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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‘Girls’ Star Alex Karpovsky on Directing, Stand-up Comedy and Working With Lena Dunham
Alex Karpovsky wears lovable neurosis well. On “Girls,” he plays Ray, the take-no-prisoners curmudgeon, with a penchant for social commentary and dry wit. In “Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this week, he’s a struggling stand-up comedian playing opening act and second fiddle to his famous musician friend. We…
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‘Seinfeld’ Crew Takes Aim at Bernie’s ‘Yada Yada Yada’ Plan on ‘SNL’
It was a Jewish ‘Seinfeld’ reunion on ‘Saturday Night Live’ — but who got the most laughs out of Bernie Sanders’s debate showdown with Hillary Clinton? Julia Louis-Dreyfus hosted the show and shared the stage with — who else? — Larry David as they took comic pot shots at both the Democratic candidates. David mocked…
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Harvey Weinstein on Bernie: ‘We Won’t Get Fooled Again’
Harvey Weinstein had a few choice words about Bernie Sanders while on a promotion stop on the morning news show “CBS This Morning” for his upcoming movie, “Sing Street.” Asked about his thoughts on Thursday night’s Democratic debate, Weinstein said his family members have “all types” of political views, his mother started out as a…
The Latest
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‘Broad City’ Goes on Birthright, Turns Jewish Anxieties Into Comic Gold
(JTA)—The “Broad City” ladies make some sort of Jewish reference or joke in almost every episode of their Comedy Central show. But Wednesday night the real-life Jews took on their Jewiest topic yet: the free Birthright trip to Israel. After spending most of the episode struggling to catch their flight, Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson) and…
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This Bro Handshake Shows How Far Bernie Sanders Has Come
Do you remember when Bernie Sanders didn’t quite know how to fist bump Killer Mike? If you don’t, here’s a friendly reminder: He finally got it after at least a dozen tries. Well, now we have proof that the Sanders handshake/fist bump has come a long in the last few months. We’re just going to…
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Bono Says Send Amy Schumer and Sacha Baron Cohen To Fight ISIS
On Tuesday, longtime activist and U2 frontman Bono spoke before a Senate subcommitte hearing on “causes of violent extremism and the role of foreign assistance,” where he that foreign aid to the Middle East and Africa is a matter of national security. But he had another suggestion that was met with roaring laughter: send in…
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Amy Schumer Brilliantly Mocks Glamour’s ‘Plus Size’ Monicker on Jimmy Fallon
Oh Amy, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways. Outspoken comedienne Amy Schumer mocked dubbing her as plus size on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” Tuesday night. “For those of you who don’t know who I am, I’m a famous plus size model,” she joked to roaring laughter, reclining down in…
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Marijuana-Laced Challah Saves the Day in ‘Dough’
In the comedy “Dough,” a young Muslim baker finds an unexpected way to save a struggling Kosher London bakery: by secretly lacing the bread with marijuana. The bakery’s elderly Jewish owner, played by award-winning Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce, initially eyes his new worker with suspicion. But as the customer base starts extending far beyond the…
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Did Led Zeppelin Steal ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Intro From Jewish Guitarist?
It will be up to a jury to decide if parts of Led Zeppelin hit “Stairway to Heaven” were stolen from a lesser known song by rock band Spirit, a judge ruled Friday. The lawsuit alleges that Led Zeppelin plagiarized from Spirit’s “Taurus,” and was initiated by a trustee for Randy Wolfe, Spirit’s Jewish guitarist….
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Don’t Miss These 8 Jewish Movies at the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival brings no shortage of Jewish topics this year, from Mel Brooks joking about the Holocaust, to an anti-Semitic Hungarian politician turned Orthodox Jew. Here are our favorite films about the chosen people playing at the New York event, which runs April 13-24. Last Laugh (USA) In this documentary, director Ferne Pearlstein…
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Steven Spielberg Takes On Vatican’s 158-Year-Old Feud With Jewish Family
Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film with Mark Rylance, “The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara,” will shine a light on an obscure battle between the Papacy and an Italian Jewish family that led to outrage and controversy in Europe and the United States in the mid-19th century. Based on true events, the story focuses on a six-year-old Jewish…
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Fast Forward Trump administration restores student visas, but impact on pro-Palestinian protesters is unclear
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Fast Forward Deborah Lipstadt says Trump’s campus antisemitism crackdown has ‘gone way too far’
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Fast Forward 5 Jewish senators accuse Trump of using antisemitism as ‘guise’ to attack universities
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