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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This Former Nebbish Can Help You Become Super Popular — Like Him
To give you an idea of how uncool Jon Levy was as a kid, know this: His first kiss was in first grade, when he was a student at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. His second kiss? Well, that happened during his freshman year in college. Now, however, Levy has…
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Jon Stewart Has One Simple Tip For Ending Fake News
Fake news is continuing to make real headlines. On Sunday, 28-year-old Edgar Maddison entered Comet Ping Pong restaurant in Washington, DC, armed with an assault rifle, on a mission to investigate an online conspiracy theory. According to a statement made by The Metropolitan Police Department, Maddison was there because of “Pizza Gate,” an internet rumor…
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LISTEN: Regina Spektor’s Hamilton Mixtape Track is Absolutely Dreamy
We were thrilled to report Regina Spektor would be putting her own spin on the “Hamilton” song “Dear Theodosia” for “The Hamilton Mixtape,” and we’re even more excited now we’ve heard the final version. Listen to her honey-toned version, featuring Ben Folds, below.
The Latest
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‘Good Girls Revolt’ Was Canceled For No Good Reason
As if 2016 hadn’t put us through enough, news just emerged that Amazon has decided to ax their new show, “Good Girls Revolt.” The reason, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, is that Roy Price, head of Amazon Studios, just “wasn’t a fan.” The show, based on Lynn Povich’s book of the same name, chronicles…
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WATCH: Andrew Sachs’s 5 Best ‘Fawlty Towers’ Moments
“Fawlty Towers” star Andrew Sachs, a German-born British actor who fled the Nazis in 1938, died last week. The 86-year-old was best known for his role as Manuel, a bumbling Spanish waiter who drove star John Cleese (of Monty Python fame) crazy. The show ran for just 12 episodes, but it was still ranked No….
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READ: The Spiegelman Family Created an Anti-Trump Comics Collection
(JTA) — Nadja Spiegelman is no stranger to controversial art. She’s the daughter of Art Spiegelman — the artist and writer best known for “Maus,” his seminal graphic novel about the Holocaust — and Francoise Mouly, the New Yorker’s art director, where she often produces strikingly political covers. Now Nadja Spiegelman, 29, who has written…
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Here’s How Israel Is Creatively Wooing Indian and Chinese Tourists
(JTA) — When Bollywood star and Indian fashion icon Sonam Kapoor appeared on the cover of the June-July issue of Harper’s Bazaar Bride India, she did so wearing a sheer pink confection and a radiant smile. Behind her sprawled the Old City of Jerusalem. It wasn’t happenstance. The Israeli government — keen to tap into…
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How Do You Pronounce Mnuchin?
Steven Mnuchin, a longtime Trump acquaintance, Goldman Sachs executive, and Hollywood producer with no political experience, is expected to be tapped as Treasury Secretary by Donald Trump as early as Nov 30. But the pronunciation of his name has been befuddling many in the media: so here are a bunch of news anchors who don’t…
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Model Emily Ratajkowski Slams Erotic Photos of Her as ‘Violation’
One year before Emily Ratajkowski hit it big with her topless role in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” music video, she participated in a sultry photo shoot with photographer Jonathan Leder. Leder, best known for his erotic photographs, took about 100 pictures of Ratajkowski sprawled out out on furniture both in lingerie, and fully nude. The…
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WATCH: Trevor Noah Faces Off Against Tomi Lahren on ‘The Daily Show’
Tomi Lahren and Trevor Noah are known for their ability to aggressively attack the subjects on their show, so when these political show hosts had a showdown of the hosts on television this week, it was surprisingly civil. Since Lahren, a political commentator for “TheBlaze,” has rocketed herself onto the mainstream of conservative thought by…
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Trevor Noah to the Media: “Treat Donald Trump Like the Toddler He is”
Trevor Noah has some words of wisdom for journalists reporting on Donald Trump. “Donald Trump has the mind of a toddler,” the host said during “The Daily Show” on Tuesday. “If you think about it, it makes sense. He loves the same things that toddlers do. They like building things. They love attention…always grabbing things…
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