If you’re wondering where Sarah Silverman gets her acid tongue, or her sister Susan gets her indomitable sense of social justice, look no further than her demonstratively awesome father, Donald. You might remember Donald from an incident a few months back, in which he called out an Orthodox Rabbi who’d claimed his daughter Sarah was unfit for motherhood (He started “Hey Rabbi Idiot...”) Now Donald Silverman, an accomplished author in his own right, is back and just as feisty as last time.
In a recently taped interview for HuffPo Live, when asked about the new Bravo TV series “Princesses: Long Island” and the term JAP in general, Donald didn’t mince words:
I find the word JAP to be rather disgusting and it refers to selfish, entitled people who are Jewish. There’s probably other entitled, selfish people besides Jews.
He then goes on to list other types of -APs (Christian American Princesses, Rabbi American Princesses, etc) covering some pretty impressive ethnic and religious territory along the way. Then, when asked whether the phenomenon of self-identifying as a Jewish American Princess is something new, he drops the hammer:
That something is being an asshole. To refer to yourself as materialistic and selfish — they just don’t get what life is all about.
Now, in fairness, I know some perfectly lovely JAPs. Some of my best friends are JAPs. Hell, some might argue, Donald, that your daughter Sarah made her career playing JAPs… Still, self-centered Princesses of the world, consider yourself on notice – Donald Silverman is having none of your shit.
Watch him kick ass and take names, here:
First things first: I’m still amazed, always shocked, by the blindness (or naivete)of the Jewish male in calling up the term JAP, as though Jewish American Princes never occurred to them — these men raised as kings in their households, some of whom expect the outside world to see them that way as well.
I agree with Silverman: it is a disgusting term needed by those living in the 21st century who still feel comfortable seeing the world in terms of Them and Us. Moreover, I am a blue collar daughter who has had to work her entire life; one of the forgotten American Jews. Even Jews believe all Jews have money to throw around at will. The term JAP is incendiary.