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| '''Shiksa''' is a ] word that has become commonplace in ] usage, mostly in ] culture. While |
'''Shiksa''' (or "Shikse," literally "female abomination") is a ] word that has become commonplace in ] usage, mostly in ] culture. While it can be simply defined as a ] term for a ] woman, for the American Jewish community, there are many nuances of meaning. | ||
| The word is derived from the ] term "sheketz" which means either "detestable", "loathed" or "blemish" depending on the translator. Despite the term's negative denotation, with the increasing incidence of Jewish-Gentile intermarriage in North America, the term may have lost some of its opprobriousness and is often used in the jocular sense. |
The word is derived from the ] term "sheketz" which means either "detestable", "loathed" or "blemish" depending on the translator. Despite the term's negative denotation, with the increasing incidence of Jewish-Gentile intermarriage in North America, the term may have lost some of its opprobriousness and is often used in the jocular sense. While it can be used to refer to any female gentile, for many North American Jews, the "shiksa" conforms to the classic all-American cheerleader stereotype, a White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant ] named "Cathy" or "Mary," with long blonde hair and blue eyes. | ||
| Discretion in use of the term is called for, as it is still regarded as offensive in some contexts. However, it has been observed by both ]s and more serious thinkers that such shiksas are often ]ized by Jewish men. Many ascribe it to the particular neuroses of the Jewish-American Male, especially in terms of his relation to his ] An example of this trope can be seen in an episode of ], where a number of Jewish characters display attraction to ]; ] then explains this as a response to her "shiksappeal". | |||
| ] wrote a ] on the subject of shiksas. | ] wrote a ] on the subject of shiksas, in which he subscribes to the WASP-y conception. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| *] | *] | ||
Revision as of 22:49, 18 December 2005
Shiksa (or "Shikse," literally "female abomination") is a Yiddish word that has become commonplace in English usage, mostly in Jewish culture. While it can be simply defined as a pejorative term for a gentile woman, for the American Jewish community, there are many nuances of meaning.
The word is derived from the Hebrew term "sheketz" which means either "detestable", "loathed" or "blemish" depending on the translator. Despite the term's negative denotation, with the increasing incidence of Jewish-Gentile intermarriage in North America, the term may have lost some of its opprobriousness and is often used in the jocular sense. While it can be used to refer to any female gentile, for many North American Jews, the "shiksa" conforms to the classic all-American cheerleader stereotype, a White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant Wasp named "Cathy" or "Mary," with long blonde hair and blue eyes.
Discretion in use of the term is called for, as it is still regarded as offensive in some contexts. However, it has been observed by both comedians and more serious thinkers that such shiksas are often fetishized by Jewish men. Many ascribe it to the particular neuroses of the Jewish-American Male, especially in terms of his relation to his mother. An example of this trope can be seen in an episode of Seinfeld, where a number of Jewish characters display attraction to Elaine Benes; Jerry Seinfeld then explains this as a response to her "shiksappeal".
Lenny Bruce wrote a short story on the subject of shiksas, in which he subscribes to the WASP-y conception.
See also
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