News arrived September 21 that Kathryn Hahn is set to play Joan Rivers in an upcoming Showtime limited series. While fans rejoiced for the “WandaVision” Emmy nominee on social media, Sarah Silverman said on the most recent episode of her self-titled podcast (via Page Six) that Hahn’s casting is only the latest example of Hollywood’s “Jewface” problem. Silverman is referring to the practice of casting non-Jews in Jewish roles.
“There’s this long tradition of non-Jews playing Jews, and not just playing people who happen to be Jewish but people whose Jewishness is their whole being,” Silverman said. “One could argue, for instance, that a Gentile [a non-Jew] playing Joan Rivers correctly would be doing what is actually called ‘Jewface.’”
Silverman continued, “It’s defined as when a non-Jew portrays a Jew with the Jewishness front and center, often with makeup or changing of features, big fake nose, all the New York-y or Yiddish-y inflection.
“There’s this long tradition of non-Jews playing Jews, and not just playing people who happen to be Jewish but people whose Jewishness is their whole being,” Silverman said. “One could argue, for instance, that a Gentile [a non-Jew] playing Joan Rivers correctly would be doing what is actually called ‘Jewface.’”
Silverman continued, “It’s defined as when a non-Jew portrays a Jew with the Jewishness front and center, often with makeup or changing of features, big fake nose, all the New York-y or Yiddish-y inflection.
- 10/4/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
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