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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18 Absolutely Accurate Pop Culture Predictions For 2018
As has been the case for two years in a row now, exactly one of our pop culture predictions for 2017 turned out to be right. Unfortunately, it began with the words “Lena Dunham will pen a well-intentioned but tone deaf open letter to someone or another,” and yes, that turned out even worse than…
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Vanity Fair Tells Hillary Clinton To Take Up Knitting And Stay Out Of Politics
Should one of the world’s most accomplished politicians and the winner of the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election refocus from community organizing to knitting? The answer, according to a group of editors at Vanity Fair, is yes. Hillary Clinton, a former Secretary of State and New York senator, used her office as First…
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‘Artists You Didn’t Know Were Jewish’ Riff-Off Makes ‘Pitch Perfect 3,’ Well, Perfect
Like so many American Jews this weekend, I flocked to the movie theater to see one of the greatest films of the year: “Pitch Perfect 3.” Yes, watching the grand finale of the a capella film franchise was the most fun I have ever had in my entire life. I strongly recommend it to you…
The Latest
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World Chess Champions Won’t Compete In Saudi Arabia Tournament That Kept Out Israelis
Anna Muzychuk, a 27 year-old Ukrainian woman, currently holds two World Champion titles in speed chess. This week she will lose them both without playing a single game. Why? Because Muzychuk, along with her sister Mariya Muzychuk — also a chess grandmaster and 2015 Women’s World Chess Champion — is not willing to abide by…
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The Princess Diana ‘Bon Jovi’ Musical Heads To Broadway
Update note: This story was published on December 24, 2017. It was updated to reflect new developments for the musical on August 14, 2019. Britain’s royals now wear shorts, cry in public, and care about marginalized people. Now, a musical about Princess Diana’s wedding, written by the Jewish keyboardist for “Bon Jovi” is officially headed…
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After Backlash Lorde May Cancel Concert In Israel, But Not Concerts In Russia
Singer Lorde has come under fire from from BDS supporters on Twitter after announcing tour dates this coming summer in Tel Aviv, St. Petersburg and Moscow. The 21 year-old “Royals” singer is promoting her 2017 sophomore album “Melodrama,” which received a nomination for album of the year at the most recent Grammy Awards and general…
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Gal Gadot May Star In Nazi Redemption Thriller
The great news: against all odds, a woman with a mysteriously unpronounceable last name from a desert country that is 1/90th the size of Mexico has become one of the world’s most beloved movie stars. The confusing news: her next movie, slated for late 2018, might be a post-World War II revenge thriller about a…
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Are You Sure Meghan Markle Isn’t A Tiny Bit Jewish?
Let us take a moment to paraphrase a teaching from the Mishnah on the subject of atonement: For transgressions against readers of the Forward, the Schmooze atones. But for transgressions against Meghan Markle, the Schmooze does NOT atone until it becomes clear why Meghan Markle seems so Jewish. Let’s backtrack. Last Spring we were ecstatic…
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Netflix Has Abandoned The Jews
Netflix has announced its top 10 shows of 2017. These are the shows that we Americans chose to “chill” to, or watched with glazed eyes, drool dribbling out of the corners of our mouths into microwaved TV dinners. Netflix quantifies a binge as watching more than two hours a day. Its members watched more than…
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Is Judge Judy Being Paid Too Much? The Talent Agency Suing CBS Thinks So.
As Judge Judy Sheindlin likes to say, “You wouldn’t know the truth if it got up and slapped you in the face.” If she’s right (and she often is,) talent agency Rebel Entertainment Partners had better duck and cover. The syndicated megastar, whose daytime courtroom show makes an annual net profit of over $75 million…
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Santa Or Hasid? Would You Wear This Sweater?
This sweater was spotted at a Century 21 department store in New York City, but its provenance has been hard to trace. Is it appreciative, appropriative, inappropriate or just tacky? Weigh in here: Would you wear a sweater with a “Hasidic Dancer” pattern? — Jenny Singer (@JeanValjenny) December 21, 2017 Jenny Singer is a writer…
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