Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
The Schmooze

‘Bigfoot Erotica’ Is In The News, And It Might Be Because Of Anti-Semitism. (Yes, Really.)

Gather ‘round, folks, and listen to a tale of Bigfoot erotica, political adversaries named Cockburn and Riggleman, and what it all weirdly has to do with the Jews.

Say it all together now: Oy vey.

OK, here goes.

Denver Riggleman sounds like the name of a pornstar, and maybe it is; Riggleman, the GOP candidate for Representative of Virginia’s 5th district, is also busy writing a book called “Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him.” Here, take a look at the cover art, why don’t you:

That crude drawing gamboled into the public eye via the tweet above, written by Riggleman’s Democratic opponent in the race. That would be the even more gloriously-named Leslie Cockburn — apparently pronounced ‘Co-burn’ — who is, wildly, also the mother of Hollywood A-lister Olivia Wilde.

Now the weary American public is tasked with deciding whether or not authoring soft-core pornography about folklore characters is indicative of an inability to be a credit to one’s state.

And if that weren’t enough, lets bring in the Jews.

Cockburn’s dirt-digging might be a response to a hit her campaign took two months ago, also surrounding a controversial publication: “Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the U.S.-Israeli Covert Relationship,” the book Cockburn co-authored with her husband Andrew Cockburn. GOP detractors say the book, published 27 years ago, is anti-Semitic, with John Findlay, the executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia, going so far as to label Cockburn an anti-Semite. Cockburn has attempted to diffuse the situation by meeting with rabbis and other Jewish leaders. Riggleman has accused her of using the Bigfoot scandal to redirect the conversation surrounding the Virginia race; “Let’s stick to the issues and Leslie’s book,” he wrote in a tweet.

In its 1991 review of “Dangerous Liaison,” The New York Times wrote that a central idea of the book is that “the Israeli-American connection is somewhere behind just about everything that ails us.” While criticism of Israel is not inherently anti-Semitic, the notion that Israel is the cause of all trouble is at very least a gray area; “Israel,” in such situations, often serves as a euphemism for “Jews.” On the other hand, attempts by the GOP to alienate liberal candidates from voters by claiming anti-Semitism can be an insidious way to prey upon Jewish fears for votes.

Here’s the thing:

Cockburn, a journalist of 35-years, wrote “Dangerous Liaison” with her journalist husband Andrew Cockburn, who is of Jewish descent. Attributing a label of anti-Semitism to their book should be done carefully if at all. Riggleman, on the other hand, has campaigned with white nationalist Isaac Smith and rabid racist Corey Stewart.

So who would be worse for the Jews? A liberal woman journalist who is harshly and perhaps inanely critical of Israel? Or a friend-of-racists who publishes mythical monster smut?

Your call, America.

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.