Woody Allen Backs Dinkins, Sticks Up for Mason

Woody Allen pledged his support Thursday for Democratic mayoral candidate David N. Dinkins and said that Jackie Mason, a fellow comedian, got a “raw deal” when he was banished from the campaign of Republican Rudolph W. Giuliani.

Giuliani, who is Dinkins’ principal opponent in the November election, jettisoned Mason as a key ambassador to New York’s Jewish community last month because of controversial remarks made by Mason.

The Village Voice quoted Mason as saying that Jewish support for Dinkins was based on guilt, that Jews were “sick with complexes” and that Dinkins looks “like a black model without a job.”

In an interview with editors of Newsweek magazine, the comedian used a Yiddish word for black, often considered pejorative, in describing Dinkins, who is seeking to become New York City’s first black mayor. Mason later apologized for his remarks.

Allen, the multi-talented film maker, made a rare political appearance in endorsing Dinkins at a fund-raising party on Thursday. But he also stuck up for Mason.

“I don’t think he should have been forced to step down,” Allen said.

Under questioning by reporters that made Dinkins look a bit uncomfortable, Allen said that he thought Mason’s remarks were “in no way racially prejudiced” and were in character with Mason’s usual form of comedy.

“Those were the same jokes he always made,” Allen told reporters. “The press was pious and he (Mason) got a raw deal.

“There was no malice . . . in his position at all. This is his style as a comedian. People tend to get terribly pious and serious under the circumstances.”

A reporter asked the comedian how he would define the word Mason used in Newsweek.

“I don’t think it is pejorative in his case,” Allen said. “The press was extremely astringent with him.”

Meanwhile, two black activists accused of making anti-Semitic comments have resigned from Dinkins’ campaign.

Jitu Weusi, who had headed African Americans for David Dinkins, and Robert (Sonny) Carson, a Dinkins volunteer, resigned Wednesday.