C@LAg said:

---

The main lead is the literal stereotype Jewish New Yorker. Down pat. A caricature.

---

You implied that it was a negative you had to "get past" in order to enjoy the show.

expresswrittenconsent said:

---

Did you guys with the distrust of 'NYC Jews' end up telling the other proud boys patriotic fellas about how you ended up liking the show after all?


I'm trying to remember if the Atlanta or Insecure threads had any "once you get past all the black people it's actually kind of funny" posts.

---

"Jewish New Yorker" wasn't really the term I was going to use until I saw it in the OP, but it's close enough to what I would've said and prevented a long-winded explanation that would bore everyone to tears. But since you asked...

Natasha Lyonne in this show is like a cartoon character, at least at first. She literally checks every single box of the "Jewish New Yorker" stereotype, or at least someone in her immediate circle does. She even points it out multiple times in a self-deprecating way. Anyone in a show, especially the lead character, who's that one-sided and that much of a stereotype is annoying. It's just bad writing and becomes very uninteresting to me over the course of a series, regardless if it's a Jewish New Yorker, a Texas country boy, an inner-city gang banger, an upper-middle class suburban soccer mom, or a west coast hippy. Lots of shows do this, and I hate just about all those shows. When the mannerisms, style, accent, and voice of that stereotype happen to be something that I find kind of annoying, I hate those shows even more.

The opening scene is filled with long discussions about those annoying "Jewish New Yorker" qualities (their words...not mine or the OP's), as if the show is going to be about that specifically. Additionally, they were at a party in the opening scene filled with other stereotypes and caricatures of the New York party scene that are simply hard to relate to or care about. And based off the initial conversations, I was afraid this was a show of New Yorkers, about New Yorkers, by New Yorkers, for New Yorkers. After the first few minutes, I honestly thought this was going to be a Manhattan knock-off of the Lena Dunham show "Girls" or another "Sex and the City."

WHY I LIKED THE SHOW AFTERALL
The REAL story suddenly took hold literally out of nowhere. The show isn't about what it appeared to be in the first few minutes at all. As the real storyline unfolded, the show did a great job of continuing to highlight many of the characters from that opening scene throughout the season, little by little, so that you got a better feel for who they are and why, beyond their one-dimensional stereotype outer shells. There are still some other characters that we haven't learned much about, and that's something I'm looking forward to in season 2.


The plot itself was enjoyable once you got past the first part of the first episode. With every episode, it seemed to get better and better without getting too over-the-top like many shows with a mysterious and unexplainable backdrop. There are lots of twists and turns that make it better...not just weirder or more confusing. It never got too sci-fi, too conspiracy theory-ish, or too complex. It's also filled with humor, drama, and a light hearted warmth that make these seemingly unlikable characters much more caring and relatable as the show goes along.

Finally got that song out of my head and then I saw the title of this post.

expresswrittenconsent said:

---

Did you guys with the distrust of 'NYC Jews' end up telling the other proud boys patriotic fellas about how you ended up liking the show after all?

---

When discussing TV shows you haven't watched, is your default response to accuse others of racism?

In the first 5 minutes, it discusses Israel, New York city, existential crises, working in a Deli, and the Talmud. The only thing its missing is having Woody Allen as the protagonist.

Bobcat06 said:

---

expresswrittenconsent said:

---

Did you guys with the distrust of 'NYC Jews' end up telling the other proud boys patriotic fellas about how you ended up liking the show after all?

---

When discussing TV shows you haven't watched, is your default response to accuse others of racism?

In the first 5 minutes, it discusses Israel, New York city, existential crises, working in a Deli, and the Talmud. The only thing its missing is having Woody Allen as the protagonist.

---

Yeah I have a hard time believing that the pants shatting would have commenced had someone said:

Stereotypical Alabama Redneck
Stereotypical New Jersey Italian
Stereotypical Parisian snob
Stereotypical Evangelical
Stereotypical Irish Catholic
Stereotypical Utah Mormon

well you get the idea.

here's a thought. Instead of labeling a poster as racist in describing a tv series in which he/she is merely describing the characters, ask them to clarify.

expresswrittenconsent said:

---

If you mention in the first sentence of your review that a certain race/religion/sexual preference of the main character made it hard for you to watch/enjoy the show, yes.

---

Hard to watch because hard core stereotypes are often cringe worthy. Why not ask him to clarify before saddling up on the high horse? Or take a midol. Your call.

expresswrittenconsent said:

---

C@LAg said:

---

The main lead is the literal stereotype Jewish New Yorker. Down pat. A caricature.

---

You implied that it was a negative you had to "get past" in order to enjoy the show.

---

No, he said it, and everyone not easily triggered understand exactly what he meant.

This thread is so.... TexAgs, in so many different ways.