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Sacha Baron Cohen's Mom is Pissed |
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by Meredith Gordon, July 11, 2008 |
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Looking Good: but not good enough for M.B.C.The mother of Borat star and creator Sacha Baron Cohen isn’t happy. What has put Mama Baron Cohen (let’s just call her M.B.C.) over the top
is that fact that her son and his (whisper) non-Jewish fiancé seem to
have no intention of getting married anytime soon. Having postponed their wedding not once, but twice,
giving Isla more time to complete conversion classes, M.B.C. has been
left waiting for a much promised wedding. You see, Sacha may not be ready to get
married, but M.B.C. is.
It's safe to say that hell hath no fury like a pissed off Jewish Mother, and to add insult to injury, Mama Baron Cohen isn’t just mad, she’s…how do I say this…disappointed. Disappointment is the Achilles heal of all Jewish children, who would arguably prefer listening to Paris Hilton’s debut album from beginning to end than having to hear their mother utter the word “disappointed” in reference to them.
For a Jewish Mother, a wedding is the Senior Prom, the mother of all parties. It’s her opportunity to shine. For anyone who has been a bride or a groom at a Jewish wedding, you know that while you may be getting married, your Mother is getting recognition. It’s her day to show the world that she was such a good mom someone else actually finds her child desirable enough to take him or her off Mom’s hands. And while M.B.C. has the brass ring for aging Jewish Mothers--a grandchild--she hasn’t gotten the Crown Jewel of motherhood: a wedding.
While most Jewish parents would be thrilled to have a child like Sacha, whose religion is so important to him that he’s willing to wait to get married until he and his bride are of the same faith, M.B.C. is a reminder that when a pregnant woman says she just wants her child to be happy and healthy, she’s lying. Mothers want the trifecta: Happy, Healthy, and Married. Sacha Baron Cohen created the top grossing movie of last year, is often referred to as a genius, and even boasts a degree from Cambridge where he graduated Summa Cum Everything, and yet his mother is still disappointed because he’s not married.
All around the world, Jewish Mothers are united not by their religion but by disappointment when they can’t marry their children off fast enough. You might have just found a solution to bring peace to the Middle East and chances are your Mom is still going to say, “But solving the world’s problems leaves you no time to date.” If you’re over 30 and still single, your Mom is probably lighting Yizkor candles every year, marking the death of hope that she’ll ever attend your wedding.
And so, Sacha Baron Cohen, I salute you. If you’re a disappointment to your Mom, with your fancy degree, successful career, happy relationship, and healthy baby, then what does that say for everyone else? If you can’t make your Mom happy, then perhaps none of us can, and so we can all stop trying. We can all breathe a sigh of relief. We can all rest assured that we can go to medical school, get elected to the Senate, rescue a child who has fallen into a well, and our Moms will still say, “Hero, shmero. When are you going to get married?”
Anonymous
Perhaps he should have been more upfront about the conversion process. It has to be a bit strange for Isla to realize that she has to persuade and Orthodox rabbi that she ha every intention of adhering to Orthodox halacha when everyone knows she and her husband have no intention of doing so. I mean, really. Niddah? Please. So when she goes to Sacha and tells him, what can Sacha say? "Just lie the best you can, honey." And what does she think of her husband then? No, Sacha ought to compromise for a Reform or Conservative conversion.
Anonymous
that last "mom's" in the last line should be "moms", no apostrophe. we need a copy editor up in here, stat.
zbird
I'm willing to admit there might be some traits particular to Jewish mothers--but is there anything in this article that couldn't be applied to all mothers?
--Z
zbird
Also, I'm not religious and I'm pretty liberal, but still I have no trouble seeing why a parent would want her son to marry the woman he had a child with, regardless of how old or successful the son is.
It's rather bizarre that you actually see the grand-daughter as a reason for SBC's mother to be satisfied, or that you equate a bastard grand-daughter with disappointment over all the little quirks that mothers obsess over.
--Z
Audrey B
Stay classy zbird.
Anonymous
Conservative or Reform conversion is NOT a compromise. It's still a conversion. Hey, why doesn't HE convert for HER?!?!
Anonymous
trafficking in difficult jewish mother stereotypes that characterize jewish women as pushy, overbearing and perpetually disappointed? that's really edgy.
yawn.
Anonymous
pointing it out is even more edgy. Next you'll be calling Godwin's Law on Holocaust articles.
Anonymous
Lighten up! Whatever happening to reading good satire and just laughing?
zbird
I didn't invent the word and I certainly don't wish the kid any harm but that's what she is for as long as her parents decide that getting Fischer converted is more important than getting married now. I know "bastard" is a strong word and I used it intentionally because it shows exactly what the parents are doing.
--Z
Anonymous
You're assuming that Sacha was/is that knowlegable.
Anyway, there is no way she can do an Orthodox conversion to marry him. A Kohen can't marry a convert, and no Orthodox rabbi would convert Isla for that purpose.
Frankly, I doubt that she wants to convert since they've been together about five years and she hasn't yet. I also doubt that he really wants to marry her. I would seem to me that one can get married civilly in Las Vegas in about ten minutes and then convert the baby to get roughly the result-a Jewish baby-- they seem to be going for.