How My Dinner with André Made Me Lose My Appetite

Like most people, I like to get out of the house on a Saturday night. 

For this particular Saturday evening, I had been planning on going to the Boston Center for the Arts to see a stage production of the 1981 film My Dinner with André which starred and was co-written by André Gregory and Wallace Shawn.

I remember when My Dinner with André came out and remember how Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert raved about the film. I didn't see the film when it was released but have seen it on TV perhaps two or three times and enjoyed both the unique concept of the film and the substance of their conversation. Therefore, it stood to reason that I would enjoy a stage production of My Dinner with André.

But there was one thing nagging at me - Wallace Shawn.

Now most people probably don't recognize Wallace Shawn's name, but most would surely recognize his face if they watched movies like The Princess Bride or Clueless or TV shows such as Gossip Girl and Young Sheldon. 

Now one might say the idea that Wallace Shawn nags at me is inconceivable. After all, Shawn comes off as affable and amiable. However, when it comes to Israel, Shawn is far removed from affable and amiable.

In a radio interview Shawn conducted with Katie Halper in January, he not only likened Israel to Nazi Germany he claimed Israel was worse than Nazi Germany:

You can’t be more evil (sic) than what they’re doing. They are doing evil that is just as great as what the Nazis did and in some ways, it’s worse because they kind of boast about it. Hitler had the decency to try to keep it secret... the Israelis are almost proud of it, and it’s demonically evil. You can’t be more evil (sic). And anybody who doesn’t recognize that it’s evil, I can’t properly communicate with that person.

Says the man who claims Hitler had decency.

Now you might understand why My Dinner with André made me lose my appetite.

There's no comparison between Israel trying to defend itself from Hamas and the Nazis nearly successful effort to eliminate Jews from the face of the Earth. 

None.

Given that Shawn doesn't recognize the difference between Israel and Nazi Germany, it would be difficult to engage in proper communication with him. Indeed, claiming Israel is worse than Nazi Germany is a form of Holocaust denial. 

In view of these facts, I could not justify spending money which would (however small) end up in Wallace Shawn's pocket. 

Day by day, anti-Semitism is growing more acceptable in polite society and, by claiming Israel is worse than Nazi Germany, Shawn is contributing to this ugliness and, in the process, promoting hatred against his fellow Jews.