Ask A Genius 1266: Hustlers in History and Prejudice
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/02/15
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: For instance, if we were to discuss how one defines antisemitism, that remains an open question. How do you define antisemitism? What is antisemitism? In general, it is the hate and prejudice directed against Jews. You have not experienced much of it.
Rick Rosner: Beyond the cliché of a blonde white guy taking all the girls in high school. That anecdote reflects a simplistic view of antisemitism. In reality, the full scope of antisemitism involves many specific and complex elements. Historically, its most aggrandized form was evident in Hitler’s Germany. Under that regime, antisemitism portrayed Jews as responsible for all the world’s ills. They were depicted as evil, greedy, and genetically inferior, yet cunning enough to gain control through financial and social leverage.
In Nazi Germany, this hateful ideology was systematized to support the notion that the ideal blonde Übermensch could only flourish if so-called inferior Jews were eradicated. The propaganda portrayed Jews as rapacious, debased, and polluting the human gene pool. Accusations extended to claims that Jews controlled global finance, commerce, and even the entertainment industry.
This framework was constructed to justify extreme prejudice rather than reflect historical reality. Such reductive stereotypes ignore the rich cultural and intellectual contributions of Jewish communities. Ironically, even within these hateful narratives, contradictions emerge. After all that, one might ask, “Are you going to answer for yourself then?” This rhetorical question challenges the simplistic framing of antisemitism.
After all that, I ask whether one could answer by presenting the actual situation instead of resorting to an antisemitic framing. My comment was intended as a joke on the overuse and misapplication of the term. I questioned if one might contrast the hateful rhetoric with a more nuanced historical reality.
Jacobsen: The issue then becomes how to differentiate between extremist propaganda and genuine cultural analysis. Do these two perspectives overlap in any meaningful way?
Rosner: Historically, Jews have experienced alternating periods of freedom and oppression over thousands of years. They were often forced into ghettos and restricted to only a few occupations. Social pressures combined with an emphasis on studying the Torah and Talmud fostered a tradition of scholarship and professional achievement. As immigrants in countries like the United States and England, Jews forged pathways to success through trade, banking, and other professions.
Their successes sometimes made them targets of stereotypes, including claims of controlling entire industries such as entertainment. Many Jewish entrepreneurs were simply hustlers seeking better opportunities. For example, Jewish immigrants played significant roles in establishing early movie studios—like MGM—on the West Coast. This evolution was not the result of a conspiracy but rather a natural outcome of striving for success in a competitive world.
Photo by Joshua Sukoff on Unsplash
Rick Rosner is an accomplished television writer with credits on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Crank Yankers, and The Man Show. Over his career, he has earned multiple Writers Guild Award nominations—winning one—and an Emmy nomination. Rosner holds a broad academic background, graduating with the equivalent of eight majors. Based in Los Angeles, he continues to write and develop ideas while spending time with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.
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