Dear Jews: 'Stop Cutting Yr Babies.' Love, Russell Crowe [UPDATED]

Perhaps this makes me one of the "lazy journalists" to whom Russell Crowe has partially attributed his latest cultural scrape, but you be the judge: Does an Oscar-winning actor and A-list leading man tweeting his respect for Jews' "funny hats" along with the request that they "stop cutting [their] babies" sound... well, weird to you? [UPDATE: Oh, wait, says Eli Roth -- that was a joke! Ha?]

Crowe's series of tweets criticizing circumcision emerged late Thursday night, rolling into a discussion among his followers and, within the last hour or so, a pair of apologies. (Namedropped filmmaker Eli Roth, who co-wrote and produced Crowe's upcoming The Man With the Iron Fists, joined in himself: "You didn't seem to be complaining when I was recutting you this afternoon...") Several of the tweets have been deleted in the short time since Movieline captured the screengrab above, but you'll find them below with links to where they used to be published [all times EDT]:

10:06 p.m.: Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature? Is it real that GOD requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect

10:10 p.m.: @Hodanismail My friend, "human" science has caused too much damage, don't be a moron

10:46 p.m.: many jewish friends, I love my Jewish friends, I love the apples and the honey and the funny little hats but stop cutting yr babies @eliroth

11:16 p.m.: @catryan46 same as tattoo's/ plastic surgery;he is an adult and he "wants" it, then off u go,mothers were right 2 keep their babies intact

11:20 p.m.: I will always stand for the perfection of babies, i will always believe in God, not man's interpretation of what God requires

7:36 a.m.: wasn't intending offense, certainly wasn't intending to provide fodder for lazy journalists. I can't appologize for my heartfelt belief

9:00 a.m.: This is a great forum for communication,I,like any human have my opinions and you all have yours, thank you for trusting me with them

9:35 a.m.: I have a deep and abiding love for all people of all nationalities, I'm very sorry that I have said things on here that have caused distress

9:39 a.m.: My personal beliefs aside I realize that some will interpret this debate as me mocking the rituals and traditions of others. I am very sorry

Happy Friday?

UPDATE 12:43 p.m. EDT: Iron Fists co-writer/producer Eli Roth has roared to Crowe's defense with a succession of tweets decrying the media's handling/understanding of his friend's comments -- particularly the one about "cutting yr babies":

11:33 a.m.: @THR HOW DARE YOU call @russellcrowe antisemitic? What is WRONG with you? We are FRIENDS. Friends joke and tease each other. This is SICK.

11:34 a.m.: PLEASE RT. @russellcrowe is a great person - people are taking a joke to ME on twitter and are using it as an excuse to villify a good man

11:35 a.m.: I cannot believe what @THR and other news outlets are doing. I am absolutely sick! It's horrible - it's slander and it's NOT TRUE.

11:36 a.m.: Full statement coming soon. EVERYONE - please RT - @russellcrowe is NOT antisemitic, it was a joke on twitter the press are trumping up

11:39 a.m.: Journalists @Huffpost @TheAtlantic @THR YOU KNOW IT WAS A JOKE. You didn't even bother to ask EITHER OF US how we felt, you ran a [cont'd]

11:40 a.m.: story using tweets and poisoning a very good person's name. Why do you think no one takes newspapers seriously anymore? NO ONE ASKED ME.

11:41 a.m.: Fans - the reason @RZAWU got to direct iRON FISTS was @russellcrowe generously gave his time to our project. He's a good person. Please RT

11:42 a.m.: @THR @Huffpost @TheAtlantic - why are NONE OF YOU doing ANY FACT CHECKING? We're on twitter - you can ask EITHER OF US. You POISON his name

12:09 p.m.: FILM BLOGS TAKE NOTE - @THR @Huffpost @TheAtlantic and others are now terrifying stars into not saying any jokes on twitter.

12:10 p.m.: The whole fun of twitter is to have a real, open exchange with fans. NOT ONE MEDIA OUTLET CONTACTED EITHER OF US to see if it was a joke

12:26 p.m.: What's more disturbing is that there are real antisemitic incidents every day that they clearly could care less about. They attack a friend

OK, OK, we get it. But here's the thing about Twitter: IT IS PUBLIC AND EVERYBODY CAN READ IT. The reason this became a controversy at all was not because of a "joke" between "friends," but because Crowe spent the next hour publicly sparring with people about the morality of circumcision. Were the media supposed to get in touch with Crowe to "fact check" the spirit of his tweets, "I will always stand for the perfection of babies, i will always believe in God, not man's interpretation of what God requires," or "wasn't intending offense, certainly wasn't intending to provide fodder for lazy journalists. I can't appologize [sic] for my heartfelt belief"? Eight hours after the fact, awaking to headlines and the Twitter storm, Crowe wasn't spinning it as a joke. He was owning a point of view. Then he apologized. Those are the facts.

Anyway, trust me, Eli: This whole contretemps won't terrify celebrities from telling jokes on Twitter, but hopefully it does prompt them to tell the particularly bad ones via text message.

[via @russellcrowe]



Comments

  • Mike says:

    People of many faiths or no faith at all use circumcision. I spose have yet to realize that twitter is PUBLIC

  • Who Cares says:

    What business is it of Russel's ? He's just another damn liberal sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Go make your lousy movies and stay out of my house.

  • Carlo says:

    Or you could get a grip, realize it's some idiot tweeting an opinion and quit taking every piece of crap you read so damned seriously.

  • ZebedeeDooDah says:

    Tarring liberals with the brush that they stick their nose where it's not wanted seems unfair considering many people on the right are similarly involved with the personal lives of people who do not wish them to be. Planned Parenthood, gay marriage, etc. I'm not trying to take a side here, but what is the difference? Morality? If Mr. Crowe was sincere (and I think he probably is against circumcision, without being anti-semitic), then why are his morals less important than yours (if you are politically on the right, as I've inferred from your comment)?

  • Ben says:

    I'm more upset that he bashed science and invoked the naturalistic fallacy. Science has made our lives better and will continue to do so. Nature is dying at age twenty four from a lack of sanitation. What's so fucking special about nature?

  • happygolucky says:

    Divide and Conquer - The Next Frontier: Social Networking.

  • Stuart says:

    Of course the real point is that he is right and only deleted his messages because crazies called him anti-semitic. Which doesn't even make sense. If I was anti a certain group, I don't think I'd have a problem with them mutilating their child's genitals.

  • James Magoytoae says:

    Feeling bad about Mr.Crowe. The attack is automatic and purely requisite by gutless JotaSuckUps who are so fearful of the rulers of the world's elite they succumb to destroying other fellow "human beings" who just want to speak their minds and not be persecuted by "Big Brother".