We’ve been over it a million times: Jews invented comic books. And yet Wonder Woman is curiously the only major surviving property from the Golden Age without a Jewish creative team. Neither original writer William Moulton Marston nor artist H. G. Peter were Members of the Tribe (though publisher Max Gaines was).

And yet, Wonder Woman was as virulently anti-Nazi as, say, Superman or Captain America (granted, she debuted only weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor, when it became less politically controversial to decry the Axis). Unfortunately, this often manifested itself as pretty egregious anti-Asian racism with a dose of general phobia of immigrants (ironic, since Wonder Woman herself is one). Still, the comic’s heart was the in right place, and Wonder Woman can punch Nazis with the best of them. The new Wonder Woman film plays a bit liberally with time; it introduces Diana of the Amazons to the world of men over twenty years before her first comics appearance– at the end of World War I.

And now Jews are very present in Wonder Woman’s big screen debut. Of course, everyone is talking about Gal Gadot as Diana, and it is fascinating to watch an Israeli woman in WWI-era London, when one of the results of the War is the birth of the British Mandate of Palestine. But it should be noted that the screenwriter, Allan Heinberg, is Jewish, too. And the war story he has written is free of Jewish content, but not of foreshadowing.

(Serious spoilers ahead, but if you want to go spoiler-free, we have a piece for you, too.)

In a chilling plot thread in the new film, Wonder Woman and the gang must curtail German efforts to develop a terrible poison gas that not even a gas mask can prevent. A villain, as a demonstration, attacks a local village with the new weapon. Diana rushes in to save them, but it’s too late. The film is sensitive enough to not show us the carnage, but Diana reports that everyone is dead. The scene has obviously drawn comparisons to modern-day Syria, but seeing a Jewish woman lament over the civilian gas deaths in the first half of the twentieth century also has undeniable echoes of the Holocaust.

In this movie, Diana is convinced that Ares, the God of War, has been influencing mankind to fight the Great War. When she finally is face-to-face with him, he tells her that while he inspired new weapons (especially, yes, chemical ones), he did nothing to encourage their use. Humanity did that on their own, therefore, it is inherently corrupt, and deserving of its own destruction. Diana, based on her limited experience in the world, decides that while mankind is flawed, they are also capable of great complexity, and worth saving. So, she kills Ares, and as she had hoped, the War ends shortly thereafter.

In the end of the film, it’s insinuated that Diana is near-immortal and eternally young; when we see her present-day, she’s working (both in and out of costume) in Paris. So this begs the question… what was she up to during World War II? What does it mean that Ares is gone and war only grows more deadly, in technology, and arguably in cruelty? What would it have meant to see a Jewish Wonder Woman fight through World War II onscreen… but will we still have that chance?

Director Patty Jenkins claims that the Wonder Woman sequel will take place in the United States, so even if it is a World War II film, Diana is likely to be more removed from atrocities this time around. While WWI was rooted in political discord and tensions between nations brought to a violent head, WWII was a more clear-cut case of good vs. evil– the sort of black-and-white morality that Diana just spent an entire movie learning seldom exists in the real world.

We’ll wait and see. Honestly, as long as Gal Gadot gets to punch a Nazi, the rest will be a cherry on top.

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Poor Wonder Woman. Not poor Diana of the Amazons; she can take care of herself. But seldom does a commercial film carry so much weight of larger significance as the new superhero(ine) flick. Every aspect of what the movie says about gender, and what it means for women in the media, has come under scrutiny.

And on top of it all, there’s the political aspect of its star, Gal Gadot, as an Israeli. Political, as in, the entire country of Lebanon has banned the film because of the background of its star. But on a smaller scale, Gadot’s social media posts about Hamas, the IDF, and her national identity have also sparked debate and controversy, often linked to her very visible position playing the female embodiment of justice.

But the point of the Wonder Woman film is that no humans are pure, that no adult has all the answers. The film is a coming-of-age story for Diana, princess of the Amazons, as she has to grapple with the monstrosities that occur in a human world that also fascinates her.

In the film (and the comics, more or less) Diana comes from a society that’s defined by the notion of self-defense and survival, but hasn’t had to actually had to take up arms in an obscenely long time (possibly millennia?). As their princess, Diana considers war an abomination, but also loves the idea of getting a chance to kick some ass. And whaddya know! World War I happens to be raging, and the Amazonian gets her chance to leave her island for the first time and join the fray. But of course, of all the wars in human history, the Great War is known as being particularly brutal and bloody, as well as morally and politically complicated.

Diana quickly assumes that Germany is under the corrupting influence of Ares, the god of war. But as someone raised with war as an abstract, she begins to become confused by even hints of moral relativism or nuance. Why are some British officials resistant to the Armistice? What is the point of trench warfare? Why can’t she stop and save everyone she encounters along the way to her ultimate goal of ending the war? While the film mostly avoids the trope of a physically mature woman with childlike intellect, Diana’s questions sound like a child learning about present-day conflicts, like Syria, or yes, Israel-Palestine.

Eventually, disillusioned, she comes to the conclusion that Ares is not only influencing the Central Powers, but the Allies as well. As an independent agent representing only peace and justice, how can she ally herself with either cause?

Without spoilers, you might argue that the film is a bit muddled in its resolution of the matter, but it’s fascinating that it brings them up in the first place. And seeing a former Israeli soldier at its center is poignant; now, 50 years after one of Israel’s most significant, and controversial wars, grappling with unimaginable complexity remains at the heart of political discourse about Israel-Palestine.

Every person involved in a real-world conflict would like to be Diana, and would like to be a hero facing a villain, as if the battle is no longer worth fighting without moral purity. But even Diana, through the mouth of an Israeli, comes to see that situational simplicity is, at best, a luxury.

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After three rounds with some really close competitions, Round 4 was almost entirely landslides! Andy Samberg, Gal Gadot, and Steven Spielberg all did really well up to this point, but you wouldn’t know it from how hard they fell.

The only person who came even close to their opponent and lost this round was Daveed Diggs. Let’s raise a glass to the rising star.

And so, our remaining Top 4 are now all the heaviest of hitters: Mel “The Man” Brooks, Natalie “Natch” Portman, Bette “Beat You” Midler, and the Notorious RBG (OK, that last nickname is real).

Who will win? Who will lose? Who’s the best at singing the blues (OK, probably Midler, but still)? We need your help to decide.

(For your consideration, after polls we’ve added some relevant clips of the nominees being great.)

New subscribers to our email list will know who’s going to the finals before we announce the results:

You know the drill by now. Vote, and you have until Sunday, April 2nd, at 10 p.m. And the next day, THE FINALS BEGIN.

YOUR FINAL PICK FROM THE “ACTORS” SIDE:

YOUR FINAL PICK FROM THE “OTHERS” SIDE:

Image via Wikimedia.

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Round 3 of this bizarre tourney was harsh and unforgiving, like a 19th century schoolmaster before some Anne Shirley-type waltzes in and gently points out that you don’t need to strike children for them to learn in a classroom environment.

Anyway, what we mean to say is, Scarlett Johansson is gone. As is Daniel Radcliffe, Mayim Bialk, Lenny Kravitz, Rachel Bloom, Aly Raisman, Rachel Platten, and Mark Zuckerberg. A moment of respect for our fallen heroes…

OK, time to regroup. We’re voting to turn out remaining 8 into a Fab Four. That’s right; this is the quarterfinals. The competition is getting tighter. Choose wisely.

New subscribers to our email list will get the results of this round before we post Round 5:

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!

Voting ends this Thursday night, March 30th, at 8 p.m. And you can still tweet us with why you think your fave deserves to go all the way to number 1!  For example here are a couple of reader arguments for (and against) two of our top competitors:

RBG is 84 but could beat up anyone else on that list. Also, she is basically standing between us and the apocalypse. She should win this award and also every other award.— Ayelet Parness

Mel Brooks will win. As great and awesome and Jewish as Ruth BG is, Mel Brooks’s career has done more for the culture, people, heritage, and world than any judge could hope to accomplish in a lifetime. — Dov Alpert

So how are you voting?

THE ACTORS:

THE MUSICIANS (For the last time!):

THE OTHERS:

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Let’s cut right to the chase, like a group of athletic men running after one another, risking permanent brain damage— last night’s sports-ball game (Piggers are gonna go all the way this year!) had undeniably Jewish moments or elements. Enough for a (relatively) unforced list of five:

1. Obviously, Julian Edelman: the wide receiver for the Patriots (who won last night) is on the official list of the greatest Jewish football players of all time. It was kind of a kick (pun most definitely not intended— does he even kick the ball?) hearing announcers keep saying a name that you would expect in your summer camp roll call.
2. Both team owners: Robert Kraft has been a bit of an embarrassment this year; the well-known Jewish philanthropist has also been a Trump supporter; it was a factor in the controversy of the Patriots playing (and winning) last night. But Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons, is a Member of the Tribe as well; he grew up in an observant family in Queens. He’s also a Democrat, so maybe the owners’ conflicting politics counter the uncomfortable risk of it seeming like Jews are secretly running the NFL.
3. The commercials— If you kept your eyes open, you could spot both men in kippot and a mezuzah in two different ads (Coke and Google, respectively). Plus, Gal Gadot (soon to be Wonder Woman) kicked ass in an ad for Wix.com (well, you’ve heard of it now).
4. Lady Gaga— OK, she’s not Jewish, she’s Italian-American Catholic. But she certainly brought “New York values” to the halftime show (Woody Guthrie + and LGBT anthem in Texas = New York infiltration, my friends).
5. It was Super bowl LI— This means Roman numeral 51, but I have at least one friend whose mother thought it meant “Super Bowl Long Island.”Once again guys, it was in Texas.

I’m looking forward to next year, when Barbra Streisand can do the halftime show, the ads will be for Kars 4 Kids, and Sandy Koufax will somehow be a player, despite his age and the fact that he’s retired from a different sport.

Image via Wikimedia

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Barbra Streisand spoke to the New York Times this weekend, and while the whole piece is magic, it includes this important factoid:

“It’s Streisand, as in ‘sand on the beach,’ not ‘Strize-and,’ a mispronunciation that has plagued her at least since she first appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in the early 1960s.”

WHAT? Oh God. I’ve been saying it wrong my entire life. So let’s take stock of some other Jewish celebrities, and see how we should pronounce their names:

Idina Menzel: Menzel actually changed the spelling of her last name (from Mentzel) so that people would pronounce it correctly (MenZEL), but the tricky part is her first name: EYE-deena? UH-deena? Well, in a clip with her ex-husband Taye Diggs, he seems to address her as “ID-deena,” backing up all of the intense fan message boards I found while researching this piece (and they say “UH-deena” is fine too).

(Also, insert Adele Dazeem joke here.)

Jeff Goldblum: I recall this clip:

But, for real, it’s pronounced “Goldbloom.”

Ralph Lauren: Sure, his birth name is actually Ralph Lifshitz, but all the same, it’s LOR-en. Not Lor-EN.

Jake (and Maggie!) Gyllenhaal: Dude, just give up with this one:

But really, the G is said softly, like a J.

Elie Wiesel: Elie is said “EL-ee.” Wiesel is said “Vee-ZEL” (But hey, if you want to pronounce the W the American way, just call it a transliteration. It’s a minor sin.)

Leonard Bernstein: The last syllable is said “Stine” (like Jewish horror-writer R. L.). Ditto for Oscar Hammerstein (I or II).

Gal Gadot: She’s not French, for HaShem’s sake, and even Wikipedia will tell you: the vowels in “Gal” and “Gad” are like the A in “father.” The O is in between an English short and long O: Listen to her say her own name here.

Most of all, pronounce the T. DO IT FOR WONDER WOMAN.

Noam Chomsky: Most Jews would say that Noam is two syllables: No-OM (second syllable rhymes with calm). Others (like Wikipedia) say it’s one, like “Gnome.” Chomsky himself says it thusly. Is it one syllable or two? Let’s try another example.

The jury may be out on this one. But he doesn’t seem to be correcting people either way.

(Finally, I’m no celebrity, but let me use this opportunity to publish online that the first A in Gabriela is like the A in “father,” and that Geselowitz is said like there’s an animal in it: “Gazelle-o-witz.”)

And now, go forth and be a pedant when someone mispronounces any of these names!

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There have been multiple heroes to take on the mantle of the Flash, but this one is Barry Allen, the man with super-speed who still can’t catch a break (seriously, he has an entire section of his Wikipedia page entitled “Tragedy“). Playing Allen is Ezra Miller, a Jewish actor with an eccentric persona and beautiful face who is perhaps best known for his roles in We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (congratulations on appearing in a shorter-titled film, Ezra).

Multiple sources invited to visit the Justice League set report witnessing the scene in which we first meet Allen, imbued with a sense of humor who apparently describes himself as a “very attractive Jewish boy.” (His skills, he claims, include web design and playing the viola.)

That’s it. No Holocaust sob story. No forced references to Chanukah. Just a young man whose secret identity is not his Jewishness. It’s unusual, and refreshing, and a step up from Marvel, though there is still the risk the line won’t make the final cut of the film.

Please, producers, editors, whoever has this decision in their hands: Keep the reference.

An interesting note about this decision is that Barry Allen is not a traditionally Jewish superhero (there have been a few theories, but really weak tea). Rather than, say, accentuate Superman’s Jewish metaphor, this franchise is simply adding a Jewish character to its universe, perhaps partially based on casting. Considering neither the director nor writer are Jewish, it’s an interesting choice.

Honestly, this film has the odds stacked against it being good (mostly because of prior DC films/director Zack Snyder’s track record), but at least the combination of diverse casting (including Jason Momoa and Ray Fisher) and multi-ethnic characters looks promising.

Also, Miller won’t be the only Jewish actor in the film; Gal Gadot and Jesse Eisenberg will reprise their respective roles as Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (and Wonder Woman’s solo feature film comes out only a couple of months before Justice League).

So here’s to 2017, and, perhaps, Justice League. You’re only a year away.

Image credit: Nick Step via Flickr

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