Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Jewish Mother

I have been reading an article titled The Jewish Mother: Comedy and Controversy in American Popular Culture written by Martha A. Ravits who is a professor at the University of Oregon. This article deconstructs the stereotype of the "Jewish mother" the overbearing, controlling, and manipulative mother that has been the source of many films, stories and plays. This article sites many excerpts from the novel our class is reading right now Portnoy's Complaint written by Philip Roth. His novel depicts his mother in this stereotypical fashion. The mother of Alex Portnoy is quoted as being "aggressive, parochial, ignorant, smothering, crass, selfish but also self-martyring." (8, Ravits The Jewish Mother: Comedy and Controversy in American Popular Culture) The character Alex accuses her of "Filling the patriarchal vacuum!" (Portnoy 45). The stereotype is used throughout the novel. The novel itself has been deemed perverse and pornographic than as a work of literature. I believe that some people forget that most if not all authors write for themselves and not others. I don't believe that Philip Roth wrote this book thinking that it become a text that would be studied. I believe he wrote it to work out his demons and issues. The article continues to show how the stereotype of the Jewish mother is more acceptable than of the Jewish father. It is okay to laugh and poke fun of the mother but the father's role isn't the butt of so many jokes. An example of this would be Kyle's mom from the cartoon South Park, I will have to say that they do depict the father in a negative light as well but Kyle's mom received a musical number: It is very explicit!!!!!

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