Jon Stewart: ‘Get a grip, JK Rowling is not antisemitic’

Comedian slams mainstream media outlets, which he said intentionally distorted his words in order to fan the flames of controversy and generate clicks.

By World Israel News Staff

Jewish American comedian and former host of the Daily Show Jon Stewart released a video on social media on Wednesday, slamming the mainstream media for distorting his remarks about Jewish-seeming characters in the Harry Potter movies in order to generate controversy.

In a December podcast, Stewart had noted that the goblins portraying bankers in the Harry Potter films looked vaguely Jewish.

He humorously pointed out that even in a fantasy world with wizards, there were Jews running the bank, and that such stereotypes are so deeply embedded in the West’s collective unconsciousness that one might not even notice.

But the prominent comedian was livid on Wednesday after headlines from multiple media outlets declared he had called Harry Potter creator JK Rowling antisemitic, and that the films were offensive to Jews.

“Let me just say this, super clearly, as clearly as I can: Hello, my name is Jon Stewart, I do not think J.K. Rowling is antisemitic, I did not accuse her of being antisemitic, I do not think that the ‘Harry Potter’ movies are antisemitic,” Stewart said.

“So I would just like to say that none of that is true,” he continued, adding that his remarks about the Jewish-seeming goblins had come during “a light-hearted conversation amongst colleagues and chums, having a laugh, enjoying ourselves.”

Stewart then turned his focus on Newsweek and other mainstream media outlets, which he said intentionally distorted his words in order to fan the flames of controversy and generate clicks.

“To Newsweek, your business model is f—ing arson,” he said angrily.

“This is ridiculously out of context nonsense that you put out there,” he said.

“You used to mean something,” he continued, insinuating that the once-respected publication had fallen from grace by choosing to embrace irresponsible journalism in order to gain quick traffic.

“I don’t want the Harry Potter movies censored in any way, it was a lighthearted conversation, get a f–ing grip,” Stewart added.