Dudu Topaz’s tragic story exposes brutality of contemporary job market
Amnon Levy
This is a tragic story about unrequited love. After dozens of years on stage and in front of the TV cameras, the viewers stopped liking Dudu Topaz. The creativity, the humor, the craziness, and the simplicity, all the traits that worked like a well-oiled machine for dozens of years, captivated the viewers, and led to rating records, dimmed. Something was no longer working.
The viewers moved on, and Dudu was left behind; madly in love with the camera, but not getting any love back. The stuff at the root of all romantic melodramas created this tragedy too. In the past it used to be known as a romantically motivated incident.
Anyone who appears on television understands this anxiety in respect to the day after; understands that everything is temporary, possibly even momentary; realizes that all this attention, the love of the viewers, the immense generosity displayed by the city hall official, the friendship displayed by the man on the street, all of the above will no longer be there one of these days. And this day may be tomorrow.
Dudu failed to understand. Perhaps he refused to understand; refused to accept the fact that the source of the problem was not his bosses on television, but rather, the viewers themselves.
Dudu’s trouble stemmed not only from the fact that he was no longer liked by TV executives like Avi Nir or Shira Margalit. He was no longer liked by the viewers; Nir and Margalit only reflected this reality. In a fit of madness he targeted them, instead of targeting the viewers, because one cannot settle scores with the viewers. The viewers cannot be pounded. One can only accept their verdict and move on. At the end of the day, life is bigger than a television screen.
Treating people like objects
I admit that I feel deep sadness for Dudu Topaz, even though I was not his friend or even an acquaintance. I am shocked and troubled ever since I heard of his death. I am aware of his horrific acts, but I could not but see the abyss of despair they stemmed from. It’s clear to me that a person who told criminals to beat up Avi Nir “until he feels as though he’s in hell” spoke from his own private hell. Only a person who lost his sanity and was living in great distress could have spoken that way.
It’s clear to me that those who hold only Topaz accountable are afflicted by shallowness. It’s clear to me that those who think he was right to commit suicide imbue the public discourse with a cruel and cynical tone; almost barbaric I would say. In my view, in a liberal and humane society, even those who sinned are still human and deserve to be treated as such. This is certainly true for a person who was not yet convicted.
If there is one element of self-reflection here, it’s not about the need to refrain from hurting others. We learned that lesson back in kindergarten. The story of Dudu Topaz’s rise and fall exposes the cynicism of the television industry, what it may do to a person’s soul, and how it can elevate someone or humiliate him, in line with its needs, without explanation and at a moment’s notice.
In fact, we are not only dealing with the television industry here. Given the nature of the modern high-tech work market, where the employment of many is in danger – today they are here, but who knows about tomorrow– mad despair of the type we saw with Topaz is something that may, heaven forbid, repeat.
Treating people like objects is the root of all evil here. All of us are afflicted by it. All of us.
Modern Day Cruelty
Dudu Topaz's suicide – by Amnon Levy
Lesson plan
Written by Chaya Felcher, Shelley Badash, Ahuva Dotan
- Write on board: " ______is the root of all evil. "
Complete the sentence and explain.
- Reading task: Read the article and find the root of all evil is according to Amnon Levy.
- Discussion: Why does Amnon Levy think that this is the root of all
evil?
Do you agree with him?
How does Levy relate to Dudu's behavior?
Why does he criticize society?
What is Amnon Levy's opinion regarding the suicide?
Do you agree with him?
- Follow up: Based on Amnon Levy and Yossi Sarid's articles, is there
anything in common between Dudu's story, violence in the
streets and the incident in the Scouts' camp?
Write a paragraph explaining the connection according to your
opinion.