Alter Kocker: Difference between revisions

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A senior citizen with a [[Yiddish As a Second Language|Yiddish accent]]. In fiction, Yiddish accents are common for old characters, even if their families are of a completely different culture. Alter Kockers are most common in comedies, due to the influence of Jewish comedians. Many [[Borscht Belt]] comics had immigrant parents with thick Yiddish accents. Sometimes, a character shown in the future or undergoing [[Rapid Aging]] will inexplicably gain a Yiddish accent and stereotypical Alter Kocker mannerisms, following [[Rule of Funny]].

A senior citizen with a [[Yiddish as a Second Language|Yiddish accent]]. In fiction, Yiddish accents are common for old characters, even if their families are of a completely different culture. Alter Kockers are most common in comedies, due to the influence of Jewish comedians. Many [[Borscht Belt]] comics had immigrant parents with thick Yiddish accents. Sometimes, a character shown in the future or undergoing [[Rapid Aging]] will inexplicably gain a Yiddish accent and stereotypical Alter Kocker mannerisms, following [[Rule of Funny]].

Incidentally, the phrase ''alter kacker'' literally means "old shitter." It's the Yiddish equivalent to the American slang phrase "old fart." Also incidentally, it means the exact same thing in German (which is closely related to Yiddish).

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== Anime & Manga ==

* In ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh GX]]'', when Chazz is under the control of the Society of Light, Jaden duels him using Chazz's favoured Ojama cards against him. One card causes Ojama tokens to appear on Chazz's side of the field, which look like elderly versions of the normal monsters. In the English dub, they sound Yiddish.

* In ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'', when Chazz is under the control of the Society of Light, Jaden duels him using Chazz's favoured Ojama cards against him. One card causes Ojama tokens to appear on Chazz's side of the field, which look like elderly versions of the normal monsters. In the English dub, they sound Yiddish.

== Film ==

* Miracle Max and his wife in ''[[The Princess Bride (~~Film~~)|The Princess Bride]]''. Miracle Max is explicitly written "old Jewish coot" in [[The Princess Bride (~~Literature~~)|the original book]]. [[William Goldman]] the author (who remember, [[Literary Agent Hypothesis|claims he is adapting a centuries-old story]]) even hangs a lampshade on it on several levels. The movie version of Miracle Max was, on VH-1's ''I Love The 80s'', referred to as "a little Jewish troll." Max's being played by the then thirty-something Billy Crystal only makes it funnier...

* Miracle Max and his wife in ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]''. Miracle Max is explicitly written "old Jewish coot" in [[The Princess Bride (novel)|the original book]]. [[William Goldman]] the author (who remember, [[Literary Agent Hypothesis|claims he is adapting a centuries-old story]]) even hangs a lampshade on it on several levels. The movie version of Miracle Max was, on VH-1's ''I Love The 80s'', referred to as "a little Jewish troll." Max's being played by the then thirty-something Billy Crystal only makes it funnier...

* Arthur from ''The Holiday''...though he's one of a handful of old Jewish guys hanging out in LA, and he even refers to himself as an "old Kocker".

* [[Mel Brooks]] is fond of playing these:

** ''The Two Thousand Year Old Man'' is a very alter kocker.

** Two characters pretend to be this in ''High Anxiety'' in order to get through customs, hoping that being as loud and obnoxious as possible will [[Weirdness Censor|make people ignore them]].

** Yogurt in ''[[~~Spaceballs (Film)|~~Spaceballs]]'' is played as an old [[Space Jews|Jewish alien]].

** Yogurt in ''[[Spaceballs]]'' is played as an old [[Space Jews|Jewish alien]].

* ''[[Eddie Murphy]]'' plays one in ''[[Coming to America]]''. The character is a regular at the barbershop and tells a classic Jewish joke.

* In ''[[Snatch]]'', the Jewish gangsters in the opening credits dress up like Alter Kocker, with Hasidic dress and Yiddish accents. Frankie Four Fingers' natural accent, however, is very Yiddish.

* Jud Hirsch's character in ''[[Independence Day]]'' is an old Jewish man who kvetches constantly and speaks [[Yiddish As a Second Language]].

* Jud Hirsch's character in ''[[Independence Day]]'' is an old Jewish man who kvetches constantly and speaks [[Yiddish as a Second Language]].

* Dan Lauria's character in ''[[The Spirit]]'', Commissioner Dolan, lampshades this trope: "I'm just an alter kocker, ya gotta gimme something to work with here."

** When the Spirit has to explain to Officer Morgenstern what this means, Dolan complains "Jews these days don't even know their own language."

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== Web Original ==

* Iroh in ''[[Avatar ~~the~~ Abridged Series]]''. Bear in mind, [[Avatar: The Last Airbender ~~(Animation)~~|the original]] has a Japanese accent while ''[[Fridge Logic|everyone else in the Fire Nation]]'' has a [[American Accents|standard American one]].

* Iroh in ''[[Avatar: The Abridged Series]]''. Bear in mind, [[Avatar: The Last Airbender|the original]] has a Japanese accent while ''[[Fridge Logic|everyone else in the Fire Nation]]'' has a [[American Accents|standard American one]].

** Maybe he had a stroke at some point (in the context of the original series). Sometimes after strokes or other trauma that affects the brain, people recover the ability to speak but gain an accent (sometimes it's definitively Spanish/German/Japanese/what have you, most of the time it's just "generically foreign").

** ...or maybe it's due simply to Iroh being voiced by [[Mako]], and he [[Not Even Bothering ~~With~~ the Accent|didn't even bother to hide his accent.]]

** ...or maybe it's due simply to Iroh being voiced by [[Mako]], and he [[Not Even Bothering with the Accent|didn't even bother to hide his accent.]]

* There is an entire website dedicated to this concept: [http://oldjewstellingjokes.com/ Old Jews Telling Jokes].

== Western Animation ==

* Pa Grape in ''[[~~Veggie Tales (Animation)|~~Veggie Tales]]'', which is kind of odd because he was originally introduced as the patriarch of a hillbilly family, and none of the other members of the family sounded Jewish.

* Pa Grape in ''[[Veggie Tales]]'', which is kind of odd because he was originally introduced as the patriarch of a hillbilly family, and none of the other members of the family sounded Jewish.

** This may be from the limitations of placing most characters on the shoulders of Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki, due to limiting most characters to whoever they can record in-house.

* One of Grandpa's housemates at the retirement home in ''[[The Simpsons (~~Animation~~)|The Simpsons]]'' is known solely to fans by the nickname "Old Jewish Man" on the basis of his accent.

* One of Grandpa's housemates at the retirement home in ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' is known solely to fans by the nickname "Old Jewish Man" on the basis of his accent.

{{quote| '''Old Jewish Woman''': "Our son Schlomo is working on a kibbutz in Haifa, and we're schlepping him some kreplach."<br />

'''Old Jewish Man''': "Yep, we're Jewish, alright!" }}

* King Tooten Pooten from ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy]]'', despite being of the ancient race that supposedly enslaved the Jews, speaks in this accent, complete with Yiddish phrases, like threatening to potch his grandson's tuchas.

* On ''[[Rugrats]]'', Boris and Minka, Tommy Pickles' maternal grandparents, who actually are Eastern European (presumably Russian) Jews.

* Walter Wolf, the scheming nemesis of Slappy Squirrel on ''[[~~Animaniacs (Animation)|~~Animaniacs]]''.

* Walter Wolf, the scheming nemesis of Slappy Squirrel on ''[[Animaniacs]]''.

** Slappy too. Even if she isn't explicitly Jewish, she's been in show business so long she's picked it up.

* On ''[[Futurama]]'', [[Planet of Hats|every single Decapodian]] is, at least to some extent, an [[Alter Kocker]], though Harold Zoid and the ambassador take it [[Up to Eleven]].

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