Netflix's Nobody Wants This has garnered a lot of attention and backlash from viewers and critics alike. This semi-autobiographical show is partly based on the creator, Erin Foster's life with her now-husband, Simon Tikhman. The show follows the love life of an agnostic podcaster who falls for a Jewish Rabbi. This Adam Brody and Kristen Bell starrer has a rating of about 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Foster converted before marrying her husband, and despite a Jewish woman as the creator of the series, many Jewish viewers are dissatisfied with the series for its stereotypical portrayal of Jewish characters, mainly women.
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Since the main lead of the series is Jewish, it is a given that the show portrays many characters from that culture. Jewish stereotypes have always been very prevalent in media, and it looks like the viewers of the series are not happy with the Jewish treatment of characters in Nobody Wants This.
It is reported that many members of the Jewish community were unhappy, particularly with how their community's women were portrayed on the show.
Nobody Wants This faces backlash for its stereotyping of Jewish women
The Netflix rom-com series Nobody Wants This has received some praise for showing many beautiful facets of Judaism, which are mostly not explored in mainstream media. But this exploration came with a cost for the makers of the show when many viewers felt ''othered'' with the portrayal of Jewish women on-screen.
It is worth noting that most Jewish characters on the show are played by Jewish actors, including Adam Brody, Tovah Feldshuh, and Jackie Tohn. Viewers felt that the Jewish women in the show are portrayed with a hint of misogyny and are shown as greedy, dominating, obnoxious, and aggressive. All the negative stereotypes commonly associated with Jewish people.
Most of these criticisms were directed at Esther, Noah's sister-in-law, who is shown overtly dominating, especially in the first two episodes of Nobody Wants This. The Jewish mother trope is a common phenomenon in media, and the show portrays Bina, Noah's mom, in that light. Viewers felt that the character was shown as unwelcoming and aggressive.
''The series seems to loathe Jewish women, who are portrayed as nags, harpies, and the ultimate villains of this story. I wanted to be swept away by a rom-com. Instead, I was faced with the reality that maybe this show actually hates me,'' wrote Esther Zuckerman of TIME.
Nobody Wants This faced criticism for its use of the word 'Shiksa'
Apart from the heavy criticism against the portrayal of Jewish women, the show has also faced backlash for misrepresenting the word “shiksa.” In a conversation with Joanne, Noah explains that the term used to mean detestable, but now it means a hot, non-Jew Blonde.
The Jewish community felt that Noah was completely wrong in using the word. 'Shiska' means abomination, impure, and is a term used to describe something dirty and non-kosher animals. It is a term that is a slur against non-Jewish women.
However, the show's creator has denied these accusations, saying that people always focus on the negatives, she has tried to show the different aspects of Judaism as a Jewish woman.
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