Who’s Missing on Gossip Girl?
I read an interesting post over at Megan McArdle’s blog about the absence of Jewish characters on Gossip Girl - especially considering that the show takes place in New York City and not, say, the rural South (not a slam, it’s where I grew up and there are very few Jewish people in rural North Carolina).
It got me thinking about what other ethnic groups are missing from the show and whether it’s a purposeful marketing decision or whether it’s a representation of the population of an elite private school on the Upper East Side. I personally would expect it to be WASP-y but then I didn’t go to private school on the Upper East Side (in contrast, I went to public school first in a rural community and then in a city).
The only real “ethnic” roles on the show so far belong to Nan Zhang (as Kati) and to Nicole Fiscella (as Isabel).
What do you think? Who is missing? Is it a fair representation?
Tags: ethnic-characters, Gossip Girl, Jewish, Jews, Megan-McArdle, Nan-Zhang, New-York-City, Nicole-Fiscella, Upper-East-SideRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Gossip Girl Cast, Social/Impact Issues
4 opinions for Who’s Missing on Gossip Girl?
Josh
Jan 19, 2008 at 4:23 am
What’s the point of asking for a Jewish character on Gossip Girl?
The producers/writers (no doubt Jewish themselves) will just make this character a horrible geek/nerd, and probably cast the ugliest person they can find for the part, just like on almost every other teen show in history to feature a Jewish character. So what’s the point?
snapeward
Mar 15, 2008 at 9:39 pm
seriously, get a life. it’s just a show!
Amber Rose
Mar 31, 2008 at 11:53 am
To Josh’s comment - no they wouldnt get the ugliest person. In the OC they got Adam Brody (Y)
And also, in the book Jenny Humphreys jewish. And Michelle Trachtenberg is too, although Georgia Spark isnt.
Is Gossip Girl “Too White”?
Aug 7, 2008 at 11:05 am
[…] things: they are all impossibly good looking, fashionable, young… and white. This, of course, isn’t a new revelation. But as the show’s popularity - and cast grows - the omissions are becoming more […]
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