Lena Duham accused of anti-Semitism for comparing Jewish boyfriends to dogs

Lena Dunham’s memoir Not That Kind of Girl led to accusations that she molested her sister as a child, and now the Girls star’s attempt at comedic writing for The New Yorker has opened the door for even more criticism of her writing. Dunham recently wrote a article for the magazine titled “Dog Or Jewish Boyfriend? A Quiz,” causing thousands of readers to accuse her of anti-Semitism.

The comedic article, which was published in the magazine’s “Shouts and Murmurs” section, tasks readers to determine whether a number of statements apply to her dog or her Jewish boyfriend. Examples included “He doesn’t tip” and “I feel that he is judgmental about the food I serve him.”

Thousands of readers posted their outrage over Dunham’s “quiz” on social media, and writer Jordana Horn wrote on the popular Jewish-interest blog Kveller on Thursday that the article would be fit for a Ku Klux Klan newsletter had it been about a black boyfriend instead of a Jewish one.

“I suppose Lena Dunham feels that she has some sort of humor EZ Pass, and The New Yorker has indulged her in that thinking,” wrote Horn. “You know, because apparently Jews are a group you can make fun of and it is deemed kinda intellectual and funny to do so.”

The Anti-Defamation League also voiced their anger with Dunham, with ADL National Chairman Abraham H. Foxman stating that the dog comparison “evokes memories of the ‘No Jews or Dogs Allowed’ signs from our own early history in this country.” However, The New Yorker immediately came to the defense of their guest writer, who considers herself “culturally Jewish.”

“The Jewish-comic tradition is rich with the mockery of, and playing with, stereotypes,” wrote New Yorker editor David Remnick on Twitter. “Considering all the real hatred in the world, Mr. Foxman is, like those who railed at Philip Roth a generation or two ago, howling in the wrong direction.”

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