Shorthand Stereotype

As a great and renowned newspaper, The Times quite literally can influence the English language. Because of this extraordinary power, I object to the following synopsis of the film “Goodbye, Columbus,” published recently in Calendar’s TV listings:

“A rich, spoiled Jewish-American princess and a college dropout have an affair.”

The phrase “Jewish-American princess” is a derisive and insulting one. For The Times to use this phrase as a handy shorthand way to describe a character in a movie not only promotes a false and cruel stereotype but gives this phrase a legitimacy that it should not have.

In the future I hope that The Times will continue its tradition of writing fine prose and eschew further use of this phrase.

MICHAEL CREIGHTON

Hidden Hills