Karolina Kusto
Borscht Belt Barbie: Jewish American Princess and Postfeminist Sensibility in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Polish Journal for American Studies, vol. 17 (2023), pp. 167-184

Abstract: The Jewish American Princess (JAP) stereotype is a well-established pattern in American popular culture. Characters exemplifying this stereotype can be found in such classics as Dirty Dancing, Friends, or Clueless. More recent TV representations of JAPs try to revitalize the stereotype and bring it up to date. Despite being set in the 1950s and 1960s, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel shows its viewers a character who, in her comedic career, proclaims views in line with what Rosalind Gill calls postfeminist sensibility. A comparison of the main character and other female characters and the exploration of her comedic material reveals how the show’s creators try to reclaim the JAP stereotype by combining the figure of a Jewish American Princess with a persona of a contemporary Jewish female comedian.

Keywords: Jewish American Princess, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, stereotyping, comedy, American television

DOI: 10.7311/PJAS.17/2023.11

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