The Weekly Jewce: January 28, 2022
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The Weekly Jewce: January 28, 2022
The M&M meltdown, 'Maus' banned in Tennessee school district, Modern Orthodox figure skater set for the Olympics, and more.
Hello to you. It is The Weekly Jewce’s week number two. Jerusalem is covered in snow, and President Herzog posted this adorable picture:
Here I am in Miami feeling FOMO from the snow? Only because it’s in Jerusalem.
Anyway, as we head into another week I want to invite you, dear reader, to give us feedback on The Jewce and to engage. We have a comment section here (!!!), and I have an email. What did you like? What did you hate? What should I talk more about and what less? More pop-culture less antisemitism? The other way around? Tell me! Let’s build a community here. It’s what I’m here for.
And with that, let’s get to it.
⮕ The M&M meltdown: Soon after our last newsletter was sent out last week, M&M announced a rebrand for their iconic characters. The company alleged they are making the characters “more inclusive”, and to those who are worried about their beloved M&M friends, I am happy to report that they look exactly the same.
Had it not been for the public meltdown of pearl-clutching Millennials and conservatives alike, would I have noticed? Absolutely not. “M&Ms will not be satisfied until every last cartoon character is deeply unappealing and totally androgynous until you wouldn’t want to have a drink with any one of them,” said Fox News host Tucker Carlson. “That’s the goal. When you’re totally turned off, we’ve achieved equity. They’ve won.” I can’t say I empathize with Carlson. Admittedly, I never really wanted to get a drink with any of the M&Ms, and I am a little worried that he ever did.
I do, however, empathize (however slightly) with those upset that Ms. Green—now just ‘Green’—has gotten de-sexified and stripped of her apparently iconic boots which I had never noticed until now. “Let the Green M&M Be a Nasty Little Slut,” reads a Rolling Stone headline. How does this change make her group ‘inclusive’? I have no idea.
M&M also talked about Mr. Orange—or whatever he is called now—“acknowledging his anxiety.” Did we ever find out why this piece of chocolate has anxiety anyway? Either way, it prompted a light-hearted piece from the Jewish feminist publication Alma pondering over whether Orange is Jewish because of his neurotic personification.
The Jews were UPSET. How could a Jewish publication play with Jewish stereotypes?! “Can we stop perpetuating this stereotype? It’s demeaning,” reads a comment on Alma’s Instagram post. “I can’t decide if this is more weird or gross,” reads another, “I resent the ‘Neurotic Jew stereotype.’” I don’t. As an anxious Xanax-prescribed Jewish orange M&M, how dare anyone try and take this away from me.
But in all honesty, I’m confused as to why this is sending people on a spiral. Are we really offended by this? I sometimes wish my generation spent more time decolonizing their humor than they did decolonizing Judea—whatever that means. Where are the funny Jews?!? You didn’t hear me say that…
Ultimately, why M&M felt the need to do this ridiculous rebrand is beyond me, but so is the response. Perhaps the question we should be asking is why a piece of candy’s boots and gender identity seemed to get more attention than an antisemitic attack.
But enough of my rambling.
⮕ ‘Maus’ is banned in Tennessee school district: The McMinn County School Board voted to remove the Pulitzer-Prize winning graphic novel from its curriculum because of “inappropriate language” and an instance of nudity. Apparently, a naked mouse is enough to deter Holocaust education in Tennessee. Good luck to them in finding family-friendly Holocaust literature.
Art Spiegelman, the author, responded:
He also “sneaked in a quick vape” during an interview on CNN. Iconic!
⮕ Modern Orthodox figure skater is heading to the Winter Olympics: Between Alex Edelman, YU basketball, and now Hailey Kops, is 2022 the year of Modox visibility? Kops, a future nursing student from West Orange, NJ just coming back from a gap year in Jerusalem, will be representing Israel’s team in Beijing next month. GO HAILEY!
⮕ First trailer for Joe Exotic movie is out:
⮕ Dolly Parton launches cake line: Don’t really have much to add here, but look!
⮕ The Hamsa emoji is almost here: Seems like we might get the long-awaited Hamsa emoji in the next iOS update, which is very exciting, to say the least. It will be much easier than writing out “tfu tfu tfu.”
READ OUR FRIDAY COLUMNS!
In the inaugural Hey Bubbela, Arielle Kaplan takes on a Southern convert crush. And this week on It’s Parshonal, Rachel Gilinski gives us a lesson on rules and, well, more rules.
Click below to read.
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And with that, Shabbat Shalom, my Jews. Talk next Friday.
Isaac de Castro, Editor of Jewcy.com