In New Sitcom, Fran Drescher Sheds Jewish Character, Humor
This review was published on July 11, 2012 and one correction was made later that day.
Somewhere in her flight from New York to Los Angeles, Fran Drescher forgot her Yiddishkeit. When Fran flew from Flushing to LA, she left behind New York Jewish humor in favor for a lighter, gayer, less cynical brand of humor. Is it possible that Fran Drescher is becoming a shiksa? Or is she merely adjusting to new expectations for Jewish television stars? The star of the hit 90s comedy “The Nanny” has to adjust to retain her composure as a Jewish icon, while appealing to a much broader audience. To do this, Fran takes a lesson from her younger Jewish counterparts.
The occasion is her new sitcom, “Happily Divorced.” A show based on her life, its premise is simple: One night Drescher’s husband comes out as gay. She plays herself, with John Michael Higgins as her husband Peter. While the plot is gay-friendly, its dialogue is decidedly “feh.”
The pilot episode that aired on June 15 shows Fran and Peter trying to deal with their new living situation. Since Peter doesn’t have enough money for his own place, he moves across the living room from Fran. This awkward roommate story is familiar and perfect for slapstick, mix-match and topical humor. The show is set in Los Angeles, where Fran’s parents, played by Rita Moreno and Robert Walden, are nearby. Her best friend Judi, played by Tichina Arnold, is around to add sass. At the very least, its mix of familiar actors has the potential to attract an audience. (It did—to the tune of 2.4 million viewers in its first week, with a precipitous drop to 1.75 million by the second episode.)
What happened was rushed, confusing and trite. And, most surprisingly, Drescher’s familiar latter-day Borscht Belt humor is missing. The next episode was more stable, but kept the weak jokes and added more gay jokes. It’s too bad the show’s gay jokes are as old as Oscar Wilde and not quite as clever. Still, what was distinctly missing was a clear Jewish sound. In “The Nanny,” Drescher’s long-running sitcom, not a single episode went by without a dose of Yiddish or some reference to her culture. It was so frequent and persistent that it was annoying at times. Somewhere on the flight from Flushing to L.A., the person audiences know as a fountain of shtick became just like everyone else.
When it comes to Jews on television, Jon Stewart is still the reigning mensch with Larry David as king kvetch. It seems like Jews don’t show up on television anymore in the way that they used to. Jews have begun moving beyond older ways of performing on television. It used to be that Jewish characters were almost always comic relief. They utilized slapstick, sarcasm and cynicism to win the audience’s love. They followed in the tradition of the Marx Brothers and Fanny Brice. Some Jewish television characters still do, but an increasing number are finding new ways to be Jewish
“Happily Divorced” is intentionally not based on Jewish humor. After June 22’s episode, it is clear that this show is moving in a different direction. Drescher has made the choice to mature her usual act into something more palatable. “Happily Divorced” is more acceptable to a non-Jewish audience. Although Drescher’s biggest obstacle will still be her shrill voice.
It’s a new, but growing way to write Jewish characters on television today: Jewish characters that do not play from their Judaism or the Jewish comedy tradition, moving beyond New York Jew stereotypes. Though they’re not flying Israel’s flag while noshing on a Hebrew National, the Jews are still on the tube. They’re just becoming more reflective of the average American Jew.
In “Glee,” the audience is exposed to a few Jewish characters. Most notably, there is Rachel (played by Lea Michele) and Puck (played by Mark Salling). Both Jewish characters have their roots in tradition: Rachel debates getting a nose job and idolizes Barbra Streisand, while Puck’s mother wants him to marry a nice Jewish girl. But then they reject the tradition as well: Rachel is the adopted daughter of an interracial gay couple, while Puck is on the football team. Jon Stewart and Larry David were never on the football team.
On the other hand, Rachel is surprisingly similar to Drescher in “The Nanny.” Both characters love Streisand, both are waiting around for a goyishe man to love them and they are both loud-mouthed and dramatic. Fran and Rachel would have been good friends, chased the same men and shopped at the same Loehmann’s.
The old archetype that was the back bone of “The Nanny” is still a part of new Jewish television, but it is harder to see. On “The Nanny,” Drescher played to an audience of Jewish people who knew the creators of the Jewish comedy archetype. To that audience, the Lower East Side humor was familiar. Younger generations may not get the same jokes. More importantly, they look for Jewish characters that reflect them. “The Nanny” is not reflective of the average American Jew when compared to “Glee.” What Fran Drescher ends up showing in her transition from “The Nanny” to “Happily Divorced” is an adjustment to how Jews view themselves and want to be viewed.
It is difficult to say that this new type of Jewish character is not a good thing. Creating realistic Jewish characters is a mitzvah because there are so many that aren’t. The problem with the Jewish comedy archetype is that it doesn’t always make Jews look so good. However, it is wrong to deny such a funny tradition. These new characters are suitable for a drama, but can be useful in comedy too. The Ohio countryside of “Glee” could stand it. And “Happily Divorced” could definitely use it.
This is Geoffrey Edelstein’s first piece for New Voices. In the fall, he will be a junior at Drew University, where he is the former life & arts editor and current managing editor of Drew’s student newspaper, The Acorn.
Correction: This review originally identified the actor that plays Noah “Puck” Puckerman on “Glee” as Kevin McHale. In fact, McHale plays a different character on the show, Artie Abrams. The article has been corrected to reflect the fact that Puck is actually played by Mark Salling.
