Judaism
Thought and Reflection
We’re going to parse our discussion today into to basic
components: the portrayal of Judaism in 1) entertainment media (film and TV)
and 2) in the mainstream news. I thought we would begin by noting some unique
differences in the portrayals of Judaism and Islam (recall our past two
discussions). We discussed how Islam and the Arab world have been portrayed in
a particular way (billionaires, belly dancers, and bombers). Let’s look at the
portrayal of Judaism. I’d like you to make some mental notes on the themes or
patterns that emerge in your mind.
First, let’s start with one of those classic films, “Fiddler
on the Roof” (1971). Watch the following clip:
Here’s some background on “Fiddler on the Roof” from
Wikipedia. “The story centers on Tevye,
the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his family and
Jewish religious traditions while outside influences encroach upon their lives.
He must cope both with the strong-willed actions of his three older
daughters—each one's choice of husband moves further away from the customs of
his faith—and with the edict of the Tsar that evicts the Jews from
their village (set in Tsarist Russia circa 1900). The original Broadway production
of the show, which opened in 1964, had the first musical theatre run in history
to surpass 3,000 performances. Fiddler held the record for the longest-running Broadway
musical for almost 10 years until Grease surpassed
its run. It remains Broadway's fifteenth longest-running show in
history. The production was extraordinarily profitable and highly acclaimed. It
was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning nine, including Best
Musical, score, book, direction and choreography. It spawned four Broadway
revivals, a successful 1971 film adaptation.”
This film has become a cultural icon and it is frequently referenced or
parodied in other media. Check this out. It is a scene from the film being
reproduced in a school play on an episode of “Gilmore Girls,” titled “Jews and
Chinese Food”:
Let’s not forget the Barbara Streisand classic, “Yentl.”
Here are a couple of clips:
Here’s some background: “Yentl is
a 1983 romantic musical drama film from MGM, and
directed, co-written, co-produced, and starring Barbra
Streisand based on the play of the same
name by Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer, itself based on Singer's short story,
"Yentl the Yeshiva Boy". The
dramatic story incorporates humor and music to relate the odyssey of an Ashkenazi Jewish girl
in Poland who
decides to dress and live like a man so that she can receive an education in Talmudic Law after
her father dies. The film's musical score and
songs, composed by Michel Legrand, include the songs "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" and "The Way He Makes Me Feel", both sung by
Streisand. The film received the Academy Award for
Best Original Score and The Golden Globe
Awards for Best Motion Picture-comedy and Best Director for
Streisand making her the first woman to have won Best Director at the Golden Globes.”
Let’s not forget Fievel and “An American Tail.” From
Wikipedia: “This film is a 1986 American animated film directed by Don Bluth (who is LDS) and produced by Sullivan
Bluth Studios and Amblin
Entertainment.
The film tells the story of Fievel Mouskewitz and his family (Russian Jews) as
they emigrate from Russia to the United States for freedom. However, Fievel
gets lost and must find a way to reunite with his family. The film was released
on November 21, 1986.” Here’s a clip:
Neil Diamond and “The Jazz Singer” is another classic. Here’s
some of what Wikipedia says about it: “The Jazz Singer is a 1980 American drama film and a remake of the 1927 classic The Jazz
Singer,
released by EMI Films and United Artists. It starred Neil Diamond, Laurence Olivier, and Lucie Arnaz and was co-directed by Richard Fleischer and Sidney J. Furie….In New York City, Jess Robin
(Neil Diamond), whose real name is Yussel
Rabinovitch, is a young Jewish cantor performing at the synagogue of his
imperious father Cantor Rabinovitch (Laurence Olivier). Yussel is married to his
childhood sweetheart, Rivka (Catlin Adams), and has settled down to a
life of religious devotion to the teaching of his faith. But on the side, he
writes songs for a black singing group, and when a member of the quartet gets
in trouble with the law, Yussel covers for him at one of their gigs by wearing blackface. The nightclub engagement is
a success, but a patron at the nightclub (an unknown Ernie Hudson, a few years before his Ghostbusters role) notices that Yussel's
hands are not black and incites a riot. A fight ensues and the band is
arrested. Cantor comes to the jail to bail them out, but finds there is not a
Yussel Rabinovitch there, only a Jess Robin. His son explains it is just a
stage name he uses when performing. Cantor informs him that his singing voice
was to be used for God's purposes, not his own.” Here’s a clip:
One of the classics, of course, is the film “Schindler’s
List (1993) ,” which portrays the fate of Jewish prisoners in WW2 Germany
occupation camps. Here’s a clip (it is the movie’s trailer):
Of course we can’t forget Adam Sandler, who often makes
Jewish references in his films. Here’s the Bar Mitzvah segment from “The
Wedding Singer”:
So, let me go back to my earlier question. What are the
themes or patterns that you have identified from this small sample of films? What
conclusions might you draw?
Television
Entertainment television has presented us with some
interesting images and themes as well. It seems quite common to have Jewish
religious rituals reproduced on TV. One of the classics was the Seinfeld episode that dealt the ceremony
known as the “bris.” Here’s a clip, but let me warn you, it is kind of Seinfeld crude:
Interestingly, a number of Jewish rituals were depicted on
“All in the Family.” In this first clip, Archie and Edith perform the Shabbat
with their friends. According to Wikipedia, the Shabbat “is the seventh day of the Jewish week and the Jewish day of rest. On Shabbat, Jews
recall the Genesis creation narrative in which God creates the Heavens and the Earth
in six days and rests on the seventh. Shabbat observance also entails
refraining from a range of activities prohibited on Shabbat, such as lighting a fire and cooking. According
to halakha, Shabbat is observed from a few minutes
before sunset on Friday evening until the appearance of three stars in
the sky on Saturday night. Shabbat is ushered in by lighting candles and
reciting a blessing. Traditionally, three festive meals are eaten; on Friday night, Saturday morning, and late Saturday
afternoon. Friday night dinner begins with kiddush and a blessing recited over two loaves of challah. Shabbat is a festive day when Jews are freed
from the regular labors of everyday life. It offers an opportunity to
contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and spend time with family.” Here’s
the clip:
In this next clip, Archie is asked to speak at a friend’s
funeral, but does not realize this friend was Jewish, until he arrives at the
funeral (it is a few minutes into this clip):
Jewish characters appear often on TV. Here’s a blog that
lists its author’s top 10:
Other current characters would include Rachel and Puckerman
from “Glee,” as well as “The Big Bang Theory’s” Howard Wolowitz, who plays a
nerdy Jewish aerospace engineer with a stereotypical Jewish mother, who we only
know as she yells things through the bedroom door.
How would you characterize the portrayal of Judaism in film
and on television? Are there specific themes that seem to emerge? A particular
type of portrayal? Importantly, would you characterize these portrayals as
negative or positive? How do you think members of the Jewish faith might react
to them? Also, do you note any distinctions, differences or similarities
between the portrayals of Mormons, Jews, and Muslims? Can you elaborate?
I had you read an article about the movie, “Meet the
Fockers.” The author makes the following argument:
More frequently, Jewish characters
do not manifest their difference in a
celebratory or affirmative fashion.
Rather, Jews in American popular entertainment
convey Otherness in one of three
ways: by the discrimination they
experienced, through flagrant stereotypes,
or by concealing or merely implying
their Jewishness. Since the advent
of the motion picture and later television,
there was little inherently positive
about Jews in general pop culture.
Based on the other materials you have reviewed for this assignment,
how would you respond to this statement? Do you agree with the premise? Why or
why not? How do the themes you have identified fit into the three categories
identified above? Do they fit?
The News Media
I want to start with an interesting historical footnote. We
note that in the early 20th century, anti-Semitism was a growing
problem throughout many parts of the western world. We know that Hitler used
anti-Semitism to turn the Jews into a straw enemy and to create support for his
political and military movement, which was at the root of the Second World War.
What you might not realize was that it was a problem here at home as well. As a
result, the American Jewish Committee launched a series of cartoons, called the
“Mr. Biggott” series, in 1945 to draw attention to anti-Semitism. The cartoons
were designed to spoof bigotry and are believed to have influenced Norman Leer,
the producer to the TV series “All in the Family.” The cartoons appeared in many newspaper,
corporate house organs, and military publications.
Here’s an example:
Most of the news coverage we see today focuses on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. News about Jews, therefore, focuses on war and
conflict. As we have discussed in a recent class meeting, western news organizations
tend to limit the type of news coverage the present to war, conflict, disaster,
or famine.
Not quite a year ago, Jewish
News One (JN1) began operations as international news network that would
cover world news, with a focus on Judaism-related events. It is important to
note that it is a non-profit organization that is not affiliated with any
nation, government, or political. It is not affiliated with the government of
Israel and does not receive funding from it. It is sometimes referred to as the
“Jewish al Jazeera. It is actually owned by two Ukrainian billionaires, who are
the leaders of a the Brussels-based European Jewish Union.
Here’s the link: http://jn1.tv/
This news site follows the model created by the Jerusalem Post. Here’s a link. Check it
out:
A similar news organization (The World Jewish Daily) can be found at:
Are you surprised that some might feel the need to create
Jewish news organizations such as the Jerusalem
Post or JN1? What are your thoughts on this?
Today’s Blog
Assignment
Read the assigned article and the preparation assignment
“Judaism.” Please respond to the questions for thought and reflection,
carefully thinking and writing about each one. Finally, describe you thoughts
on the similarities and differences between the way in which Mormons, Jews, and
Muslims have been portrayed in entertainment and news media. What are the most
important points or ideas that we should consider or discuss in class?
Themes that I have seen in TV and movies of Judaism seems to portray them as very traditional. A lot of the time I understand that someone on a TV show or movie is Jewish because they participate in well known customs of that religion/culture. For instance, Ross and Monica on "Friends" celebrate Hanukkah and go to family parties that are centered on a Jewish custom; Adam Sandler mentions something about being Jewish is the majority of his movies; and Howard's mother on "The Big Bang Theory" is portrayed as a stereotypical Jew as she constantly reminds Howard of his heritage.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Judaism is portrayed more in TV shows and movies than other religions are. I understand that Judaism is more than just a religion though, Judaism is a part of their ethnic identity. Even if a Jew is not super religious, they still identify as being one. Perhaps the reason why Judaism is portrayed more is because they are thought of as more of an ethnicity or race. For instance, Judaism is comparable to portraying Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and other races.
I have not personally noticed any themes within the news though. I do admit though that this is not an area of where I know very much. It is interesting that according to what is written above, that the news often portrays Jews when war is involved.
I do want to just comment that I think there is not as much bigotry toward Judaism here in the United States that you see with other religions. I feel that since World War II, the United States is sensitive to Jews and welcomes them with open arms. That is not to say that our culture does not have stereotypes for Jews or that shows like "The Simpsons" does not make fun of those stereotypes, but I feel like there is more compassion toward them as a whole.
I think Jews, Muslims and Mormons have all be portrayed as outliers to society. When portrayed in media they usually take the traditional or extreme viewpoint. Jews are usually traditional and strong in their faith. Muslims are quite often terrorists. Mormons are usually polygamists. When in fact we know these to not be true. The majority of Jewish people that I've met have been Jew in name only and not been practicing their religion. So I feel it is an dishonest view of the people as a whole.
ReplyDeleteBut I agree with what Ashtynn said above. America has a nicer view of the Jews. We're Israels number 1 ally and have stood by them through some of their not so good moments. Israel is one of the first places to get US military technologies. And I think that as a whole we view them in a similar way. We want to be nice to the Jews to make up for centuries of abuse. I feel we only show the good parts of their country to our people.
I can also see why they have their own all Jews news. Being in the Middle East surrounded by potential enemies can lead to a lot of misinformation being thrown around. So the Jews have made their own networks to fight this (and insert their own propaganda).
I was actually surprised at the quote that said that very little of the media presents positive views on Jews, because, in my mind, though there is certainly some stereotyping, making fun of, and such, a large portion of the Jewish characters are portrayed in a positive light. I think there are generally two types of Jewish characters: those who are really traditional and loud about it, and those who adapt really well to contemporary culture. Even in stories like The Fiddler on the Roof, after all that singing about tradition and the portrayal of such a traditional community, Tevye learns a lot about the more modern idea of love, lets his daughter marry the man she wants, even though he is poor, and even talks to his own wife about the feelings they have one for another. In my mind, this displayed a certain adaptability that is also demonstrated by Howard in the Big Bang Theory, and many other characters. While it would be pretty hard to miss that often the really strict Jewish characters are portrayed as being slightly less intelligent, I think overall, the media portrays Jews in a much more positive light than Muslims, and I'm not sure how I would compare it to Mormons, because there is little Mormon media that can really be compared to the Jewish themed media in my mind. But the best connection I can make is that both Jews and Mormons are portrayed as having strict traditions, being a little weird, but overall being lovable characters that are shown in a positive light.
ReplyDeleteAs for the newspapers, I think it's more than alright for Jews to have several newspapers. We've got deseret news, as well as hundreds of popular mormon blogs: ldsliving, ldssmile. I think it's perfectly fine for religions to have a congregated source of media, it's a niche media and they find it really important and interesting, just like I think the stuff posted on ldssmile for the most part is pretty useful and interesting.
I think Jews, Mormons, and Muslims have all been portrayed in the media as very different from mainstream. It seems pretty mainstream in our culture to be considered Christian and practice Christian Holidays and go to church and pray to God and stuff, but as soon as someone throws the idea of a turban, temple, or torah into the mix, all of the sudden these religious people are viewed as weird or different than the mainstream. That could be because the lack in numbers compared to the country's whole, or it could be because of historical, political and social background—which seems more likely in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Jewish media particularly, I think that from how most of these films are framed, and films I watched during my studies in Jerusalem, Jews are portrayed in the media in a way that is mocking, but most Jews are involved in the mocking. They seem to make fun of themselves, almost similar in a way like how Mormons made "The RM" to mock our cultural ideas. Now for me personally, I know that doctrine is where I base my religion, NOT culture. But the Jewish "religion" becomes an entire culture, and that is seen largely in "Fiddler on the Roof" and other films. Overall, from what I know about Jewish culture, that is a dominant part of their "religion" and although culture is huge in Mormonism as well, I would say that for most "die-hard" Mormons, their set of beliefs is Not rooted in culture. So I think that is a distinction made by members of the religious groups, but maybe not by the media. Again, this is only an assumption, because I was not raised Jewish, only Mormon.
For Muslims, their culture is so divisive among groups because Muslims are from so many different nationalities and cultures, I don't think it's fair that the media assigns them a cultural presence. That being said, Muslims are often portrayed in the media as turban-wearing middle-eastern people who believe in arranged marriage and male dominance. I don't think that is the majority of Muslims, or even any. But the media portrays them as such. The difference between Muslims and Mormons and Jews is that Muslims don't seem to be laughing at those culturally stereotypical displays, but Mormons and Jews do.
Compared to Mormons, and Muslims, I think that a lot of the stereotypes of Jews are actually quite positive and play much more to common popular themes of the religion than the others we have discussed in class.
ReplyDeleteI love Gilmore Girls and I totally remember watching the episode “Jews and Chinese Food”, in the YouTube clip, they are acting out a scene from Fiddler on the Roof—the whole scene represents how they feel their lives are like Fiddler on the Roof, basically Lorelia feels like outside influences are encroaching her life and it is causing problems with her and Luke. I think this is a really iconic scene for a lot of Jews. The Jewish community has a lot of traditions that Christians do not. One of my aunts is a practicing Jew, and my uncle (an inactive Mormon) and her have decided to send their 4 kids to a private Jewish school. They learn about Jewish practices and participate in prayer—it has been very interesting to hear the kid’s perspectives about this lifestyle. I laughed at the name of the Gilmore Girls episode “Jews and Chinese Food” because it is actually a true stereotype, at least for my relatives. Jews don’t celebrate Christmas, so every year my aunt, cousin Brooke, and her parents, go out to eat kosher Chinese food—because it is usually always open. My LDS grandparents decided to go with them last Christmas to see what it was like and they said it was so fun because the Chinese restaurants were so crowded and everyone was so happy, they said it didn’t even feel like Christmas when they were out!
I feel like in every television show I watch, there has always been a reference to Jews or a character that is Jewish. One of the most negative things I hear about Jews is that they don’t celebrate Christmas, and the majority of people think that is sad. But, it is not sad for the Jews because they don’t believe in it, so they don’t feel like they are missing out on anything! One stereotype that I have noticed in television is that Jews are wealthy—sometimes true. Another stereotype that I have food is that Jews are loud and obnoxious—not always. I don’t think I have ever seen anything with anti-Semitism in the media but I am not surprised that there are Jewish news organizations such as the Jerusalem Post, Mormons have the Deseret News which is like an outlet that we use to defend our morals in a news organization setting.
I think out of the Mormon, Islam, and Jew faiths, Islam is definitely treated the worst by the media. I think with both Mormons and Jews in the media, especially television shows, producers try to make light out of some of the practices we participate in and things we believe. With Islam, I feel like the media highlights the 1% of the radicals which isn’t an accurate picture of their religion.
The idea of “othering” is extremely prevalent in our media, especially when it comes to religion. With Jews, Mormons, and Muslims, they are all seen as different, some more relatable then others. I believe that Judaism has the most positive media portrayals when compared to Mormons and Muslims.
ReplyDeleteIt is impossible to avoid stereotypes when watching TV. Stereotypes are used by directors to get a point across quickly, to help us try to understand that character as simply as possible and put them in a box of our preconceived notions. Stereotypes are rarely positive, because those being stereotyped are often insulted. Those who are stereotyped whether it be in real live or in media feel as though they are misunderstood and their image is misconstrued. While this is true, there isn’t a simple way to stop the way the masses think.
I lived on the East Coast last year where there is a much higher jewish population when compared to Utah. The only “knowledge” I had of this religion was from the media. I had no negative feelings and didn’t associate that religion with anything negative, as I may have more so with muslims, which I hate to admit, but I do think the media portrays muslims in a much more negative light.
While I was living on the East Coast, people were intrigued by Mormonism. They also had little knowledge of who I was and the only knowledge or contact they really had with a mormon was from media.
In the clips from the Judaism article, I found that Judaism was never explicitly seriously negative. Rather, those who were Jewish were light-hearted, singing, laughing, or poking fun at their traditional culture. With Judaism portrayed on Gilmore Girls, Seinfeld, That’s So Raven, Glee, Big Bang Theory, the religion seems so relatable, more so than any other religion I can think of, aside from Christianity or Catholicism. Jews in media are othered but not to a point where they are outcasts. They are still everyday, normal people, unlike the media portrayal of Muslims which others them to the point that they aren’t relatable.
While Muslims are portrayed in the media as billionaires, belly dancers, and bombers, and Mormons are shown as nerdy, strange, old-fashioned, and sometimes hypocritical white people from Utah; Jews are portrayed as simple, humble, peaceful, and private (if they're very traditional and devout). Other Jewish characters in the media are pretty normal and don't seem to care much about being Jewish because they rarely mention it and when they do they don't seem very into it or devout (Jerry Seinfeld, Ross, Puckerman, Seth Cohen, etc). It seems to be either one extreme or the other, when in reality there is a lot more diversity and individuality than what the media portrays. This seems to be the common denominator with media portrayal of most religions.
ReplyDeleteAs for the news, I'm not surprised that there are Jewish news networks because there are so many spread out across the globe, thus it makes sense that they wouldn't want to know what's happening with other Jews in different countries. It's just like LDS Newsroom where we can read and learn about what's happening with the Church in other parts of the world.
Like most religions, Muslims, Mormons and Jews are portrayed as out of the ordinary. Mostly due to our differing beliefs and traditions, the media separates these religious characters from the mainstream. From the various TV shows I watch, I've realized that in most of my favorites like Friends and New Girl, at least one of the main characters is Jewish. From the clips above one common theme that was demonstrated was a devotion to tradition and heritage. Similar to our discussion about Muslims portrayed in the media, there will always be stereotypes and jews in the media is no different.
ReplyDeleteIn the media the portrayal of jews for the most part has been pretty light-hearted and happy. Thinking about the character in New Girl, the character Schmidt's comments towards his faith are comical but at the same time still respectful towards Judaism. He displays pride in his culture and heritage. In this case, the media does a good job at establishing an acceptance of Judaism in our everyday culture. As for Jews having there own news sources, I think its totally acceptable. It is a channel to help people of the Jewish faith stay connected and united. Just like we have Mormon newspapers like the Deseret News.
One of the main reasons that brought the idea of studying at the Jerusalem Center to my mind was the amount of Jews I would run into the oddest places. Every time I met a Jewish man or women I would instantly shrink—I knew absolutely nothing about Jews other than they didn’t believe in the number one thing we believed in (Christ). What was I suppose to say? I didn’t want to be that uninformed Mormon and I didn’t want to offended them. I didn’t know why I kept having these occurrences, but I knew that for some reason I was suppose to broaden my horizons and learn about my cousins in the tribe of Israel.
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for the understanding I gained of Jewish people—in the political, ethnical, and religious sense. As I watch these clips about Judaism, I can’t help think… well they are true… but its just not like that exactly. It’s a similar feeling to when we watch clips that depict Mormonism, when Muslims watch depictions on Islam, etc. Overall through my experience getting to know Jews context is everything and although they may seem foreign to us as Mormons—or the rest of the world—they are actually more similar to us than we ever realize. As we talked about Muslims similarities in our restoration, Jews are similar to us in our foundation. We both study and teach a very similar Bible—Torah for them—that gives the same lessons from the same God.
Additionally, a greater understanding of their context within the middle east helps you understand why there is a conflict with the Jews and the Muslims in the fist place. Its difficult to explain how two parties can be completely right yet completely wrong… but somehow the Israeli’s and Palestinians have accomplished it. They both have occupied the land forever, both been poorly treated, and both feel that they are not at fault. While both arguments are valid both of their actions are not. Even that statement alone is difficult to understand without the context of experiencing Israel-Palestine. Ultimately, portraying anything is difficult in my opinion—especially when the topic is religion—and the best way to understand Israelis is to experience them.
I think perhaps what is highlighted for me is the difference in tone between dramatic film and television. What I really noticed is that there is a lot of pride and respect paid to Judaism in film. The Fiddler on the Roof and Schindler's List really emphasize the devoted and modest lives of Jewish people. The difference we see in television is that there really is a lot more room for humor, especially in a sit-com setting. I think the reason for this difference is that with film the story is a lot more plot based and so it's important to get the key points of a character, which then lends to a focus on what's important rather than what can be humorous. On the other hand, tv and especially sit-com entertainment tends to make characters into caricatures, and so the focus is on creating a platform to push across humor.
ReplyDeleteI've had an interesting conversation with a Jewish friend about comedy. In his mind, there's no need to treat Judaism with child gloves, because humor is important to their culture. He explained to me that persecution and trial have always been a part of Jewish tradition, but that the Talmud says "Live well; it is the greatest revenge." In saying that, I can start to understand the emphasis on comedy. It's about overcoming the real problems by disarming them into a thing that can be laughed at. I think in some way, the use of flagrant stereotyping in sit-com settings is a hit and miss attempt at keeping this attitude alive.
As far as news media goes, I can understand the reason why people would seek out a thing like Jerusalem Post. The tradition of Judaism has in the past been one of fleeing persecution. Whether or not the concern is still as valid today as it has been in the past, there's definitely good reason to want a flavor of news that seems more focused on advocating and informing for a Jewish audience. I think the same thing could be said for Al Jazeera. As many others have mentioned before, our own Deseret News and LDS Newsroom are a manifestation of a desire to have a news presence that is a bit more focused on the culture we care about. We may not have as strong of a persecution aspect that makes us need to feel represented in media, but we do have a history of it, and I think there is a lot of room for similar organizations to grow in response to a specific audience.
It is interesting reading and watching these articles and clips because, Muslims, Jews and Mormons have always been different in society. These three different religions are almost outcasts of the society. They are different religions and most people don't know much about them which causes major assumptions to be made. Watching the videos, I realized that they all had visual religious content. Like I saw a lot of Jewish stars and little symbols like that. In the first video, 'Fiddler on the Roof', the entire song was about traditions and that is exactly what these three religions are about. In the LDS culture, we have traditions in the temple that we follow and believe. And what is so interesting is all three of these religions have the tradition of wearing sacred clothing. I think it is hard for people to understand these religions when the world perceives them as odd.
ReplyDeleteThe media seems to do a good job of portraying Judaism. Every article and video was very positive. These video clips didn't seem like they were mocking the religion at all. It help this religion in a good light. I felt the same about the news articles. I thought they were respectful of the religion.
I feel like that Jews are portrayed in media in largely one of two ways, either very traditional and religious, or Judaism is their heritage and of their culture that they were raised in, but not something that they actively practice strictly. I don't feel like any of those portrayals are out rightly negative, but rather more positive. I think that this is largely in part due to the Holocaust. It's still a painful and very real subject matter, that many people still feel sensitive about. Because Jews were shown so much persecution and racism against them in a relatively recent past, that it is not socially acceptable to portray them in a negative way. Where as stereo types of terrorist Muslims and Arabs is frequent and prolific in today's culture and media.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with what others are saying. Despite a few crude references and stereotypes, I think Judaism is positively portrayed in film. As for the media/news, I think that’s a different story. Some of the positive themes I’ve found is that Jews have higher devotion to their religion than most. With other religions portrayed in the media, I feel like there’s more irreverence and cynicism. I’d actually be curious to know how many Jewish actors and producers there are in Hollywood. I’ve read numerous articles on this subject, but I never found an actual percentage. But I think if there’s any truth to this at all that it plays a significant role in how often we see Judaism portrayed in films.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s interesting how there always seems to be a disconnect with religion in our culture, but that there’s still a fascination with it. I think we find that element common among the Mormon, Jew and Muslim religious themes in films. I think there’s a level of uncertainty with each of these religions that disconnects them from other faiths. People always like to pray into something mysterious or unknown to them; I think that’s why these religions are so often portrayed (negative or positive) in films or media. As far as differences, I definitely think Mormons are just made fun of. With Muslims I think there’s a harsher, more judgmental approach on them. For Jews, there’s a more positive portrayal of them.
For class, it might be helpful to get everyone’s insight on the political/ news portrayal of Judaism. Although I’m not as updated as I should be with news, I do feel like this religion is also negatively portrayed. But I could be wrong. I’d just love to dive into this area a bit more to understand it better!
My initial thought when I thought about Judaism on the news was that there isn’t much. I can’t recall the last time I saw something in the news about someone who’s Jewish or any Jewish associations. We don’t really see anything bad about them and there’s not really a negative stereotype. I think they’re pretty neutral or even just forgotten in the media. In that way I think they are similar to Mormons. I like that they have their own news outlets because it’s a way for Jewish communities to know what’s going on within their religion. It’s kind of like our version of Mormon newsroom. However, the Jewish journalism seems more like harder news.
ReplyDeleteAs far as movies and other entertainment media goes, my first two thoughts are Adam Sandler’s Hanukah song and Fiddler on the Roof. Both are very entertaining and shed light on Jewish traditions. Based off of the Fiddler on the Roof video we see that Jews have very strong traditions in their religious and family lives, also similar to Mormons and Muslims. Their traditions are their lifestyle. I think as a Mormon it’s easier to relate to these religions and understand the misconceptions and misunderstandings presented through the media.
I think that portrayal of Judaism in film and television is much more light hearted and positive than it is for Muslims. The clips I saw made light of some of the traditions of the Jewish culture, but did not create any sense of Judo-phobia, as some of the media did for Muslims and Islam. In a nutshell, I would say that film and television is mostly positive towards Judaism, but that they often make light of sacred practices and tradition because it is funny to outsiders and those unfamiliar with the religion. In the same way, I think that the media pokes fun at the Mormon culture. I would say that both religions – Mormonism and Judaism – receive equal “poking of fun” (for lack of a better term), but that Islam is given a much more negative sentiment. I never even thought about it until now, but it seems crystal clear in my mind the difference in treatment of Muslims as compared to Jews and Mormons. Unfortunately, Muslims are given the worst treatment.
ReplyDeleteI’m not surprised at all that Jewish news organizations have been created in recent years, mostly due to the fact that they crave unbiased news just as we do. I love reading the news reports given in “Newsroom” on lds.org because not only are they well-written, but are free from the negative biases that I have seen from other news outlets like the Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, etc. They are also written by like-minded individuals who understand Mormon lingo and know how to say things in a way that makes sense to me. Oftentimes I read articles about Mormons where the author clearly does not understand our history, culture, background, or way of life; and I’m sure Jewish people feel the same way when news outlets report on them.
When the media reports about a certain religion – especially about Jews, Muslims, or Mormons – it would be like me trying to describe the sport of cricket to someone. I’ve seen the sport enough to kind of know what’s going on, but I lack the vocabulary to use terms correctly and adequately describe what’s happening. I could easily make fun of cricket because it doesn’t really make much sense to me; and in the same way film, television, and the media often make fun of/portray religions they don’t fully understand in a negative light or simply just make fun.
It was odd for me to hear that Judaism often has a negative stereotype attached to it, because compared to Muslims and Mormons, I think that Jewish people are left alone a lot more. Yes, there are stereotypes, but, to my knowledge and awareness of the portrayal of Jewish people, it isn't very harsh. I wonder if part of the reason for that is Jewish history. Their history of severe persecution in the past isn't something to joke about. I don't think there will ever be an amount of time to go by that will allow people to make jokes about Jewish history.
ReplyDeleteHowever, some patterns I did recognize in these clips were that, #1 they are very conservative and traditional and #2, they have very out-there personalities.
Almost of the the clips had a character in them that was 100% devoted to the strict teachings and commandments of Jewish faith. They were set on old ways and tradition and believed in devoting, whole-heartedly their entire lives to the will of God. Like the Fiddler on the Roof father, who didn't know where the traditions came from exactly, but just knew that he was supposed to follow them. He didn't need a reason, its just all he knew.
#2 - They are kind of loud and out there. Mostly so in the Seinfeld clip. This Jewish man just came in, spoke his mind, was a little inappropriate and rude. The other characters in different clips were kind of the same, in less of an extreme way. They had distinct personalities that stood out in the crowd.
Media portrayal of Jews and Judaism is so saturated with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict right now that it makes it hard to really form an opinion about it. Its a really complicated situation over there, and having lived there for a semester makes me look at the news portrayal a little differently. Jewish people there were eager to talk about their thoughts and feelings about the conflict. Whats interesting to me is that its not solely a religion thing, its a culture thing as well. Jewish doesn't necessarily mean religious, it is a race as well. So the conflict embodies not only religious people, but people of Jewish descent too. So when the media talks about Jews, I wish they would emphasize whether or not it is a religious topic or just a cultural topic as a whole.
I grew up watching the Fiddler on the Roof every Sunday. It was a family tradition because my dad loved it so much. I have very fond memories singing songs about finding a husband and if I were a rich man. I would always get upset when the Christians came and ruined the wedding. At this point I could tell a difference, and knew what was happening. I would ask questions about what was happening and why. I wondered about the time in history this movie took place. I tried to understand why this would happen to characters I cared so much about and even felt like I related to. I had a crush on the bishops son too!
ReplyDeleteI feel like people see us more similarly to Jewish people than of Muslims. Jews have a stereotype of being wealthy and very talented accountants. They have had a lot of trials in their faith but you would never be surprised if one was the head of your company. Mormons have been seen as highly successful as well. We had a Mormon run for president a few years ago. I think it will be a few years before we see a Muslim run for any government position.
I am not surprised at all that there are Jewish news stations. When I first heard about it, I was reminded of Mormon messages and the access to LDS.org.
It is interesting considering the similarities between how the media portrays the Jews, Mormons and Muslims. After watching the clips above, I can see how Jews are negatively portrayed in some instances. Although not always obviously negative -- there is definitely less than favorable representations in the media. These representations are not positive but are much lighter than the medias portrayal of Mormons and Muslims. Although Mormons are not always positively portrayed, Muslims definitely have the bulk of negative media.
ReplyDeleteWhile Jews are seen as old fashioned, greedy and selfish. There doesn't seem to be obvious anti-semetic sentiment. This may because of the sensitives for the Jewish people do to the Holocaust.
But to me there is definitely some underlining similarities. These groups are portrayed as different for the general public and have peculiar beliefs, motivations, and intentions.
I’ve always felt like our religion has had a lot in common with the Jews in many different ways. There are similarities in terms of being singled out in media, and the cultural differences that make our religions standout from the mainstream. Also, there are some parallels between the early persecution of the church and how Jews have historically been treated.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in media there are definite differences between how Mormons, Jews, and Muslims are portrayed and more importantly how it is received. Those I have met of the Jewish faith have good senses of humor and typically don’t take offense to many of the jokes issued toward their culture. Growing up watching Seinfeld further proved that point with Jerry, an actual Jew in real life, making light of Jewish culture very frequently throughout the seasons of Seinfeld. However, as discussed in my previous posts, I believe LDS people also generally accept humor as a large part of our lives. Without stereotyping, but focusing only on the content that I consumed in the last assignment, it seems that there is extreme fear in ever poking fun at Muslims for fear of retaliation.
As far as how each religion is portrayed, with film it seems that the Jews are positively represented such as in Fiddler on the Roof or Shindler’s List. Represented as a good people with moral values and strong ethics. However, in contrast television takes more liberty to expose Jewish culture in a humorous but borderline offensive way. I feel that film is also kinder to Mormon’s while TV has a tendency to take a harder hit. As far as Muslims, terrorism and stereotypes have fueled negative portrayal in most types of modern media even with the threat of repercussion.
I found it interesting how the majority of these perceptions of Jews, showed how unique and different they are from the rest of the world. Each portrays a Jew surrounded by a different world, so to speak, and how they deal with that world. Not as much do you see a man vs man conflict, but more often, a man vs. world. In many ways, this is similar to Mormons and Muslims, in that we are perceived in media as strange or different, due to our traditions or actions.
ReplyDeleteThis was even the case in Fiddler on the Roof, when Tevye is in conflict with himself and the invasive world views around him and his family. I grew up on Fiddler on the Roof, and loved it. In fact, it even became "tradition" to watch it on Easter. One of my greatest memories of highschool, was when my history teacher got up on his desk during his lecture on jews, and walked accross it while schimmying and singing, "If I were a rich man, ladi ladi ladi ladu ladi ladi ladi dum...." It was wonderful. But thinking back now, and after this reading especially, I wonder how much that movie alone has influenced our view on jews. Life is Beautfiful is another, that had a large impact on my view of Jews and the Holocaust. It's just amazing how influential media can be, especially to certain ignorances like I have. The fact is, news is news if it's something new (different). Thus, we try to pick out everything we can that seems "different from us", and that is what we make stories about. In other words, media is one way to reduce the cognitive dissonance we feel when we encounter someone with a different background.