ADC weighs in on Nine’s ‘ker-ching’

AJN STAFF

THE B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) this week lodged a complaint with Channel Nine over a joke made during a Today show report about the wedding of Dr Geoffrey Edelsten and Brynne Gordon.

Describing the decorations, reporter Richard Wilkins said the florists of Melbourne had had an early Christmas and sent a congratulations note, adding “of course the Jewish word for congratulations, ker-ching”.

ADC executive director Deborah Stone said the “joke was a racist and offensive slander on Jewish people, drawing on an age-old stereotype of Jewish people as rich and money-loving”.

“Casual racist remarks fuel anti-Semitism and all forms of racism. When prejudice sneaks into popular discourse under the cover of humour in a lighthearted entertainment report, it legitimises an unfair and dangerous view of Jewish people to mass audiences.”

But Today show producer Tom Malone said the joke was in no way intended to be offensive to the Jewish community.

“It was a specific reference to the florists of Melbourne who would have made a fortune off the wedding because there were so many flowers. In no way was this a reference to any stereotype of Jewish people being obsessed with money. It was the exact opposite — that no expense had been spared. At all times Richard and Karl and Lisa were respectful of the Jewish faith,” he said.

Stone referred to the producer’s comments as “disingenuous”.

“There is a very simple test for whether a joke is racist. You substitute a different race or religion and see if the joke still stands. Is Mr Malone seriously asking us to believe that if it had been an Anglican wedding with lavish flowers Mr Wilkins would have said, ‘the Anglican word for congratulations, ‘ker-ching’?” she said.