I mean, we have Will & Grace and Queer as Folk for gays, The Hughleys and The PJ’s and the BET channel for black people, the Oxygen and Lifetime channels for women, and Telemundo for Hispanics. When are Jewish people going to get their own show/channel? And what about white men in general? When are we going to redress this disparity in programming? Everyone has their own show/channel except white men and Jews! And the Playboy Channel doesn’t count! How about a “Man’s Channel” that showed nothing but Clint Eastwood movies and football games?
I have no idea what a Jewish channel would show, though.
Let me be clear here: I don’t mind black/feminist/queer TV (except WIll & Grace. Gak! Nothing but recycled Seinfeld and Friends jokes.) I’m just wondering why it’s so stratified along racial/gender/lifestyle lines. But since we’ve gone so far already, why not have a Man’s Channel or Jewish Channel?
[sub]This post typed with tongue firmly in cheek.[/sub]
(Gotta second the motion on Will and Grace. What a pile of crap. Let’s sum up every episode: “Blah blah blah blah gay blah blah gay gay blah.” Okay, we get it; you’re gay. Enough with the gay jokes already. I cannot believe that won an award for best comedy show.)
I love Will & Grace. It’s weird that you would summarize the show that way. The funniest lines - I think - on the show come from Karen, and revolve around her drunkeness, horrible mothering skills, and insulting everyone around her, none of which are “gay jokes.”
I had forgotten about the Nanny! Amen to that (no pun intended)
And what about “Mad About” You?
And then there’s the new HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, with Larry David (Seinfeld co-creator) as the main character. Richard Lewis is a regular on that show. It’s a weekly Jewish festival!
As far as shows just for men, what about the Man Show, on Comedy Central? And I always thought that Letterman was a show aimed directly at the 25 year old male populace.
Oh, yeah . . . “The Nanny.” The show that had a Christmas episode, where the heroine goes to confessional. REAL Jewish, Fran.
There was “The Goldbergs” back in the 1950s, and Buddy Sorrel on “Dick Van Dyke.” But supposed “Jews” like on “Seinfeld” and “Mad About You” always danced around the fact and never actually came out and SAID it.
How about atheists? The only admitted atheist I ever recall seeing on TV was Maddie Hayes on “Moonlighting.”
[hijack]I think Dinsdale was joking, and I think I see the point he was trying to make.
Surely the Powers That Be at Paramount would not be that foolish (although considering that for a while a Sulu-centered show was considered a good idea, who knows?).
Now, a Cardassian-centered show. There you’d have something. (for the benefit of any people who recognize where Palandine’s user name is from)
[/hijack]
There are, actually, quite a few Jewish characters on “non-Jewish” TV shows, like Willow on Buffy (“not all of us worship the almighty Santa”) - although I wouldn’t call her witchcraft Halachic. You also have Jewish characters on Law & Order and ER. As for leading character - there was Seinfeld, Mad About You, and Northern exposure.
Still, you had more “Jewish-oriented” programing back in the '80s, it’s true. Remember L.A. Law? Hill Street Blues? Thirtysomething? Myself, I attribute it to the late, great Brandon Tartikoff.
This was a jewish show all the way-even Kramer came across as NY jewish. Of course, there was nothing really new about the show-most of the jokes and situations were straight out of the “Burns and Allen” show of the 1950’s.
A question for you comedy mavens out there… was Ralph Kramden (in the “Honeymooners”), played by Jacky Gleason , supposed to be jewish? The reason I ask, I’ve seen most of the episodes, and I don’t ever recall seeing Christmas tree in their dingy little flat. Of course, a city bus driver was probably noy a stereotypical “jewish” occupation!
Earlier this week, Leigh-Anne stopped on a Christmas episode of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” on TVLand. I kind of cringed when I saw noted non-Christians Carl Reiner and Morey Amsterdam dressing like Santa Claus and singing carols. No reference at all to the fact that, even within the fictional constraints of the show, “Buddy Sorrell” probably wasn’t a big Christmas person.
(for the benefit of any people who recognize where Palandine’s user name is from)