‘Tis the season to be jolly, except if you are at the movies.

Last night I did a set of all new material and it went very well. Just when I was feeling good about myself in walks in some nobody named Jerry Seinfeld to do 25 minutes of new material. Like Michael Jordan on a hoops court or Obama at a speech, Seinfeld shares something with the greats in their respective fields: you cannot get near the dude. I did not think comics could be mobbed like Michael Jackson, but apparently that would be the case with Seinfeld based on the tightly choreographed entry and exit of the comedian from Comedian. A nice experience and a reminder that I have a better chance of winning the lottery than attaining his status.

But Seinfeld coming in and erasing the memory of my set was actually quite symbolic in this Holiday season. Because Hollywood has decided to use another Jewish landmark to overshadow another important event to a Catholic. I am of course referring to this year’s 4 Holocaust movies released right on top of Christmas.

The Holocaust, like many horrible events have provided fertile award soil for Hollywood. Schindler’s List (great), Life is Beautiful (good) and The Pianist (overrated) are just a few of the films that have done very well at the Oscars, so there is the very plausible argument that these movies, which usually have an eye on Oscar are being released at the time most likely to garner award attention. But this year, come on – a Hitler assassination attempt movie starring Tom Cruise? A running from/fighting from Nazis movie starring James Bond? Both Valkyrie and Defiance could have been released in the Summer. The Reader starring Kate Winslet and The Boy With the Striped Pajamas both reek of Oscar-ish sentiment so they can stay. No other group does this. Arguably The Passion of the Christ was released near Passover, but that was to capitalize on Easter. Now if Mel had released it on Rosh Hashanah – that would be a different story. “Happy New Year – NOW LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE!!!” With Danny Glover standing by him saying, “I’m getting too old for this sh*t.”

But the guilt factor is no where else, Amistad was not released on the 4th of July, Soul Plane was not released during black history month, Last of the Mohicans was not released on Columbus Day and the Killing Fields was not released on any important happy day for Cambodians. I think.

But this Christmas, as if the guilt factor were not ratcheted up enough, the new priest abuse movie is out. Doubt, starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman (wouldn’t he be an even creepier abusive priest if he spoke like Truman Capote) and Meryl Streep. Fantastic. Well, thanks for a great Christmas time Hollywood.

I think this is all revenge for the Christmas Carol thing that comedian Gary Gulman pointed out in his routine. Christmas begat 8 days of Chanukah, which was brazenly trumped by the 12 days of Christmas. Now 12 Days of Christmas has been trumped by 30 days of Holocaust Movies. Word on the street is that Opus Dei is funding a month long films series to air on Fox News to coincide with Purim called: Hope You Are Having a Nice Purim While Watching 31 Straight Days of Jesus’ Crucifixion. Sort of like a yule log.