Pop Culture Jews

Maya Berezovsky
University of Minnesota
Assistant Editor
KOACH-on-Campus

I shudder, shake my head, and groan quite audibly along with the roars and cheers of the crowds on the recording of Adam Sandler’s "Hanukkah Song."

Now, I can appreciate satire and few things offend me, but the song strikes me as an attempt to make Judaism trendy. It’s as if Judaism is "in" right now, thanks to Adam Sandler pointing out that there are cool and attractive Jews out there. I would only be semi-offended if Sandler had stuck to famous Jews. But instead, he makes stretches like "Goldie Hawn’s a quarter Jewish, not too shabby." And how about, "Tom Cruise isn’t, but I heard his agent is!" What is the point?

I can appreciate the song in many ways. The verses are clever and it’s fun to point out to people who think they never knew Jews existed that the Three Stooges and The Fonz are Jewish. But on another level, is it an appropriate way to make our religion popular? Is it even necessary to be popular? I feel like our religion is fighting for status in high school. If it were up to me, Judaism would stay off MTV and VH1.

But if I had to pick, I’d rather listen all day to a song boasting Jewish celebrities than watch a movie mocking Jewish rituals once. The movie "Hebrew Hammer" may not offend an educated Jew but, more seriously, non-Jews who may not know anything about Judaism get an education, "learning" that Jewish mothers are pushy to their nebbish children.

Again, keep in mind, I’m hardly ever offended. I wasn’t necessarily enraged by the film or the song, but the far-reaching, long-term effects of the media representations of Judaism could be dire. The Jewish people don’t need to be presented as hip, just as we don’t need stereotypes spread about us. After all, haven’t negative stereotypes about Jews fueled atrocities against our people throughout history?

One specific pop culture representation of Judaism did not offend me at all. In fact, it not only makes me laugh harder every time I watch it, but I have used it to inform my non-Jewish friends who are Simpsons fans about my religion. The episode where Jewish Krusty the Clown is reunited with his estranged rabbi father depicts Jewish rituals respectfully and does an accurate job at it, too. Bart and Lisa encourage Rabbi Krustofsky to see his son again by engaging in various Jewish rituals and referencing Jewish scholars. Like Sandler’s song, the show presents the point that there are "Jews in showbiz," but the point is not made to portray Judaism as hip.

The jury is still out on Madonna, I mean Esther’s, recent hobby: Kabbalah. I know many Jews are disgusted by her seemingly passionate dedication to Kabbalah. Or at least those who are horrified would put passion in quotes. I don’t think it’s up to anyone besides Madonna to say if she is truly in love with Jewish mysticism. Many call it an attempt at a career boost but I don’t think it’s a fair assumption to make.

My jury is leaning toward "guilty" in the case of Mel Gibson’s movie, "The Passion of the Christ," which I did see. That is, no doubt, one negative representation of Jews. However, if that’s what he believes, the First Amendment says he can make a film about it. The New Testament doesn’t exactly look favorably on Jews, so how is it surprising that a movie based on the Christian Bible would paint the Jews in a negative light? Do I like it? No. But just as I don’t want to watch Jews portrayed negatively in Gibson’s film, I don’t like to see them mocked in a different movie.

It is the responsibility of performers in all fields to keep in mind the possible consequences of the messages they are creating and delivering to audiences. All I can do is grit my teeth and hope that if the message gets into the wrong hands, those hands won’t act in hateful ways and hatred won’t blossom in minds.

[Posted 12/9/04]