Crossing Delancey

This reminds me of a Woody Allen movie in that it takes place entirely in Manhattan, and it’s a Manhattan where no one has a boring cubicle job, and no one works in Manhattan’s biggest industry which is banking and finance. But it’s a lot more outwardly Jewish than the typical Woody Allen movie. This movie contains, perhaps, the best on-screen depiction of a briss in the history of American cinema.

This movie can’t really be discussed properly without giving away the ending, so I’d suggest, perhaps, that you watch it before reading the rest of this post. This movie can be watched for free online if you have a Netflix subscription. It’s a pretty enjoyable movie to watch and not too long. You definitely want to read the rest of this post either now or later because it’s one of my better movie reviews. There’s lots of good stuff about alpha and beta males.

On the surface, Crossing Delancey may seem like the typical romantic comedy that has been done a million times: boy meets girl, boy chases girl, boy wins girl, they live happily ever after. But actually, I think the real story is a lot more ambivalent, which is why I liked it.

“Izzy,” played by the cute looking Amy Irving (at least she still looked cute in 1988 when she was 35), has some kind of dead end job working at a snooty Manhattan bookstore, but she has convinced herself that her “career” is highly desirable because she gets to meet a lot of stuck-up pseudo-intellectual writers. Her favorite part of the job is setting up and observing small get-togethers featuring these writers stroking each others’ over-inflated egos. The movie even explains how she can afford to live in Manhattan with such a job—she has a rent controlled apartment.

At the beginning of the movie, Izzy is attracted to Anton, an especially stuck-up pseudo-intellectual novelist with a European accent. Anton is an alpha-male within the literary world. Izzy invites him to lunch with her, and he brings along his hot (bookish hot librarian sort of hot) assistant, and he obnoxiously fondles her behind in front of Izzy. Does Izzy get pissed about this and decide never to see the guy again? No way. Alpha males can get away with behavior like this. The women dig it and keep coming back.

Izzy has a grandmother she calls “Bubbie,” who lives on the Lower East Side. This is still an old school Jewish neighborhood in the movie. I’m not sure how accurate that is, even in 1988. I think all the Jews had left the Lower East Side by the end of the 1970s. Anyway, Bubbie invites Izzy over for dinner, and surprises her when a Jewish “marriage broker” also shows up. The marriage broker is there to introduce Izzy to Sam Posner, a guy who owns a nearby pickle store. Sam is a fine upstanding middle-class small business owner who still has roots in the old school Jewish community. In one scene, he’s wearing a City College sweatshirt. We can imagine that he did go to City College before he took over his dad’s pickle business. All Jewish boys go to college. Sam isn’t a dummy, but he’s not into Izzy’s pseudo-intellectual literary scene. He prefers going to a Mets game over attending one of her literary get-togethers.

So what exactly does Sam see in Izzy if they have absolutely nothing in common? It’s not politically correct in the real world to say that the only thing you like about a woman is her looks, but this seems to be perfectly acceptable and standard behavior in romantic comedies.

Not only do Sam and Izzy share nothing in common, Izzy demonstrates over and over again that she’s an inconsiderate person. When they first meet, Izzy puts Sam down for being just a pickle store owner and not intellectual enough to be worthy of her company. Then Izzy pretends to invite Sam on a date so she can set him up with her friend. I thought that was a nice enough thing to do. But at the restaurant, Izzy has second thoughts, and decides to hog Sam to herself while she leaves her friend stranded at the bar. Her friend is justifiably pissed at her.

It’s not clear why Izzy changes her mind about Sam. Guilt seems to be a big part of it. Izzy feels guilty for rejecting Sam for no good reason. In an earlier scene, Izzy tried to let Sam down easy by telling him he’s a nice guy. Sam says something like, “What does that mean? Would you like me better if I knocked you around a bit?” Sam has successfully used a classic beta-male tactic that seldom works in the real world. He wins the girl by making her feel too guilty to reject him.

Near the end of the movie, Izzy sort of decides that she’s going to let Sam be her boyfriend. She sets up a dinner at Bubbie’s apartment with Sam and the marriage broker. But just as she’s about to leave the bookstore on her way downtown, Anton shows a renewed interest in her and invites her over to his apartment to read from the new novel he’s writing. Izzy is unable to resist the alpha male, so she goes over to Anton’s and leaves Sam to fend for himself over at Bubbie’s. While Izzy is hanging out with Anton, Bubbie and Sam are getting drunk on Schnapps. Sam is the kind of guy that grandmothers like a lot better than their granddaughters.

The only reason why Izzy leaves Anton’s apartment is because he reveals to her his plan to hire her as his new secretary. Izzy finally has enough of the jerk. She thought he was interested in her as a girlfriend, and not as a secretary with benefits. So she leaves and takes a cab downtown to Bubbie’s where, quite pathetically, Bubbie has fallen asleep on the couch but Sam is still hanging around hoping that Izzy will show up.

The movie ends shortly after that; Sam and Izzy are happily together. Or are they? One of the things I like about this movie is that it doesn’t show them getting married to each other a year later at a happy wedding. You are free to imagine your own alternative ending. I imagine that, a few weeks later, Izzy meets a new pseudo-intellectual alpha-male type, and she dumps Sam like a cold pickle. My ending is probably what really happened.

Comments

[dearieme]

"one of my better movie reviews": Dear God, I'm glad I've not read the others. All you did was recount the plot and then speculate about unhappily ever after.

[Peter]

The chances that I will actually see this movie are approximately equal to the chances that, when I walk in the house tonight, I will hear Ralphy the cat reciting the Declaration of Independence.

Backwards.

In Sanskrit.

[Half Sigma]

Peter:

The chances that I will actually see this movie are approximately equal to the chances that, when I walk in the house tonight, I will hear Ralphy the cat reciting the Declaration of Independence.

If you had a parrot instead of a cat, it could happen.

It 's really quite good for a romantic comedy, you should give it a try. I enjoyed it a lot more than No Country For Old Men.

[Steve Johnson]

HalfSigma:

"It 's really quite good for a romantic comedy"

Talk about damning with faint praise.

But actually, I agree. It was a pretty enjoyable movie.

[roissy]

Izzy invites him to lunch with her, and he brings along his hot (bookish hot librarian sort of hot) assistant, and he obnoxiously fondles her behind in front of Izzy.

i have... ahem... friends who do this with great success. they'll invite two girls out on the same date and when they show up wondering what the hell is going on he'll just introduce the girls and go have fun together as if nothing was out of the ordinary. it seems so counterintuitive but it works surprisingly often. girls love to fight over a quality man, the drama arouses them. the girls will get to know each other and if the vibe is right he might try for the brass ring -- a 3some.

[Vim]

I am not too impressed with this alpha/beta stuff. I think as a superficial model of relationships it captures a lot of the dynamics and I would say the less the two parties know each other and the more superficial they are about their approach to sex partners, the more explanatory it gets but as a theory of human nature, it is pretty limited.

Any man that sort of puts himself out there as having lots of status and willing to trade some of it for sex, will attract women willing to trade sex for status. I think it should be said that these are a low quality of life-partner on both sides of the equation.

I also hate the alpha-beta paradigm as a metaphor. I have probably said this before, but in nature, alpha males are not psychologically different from other males. 'Alpha' describes their current situation in the hierarchy. If any male thought even for a second that he was big enough or strong enough to beat the alpha, he would immediately challenge him. So beta-ness is more an acknowledgement of facts on the ground than a temperamental difference.

[Rain And]

I once invited a fascinating, crazy homeless man I met to a date I had that night. Holy shit the woman was NOT impressed. :D

Maybe I should have fondled him or something.

Later on she called me at home and bitched about it while I was playing video games with the vagrant. I don't know what she said because I put the phone on the table soon after she started complaining, but you could hear that she ranted a long time before hanging up. :)

[Dragon Horse]

Half Sigma got something right...even a clock is right twice a day. :-)

I agree with him on the "true" ending.

Or she will marry him, even get pregnant and cheat on him constantly and she will divorce him (not him divorce her, he will forgive her for cheating and she will be even more disgusted) that could be a real ending as well. She will cheat on him, as Sigma said, with some pseudo-intellectual who in turn will treat her like a disposable diaper.

In my experience women like this eventually settle down with the beta-male provider after being "abused" several times by an alpha-male...that or they just get used to the drama the alpha-male brings (usually that happens if the guy is wealthy enough so shopping perks outweighs his inability to be faithful, sensitive, etc).

Now lets flip the script...if this was a "brotha" in the same situation he would not have been chilling with grandma, he would have politely excused himself and called that b@tch and left a nasty message, if she called him back with a lame excuse he would have cursed her out in all likelihood, told her he is not trying to here that $#1t...what does he look like...you don't disrespect me...blah blah" and hung up.

Then he would have had a white, Asian, PR, Dominican woman on speed dial just for these occasions, because every playa knows if you aren't married you always keep women "on the team" just in case.

He might have even let the new girl here the "team member" laughing in the background".

I would bet significant money than the woman (especially if she was white) would have called him back and apologized in 3 days and she would be butt naked that night.

This does not have to be a Alpha Male brotha...it just has to be a higher beta male brotha, because a male room Fortune 500 brotha who barely finished college is more alpha than 75% of white male betas...that's just reality.

You can't be too nice to women like this, even if that is your instinct because they WILL NOT REPSECT YOU AS A MAN. They will treat you like a rag doll because they are confused...these women have not be broken in and broken down to the reality of a hyper-alpha that they dream about. So until that time, until they are "in love" you have to act like a man who won't tolerate bull$#1t.

Sigma didn't find this out until he was 30, which is why black basketball playin' brothas and Rico Suave Hispanics (who are probably more alpha than brothas to be honest although they are often physically inferior) banged all the women he was interested in till he got to law school.

LOL

[Half Delta]

Vim I agree. There is no genetic disposition for alpha or betaness. It is all relative anyway. Something like 40% of men did not get to reproduce in history. So by that standard we are all descended from alphas.

The term alpha is loosely defined to begin with. So what you perceive as alpha may be a loosely defined set of genes for charisma, leadership, etc...

Then there is neuroplasticity to account for, otherwise Mystery Method, Real Social Dynamics, Speed Seduction, etc... would not have the phenomenal success and following that they have. The fact of the matter is people have a very complex and highly adaptive genome with genes most likely suited for a wide range of social scenarios. These genes can be flipped on and off throughout one's life. I'll need to find the links for this, but neoroplasticity is a hot topic in science from what I understand.

[Half Delta]

Lol Dragon Horse, when you say male room it sounds like you mean bathroom.

[Turambar]

I have probably said this before, but in nature, alpha males are not psychologically different from other males. 'Alpha' describes their current situation in the hierarchy. If any male thought even for a second that he was big enough or strong enough to beat the alpha, he would immediately challenge him.

Thats not right at all. Have you ever watched alpha's in action? Its exhausting- you have to be all up in everything. Temperamentally I have no interest in doing that. Unless you derive a lot more psychic benefit than normal from peoples' acquiescence to your leadership, I dont think its worth the energy expended in most cases.

[flaming unicorn]

Dragon Horse is such a hardcore alpha male his only hope for getting any in college was through targeting FOB Asian chicks:

President/Founder of the Mei-Hua Club of Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, VA, USA (February 2000-August 2000)

*The primary purpose of the organization is to foster an
environment to assist it's members in the learning
of American and Chinese culture and traditions.
*Coordinate events for members

http://www.asiafunclub.com/wwwboard/country/taiwan/resume/messages/1927.html

[Vim]

Turambar: I mean alpha males as in animals not people ... like wolves or something ... I'm saying the biological model on which this alpha-beta thing rests is flawed. The reason males ACT beta is they are smaller and weaker than the alpha male. If this changes then they change ... at least in other animals ...

[Mr. Race Realist]

Since Dragon Horse started it, anyone want to volunteer if they've fucked a black chick?

Mulatto can count, too.

Although I have a strong preference for other types of females, I had to scratch that itch and find out if I was really missing anything. So, I ended up fucking a black chick- pretty hot for a black chick and dominican. Medium complexion but had more caucasoid characteristics than the normal AA black. Anyway, not the best sex I've had, not the worst either. However, I did start losing hardness mid- act a little bit and yes, this never happened before with any other group's chicks, but I was able to finish. Never done a black chick again. Like I said though, wasn't the worst experience. No regrets.

[Mr. Race Realist]

"Dragon Horse is such a hardcore alpha male his only hope for getting any in college was through targeting FOB Asian chicks"

If Dragon Horse really wants incite people, let's discuss female sexual worth and where certain groups rank on the American hierarchy.

NOT TALKING JUST ABOUT CASUAL SEX. But about serious relationships, too, and what type of groups women higher level guys will invest in long term, in terms of money, time and other resources. My guess is that certain alpha males of certain groups might be uncomfortable discussing where their race's women rank, including biracial women from that race.

Hey, if you want to get inflammatory on this site, let's bring out all the guns!

[roissy]

Since Dragon Horse started it, anyone want to volunteer if they've fucked a black chick?

http://roissy.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/interracial-loving/

hey, you asked.

[Peter]

Since Dragon Horse started it, anyone want to volunteer if they've fucked a black chick?

Not me. I'm sort of sorry that I didn't, back in my single days, but it's not the sort of thing that I think about much. My only interracial "experience" was Asian.

[Vim]

"... let's discuss female sexual worth and where certain groups rank on the American hierarchy."

Grow up ...

[tommy]

I'm not turned on by many black women even if though I'll admit there are plenty of blacks who are objectively attractive. Even light-skinned blacks with European features don't tend to attract me. I can objectively say that Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, and Tyra Banks are very beautiful, but they don't do anything for me personally.

Halle Berry is probably the black woman I find most personally attractive. I'm not sure exactly why. It certainly isn't her personality.

[tommy]

Many East Asian women are attractive, but I find Asians with eyes that are too Oriental a big turn off. Some Asian women that are otherwise appealing look almost cross-eyed. Lucy Liu would be a good example of this phenomenon. I find it a little disturbing.

[anonymous 1]

Vim:
"The reason males ACT beta is they are smaller and weaker than the alpha male. If this changes then they change ... at least in other animals ..."

I agree with a lot of this assertion. With voluntary eugenics, there will be a lot more males with 'alpha' physical traits. If these individuals master game, guys like roissy will have more competition and won't be so rare. Voluntary eugenics must be a nightmare to present day alpha males who want to build a harem in the future.

And, that is allowing for the fact that more alpha females will also be created. Egalitarianism will NOT favor the present day elites.

[anonymous 1]

Wow. I love how every fucking post on here gets into race, voluntary eugenics and the correct age of consent around the globe.

Gannon please say something about how old Amy Irving is in the movie to complete the triad. Seriously, what more could you ask for in a blog but to discuss the above triad?

That is especially true considering this post was about an unremarkable, past her prime Jewish chick who liked taking abuse from guys who didn't find her attractive. I think I just summarized the real plot of that film for Half Sigma in one sentence and took care of Gannon at the same time. :P

[anonymous 1]

I'd fuck a prime Iman, just to add my two cents to the black female thing.

[whiskey]

I saw the movie, HS, a long time ago.

I kept thinking, this is a woman's fantasy. She's 35. Hot, yes, but she's on the downside of her power. She might get all hot and bothered by the Alpha male who has a lot of status and power. And yes, she complained that the Riegert character smelled of pickle juice.

But so what, the Riegert character would have women all over him. Owns his own shop. Some nice Venezuelan or Colombian girl, uber-hot, with a flair for cooking, maybe dreaming of her own restaurant, would find a guy like that irresistible. Smart, stable, enough money, not into macho-straying around BS.

The only reason he'd be staying around Bubbie's is that well, he's Jewish. It's a way of staving off the message -- "why don't you marry a nice Jewish girl, and keep your heritage around?" It's certainly things people think about. "Something New" with Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker ponder that question. Baker being the working class white guy that Lathan's rich black professional family does not see as suitable, not the least of which is his easy-going attitude and lack of macho.

Let's be honest here, Izzy doesn't have much power. She's too old for kids (factor in a couple of years of marriage, savings, she's 38 before you know it). She's hot but not as hot as the 28 year old Venezuelan cutie or whoever down the block, for whom a guy who might not cheat on her like her dad did with her mom, seems ideal. All she's got is she's Jewish and single and still pretty though fading.

You don't run a small business by letting people walk all over you. Sam would have dumped her by then, Izzy would have ended up with a few more one-night stands with pretentious literary types and then alone with her cats. Sam would have definitely been snapped up by someone, probably a younger and hotter working class woman not hung up on manual labor vs. literary class-mongering.

Alpha Males don't always have it their own way. Often, they don't. Not that I just wrote a post about that. Heh.

[Half Sigma]

I don't know why people think that Manhattan is full of hot working class South American women in their twenties who will throw themselves at any white guy with a job, even though he's 10-15 years older.

Anyway, the character in the movie was only interested in marrying a Jewish girl.

[superdestroyer]

whiskey,

Most men realize that when you marry the hot south American or Asian woman you are really marrying her entire family. What man wants to work hard and provide so that his in-laws can live in the your house and spend your money? Only the most desperate are ready to make that deal.

[Mr. Race Realist]

Half Sigma:
"I don't know why people think that Manhattan is full of hot working class South American women in their twenties who will throw themselves at any white guy..."

I have a question for anyone living in Manhattan/NYC. I have a half Italian/half Jewish friend who lives near NYC. He has no interest whatsoever in black women. However, he loves the mestizo/white hispanic look. He adamantly claims that NYC/Manhattan is filled to the brim with ultra hot Dominicans who don't look Black from a facial standpoint, but have curves. I found this dubious because every Dominican I've met looks at least a littl Black, but he insists that facially he's seen so many that are Mestizo/ White Hispanic types instead.

So, for all you NYCers: what's the truth? Are the Dominicans in NYC a special breed and facially take after some other group or am I right in thinking they really probably look Black after all?

Btw, my friend would never get serious with a Black chick and married a Mestizo/White Hispanic Mexican half his age (she's early 20's)- he's an MD.

[Gannon]

I have been posting less because Half Sigma asked me too. By the way, Half Sigma, if you are really in your early forties and want a family your best bet are women in the late twenty to early thirty range. Younger will be difficult, although middtwenties can be done. Older than 32 or so is not woth it if you want children.

[whiskey]

True HS, but the guy would have found, eventually, that Jewish women approaching his age were just too difficult, always chasing after the guy with more status.

South American women, particularly from Venezuela or Columbia, often have different views of men than American women. I'm told that a significant number of middle class Venezuelans and Columbians in the last 30 years has immigrated to NYC. Many were middle class people fleeing chaos/economic depression, with useless native law degrees and so on, opening restaurants. Downscale mobility coupled with middle class background and a different social setting produces different types of people. The few Venezuelan and Columbian women I met had very different attitudes. Quite feminine, they were also more assertive, and tough. Since older women in their home countries are not segregated from younger ones, they had very good ideas on the time limits of their beauty. They seemed to pick their boyfriends quite carefully, FWIW.

[Polanski]

Woody Allen's masterpiece is "Crimes and Misdemeanors."

re great New York films:

Living in Oblivion
Household Saints
Carlito's Way