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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Guys, We’re Mad At Harvey WEINSTEIN, Not Harvey FIERSTEIN!
Poor Harvey Fierstein. His only crime is having a very similar name to the man at the center of Hollywood’s latest sexual harassment controversy. The Broadway legend (like … LEGEND)tweeted early Friday morning that people are directing their rage at the wrong Harvey. Harvey Weinstein is rumored to be in trouble & I am somehow…
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The New ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Movie Cast Is Basically Just Jews
It’s as if Hogwarts’ sole confirmed Jewish wizard Anthony Goldstein opened a vanishing cabinet somewhere — Jewish actors and characters are streaming into the new “Harry Potter” spinoff movie faster than you can say “it pretty much makes sense that not every single magical person in history celebrated Christmas.” Casting announcements for the new “Fantastic…
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Lin-Manuel Miranda And Stephen Sondheim Dropped A Puerto Rico Benefit Song You Can Dance To
Why do we fantasize about life during the galactic civil war in a galaxy far away? Would it really be worth it to live under the fascist Sith regime, just for the chance to train with Yoda and marshall the force? Yes. And why do so many of us harbor dreams of receiving our Hogwarts…
The Latest
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The Chicago Cubs’ Curse, Masha Gessen’s Russia And More To Read, Watch And Do This Weekend
It’s Sukkot, so ideally you’ll be spending your weekend eating traditional stuffed foods in a sukkah, whether one that costs $10,000 or, uh, otherwise. In your free time, look to our weekend culture picks to supplement. 1) Read Masha Gessen’s newly released “The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia,” a finalist for the National…
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Lisa Bloom Brought Down Bill O’Reilly. So Why Is She Defending Harvey Weinstein?
Thursday afternoon, the New York Times published an investigative report detailing the decades of sexual assault allegations that have been directed towards powerful Hollywood executive, Harvey Weinstein. The piece was published following a week of media hype surrounding it, including reports that Weinstein had assembled a crack team of lawyers in anticipation of expected blowback….
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Billy Eichner Says The Child Who Plays ‘Young Sheldon’ Was The Only Actor Who Spoke To Sean Spicer At The Emmys
In a serious case of life mimicking art, Billy Eichner says that the child who plays young Sheldon on the “Big Bang” spinoff series “Young Sheldon” was the only actor to speak to Sean Spicer backstage at the Emmys. Eichner, who currently stars in both “Difficult People” and “American Horror Story: Cult,” told the story…
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Sorry Everyone, Bethenny Frankel Is Not Going To Run For President
What do Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, and Bethenny Frankel have in common? All of these women have made it clear that they will not be seeking the Oval Office in 2020. Despite assuming a rather public and active role in Hurricane Maria relief efforts, Frankel confirmed last night via Twitter that she is not setting…
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No, ‘Transparent’ Was Not Actually Shot In Israel
The ruse is over, ladies and gentlemen. The fourth season of “Transparent,” which famously took place in Israel, was not actually shot in Israel. Vulture reports that every single scene was instead the result of an art director getting creative in California. Here is a comprehensive list, according to Vulture, of every single place in…
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Trevor Noah Interviews Representative Jim Himes About Gun Control Following Mass Shooting
Another day in America, another mass shooting, another Trevor Noah clip in which the comedian interviews a Democrat about why one person shouldn’t be allowed to buy an automatic rifle that is built specifically to kill many, many people from far away in very little time. Tuesday evening, Noah had Connecticut Democrat Jim Himes on…
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Bethenny Frankel Charters Four Planes Worth Of Supplies To Puerto Rico
Bethenny Frankel may not identify as Jewish but, fortunately for her, the Schmooze identifies as a pop-culture vertical that is endlessly fascinated with her stardom and will never stop paying homage to every single move she makes! The reality star, who was born to a Jewish father, is in the news this week after chartering…
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How Bernie Sanders And Larry David Found Out They’re Cousins — Really
Let it be known — “Finding Your Roots” is the purest show on television. There is something so innocent about watching Henry Louis Gates Jr. calmly doling out the ancestral secrets of famous people with a measured glee as said famous person reacts like a child who has been told he is going to Disney…
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Most Popular
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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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Culture Trump wants to honor Hannah Arendt in a ‘Garden of American Heroes.’ Is this a joke?
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Fast Forward The invitation said, ‘No Jews.’ The response from campus officials, at least, was real.
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Opinion A Holocaust perpetrator was just celebrated on US soil. I think I know why no one objected.
In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward Reconstructionist leader to step down as head of movement riven by tension over anti-Zionism
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Culture Alfred Dreyfus was not the man you think he was — and the history of Jews in France is a little different too
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Yiddish World This synagogue ‘gets’ why you need Yiddish on Yom Hashoah
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Culture A subreddit notorious for Holocaust denial is back online — now as a memorial
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