Land of the brave?

Bernhard attacks 9/11 hero worship

Sandra Bernhard has criticised America's hero-worship of firefighters in the wake of September 11.

The comedian said media obsession with personality rather than issues exploited the bravery of rescue workers to promote jingoism, rather than examining the reasons for the attacks.

And now she has created a new stand-up show based around these issues, which she will perform in London later this month.

She told the Guardian: "Americans are lazy. They don't want to look at the larger picture.

"They don't have a concept of how the world interacts with America or how the world interacts with itself.

"That makes it easier for them to be denigrating to the rest of the world because it makes them feel safer. It's a little scary to be in a country so detached from reality and so ready to buy into the propaganda that the enemy is out there lurking, ready to attack us again."

"The show is really about the absurdity that we're all supposed to become jingoistic, nationalistic and jump on the patriotic bandwagon as if to justify everything that's happening."

Bernhard performs at the Shepherds Bush Empire on July 14 and the Witness festival at Fairyhouse Racecourse, Dublin, on July 13.

Published: 4 Jul 2002

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