Abstract

Jewish women are more prominent in American pop-culture than many realize, the list including such illustrious and well-loved characters as Beverly Goldberg in The Goldbergs, Willow Rosenberg in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Paris Geller in Gilmore Girls. These ladies, among many others, are such ingrained and familiar presences in the American televisual landscape that they become the standard for what most people think of as the “Jewish woman.” Unfortunately, their characterizations and character development owe more to stereotypical representations historically perpetuated by anti-semitism rather than drawing on the available historical and contemporary accounts and descriptions of Jewish women. Even with such problematic representations, some argue that for a minority to have any exposure at all is “good exposure”; after all, if the minority is “visible” then it is impossible for them to be ignored and erased. However, these stereotypical representations of Jewish women characters are often one- dimensional and injurious. Though prominent, strong, and proud Jewish women characters have existed and do exist within the realm of American popular culture, a female character’s Judaism more often than not continues to be regulated to one of two scenarios: either her Judaism is obvious and largely contributes to the conception of said character, and is consequently hyperbolized for comedic effect; or, if her Judaism is not at the forefront of her character, it falls by the wayside, and said character is villainized and victimized. Several harmful archetypes emerged from this process, and whether a character embodies the overbearing Jewish Mother, the spoiled Jewish American Princess, the brainy Jewish adolescent, or the passing non-Jew, what she fails to embody is the Jewish women who exist in our everyday lives, thereby facilitating the dichotomic narrative forcing Jewish women into either comedy or demonization.

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