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'You just seem like a clever sort of a guy'


I've never quite understood what's going on in the scene where Phil, Anne, and that other man from the magazine are having a drink in a restaurant, and the man implies that Phil must have been in public relations during the war, because he seems so "clever." Phil takes offense and asks, "What makes you think I wasn't a GI?" What was the man suggesting? That Jews are not really loyal Americans?

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The guy is implying that because Phil is so "clever," he could talk himself out of a combat situation.

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Oh! Thanks. That clarifies it.

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exactly

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Nicoledesapio, also a backhanded implication that Jews are "clever" in a sneaky, wily way.

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It's only a guess, but I think the man was suggesting that more than likely Jewish servicemen typically served in postions other than as GIs, other than positions that might involve them in or expose them to combat. If he wasn't anti-semitic, the man was very insensitive or plain stupid, or maybe all three.

Why in the world would the man think that another man he had never met before- just because he was now a writer- served in a specialty unit such as PR? Of course, some servicemen served in PR in combat areas and may have seved in both combat and PR. The scenario was a little contrived to demonstrate a point.

As I've said in another thread, Peck had only 8 weeks or so in his assignment, and with so little time, he actually in some cases sought confrontations rather than "rolled with the times", and let things develop. He himself positioned himself to be overly sensitive so he could identify and maybe even generate examples of the subject he was writing about.

What else was Peck supposed to do in this situation? Talk more nicely to the guy and give him a lesson in how to act in public?

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I have no idea why a Jew would be in public relations. Firstly, that makes no sense. Secondly, there are plenty of jobs that could keep him out of combat, so picking on public relations also makes no sense. Now for the truth. Perhaps because he's a writer, it made sense that he would be in public relations instead of combat. Direct from the Army's current Website!

"The Army public affairs specialist participates in and assists with the supervision and administration of Army public affairs programs primarily through news releases, newspaper articles, Web-based material and photographs for use in military and civilian news media."

So doesn't it make a lot more sense that the guy was being sincere and figured since he was a writer, he would be in public relations? Then Peck's character automatically ASSUMES it has something to do with anti-semitism and is completely WRONG. It is the one scene that shows there isn't a boogie man on every corner, anti-semetism and racism aren't lurking behind every bush, and sometimes, just sometimes, people have to lighten up, not expect the worst, and not jump down people's throats. Not surprisingly, this scene is lost on our most PC and thin-skinned generation yet.

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Yeah, I felt the same way hearing this line too. The question is really, "Why wouldn't he be in PR?" Because he is a great writer - the Army certainly would have picked up on that.




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The comment implies that the person making it believes the idea that jews did not often fight in combat units in World War 2.

George Orwell wrote an essay about anti jewish comments made in Britain during World War 2,comments similar to this one.

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I don't think the questioner is necessarily suggesting that but the Peck character is certainly construing it in the worst possible light. Lets take it from the other guy's point of view. He meets Green in a bar who he recognizes as having been a famous journalist before the war. Now after the war Green continues to work as a journalist. So he asks, what did you do in the Army during the war? Journalism, Public Relations? Not that far fetched an assumption.

Green is just overly suspicious as those people invariably are. Jews? No, journalists.

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"Cleverness" is one of the stereotypes that has been attributed to Jews.


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I wonder how it was used in 1947. Growing up in the 50s and 60s family members would call me a 'clever boy' knowing I wasn't Jewish. Throughout my adult life people would sometimes remark I was 'clever' if I came up with a novel and successful way of doing something. In turn I would say the same. On my part I never inferred the other guy was Jewish.

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Context matters.

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