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
-
Everything You Need to Know About the Season Premiere of ‘Transparent’
Buckle up, “Transparent” fans. The Pfeffermans are back. Hot off of a successful (very Jewish) turn at the Emmys, the show’s entire third season dropped on Amazon Prime last night—and it’s just as quietly glorious as we left it. We’re brought back into the series with an opening shot of Rabbi Raquel, who is practicing…
-
7 Things We Learned From Barbra Streisand’s Essay on Trump — and One Thing She’s Still Asking
On Sept 22, Barbra Streisand penned a scathing essay in the Huffington Post calling Trump, among other things, “a guy who looks like a raccoon in a tanning bed.” But with her humor comes some key takeaways: She’s transparent in her goal. “If we want the country to continue to improve, we must continue President…
-
Chelsea Handler Calls Angelina Jolie a ‘F—ing Lunatic’
Chelsea Handler just said her piece on the whole “Brangelina” split—and she’s not mincing words. The comedian discussed the couple’s impending divorce on her Netflix show, “Chelsea,” and gave her own take on the reason behind their breakup. “There are rumors that part of the problem was that Brad was allegedly drinking and smoking too…
The Latest
-
‘Maestro’ Hershey Felder Showcases a Yiddish Leonard Bernstein You Never Knew
Filing in to 59E59 Theaters for “Maestro”— Hershey Felder’s bravura impersonation of and tribute to Leonard Bernstein—ticketholders were greeted with a stage projection of archival TV footage showcasing a young handsome Leonard Bernstein in lecture mode. Felder—as Bernstein—in word and at the keyboard—launches this autobiographical-cum-musical recitative by recalling his father Samuel Bernstein’s antipathy to piano…
-
Mel Brooks Gets Medal for Being ‘Hilarious’
Several prominent Jews received 2015 National Medals of Arts and Humanities from President Obama. Mel Brooks was honored for “a lifetime of making the world laugh” and Philip Glass “for his groundbreaking contribution to music and composition.” They both received National Medals of Arts. Terry Gross secured a National Medal of Humanities for “her artful…
-
WATCH: Here’s the Worst Tweets Zac Efron and Paul Rudd Have Gotten
The internet can be a weird, scary place. At any given moment, some random stranger can publicly write a hideously awful thing about you and there’s pretty much nothing you can do. Except, maybe, laugh. And that’s the genius of Jimmy Kimmel’s running segment “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets”. Stars read out loud the nastiest tweets…
-
Rachel Bloom Poses for Playboy at a Jewish Deli
Is there really any better combination than Rachel Bloom and a piping hot bowl of matzo ball soup? The “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” creator/star posed for her feature story in the latest Playboy Magazine at Canter’s Deli, the landmark eatery in Los Angeles. The actress is pictured sitting in a deli booth, holding a bubbly soft drink,…
-
Amy Schumer Blasts Sexist ‘Girls’ Life’ Cover
Between the fashion tips and romantic confessionals, women’s magazines get a bad rap for perpetuating sexism. A side-by-side image of the covers of “Girls’ Life” and “Boys’ Life” magazines circulating on the Web bore that out this week, drawing the ire of actress and comedian Amy Schumer. Singer Olivia Holt graces the cover of “Girls’…
-
8 Things About Angelina Jolie’s A-List Jewish Divorce Lawyer
Hollywood’s favorite Jewish divorce lawyer just landed another A-list client. Angelina Jolie, who rocked the internet yesterday after TMZ announced her split with long-time partner Brad Pitt, has hired high-powered attorney Laura Wasser to represent her. And for good reason, it seems. This definitely isn’t Wasser’s first ride around the high-profile divorce merry-go-round. Here’s everything…
-
No, Concerned Internet, Richard Dreyfuss is Not Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Dad
Julia Louis-Dreyfus won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in HBO’s hit “Veep” this Sunday, and paid a beautiful tribute to her late father. “I’d like to dedicate this to my father, William Louis-Dreyfus, who passed away on Friday,” she said. “I’m so glad that he liked me because his opinion was the one that…
-
Angelina Jolie’s Breaking Up With Brad Pitt — Let’s Not Forget Her Brave Breast Cancer Fight
Brace yourselves. Hollywood’s golden couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are reportedly no more. The actress reportedly filed for divorce from Pitt, citing irreconcilable differences. According to TMZ, Jolie is asking for full physical custody of their six children, with Pitt getting visitation rights. In light of this Tinseltown bombshell (no, really, who thought Brangelina…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Culture Trump wants to honor Hannah Arendt in a ‘Garden of American Heroes.’ Is this a joke?
- 2
Fast Forward The invitation said, ‘No Jews.’ The response from campus officials, at least, was real.
- 3
Opinion A Holocaust perpetrator was just celebrated on US soil. I think I know why no one objected.
- 4
Fast Forward Columbia staff receive texts asking if they’re Jewish, as government hunts antisemitic harassment on campus
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward Ben-Gvir says he met with 4 members of Congress, rebuffed protesters at US Capitol
-
News These are the most influential Jews in Trump’s first 100 days
-
Fast Forward Nike apologizes for marathon ad using the Holocaust phrase ‘Never Again’
-
Opinion I wrote the book on Hitler’s first 100 days. Here’s how Trump’s compare
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
