Jason is Jewish

From: "Tom Weis" Subject: Re: Jason is Jewish Newsgroups: alt.tv.seinfeld References: Message-ID: X-Newsreader: Microsoft Internet News 4.70.1155 Lines: 9

[email] wrote in article ...

Oy! He was pretty funny too! :-)

Did anyone see Jason Alexander on the Best of Politically Incorrect?... Sure sounds like Jason is Jewish.

r

I agree --- In the episode where George gets handcuffed to the bed in his boxers, he sure sounds Jewish when he's thinking to himself about "getting comfortable" (sounds like Jackie Mason).

[email] wrote:

isn't. At least, his name certainly sounds Italian, "Constanza." Maybe that's just how New Yorkers sound! :)

Vicki Krell wrote in article ...

We know for a fact that George's father lived in Italy as a boy, and that he still has a brother there (but not Guiseppe?). George is Italianamerican. And that's Costanza, dear.

Petter

Folks. Don't be dumb. George Constanza (THE CHARACTER) is Italian/Sicilian American, but Jason Alexander (THE ACTOR) is Jewish. This isn't rocket science.

On Thu, 09 Jan 1997 01:06:14 -0800, Gussel Timer wrote:

Did you ever see The Garden of the Finzicontis (sp?) -- about Jews in Italy during the runup to WWII. Just because George's family is from Italy does not preclude him being Jewish. And if you think that the character is not written Jewish, you had better start studying rocket science.

Look, Jews are all over the world, just as Christians are. In Italy though, most happen to be Catholic, so the percentages lie heavily that George isn't Jewish. Why not trust the percentages. If his parents happened to be from Israel, I wouldn't stubbornly insist he was Catholic (BUT you insist he's Jewish). And is the character written Jewish? Have no idea. But you don't have to be Jewish to act like THAT! My sister's inlaws are Asian and they do a pretty damn good Constanza imitation! :) And not to mention, most of the regular actors on the show are Jewish (even if the characters they play are not) I urge YOU to take Rocket Science.

Hello, do any of you actually watch the show - George is not Jewish, italian-american or otherwise. Jerry is, George is not. Jason Alexander is, the City of Phoenix is currently running ads for the Anti-Defamation League starring Jason.

i love this newsgroup but could one of you please explain to me this weird obsesion with cast members Ethnic origin? i dont understand and cant see why you all care so much, im not criticizing, i just dont see what the big deal is! it is obvious that the only character who is jewish is Jerry, that i can see why you at least talking about it but why the actors?

one more question why is it also George-Elaine Jewish talk? why not Kramer? i can see the posts now:

KRAMER IS JEWISH!!! NEWMAN IS JEWISH!!!| BABU IS JEWISH!!!!

please let me know

steve wrote:

I think there are a few people who just like to provoke other people. Just as the postings start to slow down and come to a stop, someone always starts it up again.

Sorry, I know I already posted one. Just forgot something. George Louis Costanza certainly fits the stereotype of Jews to some extent, but let's not forget his parents. Even if Frank is from Italy, we don't know where Estelle is from and she certainly sounds like the stereotypical Jewish mother. Another note- Jason Alexander (Real name: Jason Greenspan) IS in fact Jewish, no two ways about it. Although I don't see why it matters.

In article , [email] says...

This NG is for people to obsess about Seinfeld. The characters, plots, actors, ETC. For some people, it is fascinating to discuss the pregnancy of one of the actors. I, for one, don't give a damn about that. Other people like to discuss ethnicity. You don't give a damn about that.

I don't care much about it either, but whenever I post about this thread that you find so utterly uncompelling, it is usually when I see invalid jumps in reasoning and things that are just plain wrong. Why do I feel this need? Because I like Seinfeld so much that it saddens me that some people feel the need to cut on the show using incorrect reasoning. I want them to enjoy the show.

Other times, I post on this thread that you find uninteresting to defend my character in the face of unsubstantiated and libelous attacks. This is an open forum for people to discuss whatever aspect of the show they want to discuss. If you don't care to participate in the discussion of a certain aspect (thread), then simply don't.

Since it is so obvious to you, then move on and be satisfied w/ yourself. You obviously would have no fun discussing this thread anyway.

Because some people on this NG find interest in the actors as well as the characters they play on the show.

Kramer is so far out in deep space that even if he declared on the show that he was Jewish, who cares? He would put his own special spin on the whole thing anyway that would make it his personal religion, undoubtedly. That is why, I believe.

As for Babu -- it would be a stupid question, but not necessarily a 100% defined answer. It would be exceedingly rare to find a Pakastani Jew, but maybe there is one. Babu and Newman are minor characters. That is why.

[email] (Huckleberry) wrote:

(snipped)

What Debbie were you directing your comments to? Certainly not me, I hope, since I had nothing to do with that message you were replying to. Just wanted to clarify that.

In article , [email] says...

It was a debbie that was complaining/wondering why people cared or discussed ethnicities / religious affiliations of cast members or show characters. I certainly remember your signature, but if you weren't the one wondering, fine. Never mind then.

steve wrote:

I've pondered this question while on this newsgroup, and I've drummed up 3 reasons as to why people INSIST George and Elaine are Jewish). <g> The first 2 reasons are due to pure stupidity. The last is honest confusion that anybody could experience.

1) The folks who insist Elaine is Jewish (despite so many ON-AIR indications she is not) are primarily geeks and nerds (that happen to be Jewish) who have deep inferiority complexes and can't bear that someone as "cool" and pretty as Elaine is not Jewish. They must identify with her. She must be their Goddess. She must be Jewish. These geeks and nerds are a VERY small minority, but geeks and nerds they are.

2) Jerry and Jason are Jewish in real life. And there are a great deal many other Jewish actors on the show. So IDIOTS have come to the conclusion that the writers "are playing with our heads". That is, the writers have made characters as non-Jewish (Gentiles) in NAME ONLY...while secretly and covertly "KNOWING" and portraying the characters are Jewish in a "wink-wink" kind of manner.

Okay, done with the idiots in Reasons 1&2.

Now for some honest confusion. I think one could legitimately confuse George as being Jewish (if we didn't know his last name). Jason is Jewish...Jerry Stiller is Jewish (not sure about Estelle Harris). At any rate, George's family certainly sounds New York Jewish. So if we didn't know George's last name, it wouldn't be a bad guess, they had Jewish origins. Jason himself says he during auditions, his George was an open imitation of Woody Allen. George's mannerism and behaviour are modeled after Larry David, who is Jewish.

However, he has Italian-background, and has relatives in Italy. The odds are heavily stacked that his family has Roman Catholic roots. This doesn't mean his family couldn't be Jewish, but the it's highly unlikely. But this point is at least debatable.

In conclusion, those who conclude George could be Jewish are REACHING, and reaching desperately, but this could be due to honest confusion. And who knows, they COULD be right (although that's unlikely). But those who think Elaine is Jewish...nerds, geeks, and trolls, all. These are the idiots who ignore the fact that Elaine doesn't know what a kosher meal is, ignore the fact she has no idea where to find a Moyle (however you spell it), and ignore that fact that Elaine HERSELF HAS SAID SHE'S NOT JEWISH!!!

It would be just as strange for people to insist Jerry ISN'T Jewish. :)

i thank you for a very intelligent response! and i still must wonder though.......

is Babu Jewish?????? is J peterman Jewish?????? is Newman Jewish???????? oh could John Voight(the dentist not the Actor) be Jewish???????

these questions and more will all be discussed and never answered in a never ending flood of posts that no one cares to read coming soon to a newsgroup near you

    ** The fellow most responsible for keeping the issue churnng says
he's
       Vietnamese.  Not that you can't be both Vietnamese and Jewish,
       of course, but the odds...

       Anyway, I'm Jewish and I have no problem accepting the writers'
       clear implication that Elaine is not.  I think that more non-Jews
       than Jews are obsessing over the issue.

Nosnivel

Well, Jews with real Italian roots like the Finzi-Continis are not people you would tag as Jewish. They don't go around saying "oy vey" and fressing bagels and lox like Eastern European Jews. George, to the extent that he behaves like a stereotyped Jew, behaves like the Eastern European type, the Woody Allen. So I'm inclined to trace that stereotyped behavior to the non- Costanza side of his family. Nosnivel

I'm inclined to trace the stereotyped behavior to living in new York City where (altho' I think he was wrong) Lenny Bruce claimed Italians, and Blacks are Jewish. And there are many Italian/Jewish folks around (I'm talking about mixed folks not Italian Jews) -take for example Jerry Ohrbach and according to one of my celeb trivia books, Robert DiNiro, so why not George Costanza. Maybe George gets into his sterotypical shtick in a misguided attempt to bond with Jerry :-) just a thought.

In article , [email] says...

Why isn't it possible to be Italian-American AND Jewish? I DON'T see hard evidence for the character of George being Jewish, but being Italian-American does not exlude one from being Jewish. Dear.

I'm not sure I comprehend what-the-f**k difference it makes if George is or isn't Jewish, but just for the record it's a safe bet that most Italian-Americans are either Catholic or lapsed/Catholic. Something to do with where the Pope lives, I think. <grin>

(Althought I'm sure someone is going to make an argument about Northern Italians being a possible exception, and then there's always the possibility of conversions. . .)

Huckleberry wrote in article ...

that

Italian-American

Hey, I didn't say anything about George being Jewish or not - I only said he was Italianamerican, as a reply to Vickis post. I agree though, that the subject title was misleading - but I didn't want to change it, cause then she may have missed it (and we can't have any of that)

(Vicki wrote: At least, his name certainly sounds Italian, "Constanza." Maybe that's just how New Yorkers sound! :)

I don't know if Jason is Jewish, But George is. In the episode when Kramer does a Jewish singles party, Elaine and Kramer say they aren't, but George and Jerry say that they are Jewish

Wow, talk about hallucinations and reconstructive memory. George does NOT say he's Jewish. I have that episode on tape, and he never says that.

Me thinks Michael is having a little bit of fun. Nothing like claiming George (or Elaine) is jewish for a little perverse chuckling at all the folks who go nuclear at the illogic.

Let's let this thing rest. The next time we see someone do this, ignore it.

In the most recent episode, George's mom explained that she and Frank were considering buying a Mercedes. But, she continued, she could not contemplate buying a "German" automobile. So they bought a Cadillac instead.

This is perhaps the most explicit statement from one of the Costanzas that makes me believe that they're Jewish.

--David Schlesinger

In article , [email] says... ->In the most recent episode, George's mom explained that she and Frank were ->considering buying a Mercedes. But, she continued, she could not ->contemplate buying a "German" automobile. So they bought a Cadillac ->instead. -> ->This is perhaps the most explicit statement from one of the Costanzas that ->makes me believe that they're Jewish. -> ->--David Schlesinger

Since when do you have to be Jewish to despise German automobiles? A lot of pro-America ant-foreign types would say the same thing. Haven't you ever been encouraged to "buy domestic" to help the economy?

Mr. Jewish Schlesigner, my sister in law is Italian Catholic and doesn't like German cars either because of what the Nazis did to the Jews during the war. You don't have to be Jewish to hate what Nazis did to the Jews during the holocaust (although it helps). :)

Well Georges mom didn't say anything else about any other foreign car, but she specifically said No German Cars. Threrefore, George is probably half Jewish.

In article , [email] says... -> ->Well Georges mom didn't say anything else about any other foreign car, but ->she specifically said No German Cars. Threrefore, George is probably half ->Jewish.

Thank for enlightening us. Amazing insight. Incredible.

On 24 Jan 1997 19:53:51 GMT, [email] (Huckleberry) wrote:

I thought it was obvious. Do we have to draw you people a picture?

In article , [email] says... -->In article , -->[email] says... --> -->Well Georges mom didn't say anything else about any other foreign car, -->but she specifically said No German Cars. Threrefore, George is probably --> half Jewish. ->> ->>Thank for enlightening us. Amazing insight. Incredible.

The bit of enlightenment, amazement, and incredulousness was snide sarcasm on my part. I fully admit it. You can draw a picture if you want.

Hopefully, I did not miss sarcasm on your part. Hopefully.

rmj1980s wrote:

Yes, he is jewish. Jason Alexander is his stage name. Now you can sleep at night. Just don't mention it again, ok??

Yes, Jason is in fact Jewish.