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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13 Reasons Why James Franco’s Bar Mitzvah was Better Than Yours
Seth Rogen and James Franco just upped the bar mitzvah game. The funnyman just threw his best friend, Franco, the party of the year and it was all for a good cause. Here’s why James Franco’s bar mitzvah was better than yours: 1) Rogen and his wife, Lauren Miller Rogen, organized the whole event as…
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Larry David Nails Bernie Sanders Impression on ‘SNL’
(JTA) — “What’s the deal with emails, anyway?” Sounds like a line on a “Seinfeld” episode (or Modern Seinfeld, anyway). But last night we heard it on the “Saturday Night Live” spoof of the first Democratic debate. The speaker was Bernie Sanders’ doppelganger, “Seinfeld” creator Larry David. David is a Jewish curmudgeon who also plays…
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Roger Waters Ignites New War of Words Over Israel
Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters had some very strong words for rock star Jon Bon Jovi before the latter’s Oct. 3 concert in Tel Aviv. “You stand shoulder to shoulder with the settler who burned the baby,” he wrote in an open letter to the rocker that went viral across U.S. and Israeli media….
The Latest
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Gigi Hadid Shares Story of Mom’s Struggle With Lyme Disease
As I listened to supermodel Gigi Hadid share her mom Yolanda Foster’s valiant struggle with undiagnosed chronic Lyme Disease—-as did Tommy Mattola about the years’ long ordeal of his wife singer-actress Thalia and Tommy Hilfiger told of daughter Ally’s anguish at the Global Lyme Alliance Inaugural Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street—I realized how lucky I…
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Is Ivanka Trump the Donald’s Brainy (Jewish) Better Half?
(JTA) — Ivanka is to Donald Trump as Lisa is to Homer Simpson: brainy, composed and unflinchingly loyal to her outrageous and unpredictable father. At least that’s the portrait painted in a Politico article published Thursday. The article explores the relationship between the Republican presidential frontrunner and the daughter who has managed to grow up gracefully…
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For Matisyahu, Leaving Orthodoxy Was ‘Hardest Thing’
(JTA) — With his clean-shaven face and hip clothing, it’s easy to forget that Matisyahu was a Hasidic icon before he was just a Jewish one. But on a segment of HuffPost Live on Tuesday, the Jewish reggae singer called leaving the Hasidic community “one of the hardest things [he] had to go through.” From…
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James Franco’s Bar Mitzvah Now Has a Theme Song
What would you do to attend the bar mitzvah Seth Rogen is throwing his best buddy James Franco on October 17? When (yes, you read that right) and producer Diwon realized all the $150 tickets were sold out, they tried to find another way to get an invite: they wrote a song that might be…
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Sarah Silverman Opens Up About Depression in Glamour Essay
In a country where prescription medication is easily given to people with the slightest inclination towards anxiety and depression, frank talk about what it means to have mental ill is still pretty scarce. Which is what makes Sarah Silverman’s essay in Glamour magazine so meaningful. In the piece, the Jewish comedienne and actress chose to…
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7 Jewish Playmates Who Posed Nude for Playboy
This post is safe for work. (JTA) — All of those who claim to read Playboy “for the articles” might now actually mean it. On Tuesday, Playboy announced that starting in March its magazine will no longer feature nude models. It will, however, still have “sexy, seductive pictorials of the world’s most beautiful women,” according to…
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‘Broad City’ Cancels Filming in Israel Amid Violence
The rising wave of violence in Israel is already having a real impact on Israeli tourism and culture. Which is why we were saddened to learn that Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer from “Broad City” will not be filming an episode for their third season in Israel, according to . The two were supposed to…
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Comic Book Celebs Discuss Comics and the Jews
Coinciding with Comic Con NY, an audience of comic book aficionados filled The Center for Jewish History’s auditorium for the American Jewish Historical Society-sponsored October 7th “panel discussion “Comics and the Jews.” Karen Green, Columbia University graphic novels librarian [“the funnest job ever”] introduced writer-panelists former editor in chief of DC Comics Paul Kupperberg author…
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