Alef: The NEXT Conversation

20: Stereotypes

In issue 20, we tackle stereotypes!
…
Stereotypes can be fun!

How do we know?

Well… when the Alef editorial board gets tired of counting our Jew-gold, and running international banking/media/shadow governments (take your pick…), we like to jet off to Israel (we all have dual citizenship, of course), brush our luxurious chest-hair on the beaches of Tel-Aviv and ponder the nuances of stereotyping ourselves.

The truth is, whether or not you choose to revel in stereotypes (clearly Alef does), there is a certain point where it becomes impossible to ignore the fact that Jews in America have accrued a healthy amount of associated stereotypes, both good and bad. And so (perhaps stereotypically) we have a a conflicted relationship with how we’re seen, and how we see ourselves.

Take, for example, the bru-ha-ha that erupted over the following music video, created by two undergraduates at the University of Wisconsin.

Crass?   Sure.

Juvenile?  Definitely.

Anti-Semitic?   Well, hold on a second.  When the video was released, a number of Jewish groups on campus began to question whether the stereotypes assigned to “Coasties” were really thinly veiled swipes at Jews, instead.   Soon a few national Jewish voices weighed in, and by then a full blown debate was raging as to whether “Coasties” were “Jews”, whether Jews were offended, and whether anyone really should care in the first place.

That’s one of the tricky things about Stereotypes – oftentimes they’re a double-edged sword. The same stereotype you might joke about with friends can drive your blood pressure through the roof when someone else points it out, and so the very thing that can give a sense of solidarity can also give a sense of criticism at the same time.

Whether they’re stereotypes about money, religious practice, nationality, or more, the truth is, Jews are one of the most stereotyped peoples on the planet; Take a look at the portrayals of Jews in Arab and Middle Eastern media, for example.    So, whether they may you cringe, laugh, or scratch your head, join us for Alef’s 20th issue : Jewish Stereotypes.

Image from Nasology: or hints towards a classification of noses by Eden Warwick (Rich. Bentley, 1848) from Tablet Magazine.

Stereotypes
The Nuns and Me
Atypical Jew
Wrong on Religion
Cocktail Party of One
An InterVarsity Jew

Tags: Coasties, Featured, Stereotypes

Posted by Rafi, Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010, 12:36 pm, Stereotypes.