Syndication
The Nebbisher Rebbe
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More in The ShmoozeAmerican Apparel founder Dov Charney is notorious for ads featuring scantily clad young women modeling his company’s clothes while striking provocative poses. Now, it appears, he’s found religion — or at least he’s found the appropriate rebbe: Woody Allen.
The trendy T-shirt purveyor recently put up a billboard at the busy corner of Houston and Allen Streets on New York’s Lower East Side featuring a massive image of the neurotic filmmaker dressed as a Hasid from his masterpiece “Annie Hall.” Beside the picture, written in Yiddish, are the words, “der heyliker rebe” — “the holy rebbe.”
Responding to an inquiry from the Forward, Alex Spunt of American Apparel explained: “Woody Allen is our spiritual leader.”
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Comments
Woody Allen is a brilliant director. But as a spiritual leader? Mnyehhh....
I think you could make a case for Woody as spiritual leader. At least I think I can. Because I was an English major, so I was trained to look for symbolism and metaphor.
Woody Allen has always been making a mockery of his Judaism, as he is now in this costume.
As Tevye puts it at the end of Sholem Aleichem's monologue collection, "The old God of Israel still lives...!" I think this billboard is going to go down as a priceless icon of post-modernism--a kitsch masterpiece. And you thought Yiddish was a dying language...?
Ah, but which Woody Allen?
Bea, are you a moron? This is from 1977's Annie Hall... come on...
Just thought I should mention that sevenfatcow was the first blog to publish this. Jewschool and Heeb noted that. The Forward did not.
what is his marketing point?????
he's not appewaling to any fashion (or apparel) sense????
ther's no samples of his fashions / apparel displayed???
its simply an appeal to separatism, disunity, and possibly insult, to the jewish community!!!
and this has nothing to do with his past (improper) actions!!!
and i'm not sure about the woody allen claim. its simply a chassidishe-looking figure.
Although not seriously religious, I diapprove of an ad. which could be an affront to many chassidim with sicerely held views.
Is all fiair in love,war and advertising?
A number of articles have appeared about Mr. Charney over the years, such as in the Jewish Journal www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=14419 - In These Times www.inthesetimes.com/article/2270/ - Clamor Magazine www.clamormagazine.org/issues/38/aa/straub.php - Gawker http://gawker.com/news/culture//dov-charney-entrepreneur-of-self-love-026206.php ...