Social Media Backlash After Actor Seth Rogen Mocks Jewish Journalist Trolled on Twitter
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Seth Rogen speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Actor Seth Rogen was criticized by Twitter users on Wednesday for poking fun at a Jewish journalist who wrote an article about the rise of antisemitism.
Reporter Eve Barlow tweeted a link to a recent article she published in Tablet magazine that discussed being trolled by hundreds of Twitter users who wrote “Eve Fartlow” — which was also trending on Twitter — and compared the current rise of antisemitism on social media to digital pogroms. Rogen, 39, who is also Jewish, responded to Barlow’s Twitter post with a “gust of wind” emoji commonly used to represent flatulence, further mocking the journalist.
Rogen’s reply received over 14,000 likes and 1,000 retweets, fueling the abuse directed at Barlow. The star of “An American Pickle” also engaged in conversation with a Twitter user who continued the mockery by posting “Eve Fartlow” along with an attempted joke about apartheid.
Many came to Barlow’s defense and slammed Rogen for his crude response, including former Democratic New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind. He wrote, “Seth, how pathetic are you? How desperate are you to be liked by Jew haters that you’re trolling a Jew on their behalf?”
Others called his remark “disappointing” and accused Rogen of “dumb, vicious, misogynistic bullying of a Jewish woman.” One Twitter user said, “With a massive platform, comes a level of responsibility. Shame you choose to use yours to orchestrate pile ons onto a besieged woman.”
