Nobody Wants This creator Erin Foster addresses criticism that the show portrays stereotypes about Jewish people

Nobody wants that Creator Erin Foster has responded to criticism that the Netflix show portrays stereotypes about Jewish women and makes them “villainous.”

The newly released romcom series follows an unlikely romance between Joanne (Kristen Bell), an agnostic series regular, and Noah (Adam Brody), a progressive rabbi fresh out of a long-term relationship.

For months, the two ponder how to balance their intense chemistry with their different values, and Joanne must decide whether she wants to convert to Judaism to be with Noah.

In a new interview, Foster, who based the series on her own love story with her husband Simon Tikhman, addressed criticism that the series portrayed Jewish stereotypes.

On the question of L.A. TimesShe replied, “I think we need positive Jewish stories now.”

“I think it’s interesting when you have a rabbi at the helm, people focus on, ‘Oh, this is a stereotype of the Jewish people.’ A hot, cool, young rabbi who smokes weed.”

She continued: “That’s the opposite of how people see a Jewish rabbi, right?”

Foster explained the difficulty of finding a balance between creativity and accurately portraying the characters.

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“If I made the Jewish parents like two granola hippies on a farm,” Foster said. “Then someone would write: ‘I’ve never met a Jewish person like that.’ You obviously don’t know how to write about Jewish people, you don’t know what you’re doing, and that doesn’t represent us well.’”

While Foster’s husband is a music executive and not a rabbi, much of the plot is based on their love story. Foster herself converted to Judaism before she and Tikhman married and wrote down the idea Nobody wants that while we are in the middle of the conversion process.

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She told the newspaper that she converted to Judaism more than four years ago, adding: “I’m Jewish, but I wasn’t raised Jewish… that’s something different.” She added that she felt herself creating the series consciously surrounded myself with authors who were born Jewish.

In the series, Joanne and Noah regularly encounter critics who disapprove of their relationship, particularly his mother Bina, his sister-in-law Esther, his ex-girlfriend Rebecca and all of their friends (all Jewish). In it, Esther yells at Joanne and calls her a “whore” while her friends are cold towards Joanne.

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In an article titled “Nobody Wants This Mean Portrayal of Jewish Women in “Nobody Wants That”.” TIME The magazine’s Esther Zuckerman wrote that the series “seems to loathe Jewish women, portrayed as whiners, harpies and the ultimate villains of this story.”

Zuckerman continued: “I wanted to be swept up in a romantic comedy. Instead, I was faced with the reality that maybe this show actually hates me.”

“Although Joanne is by no means perfect – she is immature and messy – these brunette ladies are one-dimensional nightmares who together fuel stereotypes. They are needy, overbearing and evil.”

Zuckerman goes on to write that the non-Jewish woman called a “shiksa” has long been “idolized by Jewish men in popular culture.”

In a review of the show for Shine Jessica Randolf wrote in the magazine, “I can’t imagine a man watching this show and saying, ‘I really want to date a Jewish girl!'”

“We seem like controlling, marriage-hungry women who plan dinner parties and want to alienate anyone who doesn’t share those dreams.”