The lack of realism may be this drama’s biggest problem. Satire pokes fun at a topic and can be very effective when used correctly. (See: “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”) But many of the choices these characters make feel different from how other people would act in real life. Reducing a character to their most undesirable traits without sufficient comedic payoff ends up feeling mean-spirited.
“I didn’t see their actions as reflective of the experience of Jewish women in our community,” said San Francisco Bay Area resident Ava Feldman (no relation to the author of this story). relationship
To Foster’s credit, the Los Angeles Times said in an interview, “As she headed into the writers’ room, she intentionally surrounded herself with colleagues who were born Jewish.” But when I asked her what she thought about critics calling Jewish characters “stereotypes,” her response left me wanting more. (She did not respond to a request for comment on this story at the time of publication).
“I think we need positive Jewish stories right now,” Foster told the LA Times. “I think it’s interesting that when a rabbi plays the lead role, people focus on, ‘Oh, this is a stereotype of Jews.’ A hot, cool, pot-smoking young rabbi. That’s the exact opposite of how people view Jewish rabbis. Right? If I make Jewish parents look like two granola hippies on a farm, someone will write, ‘I’ve never met such Jews.’ You don’t know how to use Jews, you don’t know what you’re doing, and it doesn’t represent us well.’”
maybe. I don’t know. I think of TV shows like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” or movies like “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.” “It felt very authentic to depict the dynamics of a modern Jewish family,” Feldman said. And I wonder what “Nobody Wants This” might have been like if it had explored complex family relationships without diminishing and reinforcing potentially harmful stereotypes.
Most people I spoke with finished the series with similar feelings. We both really enjoyed it but were disappointed. Especially in some cases, the ending.
“I thought Joanne had come to a very mature conclusion, and the idea of giving up her entire career for someone she had been dating for less than three or four months felt very extreme,” Feldman said.
