The chai-light zone : Rod Serling, secular Jew / David DeAngelo, Steven Gimbel, & Stephen Stern.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

DeAngelo, David, author.

Gimbel, Steven, 1968- author.

Stern, Stephen J., 1963- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Serling, Rod, 1924-1975--Criticism and interpretation.

Serling, Rod.

Twilight zone (Television program : 1959-1964).

Judaism.

Jews.

Television personalities--United States.

Television personalities.

Authors, American--20th century.

Authors, American.

judaism.

Physical Description:

132 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Eugene, Oregon : Cascade Books, [2024]

Summary:

"The Twilight Zone is remembered as a science fiction television series that reflected the uneasiness of Cold War America. Its creator, Rod Serling, was a secular Jew who fought in World War II and returned stateside to see moral problems at home, like racism and the potential for technology to rob us of our humanity. The Twilight Zone was Serling's attempt to influence mainstream culture in an ethically positive direction. His moral compass, which shaped his writing on the series, is entangled with his brand of cultural Judaism. By examining a range of episodes, the authors of this volume bring this Jewish moral influence out from the twilight and into the full light of day."--From page 4 of cover.

"The Twilight Zone is remembered as a science fiction television series that reflected the uneasiness of Cold War America. Its creator, Rod Serling, was a secular Jew who fought in World War II and returned stateside to see moral problems at home, like racism and the potential for technology to rob us of our humanity. The Twilight Zone was Serling's attempt to influence mainstream culture in an ethically positive direction. His moral compass, which shaped his writing on the series, is entangled with his brand of cultural Judaism. By examining a range of episodes, the authors of this volume bring this Jewish moral influence out from the twilight and into the full light of day." -- Page 4 of cover.

Contents:

Introduction: A world that needed healing

Rod Serling's Jewishness

Portrayals of Nazism in The Twilight Zone's early seasons

"The Mighty Casey" : striking out Nazi race theory with Jewish ethics

Serling's moral invasion of anti-semitic stereotypes

The Borscht Belt meets Orion's Belt : Jewish comedy in The Twilight Zone

Three rabbis named Chaim : Neo-Talmudic television

Seeing is not believing : The Twilight Zone, Candid Camera, and Mission: Impossible.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 123-127) and index.

ISBN:

9798385211937

9798385211944

OCLC:

1450557337

Publisher Number:

90100468876