PJ Grisar

A reply to Van Morrison’s totally sane song about media control

New antisemitic Van Morrison track dropped! At least it sure sounds like it. The Irish songster, after months of COVID denial and “Braveheart” talking points about the UK “taking our freedom” for wanting to curb the spread of a deadly virus, released the song “They Own the Media” on streaming platforms Thursday. And boy is…

‘Jesus,’ ‘Jeffrey Epstein’ and more sign on to ‘Jewish Harper’s Letter’

Anyone who’s anyone, living or dead, vile criminal or ancient sage, can add their name to the “Jewish Harper’s Letter” — and they are. The initial letter from the newly-minted Jewish Institute for Liberal Values, which slammed “suppression of dissent” among Jews, was unveiled with such notable signatories as Bari Weiss, Bret Stephens and Rabbi…

What We Get Wrong About Karl Marx

While never a believer in Judaism, and at times vicious about the faith, the revolutionary philosopher Karl Marx came from an indisputably Jewish background: Both of his parents’ fathers were rabbis. The fact that he was not, himself, Jewish is the result of a curious historical circumstance. Marx’s father, Heinrich, born Herschel Levi, earned his…

Why Jeff Goldblum, living meme and baboon whisperer, still matters

They, uh, broke the mold when they made Jeff Goldblum. A delightful eccentric, whose charms lean into singularity, is a kind of cultural anomaly when it comes to lasting power. His iconography — from his “Creation of Adam”-recline in “Jurassic Park,” to a straight-ahead shot of his face from “The Fly” that adorned bathroom stalls…

James Carville tells Democrats to ‘start speaking Yiddish’

James Carville thinks Yiddish should be the language of voter outreach. Well, kind of. In an interview with Vox, the longtime political consultant and “Muppets” cast member expressed his concern about “jargon-y language” surrounding subjects like race, suggesting a more accessible form of messaging for Democrats. “I always tell people that we’ve got to stop…

The 2021 Oscars had Borscht Belt resort vibes

If you’re like me, you were hoping there was an envelope mixup. We’d seen it before at far more polished ceremonies. The 2021 Oscars, which broke with tradition by announcing Best Actor as the final award on Sunday, seemed designed from tip-to-tail to honor the memory of Chadwick Boseman. And then he lost to Anthony…

The Forward’s 2021 Oscars Quiz

RIP to Jim Steinman, a wonderful, vampire-obsessed songwriter

Jim Steinman was the best kind of weird. The Grammy-winning songwriter, known for his epic rock compositions for Meat Loaf, Celine Dion and Bonnie Tyler, died Monday at the age of 73, TMZ was first to report. Steinman’s songs were unmistakable in their bravura, musical theater influence and vampiric subtext. Yes. “Total Eclipse of the…