![]() ![]() Frizzle are conspicuously rare given how much of the world looks like that. characters with hair and noses like the original Ms. Frizzle, on the other hand, stood for all things good: adventure, a love of learning, and compassion.Īs one fan put it on Twitter, “The change is very sinister to me. While many characters like these have their roots in early folklore and may not have intentionally been made to be antisemitic, they still propel an age-old image that depicts Jews as being greedy and controlling and perpetuate a false idea that all Jews look a certain way. Rowling’s money-hoarding, hooked-nosed goblins in Harry Potteror Roald Dahl’s child-hunting witches in The Witchesif you need a reminder. Perhaps part of the reason many in the Jewish community embraced the quirky science teacher is because of the important representation she brought to our screens in an industry that doesn’t always paint Jews so kindly - look no further than J.K. Others like Arnold Perlstein, the beloved allergy-plagued student who was perpetually wary of his class’ field trips, were also wronged by the sleek modern animation style, appearing with a calmer version of his trademark ginger curls and freckles.Īnd while many of the images trending online may feature her sister, the Frizz herself still appears less whimsical in the reboot, with more softened, Anglo-Saxon features and lacking her seashell-printed bodysuit or solar-system adorned dress. Beyond whitewashing characters, Ralphie Tennelli, the outgoing sports fan who occasionally falls asleep in class, is noticeably thinner in the reboot and devoid of his classic “R” initialed lime green T-shirt. Assertive and skeptical Keesha Franklin and the artistic and laid-back Tim Wright, two dark-skinned characters, have significantly lighter skin tones in the reboot, and Wanda Li, the adventurous and boisterous problem solver of the class, appears with many of her Asian features dimmed down. While it turns out many fans’ anger is slightly misplaced, as most of the side-by-side comparisons trending actually feature the Frizz’s younger sister Fiona, who takes over the fourth grade science class as Frizzle earns her doctorate and embarks on her own travels, there’s still lots for fans to be justifiably upset about.įor starters, the show has visibly toned down its diversity. Frizzle is one of few characters I can think of that portrayed stereotypically Jewish features in a positive light. I have to agree with these criticisms - Ms. Frizzle was a Jewish lesbian.”Ĭonnect with your community every morning.Īlthough the tweet was clearly meant in a humorous way, as the original Frizzle is voiced by lesbian Lily Tomlin and sister Fiona Frizzle is voiced by Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live’s first out cast member, it sparked many others to critique the reboot. Frizzle but not Jewish,’” with another reminiscing that “when i was your age, Ms. One user wrote on Twitter, “Netflix really was like ‘Ms. Frizzle controversy started gaining renewed traction this month, with many fans taking to the internet to express their outrage over the makeover-gone-wrong. While the reboot first came out under the name The Magic School Bus Rides Again in 2017 on Netflix, complete with modern animated characters and an electric theme song rendition by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Ms. To many of us, she looks, well, less Jewish. But in the show’s 21st century reboot, the teacher’s curls look smoother, the slope of her nose straighter, and her iconic outfits a few sizes tighter. Her role as the mystical, happy-go-lucky leader who took her class on field trips to the ocean floor and outer space made The Magic School Bus a hit classic of the ‘90s and beyond. This story originally appeared on įrom her corkscrew curls to eccentrically patterned dresses, Valerie Frizzle was the science teacher we always wished we had. ![]()
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