Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Where Are The Jews?
Last night brought the most touted television debut of the fall season, in the form of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Aaron Sorkin's wildly autobiographical new show is certainly above average, and the writing, as usual, was superior to most of what's out there (this, of course, is not saying much) as every critic fell over himself to point out.
So, yes, it's a good show. We all agree on that.
Much has been made of Matthew Perry's return to the small screen, and of the chemistry between Perry and Bradley Whitford (who played Josh Lyman on The West Wing). They have potential, but they are miles away from the My-Ivy-League-School-Was-Better-Than-Your banter that Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) and Josh Lyman mastered, usually while walking down a hallway.
Part of this, admittedly, lies in my inability to get past the goofy, two-dimensional Chandler imprint that will forever shadow Perry. But mostly it has to do with the fact that he's trying to be a neurotic Jewish writer type (which is to say, a stand-in for Sorkin), but he just can't pull it off. If the show has one tragic flaw it is this: There is not a bespectacled Hebrew anyplace to be found. Come on. It's a tv show about a tv show. A comedic show. Set in Hollywood.
No Jews on the the fictional SNL-like show: That might be conceivable, for a given season. No Jews at the management level (apart from Ed Asner, who plays the Sumner Redstone-like head of the conglomerate that owns the network)? Unrealistic (we Jews control the media and the banks, of course, not to mention all the best brunch spots) but I'll accept it, for the sake of argument. But no Jews in the writer's room? Even Hee Haw had a couple of Jews on staff....just in case.
All of this is exceptionally odd for a show that seems, from the get go, intent on taking dead aim at the Religious Right, the morality police and traditional American values. Perry and Whitford are supposed to represent the left-leaning, overstimulated and thoughtful end of the spectrum (that is, the Jews or, at least, Sorkin, the Jew), but they just don't do the job that Josh Lyman and Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) did on Sorkin's previous show about his fantasy of being in the White House.
Hire some more Jews, Aaron. In this case, realism calls upon you to embrace the cliche.
ADDENDUM:
Several readers have pointed out that the Judd Hirsch characte is, among others (including, possibly, the Steven Weber character) Jewish. Indeed, the Hirsch character is, though he's not a major presence (nor is he listed on the IMDB page for the show). My point was really that among the core group of main creative characters, there are too few Jews...or, rather, not enough Jewy characters, a la Toby and Josh.
Also: this is, more than anything, a jokey blog posting, not science.
Comments
Dear Mr. Hyman,
If you didn't see any Jews in the cast of Studio 60, you really should sue your opthalmologist!
Do you think that Judd Hirsch, playing Mr. Mendell, was portraying a High Church Episcopalian?
And could you find a more obnoxious ZBT Prince than Steven Weber?
As for Amanda Peet, her character does have an Irish name. But no one in Ireland would confuse her with a Colleen. Perhaps Ms. Peet's character kept the last name of a previous and foreskinned husband.
Pedantically yours,
Eugene Finerman
Posted by: Eugene Finerman | September 19, 2006 04:36 PM
peter, nice observation on the absent jew quotient in Studio 60. I didn't even think of it. Maybe Judd Hirsch as the grizzled "i've lost control jew" satisfied my subconscious jew meter. seriously, where are the rest of the jews? maybe we'll get to meet them in the writer's room. Still, I think it's a little early to compare/condemn the chemistry between josh and sam vs. matthew and bradley. see, i don't even know the character's names? this show suffers from too much expectation. i thought the show was phenomenal. i was riveted.
Posted by: michael cohen | September 19, 2006 06:28 PM
Yes, but what about the lack of Swedes? Will Ferrell, former SNL cast member, lives in Sweden in the summertime and has a son named Magnus. Geena Davis, who's in a "West Wing" ripoff show speaks Swedish because she used to be married to a Swede-Finn. Lorne Michaels, the producer of SNL is from Canada where lots of Swedes live.
Anyway, we all know that there is nothing that compares to Swedish humor.
Posted by: John Maxwell Hobbs | September 19, 2006 07:27 PM
Of the two other writers who are mentioned, but not seen, in the pilot, one is played by Evan Handler (sweaty Harry from "Sex in the City"), who is so Jewish, perhaps other jews were seen as gilding the lily?
Posted by: Ken | September 19, 2006 07:36 PM
Amanda Peet is Jewish, you moron.
Now now...there's no reason to get mean. I was not suggesting there are no Jewish ACTORS....just that there were not as many Jewish creative types, on staff, at the show -PDH
Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2006 10:07 PM
If "Studio 60" is meant to be a thinly veiled "SNL," the lack of Jewish writers may not be so inaccurate. Didn't Hugh Fink once do a "Weekend Update" bit about the fact that on a staff of at least a dozen writers, he was the one and only Jew?
Posted by: CB | September 19, 2006 10:18 PM
Don't worry, it's only a matter of time before Joshua Malina shows up.
Posted by: Tina | September 20, 2006 06:05 AM
Bradley Whitford's character, Josh Lyman, was Jewish on The West Wing... perhaps this character is as well?
Posted by: Liz | September 20, 2006 09:34 AM
I'm thinking if the whole show is centered around a hysterical skit about Christians, there'd better not be any Jewish writers.
Posted by: Mary | September 20, 2006 09:40 AM
Jews are sick of TV, we're onto new things, which I can't discuss here...
Posted by: Dave | September 20, 2006 10:51 AM