Published May 15, 2026, 11:00 a.m. ET When I sat down to talk with Raphael Bob-Waksberg , the creator of Netflix ‘s Long Story Short , I readied myself to get on a little soapbox and defend Naomi, the Lisa Edelstein-voiced character who, to many, represents the stereotypical Jewish mother. One quick glance at the comment section of practically any post about the hit animated series — which scored a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and earned the “funny and poignant” distinction from DECIDER — and anyone can see that many fans do not have grace for this (mind you) fictional character. The first character to speak in the series, Naomi’s pessimistic passivity may have immediately felt familiar to anyone whose mother is seemingly eternally malcontent. It’s easy to see why someone might frame her as the villain of Long Story Short , as each of the 10 episodes sees her acting as — in no particular order — a killjoy, a nag, overbearing, unfeeling, and insatiable. She’s also what makes the series Emmy-worthy.…