“Nobody wants this” sparks backlash from Jewish women

This lack of reality might be the series' biggest problem. Satire makes fun of its subjects and can be extremely effective when used correctly. (See: “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”) But most of the decisions these characters make seem unlike how someone would behave in real life. Reducing characters to their least desirable traits without providing sufficient comedic background just ends up coming off as malicious.

“I didn’t see her behavior as a reflection of the experiences I had with Jewish women in my community,” said Ava Feldman of the San Francisco Bay Area (who is not related to the author of this story). relationships

To Foster's credit, the Los Angeles Times noted in an interview that “when she entered the writers' room, she said she intentionally surrounded herself with colleagues who were born Jewish.” But when asked what She thinks that critics describe the Jewish characters as “stereotypical,” her answer left me wanting more. (She did not respond to a request for comment on this story at the time of publication.)

“I think we need positive Jewish stories right now,” Foster told the LA Times. “I think it's interesting when you have a rabbi at the helm, people focus on, 'Oh, this is a stereotype of the Jewish people.' A hot, cool, young rabbi who smokes weed. That's the opposite of how people see a Jewish rabbi, right? If I made the Jewish parents look like two granola hippies on a farm, someone would write: “I've never met a Jewish person like that.” You obviously don't know how to write about Jewish people, you don't know what you do, and that doesn't represent us well.'”

Perhaps. I don't know. I think of TV shows like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” or films like “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah,” which, according to Feldman, “felt very authentic as a depiction of modern Jewish family dynamics.” And I wonder what “Nobody Wants This” would have looked like if it had dealt with complicated family relationships without reinforcing debilitating and potentially harmful stereotypes.

Most people I spoke to finished the series with similar feelings: they both really enjoyed it and were disappointed by it – in some cases, particularly the ending.

“I thought Joanne had come to a very mature conclusion, and the idea of ​​someone giving up their entire career for someone they've been dating for less than three or four months felt very extreme,” Feldman said.