Samantha Pickette, University of Texas at Austin

Pickette’s “Peak TV’s Unapologetic Jewish Woman” analyzes the ways in which contemporary American television—with its unprecedented choice, diversity, and authenticity—is establishing a new version of the Jewish woman and a new take on American Jewish female identity that challenges the stereotypes of Jewish femininity proliferated on television since its inception. Using case studies of streaming, cable, and network comedy series from the past decade written and created by Jewish women, including “Broad City,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” among others, Pickette’s book illustrates how this new Jewish woman has been given voice and agency by the bevy of Jewish female showrunners interested in telling stories about Jewish women for wider audiences.

Dr. Pickette was in conversation with Dr. Rachel Greenblatt, Brandeis University Judaica Librarian & Historian.