Curse of the ‘space Jews’

Star Trek and The Big Bang Theory portray Jews in a deplorable manner. It’s time for Kyle Broflovski’s revenge.

The portrayal of Jews in American popular culture has long been deeply problematic, though often overlooked due to Jews’ remarkable achievements in the entertainment industry.

Television has generally been the worst offender. Jewish characters are almost always confined to sitcoms and other comedies, and depicted in a manner that can be charitably described as “undignified.”

Usually, Jews are depicted as socially awkward, physically frail, whiny, irritating, neurotic, hypersexual yet utterly hopeless with women, and generally as absurd clowns whose sole purpose is to amuse non-Jews.

This portrayal of Jews as mere objects of cruel humiliation is one of the most distasteful aspects of American popular culture. Regrettably, it is sometimes perpetuated by Jews themselves.

A recent and particularly egregious example is Harold Wolowitz from The Big Bang Theory, the mega-hit sitcom created by Jewish producer Chuck Lorre.

Of course, nearly all the characters on the show are nerdy, foolish, childlike, and silly. They are regularly subjected to humiliation and ridicule. But only Wolowitz is depicted in such a crude, scatological, and indeed sadistic manner. The other characters are shown as sympathetic losers, whereas Wolowitz is existentially contemptible—a man so degraded as to be barely human.

---

The Big Bang Theory, sadly, is not alone. The worst offender in this regard is, I regret to say, one of my favorite television series: Star Trek: The Next Generation and its sequels.

The problem lies in the show’s “space Jews.” Namely, two alien races: the Cardassians and, especially, the Ferengi.

The Cardassians, an imperialist civilization reminiscent of the Nazis, have ruthlessly subjugated the peaceful Bajorans for years. In response, the Bajorans have resorted to terrorism. TNG begins after the conflict has been partially resolved and primarily focuses on the post-occupation tensions between the two societies.

The issue is that the Bajorans, with their terrorism, refugees, “resistance” ideology, and “occupation” narrative, are obviously the Palestinians. The allegory is so overt that it borders on absurdity.

This means that the Cardassians are, by definition, the Israelis and, inevitably, the Jews. It is not an exaggeration to say that this more or less explicitly states that Jews are Nazis.

This is a gross antisemitic blood libel, of course. But worse than that, it is an unnecessary one. The series could easily have presented a more nuanced narrative, with both the Bajorans and the Cardassians having a case to make. Star Trek has often excelled at portraying such complex and ambiguous moral dilemmas, but in this case, it chose not to do so.

Perhaps it was impossible because the Cardassians had already been established as unspeakably evil. Even their physical appearance is menacing, their gray faces covered with horn-like ridges and their hooded eyes exuding cruelty. This is mirrored in their actions, particularly in the legendary TNG episode—a rip-off of George Orwell’s “Room 101” sequence from 1984—in which a Cardassian officer inflicts horrific tortures on Captain Jean-Luc Picard. These “space Jews” are, quite literally, satanic.

The Cardassians, however, are not the worst of it. That dubious distinction is held by the Ferengi, who are arguably the most antisemitic characters ever depicted on television.

Despite numerous assertions to the contrary, the Ferengi literally embody almost every antisemitic stereotype in existence: They are horrifically ugly, with massive noses and bloated features. Although physically repulsive, they are hypersexual in a thoroughly disgusting fashion. Their behavior is almost always deceitful, corrupt, avaricious, scheming, and needlessly cruel. They are utterly consumed by greed. Indeed, “profit” is the sole purpose of their entire civilization. Above all, while they seem absurdly comical to everyone except themselves, the Ferengi persist in believing they are an inherently superior race.

It is difficult to imagine a more comprehensive encyclopedia of antisemitic archetypes. The overt nature of the antisemitism is so striking that it’s surprising that it hasn’t received more widespread criticism. Perhaps this silence is a reflection of the show’s dedicated fanbase and the enduring perception of Star Trek as a beacon of progressive pop culture.

What is most lamentable about all this is that it was not inevitable. Indeed, Star Trek began as one of the most philosemitic shows in television history, largely due to the portrayal of the Vulcans.

Leonard Nimoy, who embodied the iconic Vulcan character Mr. Spock, had a strong and deeply felt Jewish identity. He played a pivotal role in transforming the Vulcans into a noble allegory of the Jews. Throughout the original series, the Vulcans are portrayed as a proud and ancient civilization, dedicated to scholarship, intellectual and spiritual excellence, and an unwavering moral code.

Above all, the Vulcans are dignified, and Nimoy’s influence directly connected this to his Jewish identity. Indeed, even the famous Vulcan salute is a Jewish ritual, inspired by the Birkat Ha’Cohenim—the Priestly Blessing. Although their portrayal later in the franchise becomes more negative—perhaps not coincidentally—in the original series, the Vulcans are nothing but admirable in almost every respect.

In essence, then, the portrayal of “space Jews” in Star Trek signifies a regrettable moral decline of the franchise: from the noble Vulcans to the evil Cardassians and then the unspeakable Ferengi.

There is some reason to hope that Star Trek will rectify these mistakes. In recent series, Spock has been reintroduced with much of his original dignity, and the Ferengi and Cardassians have largely faded from the franchise. It is to be hoped that this trend will persist, allowing Star Trek, which excels in numerous other aspects, to redeem itself.

---

It should be noted that these negative portrayals of Jews are not the full story. Some Jewish performers possess great dignity and grace, such as Nimoy, Gal Gadot, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and others. One could even make an argument for the iconic Superman, who was created by two young Jews and has long been seen as an allegory for the American Jewish immigrant experience.

Sadly, however, these representations are relatively rare compared to the more prevalent depiction of Jews who are not merely undignified and comical but cosmically loathsome, as if they belonged to an entirely different species of humanity.

None of this need be the case. Even in the context of television comedy, better Jewish characters are possible.

Strangely enough, the best proof of this, and perhaps the best portrayal of a Jew on television today, is Kyle Broflovski of South Park.

While South Park frequently employs Jewish stereotypes, it’s important to note that this is not unique. The show pokes fun at all ethnicities, very much including WASPs. While Kyle does possess some stereotypical traits, such as a tendency towards guilt and neurosis, he is very far removed from the likes of Howard Wolowitz.

In particular, unlike almost all other TV Jews, Kyle fights. He is very serious about being Jewish and treats his identity and culture with great respect. He never stoops to internalizing stereotypes or playing his Judaism for laughs. He resolutely maintains his dignity against the monstrous Eric Cartman’s relentless antisemitic harassment, never failing to hit back verbally. At times, he physically retaliates against his nemesis.

Even when Kyle teeters on the edge, such as after being traumatized by Mel Gibson’s The Passion, he always gets back up and stays true to who he is. Kyle is unassuming and diminutive, but he is made of steel.

More than anything else, one senses that South Park’s creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone somehow get it. That is, they have a kind of instinctive understanding of what it is like to be the lone Jew among innumerable gentiles.

In one particularly powerful episode, Cartman incites the entire school against Kyle by spreading antisemitic propaganda inspired by Kanye West. At the moment when Kyle finds himself cornered, facing a looming mob of his schoolmates, there are few Jews who do not think, “Yes, that’s what it’s like.” Whatever he may suffer, the show’s sympathies are always with Kyle, never his persecutors.

If such a character can exist even in a comedy replete with ethnic stereotypes, then it is very obvious that there can and should be more TV Jews like Kyle. There have been more than enough “space Jews.” The time for Kyle’s revenge has arrived.