On Monday evening, CNN began a three-part special entitled "God, Sex and Greed." At issue: in a supposedly religious country like ours, why are sex and greed so prominent?
With that as the premise, who do you think CNN chose as one of the examples of greed in our country?
Disgracefully, a 24-year-old Jewish hedge fund manager who took his Bar Mitzvah money and turned it into millions.
Nice stereotype of a greedy Jew, wouldn't you agree?
Anchor Roland Martin introduced the segment (h/t Steve Malzberg):
America, this is no joke. A rabbi, a millionaire, an evangelical, and a porn star walked into our TV studios to talk about God, sex and greed.
He later introduced CNN's vision of greed:
And with me now, two people who are living, breathing examples of what so many religious fundamentalists say is wrong with America.
Timothy Sykes is a 24-year-old hedge fund manager who loves making money. In fact, he took $12,000 he received for his Bar Mitzvah and turned it into nearly $2 million. He's also the author of "An American Hedge Fund."
Honestly, they couldn't find a non-Jewish example of greed - in particular, someone that didn't parlay his Bar Mitzvah money?
To make matters worse, read this exchange between Martin and Sykes:
MARTIN: Now, Timothy, you say that greed is good; it's great.
Savanna, you say, look, sex, it's a wonderful thing.
Don't both of you think that you're part of the problem with this perception that America is this godless society focused on sex and money?
TIMOTHY SYKES, HEDGE FUND MANAGER: I think the main problem is that America isn't focused enough on greed and sex.
MARTIN: Not enough?
(LAUGHTER)
SYKES: Not enough. Greed is not just good. Greed is great. Greed is the greatest motivator for education that we have.
Nice stereotypical picture, wouldn't you agree?
By the way, CNN's other example of greed in this segment was a female stripper turned adult film star.
How disgraceful.
