I'm only a couple of episodes in and it's a fun romcom for the middle-aged. I don't know any rabbis, but this one seems more like a Unitarian minister or Episcopal priest--some nice religious words but little religious substance. But, maybe that's the way some Jewish rabbis are. I don't think the show is insulting. Stereotyping, maybe, but there's nothing wrong with non-malicious stereotyping. It's the stuff TV stories are made of.
I had fun watching the show, and yes, I admit I was entertained. But I kept thinking that non-Jews watching this show are getting such a ridiculously distorted and shallow portrayal of Judaism. The rabbi, who doesn’t even don a kippa on his head, gives a very church-like sermon on Shabbat and then goes out to a bar with his brothers and the ‘shiksa’ sisters - on Shabbat! In another ridiculous scene he comes searching for her in a restaurant, after getting advice from his female rabbi who does don a kippa, to make a kiddush and light candles again in the middle of the restaurant-bar (he makes the blessing over the candles which is a blessing made by women not men BEFORE the sun sets)??? And then asks his brother how to make a havdallah when the Sabbath comes out - I think they Google how to it. I’d make a better rabbi:) And he’s not so concerned about falling in love with a non-Jew, but about how it might jeopardize his job? What kind of a rabbi is he? Oy vey!!! He would make a perfectly cute secular Jew, but a rabbi is a really far stretch.
good fair points, Debbie ! From the review I learned he wasn't a rabbi in the book,. so I suppose had his family strongly objected to him marrying a non-Jew solely for that reason an audience might not have been nearly as sympathetic and so they threw in the job endangerment for added weight,. converting in order to simply please the guy is insufficient unless it endangered his deeply felt calling,.
Thanks, Rob. Missed the discrepancy between the book and series characterization. That would have made so much more sense.
By turning him into a rabbi, feels like a D.E.I. assignment for junior high students. Let’s see how you imagine a rabbi might be like from different pluricultural perspectives;) Let’s not learn from authentic knowledge.
Non-jew here. I positively adored this show. It's the most fun show I've seen in ages. And given all the crap Jews have been given recently, I would think a show that portrays them this wonderfully would be awesome. It was charming. And if the Jewish stereotype was leaned into, that's OK. Reminded me of the Greek stereotype in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".
I loved Nobody Wants This and really hope there are more seasons coming.
I loved this show. I binged it in one day (haven’t done that since the pandemic when I watched Ozark). I am a shiksa who dated a Jewish guy throughout high school despite both our families biases against it. While we didn’t get married and teenage angst can be factored in, I got that clear impression from his family and I suspect he knew my family’s objections. What a great guy and, though we didn’t get married, I still have a warm feeling when I hear from him or see him. I resonated with this show for the experience I shared with Joanne, but I think others who haven’t been in a similar relationship will as well. Not to simplify, but this show can be seen through the lens that we are all human, we have people we vibe with, we share love, interests, and can rise above the differences. We can laugh at ourselves, even if the issue is serious! Have some fun and watch this series!
Well, this shiksa converted for her cute Jewish guy (albeit not a rabbi) and we loved the show. For all the people complaining about how the Jewish women were represented-it's a comedy, ALL of the characters are over the top: the obnoxious sister, the gay dad. Maybe I'm biased because I've listened to Erin and Sara Foster's podcast forever-but Erin is a very proud convert and is close to her in-laws (who she says are nothing like these characters) and very pro-Israel. I happily recommend this show.
Exactly, ‘…it’s a comedy…’. . That’s all anyone needs to know. Best comedy of my lifetime was the first few years of All In The Family. Lots of irreverent stereotypes in that one.
You would think people would have the sense to understand your message without you having to say it.
However, had my mother seen it I would know her comment. Ohy veh, gottenu, vus is mir, etc.
Exactly Steve your Mum is right. But we in an America everything goes or does it. Can you imagine if we make a series depicting Islam and Muslims in not such a good light or in a really funny way, we would probably have a daily Charlie Hebdo or these rabid pisher students screaming at our Ivy league universities - I seriously wish they would just leave the Jews alone.
I loved Kristen Bell in "The Good Place." You have now placed "Nobody Wants This" on my short list for future binges.
In "The Good Place," I especially empathized with Chidi the philosopher. Was especially thrilled when he gave a shoutout to one of my Harvard professors, the late Judith Shklar. Which could prompt an anecdote including Judith Shklar, Jamie Raskin, and me--but that's too much of a digression--something for another time and thread.
I watched the show - and while I didn't find it at all anti-semitic, it's possible to come away with the feeling the the writers hate women. Note how all the male characters are charming, goofy, good-natured. The female characters are mostly manipulative and mean-spirited. I found Joanne to be fundamentally unlikeable from the pilot, which made Noah's infatuation with her seem like a stretch.
it is fun and the writing/dialogue is great... and upon further reflection the clichés go both ways! Honestly the clichés are so formulaic that it sometimes feels like the writers are being lazy? I'm not sure...am I being too critical?
My wife loves it, I will watch it to be with her. Frankly, ever since lost, any series that goes past about three seasons becomes boorish. How many times can you repeat the same scenario with a few different details? Thr4e seasons and done. Except for Midsummer Murders, what a dangerous county to live in, or a few other mainly Acorn series. even Yellowstone. It's time for it to wrap up and go which I believe is what is going to happen.
As the child of a Mormon mother and a Jewish father - I relate to this show SO MUCH. The drama that was stirred from my (religiously agnostic) dad marrying outside of the Judaism (which a lot of people don’t understand that Judaism is traditionally matrilineal) is stuff of family lore these days lol. This show is cute and funny and mean girls exist in all realms from Mormon to Jewish and everywhere in between and outside of faith.
I'm only a couple of episodes in and it's a fun romcom for the middle-aged. I don't know any rabbis, but this one seems more like a Unitarian minister or Episcopal priest--some nice religious words but little religious substance. But, maybe that's the way some Jewish rabbis are. I don't think the show is insulting. Stereotyping, maybe, but there's nothing wrong with non-malicious stereotyping. It's the stuff TV stories are made of.
I love the 70s and 80s when we could laughed at jokes about Jews, Blacks, Asians, hibillies, white trash, etc...
My God. If we can't laugh at stereotypes- we're in real trouble.
As long as they aren’t creating large fake noses- seems to be an unfortunate trend lately
"that they are loud and loyal to a fault. To which I say, no comment. " had me laughing! So glad you reviewed this delightful smart show,..
I had fun watching the show, and yes, I admit I was entertained. But I kept thinking that non-Jews watching this show are getting such a ridiculously distorted and shallow portrayal of Judaism. The rabbi, who doesn’t even don a kippa on his head, gives a very church-like sermon on Shabbat and then goes out to a bar with his brothers and the ‘shiksa’ sisters - on Shabbat! In another ridiculous scene he comes searching for her in a restaurant, after getting advice from his female rabbi who does don a kippa, to make a kiddush and light candles again in the middle of the restaurant-bar (he makes the blessing over the candles which is a blessing made by women not men BEFORE the sun sets)??? And then asks his brother how to make a havdallah when the Sabbath comes out - I think they Google how to it. I’d make a better rabbi:) And he’s not so concerned about falling in love with a non-Jew, but about how it might jeopardize his job? What kind of a rabbi is he? Oy vey!!! He would make a perfectly cute secular Jew, but a rabbi is a really far stretch.
good fair points, Debbie ! From the review I learned he wasn't a rabbi in the book,. so I suppose had his family strongly objected to him marrying a non-Jew solely for that reason an audience might not have been nearly as sympathetic and so they threw in the job endangerment for added weight,. converting in order to simply please the guy is insufficient unless it endangered his deeply felt calling,.
Thanks, Rob. Missed the discrepancy between the book and series characterization. That would have made so much more sense.
By turning him into a rabbi, feels like a D.E.I. assignment for junior high students. Let’s see how you imagine a rabbi might be like from different pluricultural perspectives;) Let’s not learn from authentic knowledge.
Non-jew here. I positively adored this show. It's the most fun show I've seen in ages. And given all the crap Jews have been given recently, I would think a show that portrays them this wonderfully would be awesome. It was charming. And if the Jewish stereotype was leaned into, that's OK. Reminded me of the Greek stereotype in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".
I loved Nobody Wants This and really hope there are more seasons coming.
I loved this show. I binged it in one day (haven’t done that since the pandemic when I watched Ozark). I am a shiksa who dated a Jewish guy throughout high school despite both our families biases against it. While we didn’t get married and teenage angst can be factored in, I got that clear impression from his family and I suspect he knew my family’s objections. What a great guy and, though we didn’t get married, I still have a warm feeling when I hear from him or see him. I resonated with this show for the experience I shared with Joanne, but I think others who haven’t been in a similar relationship will as well. Not to simplify, but this show can be seen through the lens that we are all human, we have people we vibe with, we share love, interests, and can rise above the differences. We can laugh at ourselves, even if the issue is serious! Have some fun and watch this series!
Well, this shiksa converted for her cute Jewish guy (albeit not a rabbi) and we loved the show. For all the people complaining about how the Jewish women were represented-it's a comedy, ALL of the characters are over the top: the obnoxious sister, the gay dad. Maybe I'm biased because I've listened to Erin and Sara Foster's podcast forever-but Erin is a very proud convert and is close to her in-laws (who she says are nothing like these characters) and very pro-Israel. I happily recommend this show.
Exactly, ‘…it’s a comedy…’. . That’s all anyone needs to know. Best comedy of my lifetime was the first few years of All In The Family. Lots of irreverent stereotypes in that one.
You would think people would have the sense to understand your message without you having to say it.
However, had my mother seen it I would know her comment. Ohy veh, gottenu, vus is mir, etc.
Exactly Steve your Mum is right. But we in an America everything goes or does it. Can you imagine if we make a series depicting Islam and Muslims in not such a good light or in a really funny way, we would probably have a daily Charlie Hebdo or these rabid pisher students screaming at our Ivy league universities - I seriously wish they would just leave the Jews alone.
Pishers? Excellente.
I loved Kristen Bell in "The Good Place." You have now placed "Nobody Wants This" on my short list for future binges.
In "The Good Place," I especially empathized with Chidi the philosopher. Was especially thrilled when he gave a shoutout to one of my Harvard professors, the late Judith Shklar. Which could prompt an anecdote including Judith Shklar, Jamie Raskin, and me--but that's too much of a digression--something for another time and thread.
I watched the show - and while I didn't find it at all anti-semitic, it's possible to come away with the feeling the the writers hate women. Note how all the male characters are charming, goofy, good-natured. The female characters are mostly manipulative and mean-spirited. I found Joanne to be fundamentally unlikeable from the pilot, which made Noah's infatuation with her seem like a stretch.
They weren't playing 25 year olds - maybe 35 to pushing 40. They made references to it throughout all the episodes.
it is fun and the writing/dialogue is great... and upon further reflection the clichés go both ways! Honestly the clichés are so formulaic that it sometimes feels like the writers are being lazy? I'm not sure...am I being too critical?
My wife loves it, I will watch it to be with her. Frankly, ever since lost, any series that goes past about three seasons becomes boorish. How many times can you repeat the same scenario with a few different details? Thr4e seasons and done. Except for Midsummer Murders, what a dangerous county to live in, or a few other mainly Acorn series. even Yellowstone. It's time for it to wrap up and go which I believe is what is going to happen.
I agree
My wife and I loved the show. It is pretty light and funny. The useless tall brother is great.
As the child of a Mormon mother and a Jewish father - I relate to this show SO MUCH. The drama that was stirred from my (religiously agnostic) dad marrying outside of the Judaism (which a lot of people don’t understand that Judaism is traditionally matrilineal) is stuff of family lore these days lol. This show is cute and funny and mean girls exist in all realms from Mormon to Jewish and everywhere in between and outside of faith.