--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's an unwritten law that you cannot…" description: "\"There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic.\" — Spike Lee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/spike-lee-3057_anti-semitic_there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot_1517090.jpg" --- # There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish… ![“There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic.” quote by Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/spike-lee-3057_anti-semitic_there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot_1517090.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/spike-lee-3057_anti-semitic_there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot_1517090.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/spike-lee-3057_anti-semitic_there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot_1517090.jpg) > “There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic.” [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hollywood often demands flawless Jewish characters, pressuring creators to avoid any negative traits. **In simple terms:** Jewish characters are expected to be perfect. Key Takeaway Challenge stereotypes. Themes representation stereotypes media Mood critical reflective Type analysis social commentary When to use this quote - film casting - scriptwriting - audience perception Key Concepts cultural pressure character complexity Questions to Reflect On - Should all characters be flawless? - How to portray nuanced identities? A Different Perspective Idealization can erase authentic diversity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) ## Related quotes > [I filled in for Papa Roach because we weren't doing much. Unwritten Law had a few more shows booked, but I got the call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-palermo/i-filled-in-for-papa-roach-because-we-weren-t-doing-much-unwritten/) [Tony Palermo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-palermo/) > [A state that suppresses all freedom of speech, and which by imposing the most terrible punishments, treats each and every attempt at criticism, however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-huber/a-state-that-suppresses-all-freedom-of-speech-and-which-by-imposing/) [Kurt Huber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-huber/) > [The problem with any unwritten law is that you don't know where to go to erase it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-problem-with-any-unwritten-law-is-that-you-don-t-know-where-to-go/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no law in the world - there is no law unwritten, there's no law on the books - that's gonna stop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-is-no-law-in-the-world-there-is-no-law-unwritten-there-s-no-law/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The unwritten law - the common law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latin-proverb/the-unwritten-law-the-common-law/) Latin Proverb > [So far from genius discarding law, rather is it the supreme joy of genius to re-enact the eternal and unwritten law in the chamber…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-henry-parkhurst/so-far-from-genius-discarding-law-rather-is-it-the-supreme-joy-of/) [Charles Henry Parkhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-henry-parkhurst/) > [There is a written and an unwritten law. The one by which we regulate our constitutions in our cities is the written law; that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes-laertius/there-is-a-written-and-an-unwritten-law-the-one-by-which-we-regulate/) [Diogenes Laertius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes-laertius/) > [Custom, that unwritten law, By which the people keep even kings in awe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-davenport/custom-that-unwritten-law-by-which-the-people-keep-even-kings-in-awe/) Charles Davenport > [There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity, maybe it's a kind of lack of generosity towards non-Jews. I mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/there-is-a-trait-in-the-jewish-character-that-does-provoke-animosity/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [My children have no prejudices at all. My own brother-in-law is Jewish!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-kilgallen/my-children-have-no-prejudices-at-all-my-own-brother-in-law-is-jewish/) [Dorothy Kilgallen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-kilgallen/) > [“Krauthammer’s Law: Everyone is Jewish until proven otherwise. I’ve had a fairly good run with this one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/krauthammer-s-law-everyone-is-jewish-until-proven-otherwise-i-ve-had/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [All I need to understand is the unwritten law of warriors," he said firmly. "And women and children are never sent to do our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/all-i-need-to-understand-is-the-unwritten-law-of-warriors-he-said/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [“When it came to dealing with feral dissidents, there was only one unwritten law that superseded all others: "An' it secure a conviction, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/when-it-came-to-dealing-with-feral-dissidents-there-was-only-one/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [It's kind of an unwritten law, I think, being - carrying the name - George Bush. At times I ask myself, 'Am I going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-bush/it-s-kind-of-an-unwritten-law-i-think-being-carrying-the-name-george/) [George P. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-bush/) > [“There's an unwritten law of the universe which assures that the thing you seek will always be found in the last place you look.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/there-s-an-unwritten-law-of-the-universe-which-assures-that-the-thing/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) ## More by Spike Lee > [Mike Tyson is the most complex person I've ever met in my life. I've known Mike since 1986. We're both from Brooklyn. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/mike-tyson-is-the-most-complex-person-i-ve-ever-met-in-my-life-i-ve/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [A spine to my films that's become more evident to me is that many are about the choices people make, and the reverberations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/a-spine-to-my-films-that-s-become-more-evident-to-me-is-that-many-are/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I am very fortunate I can send my kids to private school, but everybody does not have the money. If you cannot get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-am-very-fortunate-i-can-send-my-kids-to-private-school-but/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I really don't deal with hypotheticals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-really-don-t-deal-with-hypotheticals/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I've never seen black men with fine white women. They be ugly. Mugly dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-ve-never-seen-black-men-with-fine-white-women-they-be-ugly-mugly/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I may have been born yesterday, but I stayed up all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-may-have-been-born-yesterday-but-i-stayed-up-all-night/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I consider Madonna a friend, and she sure knows how to work the publicity machine. Of course, I don't have breasts. If I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-consider-madonna-a-friend-and-she-sure-knows-how-to-work-the/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [If you can't take a hit, you're not going to last long, that's for sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/if-you-can-t-take-a-hit-you-re-not-going-to-last-long-that-s-for-sure/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [America doesn't have the moral right to tell other people what to do. To say the whole world has to fall into line is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/america-doesn-t-have-the-moral-right-to-tell-other-people-what-to-do/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I'm worried just as much about Donald Trump as that crazy guy in North Korea - and he has a nuclear code. I'm worrying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-m-worried-just-as-much-about-donald-trump-as-that-crazy-guy-in/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I think the best actors in the world are here in New York City. And this city is just so vibrant the energy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-think-the-best-actors-in-the-world-are-here-in-new-york-city-and/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [People sometimes forget all the films that we've done. They remember the likes of 'Malcolm X' and 'Do the Right Thing.' But I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/people-sometimes-forget-all-the-films-that-we-ve-done-they-remember/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I ain't Martin Luther King. I don't need a dream. I have a plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-ain-t-martin-luther-king-i-don-t-need-a-dream-i-have-a-plan/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [Any film I do is not going to change the way black women have been portrayed, or black people have been portrayed, in cinema…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/any-film-i-do-is-not-going-to-change-the-way-black-women-have-been/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I think if people looked at my body of work, they'd see a great breadth of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-think-if-people-looked-at-my-body-of-work-they-d-see-a-great/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) [Explore all 141 Spike Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) ## More Anti semitic quotes > [We witness anti-Semitic attacks in the heart of Europe. We hear anti-Semitic slanders in European media. We feel anti-Semitic hatred in the continent that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/we-witness-anti-semitic-attacks-in-the-heart-of-europe-we-hear-anti/) [Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/) > [“. Despite the considerable horror they had felt when the SA men were bellowing crude anti-Semitic slogans, in retrospect the joke-tellers were very much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-herzog/despite-the-considerable-horror-they-had-felt-when-the-sa-men-were/) [Rudolph Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-herzog/) > [Oddly enough, most of the books written about the subject aren't very good because they just focus on the more hateful movies that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/oddly-enough-most-of-the-books-written-about-the-subject-aren-t-very/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [Make no mistake about those who call themselves anti Zionist are anti Semitic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/make-no-mistake-about-those-who-call-themselves-anti-zionist-are-anti/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Oswald Mosley's movement, it was a big movement. It was obviously anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, it was populist. Mosley wanted to replace the parliamentary system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/oswald-mosley-s-movement-it-was-a-big-movement-it-was-obviously-anti/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [The founder of the BDS movement is blatantly anti-Semitic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-zeldin/the-founder-of-the-bds-movement-is-blatantly-anti-semitic/) [Lee Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-zeldin/) > [I have excellent relationships with Jewish organizations and participate every year in a Hanukkah celebration with my family. There haven't been any anti-Semitic tendencies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-yushchenko/i-have-excellent-relationships-with-jewish-organizations-and/) [Viktor Yushchenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-yushchenko/) > [To stand together against homophobic, sexist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic and racist agendas. I’m an optimist and I can’t help but feel hopeful about the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/to-stand-together-against-homophobic-sexist-misogynistic-anti-semitic/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [And we've also had now the speaker of the Parliament in Iraq using blatantly anti-Semitic remarks, saying the Jews and sons of Jews are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-schakowsky/and-we-ve-also-had-now-the-speaker-of-the-parliament-in-iraq-using/) [Jan Schakowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-schakowsky/) > [If it's racist, it's racist. If it's anti-Semitic, it's anti-Semitic. If it's anti-women, it's anti-women. If it's anti-immigrant, it's anti-immigrant, and we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-boxer/if-it-s-racist-it-s-racist-if-it-s-anti-semitic-it-s-anti-semitic-if/) [Barbara Boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-boxer/) > [There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-gibson/there-is-no-excuse-nor-should-there-be-any-tolerance-for-anyone-who/) [Mel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-gibson/) > [There was no reason to label us as anti-Semitic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marie-le-pen/there-was-no-reason-to-label-us-as-anti-semitic/) [Jean-Marie Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marie-le-pen/) > [Jews, I know you're God's chosen people and the rest of us are just 'whatever', but when Israel behaves like a violent, psychopathic bully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/jews-i-know-you-re-god-s-chosen-people-and-the-rest-of-us-are-just/) [Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/) > [As for me, even though I have been accused of anti-Semitism countless times, no one has ever heard me make anti-Semitic statements or engage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marie-le-pen/as-for-me-even-though-i-have-been-accused-of-anti-semitism-countless/) [Jean-Marie Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marie-le-pen/) > [There was no reason to label us as anti-Semitic. No reason at all. I do not know one person in the National Front who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marie-le-pen/there-was-no-reason-to-label-us-as-anti-semitic-no-reason-at-all-i-do/) [Jean-Marie Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marie-le-pen/) Browse all 129 Anti semitic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Spike Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot-have-a-jewish-character-in-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anti semitic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot-have-a-jewish-character-in-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/spike-lee-3057_anti-semitic_there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot_1517090.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/spike-lee-3057_anti-semitic_there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot_1517090.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/spike-lee-3057_anti-semitic_there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot_1517090.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or…” — Spike Lee", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Spike Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's an unwritten law that you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot-have-a-jewish-character-in-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/there-s-an-unwritten-law-that-you-cannot-have-a-jewish-character-in-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```