair and eyes, hooked nose, something of a bean counter both with points and grudges, indulging his prejudices. Even his costuming in the film looks a little Renaissance at first glance, when he isn't wearing his robe open.