“Nobody Wants That” creator responds to criticism of Jewish stereotypes

Nobody wants that is well on its way to becoming a breakout Netflix hit, but the series has drawn some shade for its portrayal of Jewish people.

Adam Brody and Kristen Bell’s romantic comedy premiered last week, earned a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes and is expected to land in Netflix’s top 10.

Created by Erin Foster and loosely based on her life, Nobody wants that chronicles the unlikely romance between Noah (Brody), a weed-smoking rabbi, and Joanne (Bell), a sexually liberated atheist podcaster.

However, the show has caused a stir. Jessica Radloff, author of The Big Bang Theory: The definitive inside story of the epic hit seriesobjected to the depiction of Jewish women.

“We seem like controlling, marriage-hungry women who plan dinner parties and want to alienate anyone who doesn’t share those dreams,” she wrote Shinewhere she serves as managing editor for the West Coast.

Radloff, who claimed that she “really enjoyed” the series despite her concerns, criticized a scene in the first episode in which Joanne is described by Noah’s mother as a “shiksa,” a derogatory term for a non-Jewish woman.

“This scene in the temple is the exact opposite of what we Jews are taught – welcome your neighbor,” Radloff added. “At a time when anti-Semitism is at its highest level since the Holocaust, scenes like this hit me hard.”

Radloff was not alone in her observations. Allison Josephs, who advocates for accurate portrayals of the Jewish community in the media with “Jew in the City,” said Nobody wants that portrayed Jewish women as people with “rampant” xenophobia. David Bashevkin, a rabbi and academic, said the show’s trailer contained “a whole host of classic Jewish stereotypes.”

In response to the concerns, Foster said the Los Angeles Times: “I think we need positive Jewish stories now. I think it’s interesting when you have a rabbi at the helm, people focus on, “Oh, that’s 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’re doing, and that doesn’t represent us well.’”

Foster, who converted to Judaism after falling in love with her husband, added that it was important to cast a Jewish actor to play Noah. “I felt that for someone who is not Jewish to play a rabbi as the lead in a show that shines a positive light on Jewish culture felt wrong. I didn’t like that,” she said.

Foster added: “What I really wanted to do was shine a positive light on Jewish culture from my perspective – my positive experiences that I brought to Jewish culture, with some funny (and) educational moments.”