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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Watch Killer Mike Interview Bernie Sanders in a Barbershop
Once you feel the Bern, you’re never the same again. And Killer Mike has felt the Bern. Big time. You may remember Bernie Sanders’ and Killer Mike’s much publicized last month. Turns out that that right before that delightful meal, the two sat down for what was a really insightful and honest conversation about race,…
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‘Star Wars’ — Or a Woody Allen Movie?
Let’s play a game. Take a look at the following quotes from the original “Star Wars” trilogy, and repeat them with a Woody Allen voiceover: “I’ve got such a bad case of dust contamination, I can hardly move.” “Where am I? Where is everybody?” “With all we’ve been through, sometimes I’m amazed we’re in as…
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Jewish Stars and Droids Take Over ‘Star Wars’ Premiere
The Force was strong at last night’s star-studded premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Celebrities and fans alike shared the red carpet with a squadron of storm troopers, droids and at least one Yoda. Below are some of our favorite moments: Looks like between director J.J. Abrams and the original intergalactic heartthrob, Han Solo,…
The Latest
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Howard Stern Inks New 5-Year Deal with Sirius XM
Satellite radio service provider Sirius XM Holdings Inc said it had signed a new five-year deal with celebrity radio jockey Howard Stern for “The Howard Stern Show.” Under the deal, Stern will continue to produce and host the show, and Sirius will also venture into video programming, the company said on Tuesday. Sirius has signed…
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Norman Lear Says Archie Bunker Would Have Backed Donald Trump
Like the larger-than-life personalities he created for television —- Archie Bunker, George Jefferson, and Maude — Norman Lear says exactly what’s on his mind. Lear, 93, didn’t mince words in a recent interview when it came to Donald Trump and the Republican front-runner’s legions of supporters. “Donald Trump is a fool and an a—hole,” the…
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Donald Trump’s Jewish Doctor Has Out-Trumped Him
Breaking news: There exists a man on this planet who speaks in more convoluted prose than Donald Trump. His name is , MD. Bornstein, who has been Trump’s personal physician since 1980, gave the Republican U.S. presidential candidate a clean bill of health in a letter released by the Trump campaign on Monday. “I am…
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Mandy Patinkin is Confused by Ted Cruz ‘Princess Bride’ Memes
The Internet is a really strange place. Just one click could bring you videos of — or a meme of Ted Cruz face superimposed on Mandy Patinkin’s body. Some context: Ted Cruz, apparently a fan of the 1987 classic “The Princess Bride,” has taken to reciting the line made famous by Patinkin’s character, Inigo Montoya, on…
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Taylor Swift is No ‘Nazi Barbie,’ Jewish Group Tells Camille Paglia
An Australian Jewish group has criticized author Camille Paglia for referring to Taylor Swift as an “obnoxious Nazi Barbie.” The chairman of the Australian B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission called Paglia’s comments, which she published in an article for the Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, “obscene.” “While Paglia is entitled to her views about Taylor Swift’s music…
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Folksbiene’s Bryna Wasserman Talks ‘The Golden Bride’
“Today I am happy!” Bryna Wasserman, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene executive director, told me following the December 8 and 9 Gala launches of “The Golden Bride,” (Di Goldene Kale) a revival of Joseph Rumshinsky’s deliciously amazing operetta at the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s Edmund J. Safra Hall. This is the first since 1920 that the…
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Holocaust Film, ‘Son of Saul,’ Nominated for Golden Globe
A searing Holocaust film, “Son of Saul,” is one of five foreign-language movies nominated for a Golden Globe trophy. The Hungarian movie, whoich won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, is also an early favorite in the foreign-language Oscar race, which includes entries from 81 countries. In “Son of Saul,” the character of…
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Jon Stewart Dresses Up as Donald Trump
(JTA) — Jon Stewart may have left “The Daily Show” before Donald Trump’s campaign got into its headline-stealing groove, but that doesn’t mean that the Jewish comedian can’t still take shots at the Donald. On Thursday, Stewart joined his old Comedy Central companion Stephen Colbert on CBS’ “The Late Show” in his latest attempt to bring…
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In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward Every time Donald Trump has invoked Hitler and the Nazis
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Fast Forward UCLA allowed antisemitism to fester amid pro-Palestinian protests, report says
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Fast Forward Ahead of election, liberal-leaning Jewish groups decry ‘xenophobia’ and ‘hate’ toward immigrants
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Culture Sitting shiva for his wife, an overcaffeinated academic is scalded by grief
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