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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Maury Povich Is Extremely Proud Of His Legacy, Thank You Very Much
It is said that we reap what we sow and America has spent much of 2017 reckoning with that parable. We’ve done a lot of sowing lately and what have we to reap for it? President Donald Trump, a startup that seeks to render bodegas obsolete, and a 20th season of “The Maury Show,” which…
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Audiences Are Rejecting Darren Aronofsky’s New Psychological Thriller
Described by Paramount Studios as a “riveting psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice”, critics have been eagerly awaiting Darren Aronofsky’s latest directorial feature “mother!” since the drop of its stark and surrealist trailer, featuring a perpetually terrified Jennifer Lawrence. The movie’s weak opening weekend, however, suggests that audiences have decided they don’t want to…
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‘Jerry Before Seinfeld’ Is An Intimate Portrait Of The Rare Comedy Success Story
Netflix is finally dropping a new standup comedy special by the man, the myth, the legend himself, Mr. Jerry Seinfeld. Filmed at The Comic Strip in New York City, the standup club where he honed his comedic sensibilities, Seinfeld performs the jokes that made him rich and famous. This hour-long special will give viewers access…
The Latest
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Does The Media Really Think Jackie Hoffman Thinks Laura Dern Looted Art From Nazi Victims?
It’s a tale as old as time — or at least as old as Twitter. A famous actress, upon losing a coveted award to another famous actress, accuses her of running a child porn ring and looting art from Nazi victims to detract from the glory of her win. Jackie Hoffman, the “Feud” actress who…
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Will Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Careers Ever Escape From The Shadow Of Taylor Swift?
I remember it like it was yesterday—it was a cool autumn afternoon in Brooklyn. I wrapped my arms around my boyfriend, and I wrapped my scarf around my neck. Covered in fabric I felt, for a moment, like anything was possible. Even love. Darn it. Once again I have confused Taylor Alison Swift’s memories with…
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Rachel McAdams Prepared For Her Role As An Orthodox Jewish Lesbian By ‘Going Undercover’
Serious act-ors will often go to great lengths to capture the depth and particularities of their on-screen character. Who can forget the time Renée Zellweger gained a bunch of weight to play Bridget Jones? Or the time she lost a bunch of weight to play Roxie Hart? Or the time Daniel Day Lewis learned to…
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The Fourth Season Of ‘Broad City’ Is More Jewish Than Ever
The season 4 premiere of “Broad City” dropped last week on Comedy Central. Now, the “Broad City” creators must reckon with the feedback of their most-feared reviewers: the Schmooze ladies. Where does this premiere fall on the spectrum of “Broad City” premieres? Jenny: This felt like a “love-letter to the fans” if you will (and…
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Feeling Stressed About The High Holy Days? Try ‘Religious Reefer’
When you’re feeling the strain of planning a break-the-fast for 50, try a strain of Religious Reefer. A new humor video from LA comic Benny Spiewak imagines a brand of weed called “religious reefer” (technical term, “besamim”), to get you through the holiday season. The yamim noraim have never been this awesome. Whether it’s a…
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Richard Dreyfuss And His Son Joke About Rehab, Legitimizing The Existence of The Internet
Among immediate family members, an innocuous question about movies can swiftly escalate into a public fight about money, religion, and stints in rehab. Such was the case with Richard Dreyfuss, legendary “Jaws” actor, and his son, actor and Mother Jones writer Ben Dreyfuss, earlier this week on Twitter. Behold the magnificence: Let’s unpack what’s happening…
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Rachel Bloom Introduced The Emmy Accountants With Vaudeville
Rachel Bloom, the unlikely star of the 21st century (it’s not too early to call it), did a bit at the Emmy Awards. We’re all gathered here to discuss: was this trash or not? Dressed in a spangled tuxedo, Bloom stormed the stage with her signature aplomb, followed by a quartet of dancers. Swiveling her…
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Harrison Ford Opens Up On Affair With Carrie Fisher
When the late Carrie Fisher revealed that she and Harrison Ford had had an affair on the Star Wars set, absolutely no one was surprised, and even more people were undoubtedly jealous. While promoting her last book, her memoir The Princess Diarist, she told People Magazine: “It was Han and Leia during the week, and…
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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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Opinion The Trump administration just gave a gigantic gift to extremists in the West Bank
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Opinion In this Hegelian age, we should be talking about Herzl not Trump
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Culture What a lion, a rabbi, and a dog taught me about grief
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Music After decades of waiting, we’re finally getting a Bob Dylan-Barbra Streisand duet
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