Profile for James Edwards2

henrikegerman said: "James Edwards2 said: "Oh okay, So you'd be okay with him playing a man of Asian descent or Latin or Black? If you would, then I can see why you'd have no issue here either. But if you wouldn't, then I think we can all just agree you're a hypocrite."Or a person who recognizes that the imbalance issues of equity, diversion and inclusion that exist for Asian, Latino and Black actors simply do not exist for Jewish actors. I can appreciate your perspective, but I'm not sure it...

LePetiteFromage said: "James Edwards2 said: "And to answer your question, up until my 50's, I did try to hide my ethnicity because I felt unsafe and because I was ashamed. The faith aspect of being a Jew has nothing to do with this conversation. I have never been a practicing Jew. I've never even stepped foot in a synagogue. But this is not about religion…. We have to change our names and get nose jobs and lighten our skin in order to feel like maybe we actually belong."If I may James, it fee...

A Director said: "James Edwards2 - I am Jewish. I am troubled by posts because of your attempt to stir the post, your lack knowledege and your ignorance. Are you Jewish? In some posts you say you are and in others you don't mention this. It's a simple YES or NO question. If you are, why do you hide it? Are you shamed oof being Jewish? Was/is your family Jewish, but you have renounced the faith?In your first post, you declare that Sean Hayes should not have been cast because he doesn't have Se...

PipingHotPiccolo said: "James Edwards2 said: "You are right. Thank you again. I do not usually post on message boards and I am not nearly as articulate as you are."It has nothing to do with being articulate. Theres a valid point to be made here but you keep haranguing and insulting people, you seem hysterical about the issue, and you end up making arguments that are the flipside of the anti semitic coin. I find your comments about "looking Semitic" to be utterly disgusting, and extremely excl...

Jonathan Cohen said: "James Edwards2 said: "This argument is precisely why there is a problem with representation. Mr. Hayes can get the play produced because he is famous. But Mr. Hayes most likely would not have had the television career he had if he were Jewish and had semitic features. Television sitcoms of the 80s and 90s and 00s rarely featured actors with semitic features. We do not have a lot of Jewish-facing stars. So in order to get the play done we have to cast someone who isn't Je...

Highland Guy said: "James Edwards2 said: "That's not what happened but okay. I apologize for suggesting you might be someone who would also deny the Holocaust. That was my bad.But it wasn't trolling as you suggest. It wasn't meant to upset you, which is what trolling is. It was meant to point out that the kinds of things you are denying in what I was saying are similar things to people who deny the Holocaust. If you don't want people to make those connections, maybe try not to discount someon...

BWAY Baby2 said: "For me, I think there is an anti- white bias in a lot of what is going on these days- and I cannot say I do not understand why- because, any thoughtful person will agree that diversity has not been happening in so many walks of life for a very long time- and white people have basically controlled and locked out POC in so many areas of life- and that needs to be corrected and stopped. For me, that is undeniable. However, in the quest to be more equitable and fair to POC, LBG....

PipingHotPiccolo said: "I agree with this guy's underlying point re the double standard many of you are guilty of, frankly, but this over the top presentation does no one any favors here and accomplishes nothing.I was, however, thinking today about the comment above--fairly made--that there ISNT a representation issue re Jewish actors. I think thats probably true from a #s perspective, but why don't we apply that logic to LGBTQ performers? Isn't there an argument that gay characters should be...

Highland Guy said: "James Edwards2 said: "It's good to know you're not a Holocaust denier."Without reason or proof, you called me a Holocaust Denier. That forced me to defend myself and my reputation. But instead of an apology, you post the above dismissive comment. That, by any definition, is TROLLING."That's not what happened but okay. I apologize for suggesting you might be someone who would also deny the Holocaust. That was my bad. But it wasn't trolling as you suggest. It wasn't meant to...

Highland Guy said: "James Edwards2 said: "Highland Guy said: "Tell mewhat things I was saying that are anti-semitic."THISHighland Guy said: "I don't believe there is truth to anything the OP has posted."Maybe you weren't referring to any of the Jewish topics I mentioned. But you said there's no truth to anything I had said."And I still don't think there is truth to anything you have posted. That DOES NOT make me Anti-Semitic. And it DOES NOT make me, as you have suggested, a Holocaust Denier....

Kad said: "It’s troubling that this has taken a turn from “Jews should be playing Jewish figures/characters” to “Jewswho look Jewish should be playing Jewish figures/characters.”In terms of diversity, Judaism cannot be handled the same way as many other race/ethnic groups. There are Jews who are blonde and blue eyed and no less Jewish than those with “Semitic features.” People who have converted to Judaism are just as Jewish as those born into it. People whose family trees contain Jews and ot...

Highland Guy said: "James Edwards2 said: "Highland Guy said: "James Edwards2 said: "I'll do my best to answer this but I'm not sure I can. I can tell you that people frequently ask me if I'm Jewish. Perhaps it's the color of my skin which is referred to as olive. I'm not exactly sure how or why they might know or think to ask. I will say that there are Jewish people who do not look traditionally Jewish (Paul Rudd) and I wouldn't be able to tell by how they look. But then there are those who I...

Highland Guy said: "James Edwards2 said: "I'll do my best to answer this but I'm not sure I can. I can tell you that people frequently ask me if I'm Jewish. Perhaps it's the color of my skin which is referred to as olive. I'm not exactly sure how or why they might know or think to ask. I will say that there are Jewish people who do not look traditionally Jewish (Paul Rudd) and I wouldn't be able to tell by how they look. But then there are those who I would be surprised to find out are not Je...

The Distinctive Baritone said: "I am not Jewish, but have Jewish family members and ancestors. I think we all know what James means by “semitic features.” HOWEVER…over the past few decades, due to interfaith marriage and religious conversions,“semitic features“ are becoming less and less of a thing. I mean, I just did a show with a Mexican Jew. Perhaps during Oscar Durant’s time, “semitic features” were a half-way decent signifier of one’s Jewishness, but in 2023…not so much.Also, the argumen...

Highland Guy said: "James Edwards2 said: "This argument is precisely why there is a problem with representation. Mr. Hayes can get the play produced because he is famous. But Mr. Hayes most likely would not have had the television career he had if he were Jewish and had semitic features. Television sitcoms of the 80s and 90s and 00s rarely featured actors with semitic features. We do not have a lot of Jewish-facing stars. So in order to get the play done we have to cast someone who isn't Jewi...

Zeppie2022 said: ""Oscar Levant passed away more than half a century ago. To my limited knowledge, no one (Jewish or not) has brought his story to Broadway until now. Sean Hayes didn't snatch the opportunity away from Jewish men to do so. I would rather see a play about the brilliant Oscar Levant starring someone who is not himself Jewish, than to have no such play at all. Good luck to all those involved with this production."Well said, agree 100%."This argument is precisely why there is a pr...

BUT in the meantime, yes, its very strange that some ppl simply insist on these New Rules and then promptly excuse Jews from them. Sutton Ross' persistent ignorance on this point is a prime example but that ugliness is just emblematic of a deeper problem, where some fool on a message board can so confidently dispute plain genetic science, with little pushback from the crowd."Thank you for all of this. I was very surprised by how little pushback there was, though now that she has gone a good d...

PipingHotPiccolo said: "While I think James Edwards here is doing a poor job conveying the underlying point, and Sutton Ross has made their bigoted views on Jewish people being a "CHOICE!" many times before and isnt worth engaging with here....there IS a double standard in certain circles on this point that I think is worth highlighting.To be clear I agree with Dollypop: an actor acts. I don't care if Sean Hayes is straight or Jewish, so long as he can sell the character. I would HATE for act...

Highland Guy said: "I don't believe there is truth to anything the OP has posted."I see. I never should have ventured onto these boards. There are some dark people lurking here. There is complete truth to what I have posted. The only way you deny that truth is if you are anti-semitic in some way. I hate to label you as that, but it is what it is. This sadly makes me feel very unsafe here. What part of what I posted isn't true? Maybe I'm just confused when you say you don't believe there is an...

Highland Guy said: "James Edwards2 said: "Sutton was aggressive and wrong and her decision to not read my explanation of what it means to be Jewish can certainly be construed as anti-semitic."Balderdash."It's okay. You don't get it either. I'm guessing you're not Jewish. Which is probably why you shouldn't play a Jew either. You have no desire to actually walk in our shoes and understand our experience. If you did want to understand our experience and really explore that then I would have no ...