Dear Mr. Herzog:

We have received many messages of concern about the "Freak Show" season finale "Mohel-Me-Not," which aired on Comedy Central in two parts on November 9 and 16.

After watching the episodes, we can understand why this was found to be offensive in its depiction of Jews.  At seemingly every opportunity, the show calls up age-old stereotypes of Jews: controlling the banks, plotting to take over the world, men with black hats and beards meeting conspiratorially.  The show is rife with Jewish religious imagery -- Jewish stars, menorahs and other religious symbols appear throughout; yet Jewish religious traditions and practices are cynically mocked and skewered – including the circumcision ceremony, or bris – to the point where they are treated with utter contempt.  It is as if the show's creators were intent on mining traditional Jewish religious ceremonies and practices for their laugh value.

The end result is a deeply cynical and unfunny attempt to mock serious religious traditions and practices, while casting them in the worst possible light.  The circumcision ceremony for Primi, for example, shows a rabbi using his mouth to suck blood from the wound, hinting at a real tradition still practiced by few fervently religious Jews, while more blatantly suggesting oral sex.  While other faiths are also briefly parodied, Jews and their traditional religious practices are the primary and overwhelming focus.

Though we understand the genre of animation comedy and appreciate that the intent here is to make fun of stereotypes by employing them in outrageous scenarios, we are concerned that such depictions may have unintended consequences.  Our polling suggests that nearly 35 million Americans, or 14 percent of the population, hold views that are "unquestionably anti-Semitic."  We are concerned that shows of this nature may reinforce bigoted ideas among those already infected with them.  Moreover, the show's references to actual religious practices such as the bris may, for the uninitiated, serve as their only real exposure to Jewish traditions, leaving them with an impression of Judaism as a bizarre, and even grotesque, religion.

We hope that you will not air these episodes again in the future.