)ORULGD6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\/LEUDULHV 2021 Representation of Jews in the Media: An Analysis of Old Hollywood Stereotypes Perpetuated in Modern Television Minnah Marguerite Stein Follow this and additional works at DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATIONS REPRESENTATION OF JEWS IN THE MEDIA: AN ANALYSIS OF OLD HOLLYWOOD STEREOTYPES PERPETUATED IN MODERN TELEVISION By MINNAH STEIN A Thesis submitted to the Department of Communications and Media Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with Honors in the Major Degree Awarded: Summer, 2021 The members of the Defense Committee approve the thesis of Minnah Stein defended on April 2, 2021. Dr. Andrew Opel Thesis Director Dr. Martin Kavka Outside Committee Member Dr. Arienne Ferchaud Committee Member 2 Abstract Anti-Semitism in the United States is just as prevalent today as it has ever been. How does this cultural anti-Semitism translate into the media? Through portraying Jews as greedy, neurotic, pushy, money obsessed, cheap, and a myriad other negative stereotypes, the media often perpetuates long standing anti-Semitic tropes. This thesis analyzes the prevalence of Jewish stereotypes in modern television through the analysis and discussion of three of the most popular current television shows, getting into the nuance and complexity of Jewish representation. Through the deliberate viewing of Big Mouth, The Goldbergs, and Schitt’s Creek, the conclusion is that although an effort is being made to debunk some stereotypes about Jews, there are other Jewish stereotypes that have remained popular in television media. These stereotypes are harmful to Jews because they both feed and fuel the anti-Semitic attitudes of viewers.