“Nobody wants that” sparks backlash against Jewish women in Netflix series

“Nobody Wants This,” Netflix’s new romantic-comedy series about the budding relationship between a rabbi (Adam Brody) and a sex podcaster (Kristen Bell), has been under fire since its release on September 26 for which contains what some viewers consider to be “stereotypical” Jewish characters. Series creator Erin Foster responded to the backlash in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, saying the series' goal was to “shine a positive light on Jewish culture.” Foster converted to Judaism after falling in love with her husband.

A few days after “Nobody Wants This” began airing, author and Glamor West Coast editor-in-chief Jessica Radloff published an essay titled “Netflix's 'Nobody Wants This' and the Persistent Jewish Stereotype,” in which she wrote that the show's Jewish characters “look off.” as controlling, marriage-hungry women who plan dinner parties and want to piss off anyone who doesn't share the same dreams.”

Radloff also took issue with the series' pilot episode because of the scene in which Brody's character's mother refers to Bell's character as a “shiksa,” a negative description for a non-Jewish woman.

“This scene in the temple is the exact opposite of what we Jews are taught to do – to welcome your neighbor,” Radloff wrote. “At a time when anti-Semitism is at its highest level since the Holocaust, scenes like this hit me hard.”

Radloff was not alone in her criticism. Time Magazine's review of the series highlighted the show's “nasty portrayal of Jewish women” and added, “The series seems to detest Jewish women, portrayed as whiners, harpies, and the ultimate villains of this story.”

“I think we need positive Jewish stories now,” Foster said in response to claims that the series had “stereotypical” Jewish characters. “I think it's interesting when you have a rabbi at the helm, people focus on, 'Oh, this is a stereotype of the Jewish people.' A hot, cool, young rabbi who smokes weed. That’s the opposite of how people see a Jewish rabbi, right?”

Foster added: “If I made the Jewish parents look like two granola hippies on a farm, someone would write, 'I've never met a Jewish person like that.' You obviously don't know how to write about Jewish people, you don't know what you're doing, and that doesn't represent us well.'”

The creator emphasized: “What I really wanted to do was to shine a positive light on Jewish culture from my perspective – my positive experience of being brought into Jewish culture, with a few funny (and) educational moments.”

Visit the Los Angeles Times website to read Foster's full interview. Nobody Wants This is now streaming on Netflix.