Funny, You Don't Look Hibrow

You know, it's entirely possible that I'm reading too much into this. And it's not like there's such a shortage of things to be outraged about that I have to go looking for stuff. But something about the name of this Halloween product struck me as... odd.

In case you can't read it in the picture, this item is a "Hibrow Disguise."

So, maybe I have an overactive imagination -- but when I first saw these on the shelves, it seemed to me to be just barely possible that somebody at the Paper Magic Group of Scranton was trying, by deftly substituting two vowels, to suggest that there was something archetypically Hebrew-looking about the big, bewarted hook nose and the bushy eyebrows and mustache and corrective eye-wear.

What's up with that spelling, for one thing? Why not "Highbrow Disguise"? For that matter, I had never in my life prior to seeing this item at the drugstore (I first saw it last year, in fact, but did not have the power to blog about it then) heard an item of this type referred to as a "Hibrow disguise," or even a "Highbrow disguise." The description I hear most often is "Groucho glasses." But maybe they can't use that term anymore -- perhaps there was some trouble with the Marx estate, or maybe they decided that the name "Groucho" just doesn't have the same kind of drawing power it used to.

Anyway. I'm just having trouble thinking of any reason they would call this a "Hibrow disguise" except for the sly near-rhyme with "Hebrew." It's not especially high-brow, in the upper-class or cultured sense. I guess "Hibrow" could be a play on "eyebrow" -- the fake eyebrows are, indeed, key elements of the ensemble. But that's kind of a stretch.

But, hey, Paper Magic Group, if you're really going for the Jewish reference, why be coy? Why not just come out and print "JEW NOSE" in big letters on the top of your package? Or "HEEB FACE"? Or "YID GLASSES"?

Disclaimer: I grew up Episcopalian. Do I even have a right to be outraged by this? What would the Paper Magic Group's "E-shmisco-shmalian Disguise" look like? (Tasteful wire frames, neatly-trimmed beard or goatee, the smell of mid-price Cabernet on the breath?)

UNRELATED TO ALL OF THE ABOVE:

Anybody ever throw up so hard you burst a blood vessel in your eye? I'm pretty sure that's what happened to me last Sunday night. I mean, there definitely was some forceful vomiting, and then the next day my eyes were more bloodshot than usual, with one big ol' red blotch in the white of one eye and another blotch on the skin near the eyelid, so... at the risk of being all post hoc ergo propter hoc, I'm not sure what else could have caused it. I'm still not sure what caused the vomiting itself; I didn't eat anything unusual or spoilt that day. Anyway, I'm glad it's over with. And if anybody was offended or turned off about all the "Hibrow/Hebrew" stuff above, you can just ignore all that and pretend that this has been a post entirely about me vomiting so hard I burst some blood vessels.

Comments

[Marianne]

Is the Paper Magic Group really from Scranton? Because, you know, you could see the hand of Michael Scott in this one. There are definitely some Halloween costumes that make me cringe - like the black 'fro wigs in Target. Take a couple of those, a couple of 40oz malts, a few insensitive students from a local educational establishment, and you have the makings of a riot.

BTW, I am incredibly offended and turned off by your gratuitous mentioning of vomit and blood vessels. Just stick to the racial slurs, ok?

double BTW I too was raised Episcopalian aka Catholic lite. Did you hear about the Episcopalian congregation in DC who wanted to do away with the whole Biblical aspect of their service and just stick to the music and incense swinging? Really.

[pinky]

I always thought those "nose-and-glasses" were supposed to resemble Groucho Marx, who most definitely was a hebrew. Although spelling it out like that is more than a little tacky, Paper Magic Group.

(if you do a search for "groucho nose" you will come up with the same exact product, so my guess was right!)

having been a victim of unexpected, non-drinking-related vomiting for the majority of my life, you can indeed break (burst?) blood vessels in and around your eyes while doing it. but usually it clears up in a day or two.*

*i-am-not-a-doctor. just-extremely-nauseated-for-over-thirty-years.

[skeeto]

So sorry you had a vomit fest last Sunday. Hope you are feeling better. Drink lots of water. Did you see Dressaday's last post? Cream Puff dress...weird...now that would cause a vomit fest if removed in the ususal manner (okay....there is no usual).

After years of "drinking-related" vomiting (I speak only for myself)....I now avoid vomitting like the plague....Anything but vomitting. No I say, NO!

Just say no.
Peace dude.

[Amanda]

I'm mostly offended that someone can't come up with a better Halloween costume than that. But you may be onto something there.

[lastewie]

I haven't said anything yet. It's because I can't think of anything to say other than
1) Ew, freaks
2) Yeah, that happens. Looks weird, doesn't it?

[mykull]

maybe paper magic group will come out with "hibrown horns" next.

sorry about the puking. remind me to tell you my puking-in-chesterfield-mall-on-a-friday-night-when-i-was-in-7th-grade story sometime.

[alisa]

i'm so glad that the blood vessel thing is normal. last night, i was the victim of bad chicken wings... damn grocery store hot-food section. the wings looked good,i should've known better.

now i look like a victim of domestic abuse b/c the capillaries under both eyes were effected. oh well, i hope my make up can cover it well enough.

on the other note, yeah, i thought the title alone was leaning twd that inference. unbelievable how bigotry is so brazen. what the hell else are they going for??? i can't see any other explanation.

[John Healy]

I also saw this offensive product and was aware that the word hebrew could easily be hibrow without great mental effort. However I sent an e mail to the store CVS and got a reply from them saying "There was no intent to stereotype anyone. And I also had requested they remove the religiously offending product from their shelves which they most likely wont do as they did not mention taking that action in the e mail. I am glad to see others have concluded as I have that the hibrow disguise is a sly slur at the Hewbrew paople and not an innocent haloween item.

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[Discount Cigarettes]

disgusting, going to sleep now, bye

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[safemeds]

I too was raised Episcopalian aka Catholic lite. Did you hear about the Episcopalian congregation in DC who wanted to do away with the whole Biblical aspect of their service and just stick to the music and incense swinging? Really.