Reeler Pinch Hitter: Lewis Beale on Cinema's Jewish Babe Renaissance
[Note: Reeler editor S.T. VanAirsdale is taking the week off, but the blog is in the good hands of trusted friends and colleagues; click here for other entries in the series. Lewis Beale writes about the entertainment industry for a number of national publications including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and USA Weekend.]
Lately I’ve been having this fantasy that someone makes a movie in which the male lead is Jewish, and gets to kick some serious ass. You know–he’s Sam Goldberg, the undercover cop about to bust a major Mexican drug cartel. Maybe he’s Capt. Cohen, a combat vet sent behind the lines in Iraq to rescue an aid worker kidnaped by Shiite terrorists. Or wait: How about a film about a real person, baseball Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg–not only one studly looking man, but a WWII vet and a serious Jewish role model who was subjected to endless anti-Semitic taunts, and refused to play ball on Yom Kippur?
Now there’s a movie I’d pay to see. Unfortunately, when it comes to Jewish male portrayals, those of us who are Members of the Tribe–and I’m not referring to the Cleveland Indians–have had to endure a long string of cinematic whiners, wussies, neurotics, anal retentives, victims and jackasses. Think Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. Ben Stiller and David Schwimmer. Adam Sandler. And that beloved template of all things urban, obsessive and annoying: Woody Allen.
I’m confused by this state of affairs, for two reasons. It’s no secret that the film and TV industries employ a high percentage of Jews in all sorts of positions, so it’s hard to figure out why Jewish executives and performers would allow these buffonish caricatures to represent their people. Plus there’s this: At the same time that representations of Jewish males border on Der Stürmer-like stereotypes, there has never been a better time to see a whole slew of hot Jewish babes onscreen.
Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson (yep, she’s one of ours – her mom is Jewish – eat your hearts out), Amanda Peet, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Selma Blair, Winona Ryder, Sarah Silverman, Julianna Margulies. They’re all solid performers, scorchingly sexy and smart as all get-out. And they don’t play to type.
So what’s going on here? Back in the day, movie stars like John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson were recognizably Jewish, yet allowed to play a broad range of roles that best suited their talents. But today, in a dumbed-down intellectual environment, the shorthand of stereotypes is an easy way to connect audiences with film and TV performers. Hence, the Hebraic minstrelsy represented by the Ben Stillers of the world.
It’s also important to note that when it comes to their onscreen roles, several of these male buffoons are specifically identified as Jewish: David Schwimmer’s whiny Ross Geller. Larry David’s obnoxious version of himself (a performance I find especially repulsive, as if it had been written for an anti-Semitic cable channel). Adam Sandler in several films. And the self-absorbed Jerry Seinfeld of Seinfeld. Contrast this with the women, who are rarely ID’d as Jewish in their work. Sure, Natalie Portman, one of the most public Jews in the business (may Yahweh bless her), has played Jewish roles in the past, but for the most part, actresses like Peet, Johansson and Weisz pretty much avoid ethnic stereotyping.
How come? One reason, I think, is that the JAP (Jewish American Princess) stereotype, long used to define Jewish females, has pretty much been confined to the dustbin of history. It’s still around, but after years of complaints from the Jewish community, it’s hardly the defining pejorative it once was. Which means something else has also gone to the Graveyard Where Stereotypes Die: that Jewish women can’t be hot and sexual. This was an essential part of the JAP mythos; that they wouldn’t perform oral sex, or they would only do the nasty if promised a shopping spree at Bergdorf’s.
So let us give thanks, at least, that we have returned to those days of yesteryear, when an actress like Lauren Bacall could be both hot and Hebrew. Now the entertainment industry needs to turn its attention to the Jewish male and update our image for the masses. It’s time for someone, anyone, to step up to the plate–the whiny shtick is getting really, really tired.
Jewish hero and African American hero save the day in Independence Day.
Huh, that’s interesting. I see the modern JAP stereotype as more a function of upper-middle class urbanity than Judaism, bolstered by the fact that America’s paradigmatic upper-middle class urban areas – Manhattan and Long Island – were disproportionately Jewish. As I came across it, the JAP stereotype is pretty much the same as the Valley Girl or broader Beverly Hills stereotype – a spoiled, incurious, vapid, demanding daddy’s girl – only plus an obnoxiously expensive bat mitzvah.
More than that, though, I’d never even encountered the whole sex-averse thing. The Jewish girl stereotypes I grew up with (somewhat Catholic outer suburbs of Philadelphia, 1983-2001) were the complete opposite – Jewish girls were easy and gave great head.
Jake Gyllenhaal
You think you’ve got it bad, you should look at asians. Let me see… We get to be small feminine men who are whiny and inconsequential or kung fu fighters. And nothing else. Women however are hot and the big anglo heroes always get them. However if we could somehow fuse the hottest of the asian and jewish women and we could harness that heat I’m sure we could make some sweet (and sour) bagels. I have no idea what that means.
Two words for you: Adrien Brody
You forgot Gina Gershon and Jennifer Connolly.
If the shoe fits?
I liked the article… and i was thinking that maybe the Jewish woman has this more serious myth around her. Then there is FRAN.. did u forget her.. *lol*
It would be good if Hollywood and US television would also take note of the fact that Seikhs wear turbans.
Not (for the most part) muslims.
Neither do Hindus.
Seikhs, mainly from the northern Indian area of Punjab, are the main wearers of the turban. They most certainly are not islamic.
But then, they all look the same to studio execs…
Hey you should add Marlee Matlin to that list. I remember seeing “Children of A Lesser God” when I was a teenager..HOT.
Interesting perspective on the role of Jewish men in film in comparison with all of the beautiful and talented women listed in the essay. With all due respect, I’d point to the salon.com article by David Marchese titled “Cool Jews” as a counterpoint. James Caan, Richard Dreyfuss, Dustin Hoffman, William Shatner, Kirk and Michael Douglas, and others; all have played the role of stallion and leading man. All are Jews. Sure, the trend lately leans towards comedic Jews in film and television but there are examples to the contrary.
That’s pretty funny Scenescent. I grew up in the predominently upper-middle class Jewish suburbs of Detroit and we had the exact same stereotypes of non-Jewish girls (great head…no annoying phone calls talking to my mother).
Natalie Portman is so hot and Hebrew that she is spending time in Israel right now. A couple of pics of her arriving at Tel Aviv yesterday are found at http://www.natalieportman.com/npcom.php
Nice article, by the way.
Hey– I know he’s not “A-List,” but what about Vin Diesel? He’s Jewish, muscular and can act his way out of a wet paper bag (but has terrible choice in scripts). He could totally be the next non-whiny, non-neurotic (except for the dark and brooding thing) Jewish hero.
Gotta agree with Andy. There are plenty of non-stereotypical, “cool” jewish actors out there. From D.Hoffman to J.Gyllenhall.
Also: why does every minority aspire to see itself portrayed as neutral and WASPy?
I could not agree more.
Why so many couples portrayed in interfaith relationships? I know it reflects society, but there are plenty of Jewish couples out there.
It further aggravates me that Jewish people are not seen as celebrating their own holidays, but have Christmas trees in the home.
Why not have an attractive Jewish couple who like their own religion and are proud of it?
Its this kind of article that makes people hate your collective. People are people.
Maybe you should stop seeing people as “jews” and “non-jews” you racist son of a “jew” bitch.
I can’t believe you’re stupid enough to believe in god anyway.
Winona Ryder? Is she still alive?
P.L. Newman,and dont forget “Indiana Jones” /Star Wars Idol…guy dont forget them….
one. Less than 3% of the population is jewish. two, American jews arent Israelis. No one knows what jewish machismo might look like. whereas everyone knows what the jewish intellectual looks like.
three. there were a lot of jewish gangsters, the Purple Gang and Meyer Lansky. As for your jewish baseball player, its a documentary for PBS, not a movie people want to see.
four, jews became sucessful in hollywood making movies for gentiles.
Didn’t the whiny Adam Sandler cover this territory in his Hannukah Song cycle?
By the way, Lauren Bacall was hardly “out” as a Jew. Her mentor was a huge anti-semite and instrumental in her transformation from pretty model to shiksa goddess.
Look, I’m in the tribe and I work in Hollywood and it’s not as if my boys don’t hit the gym or play pick-up basketball. But they are what they write: neurotic, nerdy, brainy, more used to playing the clown than the leading man. If sitcoms were being written by members of the IDF, we’d probably see something different.
Interesting article. But as someone pointed out, there are counter points to this article, unfortunately they’re AGING, over fifty types with the exception of Vin Diesel whose playing it low key.
I think everybody lost the whole point of this article:
IS NOT that there is no jewish leding man but the fact that there is no JEWISH ROLES RIGHT NOW BUT THE ONE HE DESCRIBES AS the whiny neurotic and etc.
that there is no movie with a male leding jewish character. HE was saying that there is jewish actor playing goim roles but not jewish actor playing the heroe.
aw man, what about sarah jessica parker? (mom is.)
If you want a movie that features a tough-as-nails Jew (okay, he still does a little whining) check out THE HEBREW HAMMER. Adam Goldberg plays an ass-kicking Jew a la Shaft.
Hey Jimmy, The Life & Times of Hank Greenberg was not made for PBS, it was released theatrically and grossed over $1.7 million at the box office, a then huge amount for a documentary released by a very small company. Clearly people wanted to see it.
What about Sandy Koufax
Wow. Poor Jews can’t get the “right” respect in the industry.. tough crap. If you look at the % of Jewish people in front and behind the camera(stars and executives not to mention writers) it’s hugely skewed for THE TRIBE… and now you have to have all the power and become all pin-up stars as well. THat’s just greedy. Listen, if someone comes along who happens to be Jewish and is also credible as a hunk or hottie, more power to that person but to complain that jews are being bashed because Woody Allen isn’t anything but annoying, well, that’s because he is. really. in life. No one is forcing him to act that way. Ever think of that?
I think most leading roles don’t take into account the religion of the character at all. It’s not a question of there being no bad-ass Jewish roles – after all, can anyone tell us what religion Vin Diesel’s character was in The Fast and The Furious? Coulda been Jewish for all we knew. Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction? Nothing says he isn’t. Nothing to say that Spiderman isn’t Jewish, either. Or Samuel L. Jackson in Snakes on a Plane. (Okay, probably not Jewish…)
I mean, really – how many buff, bad-ass, specifically Catholic characters can you name? Baptist? Episcopalian? Hindu? Muslim? Scientologist?
And while Woody Allen may play the “steroptypical Jew” role in his films, there are often other characters who are identified as Jewish but don’t fit the stereotype at all. I’m thinking Martin Landau & Jerry Orbach in Crimes and Misdemeanors off the top of my head.
Didn’t Steve McQueen play a Jewish character towards the end of his career? Can’t remember the name of the project, some vanity thing as I recall that didn’t get such hot reviews. Doesn’t get more bad-ass than Steve McQueen.
As to the Jewish hero from Independance Day: Ugh. Typical “Jewish nerd” character. I found it mildly offensive, personally, though not as much as his father played by Judd Hirsch. I’ve heard rumors that the mannerisms of the “Jewsians” from South Park were based on that character.
How could you forget to mention Whoopi?
Think it’s hard to see Jewish males in broad roles in cinema? Trying finding an Asian male.
The Danny Pearl story will be an important role for someone –( I’m not sure of the name of the movie ) I know Angelina Jolie got the role of the wife –she will probably be good but I wish Natalie Portman got it –I don’t know who will play Pearl — I’m trying to think of possibilities — this sounds outrageous but I think Johnny Depp could pull it off –he is agreat actor —
Asian male as leading man? Keanu Reeves – his dad is Hawaiian, his mom is British.
Please say you are kidding re: Whoopi. Her real name is Karyn Johnson.
get real. it’s never enough with you tribesman. you’re all short and ugly for the most part. you smoke pot and ride on daddy’s coat-tails. remember you ARE a minority, so don’t push it. you’ll piss us off.
what about goldberg the wrestler. he could be your leading guy?
Whoopi converted. And I already heard that Angelina Jolie will be playing the role of Daniel Pearl’s wife….
Keanu Reeves also had a Jewish step-dad and went to Jewish summer camp.
Jack Black is a hot Jew, as are Jon Stewart and Adrien Brody. And to see a hot Jew kick ass, all you have to do is watch “The Hebrew Hammer.”
I heard that Adrien Brody is not Jewish. Michael Douglas is half–on his father’s side–not sure what he considers himself. Harrison Ford is half–on his mother’s side–again, not clear what he feels. None of this speaks to the author’s point which I think is a good one. Are you sure about the Gyllenhalls?
Wow! You’re right. The lack of onscreen portrayals of powerful, sexy Jewish men is a real inequity.
Too bad there are so few Jewish males in positions of power in the entertainment industry that could redress this inbalance.
Larry David wrote Seinfeld about himself. He portrays himself on Curb your Enthusiasm. How can you find that anti-semitic? That’s a ridiculous statement. That’s the way he is.
What about Elizabeth Taylor? She converted for Mike Todd…
I think EVERYONE of every minority stripe has an axe to grind with Hollywood. Imagine if you were watching a kick ass action film, and then a third of the way through it the studly man-hero comes home to his…boyfriend? Would I like to see it? Yup. Will it happen in my life time? Nope. Even when gay men aren’t femme sterotypes onscreen (not that I dont love my femme brothers) they still only exsist as a support system for neurotic breeder couples.
Furthermore, do this little expariment: Watch your usual television and movies over the next month. Watch how even the suggestion of homoeroticism is used for cheap laughs.
What all of us (jews, gays, asians, black, whatever) are looking for is characters who’s identity informs the character, but doesnt determine it.
BTW, Jew here and I dig what yer saying. Dont let the anti-semetic bullshit comments get you down. If gays and jews really ran hollywood the way everyone says we do then I’d be filming that action movie right now.
Scottyp: Right, because people of minority status cant ever be party to their own opression. The term “Uncle Tom” exsists for a reason.
As a fellow American Jewish citizen, I say what difference does it make as to what religion you are when it comes to being an actor/actress. As long as you have the talent and know how to act, who cares what your religious background is.
I have to agree with the posts pointing out that in most films the spirituality of the main characters is rarely established. Why assume none of these characters are Jewish just because they never come out and tell us they are. Is the issue you are mentioning really a lack of Jewish Main Characters or a lack of any faith in films (with the exception of that strange genre of Catholic Occult films: End of Days, Stigmata, etc). HEY I just thought of a film with a Jewish male protagonist: Jim Caviezel (though he is Catholic) in “The Passion of the Christ”, though having never seen the film I can’t swear he isn’t channeling Woody Allen during the Sermon on the Mount.
Uh… Maggie Gyllenhaal isn’t hot. Not even slightly.
Liev Schreiber is hot! 😉
As one who is not of the Jewish faith, but has been (though no actively sought) with Jewish women, I can say that there is an intrinsic depth to them.
Why is that? Probably reflective of the Jews, their collective and the long shared memory. Plus.. they are absolutely great in bed.
Appeal is so hard to quantify that sometimes you should maybe not question the masses.
Uh…you guys forgot Andrew Dice Clay, a sexual fiend and icon in his time…even if that time lasted approximately 30 minutes. Anyone who saw “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane” would agree with me.
As for the women, those of us who went to Brandeis can attest to one fact: Hot Jewish women don’t like hanging out with other Jews. I suppose Portman might be the lone exception, but there were NO HOT GIRLS AT BRANDEIS. On the tour for prospective applicants, the admissions office might bus in a few hot girls from neighboring Boston College…and you assume they’re Jewish, and of course they were hot. Then you actually arrive in the fall and say “WTF happened to all the hot chicks?”
Any who remain transfer in the first month because all the forementioned dorky, geeky, nerdy, neurotic Jewish guys all hound the 1 or 2 hot chicks. Good times.
See you all at Reunion Weekend 2007! Yeah baby!
Forget that what about latinos. We have it the worst of all. We are all made into hired help or sex toys….cough, cough (Woody Allen). Even in spike lee films this has been proven true. It’s gotten to the point that while playing a whore in a movie, or stripper is considered a great role in some movies, it was actually a step up for us when Alba got the part of a stripper in Sin City. Too bad J-lo knocked us down a bit with that Maid in Manhattan movie, which wasn’t actually a bad movie just a bad idea for her character. As for Scarlet J. wow who the heck knew she was half jewish…very hot woman. At least we got Selma trying to pick up J-lo’s slack and Alba making some damn good headway.
Also, my boyfriend reminded me that Leonardo DiCaprio is seriously dating an Israeli model.
Only about 1% of the country is Jewish, yet they practically monopolize the film and television business in the U.S. There are umpteen references to “bar/bat mitzvahs,” but one can almost count on one hand a reference to a first Holy Communion–let alone a Confirmation….! How many Jewish characters/performers can you name? How many Slavic? Or German (the BBC stated that 1 in 6 Americans is German, yet they are basically non-existant in the American media…..and Poles…?….Czechs?, etc., etc…..). Sounds like intense discrimination to me!