The Schmooze lies at the intersection of high and low culture. Here, the latest developments and trends in Jewish art, books, dance, film, music, media, television and theater are all assimilated into one handy pop culture blog.
The Schmooze
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‘I Feel Pretty’ Failed At The Box Office Because We Can’t Handle Women Who Hate Their Bodies
In ‘I Feel Pretty,’ Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer) hates herself. She hates her face and she hates her body. She hates her clothing and her job and her office. She hates her life. Then she hits her head and believes she has transformed into the form of a runway model, and every aspect of her…
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Bette Midler Will Return To Star In ‘Hello Dolly’ On Broadway
Promise you’ll never go away again, Bette! The 2017 Tony Award winner for the titular role in “Hello, Dolly” will return to the Broadway stage for the final weeks of the production she made a smash hit. Bette Midler, who received rave reviews last year for her portrayal of Dolly Levi opposite David Hyde Pierce,…
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Brad Pitt’s New Girlfriend Is A Supersmart Israeli MIT Professor
It was late April 2018, and the soul of the people of Israel was stretched to the breaking point. Actress Natalie Portman, long thought of by Jews as God’s emissary here on earth, was taking a vague and confusing stance on Israel that was probably well intended but felt like the snuffing out of 1,000…
The Latest
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Sarah Jessica Parker Campaigns For ‘Formidable Woman’ Cynthia Nixon
Sarah Jessica Parker, the de facto face of New York City for most of the early 2000s, has begun to campaign for New York State gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon. Parker endorsed Nixon, her co-star in HBO’s “Sex and the City,” in late March, just days after Nixon announced her campaign to challenge Andrew Cuomo for…
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Celebrating Cynthia Ozick, ‘Kodachrome’ And More To Read, Watch And Do This Weekend
It’s Earth Day this weekend, and while it may not feel like springtime yet, do your best to get out and volunteer in your community. To reward yourself for your volunteering efforts, check out some of the weekend’s best culture to boot. 1) Read Cynthia Ozick, a grand dame of American letters, turned 90 this…
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg Still Plans To Attend Genesis Gala That Natalie Portman Is Snubbing
Natalie Portman, it was announced on Thursday, will not attend the ceremony to accept the Genesis Prize in Israel, citing “recent events in Israel” that are “extremely distressing to her.” But as the news of Portman’s shocking stand ripples across the globe, the question remains: will Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the inaugural winner…
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Natalie Portman’s Complete History With Israel, Annotated
Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman will not travel to Israel to accept the prestigious Genesis Prize, the organization announced on Thursday. A representative told the prize committee on the actress’ behalf: “Recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel.” The representative…
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“Report It”: Aly Raisman Addressing College Students On Sexual Assault Is A Revelation
There is no reason that Aly Raisman, who has spoken so personally about her experiences with convicted child sex abuser Larry Nasser, should also be a tremendous activist and teacher on the topic of sexual assault and harassment. But then again, there was no reason that Aly Raisman should have been able to perfectly execute…
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Books Pamela Anderson And Shmuley Boteach Wrote A Sex Tip Book — And It’s 100% Kosher
“Baywatch” star and “Playboy” model Pamela Anderson and Orthodox Rabbi Shmuly Boteach have written a book about how to have better sex. “Lust for Love: Rekindling Intimacy and Passion in Your Relationship,” is out next week. Theirs is a (professional) love to last a lifetime. Her: the most commonly featured cover model in Playboy history….
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A Very Forward Guide To Weed — In Honor Of 420
As we approach the eve of the holy holiday of 4/20, we wanted to take a moment to mark this auspicious occasion. Because marijuana is a central part of Jewish life — in fact, it always has been, as Madison Margolin writes, all the way from ancient Israel to the shtetl. Jews relate to this…
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J.K. Rowling And The Jews: A Complicated Love Story
Joanne Rowling, a woman whose stories shaped the psyche of a generation, has taken to Twitter to defend Jews against anti-Semitism. In several tweets on Wednesday (the writer of the brick-like Potter tomes has been a prolific tweeter for a long time,) Rowling rejected the idea that Jews can’t experience racism, and then went on…
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News School Israel trip turns ‘terrifying’ for LA students attacked by Israeli teens
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Culture Cardinals are Catholic, not Jewish — so why do they all wear yarmulkes?
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Fast Forward Why the Antisemitism Awareness Act now has a religious liberty clause to protect ‘Jews killed Jesus’ statements
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Music After decades of waiting, we’re finally getting a Bob Dylan-Barbra Streisand duet
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Opinion 80 years after Germany surrendered, we’re still learning the real lessons of World War II
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News How a Holocaust denier turned antisemitism into a cryptocoin
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Fast Forward Dozens of arrests reported as NYPD removes pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied Columbia library
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Fast Forward Temple suspends second student involved in ‘F— the Jews’ sign
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