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Bagels and Schmear: Jewish Stereotypes in the Media. “I would never join
a club that would allow a person like me to become a member ...
Submitted by annenberg2323 on April 12, 2008
Category: Social Issues
Words: 1992 | Pages: 8
Views: 215
Popularity Rank: 48,535
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“I would never join a club that would allow a person like me to become a member.” This quote from Woody Allen puts into perspective the way in which Jews are portrayed in movies and T.V. The whiny, high-pitched, annoying, voice that won’t stop complaining about the mundane realities of life has become a staple of our society. Shows like Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm fuel these stereotypes to their highest potential. And guess what? Its funny! The writers of almost all the Jewish shows are Jewish, and these people have made a fortune off of the hilarity of these caricatures of real life. Of course not all mothers are as over-protective and sensitive about their son as Jerry’s mom on Seinfeld, but viewers know it is just used as a means of making people laugh. This is what makes good T.V. taking the regular things in everyday life and exaggerating them. Although there is a negative portrayal of Jewish people in the media, this negativity barely has an affect on U.S. culture and can be beneficial to the Jewish people and society as a whole.
With producers and writers pushing new boundaries, many think that these negative portrayals have a negative affect on the way society views Jews in general. In the 1990s people were very worried about being politically correct. The most controversial shows on T.V. were Cops and other shows that just had some violence. As we moved into the 21st Century, the atmosphere seemed to change. People have become fascinated with seeing how far they can go. This is true of T.V. shows using stereotypes to drive audiences. While the 90s included shows like Seinfeld that just poked fun at some of the stereotypes, new shows such as South Park really angered people with its openness to go after stereotypes. On South Park there is a Jewish family, the Broflovskis, whose son Kyle is supposedly the smart one on the show. Although he is constantly mocked for his religious beliefs, Kyle doesn’t really mind. The...
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