AUCTION OF FINE ART

American David E. Kelley, introduced
the conniving Jewish defense attorney
played by Fyvush Finkel. (Kelley's in-
joke was that Finkel's character bore the
WASP-ish name of Douglas
Wambaugh.) In one episode, he was
called before a beit din to answer
charges that his sleazy behavior was
damaging his people's good name.
Ironically, Kelley wrote the episode
after receiving letters complaining that
Finkel's character perpetuated the
stereotype of the shyster lawyer.
HBO's Larry Sanders Show, which
told the truth about so many aspects
of American television, also warned
about the perils of being too Jewish.
In one episode, Larry's sidekick
Hank (Jeffrey Ta- mbor) became a

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presented Ly

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"born-again Jew," and insisted on
wearing a kippah on the show.
Larry's creator, Garry Shandling,
noted his favorite line in that episode
was when a Jewish network executive
said it was OK for him to be Jewish
because, unlike Hank, "he was
behind the camera where the audi-
ence couldn't see him."
Larry Gelbart, one of the funniest
comedy writers today, says of Jewish
humor, "I think it's our cultural her-
itage to find some relief from intolera-
ble situations with laughter. To use if
as both a sword and a shield, as an
offensive and defensive weapon against
those who are being hostile to you."
It seems that in a more dangerous and
difficult America, the rest of the country

on

Tuesday, October 23, 2001

`Inside Dating'

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Meyer of Rat Race and Road .Trip)
imagines sports figures analyzing his
love life.
When a blind date announces she
hen Inside Schwartz cre-
has four kids, an umpire blows a whis-
ator Stephen Engel was in
tle and shouts, "Too many players on
college, dating was rela-
the field!" When Schwartz pines for
tively easy. He'd meet a
his ex, Mall of Famer Dick Butkus
girl in class, hang out — and presto! —
pops up nd advises, "Trust me,
he had a girlfriend.
Adam, it's over."
But when Engel's col-
When Schwartz's
lege flame dumped him
Jewish
best friend, Julie
when he was 25, the
Herman
(played by
Jewish writer entered
Jewish actress and for-
alien territory: the sin-
mer Detroiter Miriam
gles scene. "I didn't
Shor) gazes into his
have a lot of experience
eyes, Butkus razzes him
formally calling women
e to kiss her (he do sn't
and asking them out,"
listen).
he says. "I'd never been
While the,20-some-
`fixed up.' I'd never
thing
Engel was a
been on a blind date. I
Breckin Meyer (Adam Schwartz
lawyer and wannabe
had some horrific expe- and former De troiter Miriam
writer, Schwartz is a
riences."
Shor (Julie Herma n)
wannabe sportscaster
At the time, Engel, a
stuck working for his
self-professed "sports nut," wished he
dad. He doesn't get much help from
could bring in sports analysts for
his agent, William Morris (Dondre
advice. "I wished we could do instant
Whitfield),
an African American who
replays to examine the body lan-
uses
Yiddishisms
like bubbeleh,
guage," he says.
"because that's how he thinks agents
"It would be like, 'She's sitting on
talk," Engel says.
the couch, her arms are crossed, so
Engel is not the first Jewish writer to
does she or doesn't she want me to
make a gag of his life; but unlike
make a pass?"'
Seinfeld and Mad About You characters,
The now happily married Engel, has
who were Jewish by innuendo,
turned his past wishful thinking into
Schwartz makes his heritage clear in the
an NBC sitcom, Inside Schwartz,
first couple of minutes of the pilot. And
about a recently dumped sports nut
while most TV shows pair Jewish char-
with a parrot named Larry Bird and
acters with gentile love interests —
lots of bad dates. Like Engel at 25,
Adam Schwartz (played by Breckin
`INSIDE DATING' on page 76

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