(Jewish Group) In 'A League of Their Own,' Jewish representation leaves much to be desired

[Behind the Aegis]

In ‘A League of Their Own,’ queer representation is a home run. But Jewish representation leaves much to be desired

I can say with confidence that movies made me queer. Specifically, one movie: “Fried Green Tomatoes.”

Seeing the 1991 film starring Mary-Louise Parker and Mary Stuart Masterson as Ruth and Idgie, two “friends” living and running a restaurant together in Alabama, was a pivotal experience in the formation of my own sexual identity.

Watching a tuxedoed young Idgie defy her mother’s demands to wear a dress awoke something in my 5-year-old brain. I promptly begged mine for my own black suit and tie, and wore it for the rest of first grade. Though devoid of explicitly lesbian content, “Fried Green Tomatoes” was my first taste of queer representation, and it left me craving more.

The queer youth of today are blessed with more openly gay material, such as “A League of Their Own,” the new series executive produced by and starring Abbi Jacobson. It is a remake of a classic 1992 film, and is a groundbreaking and welcome portrayal of queer women. It’s surprising and disappointing, therefore, that the only Jewish character remains tightly stereotyped.

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