Just Another Yahu(Matisyahu insults women) (Edwin Decker)
August 28, 2007 — Julian ChadwickI normally try not to rant it up too much here, but this week has brought some things to light that I feel should be posted:
Portland, Do you miss Misogyny?
Well, then you are in luck. Matisyahu is playing tonight with 311, and I 100% agree with what Mr. Decker has to say (below) about this jerk and his disrespect towards women.
Saturday, we had a misogynistic SuperFest at Dante's with Mickey Avalon (and Legacy and the Kid Rock wannabe). I wish I would have actually listened to your crap or read the good and accurate Merc writeup before I went to see you. Do us a favor and disappear.
Just Another Yahu
(Matisyahu insults women)
"It's hard to [say no] to every other person who comes up to you," he complained in the RS interview. "It can come off as disrespectful."
When I read that quote, I laughed so hard my left foot actually careened off the pedal and my body sharply tilted left-ways as I thought to myself, Did he really say that? "Come off as"? It can come off as disrespectful? As if it's not actually disrespectful; it just sort of appears that way. Well I have news for you Matis. When you refuse to shake someone's hand simply because she is a woman — that's what disrespectful is, you twit. That is the essence of disrespectful. It is the poster-encounter for disrespect…READ MORE
So, this is the response I get from my friends who love/like this guy (and there are many, strong women included).
It's his religion, so it's OK.
Really…wait, really? In Pakistan apparently you can stone a woman to death if she has pre-marital sex, even if she was raped. Hey, that's their religion, so it's OK I guess…that means the following are also OK since it was what these people believe their religion commanded:
- the Crusades
- the Spanish inquisition
- the death or conversion choice given to many the Native Peoples of the Americas
- the 911 attack on New York
- the homophobic attacks by the “Christian Right”
- etc
If you are going, have fun–I'm not trying to attack you. I'm just saying what is up with Misogyny week in Portland?
Matisyahu–I'm sorry, but religion is not an excuse for intolerance and hate. You can't hide behind it (and freaking sell it too), and if you are apart of a hateful religion–get another one–I did (sorry Pope). Lastly, I lived in Antwerp, Belgium for a while amongst a large Hasidic community. I can't tell you all the intricacies of their religion, but I'm pretty sure that guy is violating a lot of the rules by playing to drinking crowds all over the country–I'm sure a quick googling would turn this up rather quickly.
It seems that the main rules he sticks by is not playing on Friday nights and disrespecting women–no thanks. My mom didn't raise me that way, and I am glad you won't shake her hand…you don't deserve to even look her way.
By the way…here is a post from a year or so ago where the Oregonian( Matishyahu Rewards the Faithful”) teaches you how to pronounce his name…good journalism baby!
August 29, 2007 at 10:50 am
No matter what religion a person may be involved with, there is absolutely no reason to ever make a woman feel less important than a man.
August 29, 2007 at 11:33 am
# the Crusades
# the Spanish inquisition
# the death or conversion choice given to many the Native Peoples of the Americas
# the 911 attack on New York
# the homophobic attacks by the “Christian Rightâ€
i can’t agree with you on that one! all of the above things were done in the name of religion….not because their religion told them to! nowhere in any religious doctrine does it say “kill people for God”, or “hate your fellow man…cuz he likes men”. people twist words and use religion to justify their own selfishness/hate/etc.
August 29, 2007 at 12:10 pm
You know, I am not too sure, but if I had to face this guy and ask him who he was for real, (I mean: “How did you make the transition from Mathew Miller(the person) into Matisyaho (the reaggae-jew-jah-trustafari-hebe-ass-rat)) that he would probably reply by speaking in tounges and go running off into the corner to eat some holy kosher cheese by himself, or grab the mic on full volume and start speaking some gibberish with a lot of reverb and delay bouncing around into infinite. No, thanks, I don’t buy it bro.
I mean just because you call yourself Jewish doesn’t mean you can exploit yourself, your religious philosophy, other religious philosophies, the money you make doing it, and then insult your contemporaries intelligence with this holier than thou bullshit. Fuck that. What a fucking elitist-extremist bunch of bullshit. I really cannot believe people buy this shit. Not that human beings are supposed to be rational or anything, but this guy strikes me as a genuine rat.
I’ve seen a few impersonators “faking Jamaican” but most who do don’t take it as their own dialect, or take themselves very seriously like they were Bob Marley or something. Most of them do it because it is just “cool”, and that is completely fine with me. Just be real and give respect where respect is due.
Then there are those who “Jah Bless” all over the place. Most of the “Jah Bless(ers)” really do not know a thing about Rastahfari, and if they did know about Rastahfari they wouldn’t be smoking so much weed. Most of these “Jah Bless” types take up the philosophy because they just enjoy the dready-seperatist-elitist hemp-wearing-status, and the holier-than-now-my daddy has a trust fund for me so i am better than you and i don’t have to work and i have a lot of free time on my hands and i don’t like you because you’re not wearing enough hemp-babby-hat-bubble. Or maybe they are rebelling against the status quo, but that’s all fine and good (although be it a bit confusing for me).
But really, what I would bet, is that what Matisyaho is is just another trust funded Jew turned artist extraordinaire (through connections he made at church, back in the day when his mommy made him go). Hey! turns out God really does exist, see look, I’m living proof!!!…..What a crock of bullshit dude, how does one arrive at Jewish-Jamaican? What holy land are you standing on? This guy is an idiot, or I am totally confused. Would Bob Marley not be rolling over in his grave right about now, along with a whole suite of other good dead genuine artists (artists who did not really ever attempt to exploit their personal beliefs in their music because they were not necessarily separatist-extremists, but may have been consciously outside of the status quo during their time, and as a result may have experienced REAL suppression)?… Such is NOT the case with Matisyaho, I would bet on it, but whatever….
So, to Matisyaho, his fans, and ilk in kind:
Just be yourself and stop claiming uniqueness through religious philosophies, race, and, or skin color. Try being influenced by different cultures by just being a human being who lives on this earth. You really cannot be Jesus Christ by being like Matisyaho, or even by trying to be Jesus Christ. But nice try Mr. Yahoo, some people are foolish enough to enjoy your apparent self-righteousness, and self-indulgence. Who do you thik you are? Your music is not heart felt, by me at least, and your music is really not making any sense to me. It is kind of off. Any fan of this guy is a little misguided I am afraid. Any woman should be offended by any idea that subjugates them. Matisyaho seems like an impersonator, and a liar. Better to be Snow “the informer” than Matisyaho “the performer”.
I’ll be pleased to know if I am completely off here. It wouldn’t be the first time. But right now I am thinking Matisyaho is off.
No offense to jews either, but if I was Jewish I would be offended by this unorthodox Jewish-Jamaican Matisyaho guy. Give me something more authentic. Give me something Gypsy. For now these are my thoughts, for better, or for worse.
August 29, 2007 at 12:17 pm
That guy (Matisyaho) is a jerkface.
August 29, 2007 at 12:41 pm
“Better to be Snow ‘the informer’ than Matisyaho ‘the performer’.”
Love the Daddy me Snow…I think he would licky boom boom down Matis(yahoo) for trying to cop his style 15 years later.
August 30, 2007 at 5:32 pm
According to Matisyaho, he chose Hasidism over Rastafarianism because it was a “practical’ decision. “Hasidism comes from Judaism. It’s a part of who I am and it made sense to look at my own culture and own traditions.†He claims this is how he went “against the mainstream system.â€
No consistency here dude. Sounds more like maintaining archaic practices to me.
September 6, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Just FYI, it is not forbidden for any Orthodox Jewish/Hasidic person to play in front of “drinking crowds” nationwide. (Some authorities DO bring up the idea of playing before mixed crowds of men and women but that’s a minority rabbinic opinion.)
And you should know, I’m often put in the situation of being forced to shake hands with women — reporters, etc — and it is painfully awkward. Of course, since I do hiphop it’s assumed — the cool MC in the spot is going to act “cool”, so it’s quite hard for me to refuse. But you should know that for an observant Jew, it is as offensive, if not more so, to be put in a situation where one must violate the laws of touching (shomer negi’ah).
You are right — we do live in a modern world where handshakes are commonplace. But it still doesn’t change the uneasy, uncomfortable feeling that religious people are just supposed to “live with” for the sake of “living in an enlightened world.”
September 20, 2007 at 11:19 am
It’s really all due to a misunderstanding of the issues involved. Orthodox Jewish men don’t shake hands with women because touch between a man and a woman (who isn’t a family member) is special– wonderful– magical and reserved for marriage.
People who don’t keep this practice are really missing out on some pretty neat sensuality where touching a person’s hand is every bit as intense and electric as a kiss.
I wonder how many women (groupies excluded) would want to shake his hand if they knew that it was a really intimate act in his eyes?
It doesn’t subjugate women. A lot of women (including myself) think that shomer negia is sexy and erotic.
September 20, 2007 at 11:27 am
“A lot of women (including myself) think that shomer negia is sexy and erotic.”
exactly….and a lot of men think that it is so erotic to see any part of a woman that those women must wear a lovely hot burkah as well.
i think it is sexy and erotic when a women wears daisy duke shorts (if the right woman). i think it is sexy when a woman wears a well-cut business suit. some of the women wearing these things might also believe it is sexy and erotic (some wearing the burkah might also believe that)–BUT, I will not make a religion to tell women what to wear, and then rationalize it as OK b/c you and some others find it a plus.
Perhaps some women find getting beaten a plus and erotic(obviously=S/M), but that doesn’t make it good or something we should put in religion (which many seem to believe is there).
Sorry, just b/c you find enjoyment in something doesn’t make that OK for everyone to deal with the intolerance of it.
September 20, 2007 at 3:39 pm
It is not a religion that was made to tell women what to wear. Most men stay out of women’s halacha (laws). There are rules that apply only to men (including what men can and can’t wear) and I let them deal with that. And they stay out of the laws that only apply to women.
Beating someone causes harm. Not shaking hands doesn’t. It would be like saying: “We live in a casual society were everyone has sex with everyone else— how DARE you refuse to sleep with me? You are so incredibly intolerant!”
The intolerance is when you decide that your way of doing things is right and all other ways are wrong (and should be equated with beating women).
September 21, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I normally try not to rant it up too much here, but this week has brought some things to light that I feel should be posted:
that is what i put in the beginning and this why…i don’t want to fight, i wanted to give my opinion on it…
I’m really busy with some things or I would have presented the previous comment a little better…extremes are crap, but they are useful, because religion is something that has taken things to extremes..
But, hey–thank you for putting down some knowledge about the something most people have no idea exist (Hasidim, halacha, shomer negia). Your points are well-taken and understood–and even if I disagree–I agree with how you’re doing it.
I wish I could only hear pronunciation these words. I pronounce it with my best dutch/eastern european slavic accent.
Thanks, Julian
September 24, 2007 at 8:58 am
Julian,
Thanks for your response. I don’t particularly like extremes either (and rant about them semi-regularly). We just have different ideas about what is “extreme.” You think it’s extreme when men and women don’t shake hands. I think it’s extreme when men and women don’t look at each other, talk to each other, and shop at grocery stores that have women-only hours.
But then, I also think it’d be pretty boring if we lived in a black-and-white world.
It sounds like your pronunciation is much more interesting than mine. I have a pretty bland mid-Atlantic accent.
Thanks for the conversation,
Ahuva
September 24, 2007 at 12:18 pm
This is why the internet sucks: The level of hate that most of you spew at this guy that you never would in person. He doesn’t shake women’s hands, so that equates him with the Taliban, the Crusades, 9/11, etc?
Morons: He doesn’t say women can’t come to his shows. He doesn’t say YOU can’t shake hands with women. He imposes Jewish law on his own conduct, nobody else’s.
You think women are so fragile that they need you to protect them from Matisyahu not shaking their hands. I think they can take it. I don’t think he’s disrespecting pig farmers by refusing to eat pork, and I don’t think it indicates a “hateful religion” or a need for him to “get another one”.
I’m sure he thinks you have the right to shake a woman’s hand, have premarital sex, eat a BLT, etc. even if he doesn’t do it himself. If you think he shouldn’t have the right to decide what kind of contact is acceptable for himself, then who’s the intolerant extremist? (Hint: It’s you, jerkface.)
September 24, 2007 at 5:21 pm
JP, what they find objectionable is his high level of hypocracy. He finds and takes the Koolahs that are appropriate for him, but ignore Kavod HaBrios. We are living in a very special country in the USA, one that has not only allowed us to rebuild and even surpass the level of Torah study and learning that was destroyed in Churban Europe, but protects the rights of minorities such as us, by law.
As such, it is one thing to build a blightful succa in your neighborhood, nu it is not personal; here is it personal, it is taken as a slap across their faces, especially, when it begs the question, what is he doing there in these places in the first place. How many millions a year does the young man need? Well, because this is him, you will say, he must be on the road all the time for his stardom. Oh yeah, right. ok.
There are many Important Rabbi’s who know all of Talmud and are very scholarly and learned who allow the shaking of a woman’s hand. By not shaking he causes more animosity he should just do it, and focus on other areas of self improvement. For example, I read where he says he gets ready for a show, by drinking wine and listening to “Jay Z” who I never head of but a did some googling and his lyrics this Jay Z are disgusting, much of them, not all. But alot of anti-woman stuff that is apalling. If need be I will post this. I mean, wherre is the heter for that? drinking wine like that is against alot of mainstream Orthodoxy, it is being a clown. oh he needs it to perform? again, why?
September 25, 2007 at 8:07 am
So he’s a hypocrite. I’m sure we all are in little ways we don’t notice, but even if he’s the biggest hypocrite of all time, I think that’s beside the point.
As far as I can tell from the language in this thread, all the “Matisyahu insults women” posters are male, and aside from myself (male), his defenders are female. I certainly may be wrong, but that’s my take in re-reading everyone.
My point is that yes, people do all sorts of horrible things in the name of religious duty, and many of them are absolutely directed against women, but I don’t see how this is one of them.
He thinks the law requires him not to shake women’s hands. Let’s say he’s wrong, and let’s say he shouldn’t continue to put himself in that situation every night (except Friday of course). But it’s hardly the craziest thing I’ve heard someone do in the name of religious duty. It’s not an uncommon belief, and I’ve never heard him say anything even remotely along the lines of women are unclean, unworthy of touching him, etc. As far as I’ve heard, he politely and respectfully declines, and explains why.
I don’t share that belief, but I think the women of the world would be better served if we focused our energies fighting for pay equity, family-friendly workplaces, girls’ schools in Afghanistan, ending misogynistic music lyrics/videos, etc. I just can’t think of a more useless way to fight for women’s rights than to take on the handshaking preferences of one Jewish rapper.
September 25, 2007 at 7:53 pm
JP, OK so you make excuses and allowances for his warped Jewish take. It depends on where you are coming from. For observant Jews, basically alot of what he does makes it uncomfortable relating to his religious zealousness and wierdness. This type of hypocracy/wierdness is very hard to understand and to accept.
The society in which we live in, has a hard time w. the non handshaking thing. Which could have been handled much less slimily. He could do some kind of high five with all his fans and that would solve the problem, but he chose to
be antagonistic for no religious reason, that there are many high level opinions that you can shake hands for business reasons which this clearly is. So I don’t understand that he takes such a stand while at the same time admits to drinking wine and listening to Jay Z.
The problem is that he represents the Orthodox Jews, but he actually mis-represents, and demeans the religion, indeed, I feel he doesn’t spend the time to fully learn much more than he has. To have shaken their hands, he would have many opinions to stand on, and as I offered he could have made it into a different kind of handshake as it were and pass off the problem right from the start.
This is a hard part about being a star. Everything you do is scrutinized. Since he is basically a pioneer as a Sabbath observer in this industry to such an extent, he is even more scruitnized, he should have known this.
It’s not an issue so much of women’s rights but of the slimy snide fake behavior of his. There was simply no need to disrespect the fans like that.
It is simply a star throwing a tantrum, and with all his G-d talk, it is too blatant to ignore.
September 26, 2007 at 7:29 am
Here is his idol, Jay Z, http://www.lyricsystem.com/jay-z/
look at the lyrics for ‘songs’ like hoes, something about bitches and the whole bunch of garbage.
THis is who he listens to before a show.
You said “ending misogynistic music lyrics/videos, etc. I just can’t think of a more useless way to fight for women’s rights than to take on the handshaking preferences of one Jewish rapper.”
It is about acting properly in the society you live in. Let him shake womens hands and stop listening to these misogynistic lyrics and worse.
September 26, 2007 at 7:32 am
Here in this interview he talks about drinking wine and listening to Jay – Z on the last question.
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2007/07/matisyahu_preview.php
September 28, 2007 at 2:19 pm
I’m not making excuses or allowances. I’m saying even if he’s guilty on all counts, he should be way down the list of targets for disrespecting women.
But you hit the nail on the head – if he (and everyone else) stopped buying into the sexism the music industry puts out – that would be a great leap forward for us all. Let’s focus our energies on THAT. That’s my point in its entirety.