PopRocks: Mainly On Television

This is a guest post by Gila Drazen.

So initially I was going to write about Jon Gosselin’s announcement that he was now half Jewish, and why I was . . . underwhelmed by that idea. But then I thought about it, and I realized that the railing that I do against the constant coverage that keeps him and his family in the news would be ridiculous if I spent my first column on that topic.

Then I was going to write about how I was stunned this morning during the fourth hour of the TodayShow when Hulk Hogan started talking about forgiveness and Jesus. Part of me was stunned because – well, it’s Hulk, and it still sort of surprises me when he speaks in a non-ring voice. The other thing that stunned me, though, is how frequently and loudly so many people in the public eye talk about their beliefs (but how well-known Jews tend not to). This is something I wonder about quite a bit, actually; and hope to explore here as time goes on. (Please feel free to share your thoughts on this in the comments section!)

Would I write about Glee, and last week’s Jews-dating-Jews subplot? The implication that Jews only date other Jews to please their parents was something I’ve thought about (the presentation in popular culture, more often than not, posits Jews dating Jews as merely a parental-appeasement tactic) – this may also be something to explore in the future. However, the reference to Neil Diamond was enough to make me stop ruminating and just laugh.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF1SJPMkY4w

Am I incredibly crabby that the World Series means no Glee for two weeks? Yes.

A question to chew on this week – who are the most visible Jews on television right now? The question isn’t who we like the most, or who the best role models are – just who’s the most visible. My answer is some of the Real Housewives of New York. In the comments on yesterday’s piece, someone asked about a contestant on Project Runway. I have to admit that I don’t know as much about her – which I think demarcates one of the most significant differences between a competition reality program and an existence (for lack of a better term) reality program, namely that people on competition programs don’t have to consistently be out there. The Real Housewives, on the other hand, share their entire lives, for better or for worse. Are there other examples that I’m missing?  Let me know!

So ultimately it’s a bit of a grab bag this week, lots of little pops. If you have topics you’d like to see covered, a tip for me, or just want to tell me about winter in Minnesota, drop me a note at [email protected].

Have a great week!