Wrestling with a fake chasid
A Jewish professional wrestler called out a non-Jewish colleague who dresses as a chasidic Jew for his matches, saying it is “the equivalent of black face.”
David Starr, whose given name is Max Barsky, complained in a Facebook post about fellow wrestler Mathias Glass, who bills himself “The Most Jewish Man Alive.”
Glass wears a shtreiml and a black suit; the fringes of his tzitzit hang out. Payos dangle in front of his ears. He often breaks into chasidic dancing.
“I want everyone to know that Mathias Glass is not Jewish,” Starr wrote. “The stereotype driven character he portrays is offensive and distasteful. It is the equivalent of black face. Imagine me painting my face black and acting as a black character that was completely stereotypically driven. How would you react? How would the public react?”
Starr, 26, said he had messaged Glass previously about his gimmick, and knows that other Jews in wrestling have urged him to stop.
“Prior to finding out that he wasn’t Jewish, I thought the schtick was entertaining,” Starr also wrote. “I don’t necessarily like stereotype driven gimmicks in general, but this was clearly a self-deprecating (at least I thought it self-deprecating) comedic style. I am not a no fun sensitive snowflake type. I can make fun of myself and my people, but someone from outside the community has no right.”
Reaction to Starr’s post was mixed, with some agreeing that it is offensive and others calling on the wrestler to lighten up. Others pointed out that wrestling has always been about exaggerated and offensive stereotypes.
The response from Glass came on Twitter.
“Wrestling is real and I’m Jewish. Oy,” he tweeted.
He also retweeted many messages of support from both fans and competitors.
“I find myself pulling back on some of the stereotypical stuff … but to the chagrin of many many Jewish fans, friends, and fellow wrestlers. I’m constantly evolving, constantly learning, and always willing to listen to constructive criticism,” he tweeted.
JTA Wire Service
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