# Romantic comedies = Jewish. Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214 "2008-04-28T13:56:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/1 "2008-04-28T13:56:05Z")
I was watching [_In Her Shoes_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388125/) on TV last night, and during a commercial break I idly wondered aloud to my girlfriend why so many romcoms\* have predominantly Jewish characters. I mean, you can almost tell from the start what characters are going to be present - there’ll be an annoyingly overbearing Jewish mother, a comedy Jewish grandmother, a geeky but oh-so-sweet Jewish lawyer or doctor with glasses, etc etc. I realise that the film in question is an adaptation of a book by a Jewish writer, which explains it in this case, but the question remains - why are romantic comedies so inordinately Jewish? \*OK, _In Her Shoes_ is not exactly a romcom as such, but you get the point. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/2 "2008-04-28T14:19:46Z")
Romantic movies are Jewish? Well that’s cool, so was J.C. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/3 "2008-04-28T14:29:22Z")
Pretty Woman, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sleepless in Seattle, Notting Hill, You’ve Got Mail, Coming to America. These all came to mind when I read your OP. I googled “romantic comedies” and got this: [List of romantic comedies](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=romanticcomedy.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/4 "2008-04-28T14:38:14Z")
Maybe it’s just because I don’t watch many romantic comedies, but I’ve never seen it as an inordinate amount. My guess is that these are very recognizable character types, maybe because there’s a strong Jewish presence in the entertainment industry. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/5 "2008-05-01T22:18:28Z")
Yes, absolutely. And it is overwhelmingly a Jewish _male_ presence. This is why the male lead is Jewish much more often than the female. And if she _is_ Jewish she’s usually not supposed to be the object of desire. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/6 "2008-05-02T01:05:24Z")
I can’t say that I’ve ever noticed such a thing, and going through my memory, I can’t say that I can think of any romantic comedies with Jewish characters. Sleepless in Seattle - No You’ve Got Mail - No Groundhog Day - No Michael - No Shakespeare in Love - No My Big Fat Greek Wedding - I don’t believe the guy was (but maybe) Pretty Woman - No There’s Something about Mary - Yeah, probably. But Ben Stiller is Jewish so… As Good as it Gets - No Coming to America - No Maid in Manhattan - No Shallow Hal - No Splash - No Nine Months - No Etc. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/7 "2008-05-02T01:11:06Z")
Could we have a list of romantic comedies that are “Jewish?” I can’t even think of a single one. On the other hand, I haven’t seen many romantic comedies. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/8 "2008-05-02T01:14:43Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] Could we have a list of romantic comedies that are “Jewish?” [/QUOTE] _Kissing Jessica Stein_? Of course, “Jewish” wasn’t the dominant feature of that one. A Rabbi plays a major role in _Keeping the Faith_, but I’d hesitate to call it Jewish. I’ve seen the kinds of stock characters the OP has mentioned in plenty of movies, but most of them weren’t romantic comedies. They were all comedies though; you don’t put a stereotypical Jewish mother or the nerdy Jewish goofball in a horror movie. Although that’d be entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/9 "2008-05-02T01:21:17Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] Could we have a list of romantic comedies that are “Jewish?” I can’t even think of a single one. On the other hand, I haven’t seen many romantic comedies. [/QUOTE] [_Crossing Delancey_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094921/) ? Among hot Jewish actresses, there’s Dina Meyer and Rachel Weisz, but I don’t know offhand how many romcoms each has done. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/10 "2008-05-02T01:31:21Z")
I was trying to think of the name of this movie with Cameron Diaz, and then I realized it’s the one mentioned in the OP. :smack: Sex and the City had a similar romance late in the show, but again… not a predominantly Jewish show at all. I suppose Woody Allen has to be mentioned in this thread, as he’s earned his own entry in the dictionary of neurotic Jewish and New Yorker characters even if it’s hard to call his movies romantic comedies, and he’s not one of the types mentioned in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/11 "2008-05-02T03:01:36Z")
Well, start with the fact that a HUGE percentage of comedians are Jewish. This is not a recent development, either. Now, when a Jewish comedian attempts a movie career, what kind of roles is he going to get? Action/adventure roles? Sci-fi roles? No, I’m guessing he’s going to try making a comedy. And if he’s not interested in puerile humor, that pretty much leaves romantic comedies. So, while I wouldn’t say that most romantic comedies have Jewish male leads, I WOULD say that Jewish comedians who try to break into movies are usually going to gravitate toward the romantic comedy genre. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/12 "2008-05-02T03:30:29Z")
I’m still trying to think of any Romantic comedies with a Hebrew actor and I can’t think of any besides the ones that Ben Stiller has been in. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/13 "2008-05-02T04:32:20Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] I’m still trying to think of any Romantic comedies with a Hebrew actor and I can’t think of any besides the ones that Ben Stiller has been in. [/QUOTE] Hebrew? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/14 "2008-05-02T04:34:53Z")
Oy. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/15 "2008-05-02T04:44:51Z")
[QUOTE=beowulff] Hebrew? :dubious: [/QUOTE] Ones with Spaniards and Negroes are rarer still. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/16 "2008-05-02T04:59:59Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] Could we have a list of romantic comedies that are “Jewish?” [/QUOTE] \*\*Already mentioned: \*\* _In Her Shoes_ _Crossing Delancey_ (I love that film!) _Keeping the Faith_ Many of Woody Allen’s films **Plus:** _When Harry Met Sally…_ and… ummm… well, there’s… I got nuthin’. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/17 "2008-05-02T05:09:51Z")
How’s’about _Shining Through_? Melanie Griffith’s character was Jewish, and the movie was comical, though perhaps not intentionally… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/18 "2008-05-02T05:13:55Z")
> [@](#): > > And if she is Jewish she’s usually not supposed to be the object of desire. Looking at a Wikipedia list of Jewish actors, here’s some of the names: Rosanna Arquette, Selma Blair, Jennifer Beals, Amanda Bynes, Neve Campbell, Helena Bonham Carter, Jennifer Connelly, Isla Fisher, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alyson Hannigan, Kate Hudson, Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, Lisa Kudrow, Julianna Margulies, Marlee Matlin, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Amanda Peet, Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder, Adrienne Shelly, Alicia Silverstone, Leelee Sobieski, Mare Winningham, and Evan Rachel Wood. Mel Brooks is Jewish? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/19 "2008-05-02T05:22:27Z")
Jewish actress doesn’t equal Jewish character. The female character is very rarely explicitly Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214/20 "2008-05-02T05:25:34Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] Helen Hunt … Leelee Sobieski [/QUOTE] Funny, they don’t _look_ Jewish. [sub]just like each other[/sub] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romantic-comedies-jewish-why/447214.md?page=2)