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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Victoria’s Biggest Secret? Deciding Whether To Do A Fashion Show In The Shadow Of Sexual Abuse
Ratings have plummeted. Marketing chief Ed Razek drew outcry last year when he said that fat and transgender people have no place on a fashion runway. And the news that L Brands Corp. CEO Les Wexner has counted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein as a close business associate might just be its end — the…
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Can Chavkin and Malloy Do For ‘Moby-Dick’ What Lin-Manuel Miranda Did For ‘Hamilton’?
In June 2017, writer and composer Dave Malloy shared a diagram of some notes for his “Moby-Dick” musical on Twitter, complete with a cartoon sketch of a smiling whale. Beneath the diagram, in quotes, were the words, “We’ll not lower for calves.” Lowering may be exactly what you imagine when you hear that a whaling…
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The ‘Old Town Road’ Hebrew Remix Is Here To Melt Your Brain
In the year 960 CE, a Spanish Rabbi and grammar nut by the name of Dunash ben Labrat wrote a piyyut, a prayer poem, called “Dror Yikra,” meaning, “Freedom, shall he proclaim.” You are just three minutes and twenty-five seconds away from having it stuck in your head for the rest of the week. Chicago-based…
The Latest
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Attention ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Fans: There’s An Exhibit Showing Midge’s Costumes
Attention “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” fans: you can now deeply experience the show you have come to know and love. The Paley Center For Media’s New York location announced they are creating an exclusive exhibit dedicated to the beloved television series in anticipation of the show’s upcoming third season. Titled “Making Maisel Marvelous,” fans will have…
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‘I’m So Excited!’ Jennifer Lopez And A-Rod Land In Israel For Concert, Kids In Tow
Power-couple Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez touched down at Ben-Gurion Airport on Tuesday. Lopez is in town to perform a one-night-only concert at Tel Aviv’s famed HaYarkon Park on August 1, a stop on her “It’s My Party” tour, which celebrates her recent 50th birthday, the Jerusalem Post reported. The pop diva and baseball legend…
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Well, It Was A Nice Life: Eating Lox Increases Risk Of Cancer, Some Researchers Find
The American Institute for Cancer Research has said that smoked and cured fish — including lox — are linked to cancer, just like processed meats, food-writer Sophie Egan pointed out in the New York Times. But what do those schlemiels at the American Institute for Cancer Research know? Right? For years, scientists have cautioned that…
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Barbra Streisand’s Forthcoming Memoir Will Focus On Anti-Semitism: ‘It’s Ever-Present’
(JTA) — Barbra Streisand has been “writing a lot” about modern anti-Semitism in her memoir, which she has been working on for years. “It’s an extremely complex topic, and there’s not enough room in this interview to adequately cover it,” the show business icon said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune last week. “So I’ll just…
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Bon Jovi Returns To Israel, BDS Be Damned
They’re literally livin’ on a prayer — legendary rock band Bon Jovi has touched down in the Holy Land. The 80s icons arrived in Israel on Monday afternoon, the Jerusalem Post reported. The band will perform at Tel Aviv’s Ha Yarkon Park on July 25th as one of the final stops on their “This House…
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Sandy Koufax Joins Jackie Robinson As The Only Statues At Dodger Stadium
(JTA) — The Los Angeles Dodgers will add a statue of legendary Jewish pitcher Sandy Koufax to their stadium as part of a $100 million renovation project. The statue will be located next to one of Jackie Robinson, another Hall of Fame Dodger and Major League Baseball’s first black player, the Dodgers revealed at a news…
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RBG: The Senator Who Predicted My Death Died And I Don’t Even Remember His Name
In the beginning, nicknaming Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “The Notorious RBG” was a clever joke — the allusion to street life and hardcore rap riffed on the tiny, quiet justice’s tendency to write fiery dissents for the court. Now, we appear to be seconds away from Justice Ginsburg dropping a diss track, with…
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Attention Jewish TV Lovers: Josh Lyman And Sarah Pfefferman Got Married.
[Cue nostalgic piano remixed with crashing drums and the sound of patriotism:] Amy Landecker and Bradley Whitford were married this week. She stars as Sarah Pfefferman on the Jewier-than-Jewish Amazon show “Transparent;” he had a guest-arc on the show in flashback sequences as her father’s friend, Marcy Hirschfeld. He stars as Commander Joseph Lawrence on…
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