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Who is Greg Gutfeld? 'The Five' host faces backlash for claiming utility kept Holocaust survivors alive in concentration camps

Greg Gutfeld remarked on the skills needed by Jews to escape the Holocaust while debating on Florida's new curriculum with co-host Jessica Tarlov

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Greg Gutfeld has been blasted for making inappropriate comments about Jewish people and Holocaust. The 58-year-old television host has reportedly stated that Jews could have survived the Nazi genocide if they had "skills." The controversy stems from the Monday, July 24, episode of Fox News 'The Five' when the panelists debated Florida’s new education modules with hosts.

Gutfeld and his new colleague Jesse Watters also criticized Vice President Kamala Harris after she deemed the syllabus an "insult" for saying slavery was good for Black people as it gave them a "personal benefit." But the argument got darker when the panelist Jessica Tarlov brought Holocaust into it to question the curriculum, as reported by The Daily Beast. She said, "It made me think as someone – obviously I’m not Black, I’m Jewish – would someone say about the Holocaust, for instance, that there were some benefits for Jews, that while they were hanging out in concentration camps, you learned a strong work ethic, maybe you learned a new skill?" Gutfeld reportedly did not step back as he soon took the example of the book 'Man's Search for Meaning' by Viktor Frankl, who was a Holocaust survivor, and asked Tarlov, "Did you ever read Man’s Search for Meaning?" and added, "Vik Frankl talks about how you had to survive in a concentration camp by having skills. You had to be useful. Utility! Utility kept you alive!"

Who is Greg Gutfeld?

As per IMDb, Gutfeld is a news opinion show host, political satirist, blogger, comedian, and author, and is currently serving as one of the co-hosts of 'The Five'. He is also the host of Fox News 'Gutfeld!' also known as 'The Greg Gutfeld Show'. Fox News' profile says that "he parodies current events and converses on key issues, bringing a comedic twist to the news. Gutfeld also interviews newsmakers and culture critics on the major headlines of the week."

The recent remarks by Gutfeld have attracted a lot of criticism for him as a Fox News producer reportedly shared, "Obviously, it is a disgusting thing to say, same with Jesse’s remarks on the matter. Just generally speaking, I’m amazed that FOX has any ability to retain employees from multicultural backgrounds. Our workplace is shockingly diverse given the vitriol that often makes it to the air. Understand that they’re likely here for the same reasons I am, these jobs are scarce, but I can’t help but feel awful for them because they undoubtedly see this nonsense and can’t do anything to stop it," as per The Daily Beast. On the other hand, Neoconservative writer Bill Kristol stated, "Everyone else at Fox fine with Gutfeld suggesting Jews sent to concentration camps could survive ‘by being useful?’ How can any of his fellow panelists show up tomorrow to sit there next to him?"

'We should avoid such oversimplifications in talking about this complex tragic story'

Auschwitz Memorial also issued a lengthy statement criticizing Gutfeld and wrote, "Therefore, while it is accurate to acknowledge that some Jews may have survived temporarily due to their perceived usefulness, it is crucial to remember that the Holocaust was a systematic genocide with the ultimate aim of exterminating the entire Jewish population." "It would be more appropriate to say that some Jews survived the Holocaust because they were considered temporarily useful, and the circumstances of the Nazi regime's collapse prevented their murder. We should avoid such oversimplifications in talking about this complex tragic story," it explained further.

"Disgusting… America has now reached a new low in making hate and racism part of daily life!" tweeted a netizen, while another wrote, "Fox News’s Greg Gutfeld just said that the Holocaust wasn’t all bad for Jews — because those with 'skills' and 'utility' survived. This must be the end. It must stop now. How much longer can ANY company advertise with Fox News EVER again?" "Greg Gutfeld downplayed the horrors of the Holocaust by paraphrasing Viktor Frankl. "Jews survived by being useful." Gutfeld leaves out that millions died in concentration camps the day they got off the trains. Gutfeld said this to his Jewish co-worker Jessica Tarlov," read a tweet from another person who was critical of the host's statements.