There was too much ethnicity crammed into Brenda Morelli-Cushman. The writers should have decided which stereotype they wanted to exploit: the overbearing Jewish mother or the Italian Mafia Princess? Here, our heroine, who, up until her son's Bar Mitzvah has always been portrayed as the worrying and scorned Jewish mother/wife. At the Bar Mitzvah, it is revealed that her uncle is an Italian mafioso who would do anything for her. What gives?
shareI kind of agree. It would make more sense if her husband's uncle was in the mafia, and preferred his former niece-in-law.
I hate to speak in generalities, but I live in a very Jewish community and can tell you Italian/Jewish is a pretty rare combo.
A long-time friend of mine is the same combination:
• German Jewish father
• Italian Catholic mother
And don't forget the Stiller family:
• Jerry Stiller is German Jewish
• Anne Meara is Irish Catholic
---
I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.
---
Correct me if i'm wrong, but "choice of religion" is not an Ethnicity, is it?
I always assumed Ethnicity has to do with being Asian, Caucasian, Native American, African-American etc.
Its kind of confusing because the Jewish people are what are considered an "ethnoreligious" group meaning that they are an ethnic group united by a religious belief. While many practicing Jews are converts, there are those who are still possibly derived from the Hebrews or Israelites of the Middle East and are thus ethnically Jewish. People who convert to Judaism are assumed to be equals to those who are born ethnically Jewish.
shareIn the book it explains that her mother was Jewish and her father was Italian/Catholic and she was raised Jewish.
share