Is New Toronto Reality Show "Lake Shore" Anti-Jewish?

Lake Shore, an upcoming Toronto-based reality show that prides itself as being a uniquely Canadian take on the hit American reality show, Jersey Shore, has come under fire from Canadian Jewish Congress for anti-Jewish remarks in its recently posted “sizzle reel.”

The trailer, featuring the multicultural cast from the show, quickly went viral, receiving over a million hits and crashing the show’s website. But it was a statement made by cast member Sible Atlug that perhaps attracted the most notice.

At 1:33 in the reel, Atlug, billed as “The Turk,” says “I’m not racist because I hate everybody equally, especially Jewish people.”

CJC is speaking out against the comment which has caused many Canadians to criticize the show for categorizing its stars by their ethnicities.

In a YouTube interview, CJC CEO Bernie Farber called the statement “stupid, offensive and anti-Semitic.”

“For me I just see it as an attempt to provoke,” said Farber, noting that Jersey Shore has made “bundles” in the United States. “They’re trying to capitalize on that. They need to find a way to capture an audience. It’s sad to say that sometimes stupidity and ignorance attract audiences. I am convinced that is the reason they left that uncut in the trailer.”

Farber doesn’t think the show should be banned. However, he wonders if the comment would have been left in had it been about a different ethnic group, calling anti-Semitism “a longstanding virus that never seems to go away.”

He goes on to say that while he feels Canadians understand what the show is all about, he wants people to realize that the real issue is about a “producer who is trying to manipulate you using sex and racism and all that other kind of junk to attract an audience.”

When asked about the show’s producer’s caution that Lake Shore should not be taken seriously, Farber said, “It’s a pretty good caution because the show is really dumb.”