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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Going To Carnival in Rio? We Have All the Jewish Hotspots
RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) – Brazilians know how to party. Nowhere is that more obvious than at Carnival, Brazil’s most popular celebration festively combining its rich and multi-ethnic melting pot. It’s also one of the world’s largest multi-day celebrations, when ecstatic crowds enjoy fabulous samba parades and enormous street parties. Carnival follows a lunar calendar,…
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Lena Dunham Thrilled She’s Mistaken for 1 of the ‘Broke Girls’
Lena Dunham (R) says her bodega man thinks she’s one of the stars of “2 Broke Girls.” Tip that man, Lena! “Girls” creator and star Lena Dunham says she’s not going to correct her bodega man on this one. The guy at the bodega on my block thinks I’m the star of 2 Broke Girls…
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Marco Rubio Dons a Kippah and Wishes You a ‘Boot Shabbos’
Marco Rubio spent last week dashing across Iowa, shaking hands, kissing babies (do people still do that?), persuading voters and… learning some Yiddish? In preparation for Monday night’s Iowa caucus, Marco Rubio ran across Yarmulke entrepreneur and peace-loving loving Jew, Marc Daniels, who offered to give Rubio the bump in the polls he so needed….
The Latest
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Drake Brings Memetastic ‘Hotline Bling’ Back for Super Bowl Ad
T-Mobile has a history of pulling out all the stops for their Super Bowl commercials and this year they teamed up with Drake and his sweet “Hotline Bling” dance moves to prove they’re totally into Internet culture, even if they’re four months too late. The ad shows the Canadian Jewish rapper selling out to a…
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Jewish Celebs Split on Hillary vs. Bernie Race
(JTA) — Chalk it up to “Hollywood values.” The entertainment industry famously, or infamously, depending on your perspective, leans Democratic. And Jewish celebrities are no exception. With the 2016 Iowa caucuses kicking off the presidential primary season on Monday, pollsters have Democratic candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., neck and neck in…
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How Klezmer United Jews of One Post-Soviet Russian City
Kazan, Russia — When the six members of the Simcha klezmer band hauled their instruments into a dilapidated rehearsal space, no one suspected they were about to hijack a government building in this large, clean city some 450 miles east of Moscow. But that’s exactly what happened in 1995 when this popular ensemble — founded in…
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‘Weiner’ a Winner at Sundance — Takes Top Documentary Prize
(JTA) — “Weiner,” a film about the mayoral campaign of Anthony Weiner, the disgraced New York Jewish congressman, and the landscape of today’s politics, won the the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Weiner was forced from politics when it emerged that he was sexting women around the country – and sending pictures of…
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Growing Up Madoff — Raising a Family With a Notorious Name
Richard Dreyfuss (L) plays Bernie Madoff in ABC’s upcoming series. (JTA) True story: Back in 2008, one of my son’s favorite games was one we called “Bernie Madoff.” It was basically cops and robbers — I played a police officer and Elie, 3, was Bernie. The object of the game was that I chased him…
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J.Lo. Will Perform In Israel This Summer for the First Time
JERUSALEM — Jennifer Lopez reportedly will perform in Israel for the first time. Lopez agreed to hold a concert this summer in Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv, the Ynet news website reported Monday. She is among several high-profile artists and bands who are scheduled to perform in Israel this summer. They include Elton John, Deep…
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‘DWTS’ Pro Val Chmerkovskiy Sued for Fat Shaming Down’s Girl
A 16-year-old girl who has Down’s Syndrome is suing Jewish “Dancing With The Stars” hoofer Val Chmerkovskiy for posting an Internet that fat shames her. The offensive meme shows her when she was just 8. She’s sipping from a soda at a baseball game and the words superimposed on her say: “Letting your kid become…
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Men on New York’s West Side Look a lot Like Bernie Sanders — or Larry David
The harsh reality (or not so, depending on your predilections) is that if you’re a man of a certain age, you’re hair is white, you’re Jewish — and especially if you wear spectacles — someone may think you’re Bernie Sanders. Or a relative. Just ask Larry David. So The Forward decided to have a little…
Most Popular
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Opinion The most antisemitic university president you’ve never heard of
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Culture Why Doug Emhoff shared his bar mitzvah with a guy named Scott
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Opinion Take it from someone who’s both Black and Jewish: Ta-Nehisi Coates weaponizes race to spread antisemitism
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Opinion I’m a Jew of color. Ta-Nehisi Coates can’t apply US lessons to Israel.
In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward Jewish Park Slope Food Coop members file state complaint alleging antisemitic, anti-Israel harassment
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Fast Forward Kamala Harris does not agree with protester who shouted ‘genocide,’ her campaign says
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Culture This writer has finally forgiven Glenn Close; whether Glenn Close cares is another story
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Music The accordion is an instrument of sorrow and celebration — does that make it Jewish?
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