Arts & Culture
Jewish Girls Not Welcome on “Momma’s Boys”
By Lilit Marcus / November 21, 2008
This fall, NBC will debut a new reality show, Momma’s Boys, which features three sets of mothers and sons. Each mom, who is described by the network as "overprotective," chooses a potential mate for her son from a pool of available women cast by the show. According to the New York Post, Momma’s Boys, which will air its premiere episode on December 16, has already been rescheduled twice "with sources speculating that NBC moved it out of its originally scheduled airdate of Oct. 29 because the network didn’t want the racially charged show to air so close to the then-upcoming presidential election, in which race was a hot-button issue."
Why might race be an issue in this show? Well, the pilot episode features a mom named Khalood Bojanowski, who describes herself as Iraqi Catholic and is selecting a partner for her 21-year-old son JoJo. Khalood reportedly says during the program:
I cannot have a black one; I can’t have an Asian one; I can’t have a fat-butt girl. Nooo! No Jewish girl! No way, no way! I cannot stand them! I’m sorry, but I can’t handle them. It has to be a white girl.
Oh, great. And now we’re back to the "Are Jews white?" argument.
And how, you may ask, did this story leak out before the episode even aired on television? Well, Ms. Bojanowski apparently called the cops in her town of Washington Township, Michigan, informing them she might need police protection. Bojanowski’s home was broken into recently, and she claims it was a reprisal for the comments she made on the show–which would be odd, to say the least, considering no one but the cast members and production people have seen it yet.
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actually, there was a Jewish girl on the show. her name was Lauren, and she was the token Jew aside from Rob (one of the Momma’s Boys). naturally, Rob ended up with her because of his mother’s insistent pestering for Jewish grandchildren (she also used the ol’ guilt routine as well). his other option was Camilla, a very attractive (and much taller) Black woman who took a seemingly-genuine interest not only in Rob but in his religion as well (she whipped up some tasty-looking potato latkes in one episode). but of course, Rob’s mother would never go for it so he felt forced to pick the woman who shared his religion (but lacked any sort of chemistry with him) just so his mother wouldn’t castrate him. at least she didn’t spy on him like poor JoJo’s wacky mother.
Perhaps the mother has good reasons for excluding those various racial groups. I have nothing against gentiles, for example, but I won’t be marrying one. It has nothing to do with racism, and everything to do with the fact that I want my wife and children to be the same religion as me.
So perhaps this woman is not racist, and I’m not going to assume she is. I’ll assume she has particular good reasons for this, even if I cannot fathom them, until she proves me wrong.
But if her choices are so narrow, why go on the show in the first place? Similarly, my mother and I would not go on the show, given that we would have to stipulate, "Jews only; black, white, yellow, whatever, as long as they’re Jews". With such a narrow taste, it wouldn’t make sense for me to appear on the show.
I must say that JoJo allows his mom to steer him around as though he is wearing pampers it is unbelievable how this obviously prejudice women is not only ignorant, but has a unhealthy attachment to her son. She would like for her son to date only white woman well reality check white, black, brown, yellow no real woman would ever have her as a mother-n-law. This woman will never ever live her own life, and will invade in her son’s relationship for the rest of his life, unless he were to marry and move far away. (she would probably hire a helicoptor or detective to search for him) she is a sad, sad, pathetic woman. I think JoJo should purchase a mirror and allow her to see the continent traveling behind her she is no thin woman.Â
 Run JoJo RunÂ
"If you knew her circle of friends you would know she is close with black, white, hispanic, muslim, oriental, and, yes, jews".- Anonymous 2008
Wow I’m sure she knows alot of "orientals". You so full of it! If that woman or you for that matter knew any "non christian whites" then she definetly wouldn’t describe an ASIAN or ASIAN-american as oriental considering its an outdated and offensive term. Oriental is Rug not a group of people. The diffuculties that face a black/white relationship or offspring um, isn’t the offspring of a black white relationship the incumbent president of the United States of America? There are lots of interracial, mixed religion families in this country. She is an ignorant hate-monger and the INS should have never allowed that woman into the country.
Also, for the record, this is a Jewcy article, not a Zeek one.
I happen to know Khalood. First, she does not hate anybody. The way the questions were asked for her interview, and how she was directed to respond for the camera were for the dramatic effect, for responses from such articles as this one. You have to ask yourself a question … why would this crap come out now, 3 weeks before the premier of the show? Who got their hands on the house break in, and why did "they" try to tie it in with the show? Who are the ones who would gain by this? "NBC". If you knew her circle of friends you would know she is close with black, white, hispanic, muslim, oriental, and, yes, jews. You have to remember she came from extreme persecution living as a Chaldean Christian in the Muslim world in Iraq. She has faced more persecution while living in Iraq than any race living here in the US. She despises racism. However, when ‘prodded’ during the interview about very specific types of people she wants for a bride for her son, she gives very specific reasons why should would not like black, muslim, and jewish. You will not hear the reasons as they relate to religious difficulties in marriage, or cultural challanges for a black white mix for her son and would be daughter-in-law here in the US. These reasons will not be part of any sound bite portrayed in commercials, media print, nor during the show. Why? ‘Cause good stuff just doesn’t make for good television and ratings. Period!
Okay, I have a few problems with this…
1) Do you really believe all of the propaganda? What better way to get people to watch the show than to have it be as adverse as possible. She seems like the perfect candidate to stir the pot with her outspoken opinions.
 2) The police issue is bogus. The cops were called for the reason of the burglary attempt, not to watch over the house for her fear of the debut.
3) So her views on women for her son are strict and unacceptable by society today, but what response would you get if you asked her what she thought about jewish people in general? Is it that wrong to not want your son to date a jewish girl? Maybe he doesn’t want to date a jewish girl. A wedding would be tough there wouldn’t it? Â
4) What you see on reality tv is so skewed that you CAN’T believe everything that happens. We all know how they make things look different for ratings.
I read the New York Post article and and I have to agree with the above post, why would NBC put this woman on television? That’s all this country needs, that’s all the Jewish community needs… That’s all any ethnic group needs these days. After the historic events of recent weeks I would like to think that we’re moving away from such ignorance and hate. It is indeed disappointing that NBC would support a show like Momma’s Boys. This Bojanowski character sounds like quite the piece of work. Is she really the type of person NBC wants to stand behind? NBC and Ryan Seacrest (the show’s producer) should be ashamed.Â
Since when is it NBC’s position to actively promote hate and racism? I know their ratings these days have taken quite the nosedive, but is anti-Semitism and prejudice really the way to recover..? I am disappointed with NBC’s choice here.Â
Get your facts straight. She never called the police for protection for the show. She called the police because her house was broken into, SEPARATE from the show.
Reality shows? Is that what ZEEK considers worth discussing on its front page?
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