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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Why Kirk Douglas is Giving Away $80 Million
In a move reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood heros he played on the silver screen, Kirk Douglas has decided to give away millions to charity. that Douglas, 98, together with Anne Douglas, his wife of over 60 years, will be donating the majority of the pair’s $80 million trust. The actor attributed his…
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Hearing Yiddish at a ‘Hamilton’ Hip Hop Musical
I never expected to hear Yiddish in the lobby of the Richard Rodgers Theatre for “Hamilton, the hip hop mega hit musical. “Do you know how to get to your seat?” asked the feisty petite, blonde senior veteran usher who had just told a theatergoer “We’re all mamelige,” a reference to corn meal mush and…
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Digital Diva Tiffany Shlain Asks: ‘What Makes a Mensch?’
(JTA) — “Our technology has exceeded our humanity,” Albert Einstein is said to have lamented. But filmmaker Tiffany Shlain — who utilizes an online, collaborative process and distribution method she dubs “cloud filmmaking” — says it’s possible that technology, used correctly, can enhance our humanity. As a testament to Shlain’s methods, as well as her…
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The Fat Jew Is Sorry He Stole Jokes. Kind Of.
It’s been a hard week for The Fat Jew. After weeks of rumors that he had been stealing the jokes that have made him a pop icon, actual evidence of plagiarism surfaced, causing Comedy Central to cancel his contract for a scripted series. But the Fat Jew is not deterred. Josh Ostrovsky (as he is…
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Police Search Gene Simmons House for Child Porn — Family Not Suspected
Los Angeles police recently searched the home of Kiss rock singer Gene Simmons but said neither Simmons or his family were the targets of their inquiry. The search on Thursday was conducted by members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman said, but gave no further details. “None…
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Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis Make Forbes’ List of Top Paid Actresses
Well done ladies! Forbes has released it’s annual list of the top paid actresses in Hollywood, and a few members of the tribe have made the cut. Scarlett Johansson came in at number 2, with $35.5 million earned this year. Notably, she starred as Black Widow in the mega-hit “Avengers 2: Age of Ultron” alongside…
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Jon Stewart’s Jewish Pre-K Teacher Remembers What He Was Like As a Toddler
Before hosting the Emmy-winning “Daily Show” for 16 years, Jon Stewart went to a Jewish Day school. His teacher, Leah Linton, 90, still remembers him as a (tinier) comedian. Linton, 90, came to America from Nazi-occupied Austria in the 1930s. She taught pre-kindergarten at Trenton Hebrew Academy for 35 years. During the 1966-67 year, she…
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a Dad, Jewish Girls Swoon
Mazel tov Joseph Gordon-Levitt! The Jewish actor and his wife, Tasha McCauley, welcomed their first child, a baby boy, Gordon-Levitt hasn’t said much about his personal life to the press, and kept his relationship under wraps until after his secret wedding on December 20 2014. The pair had met in 2013 though mutual friends. The…
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Can You Guess Osama Bin Laden’s Favorite Jewish Singer?
Here’s a guy you might not have expected would have had an extensive audiotape collection: Osama Bin Laden. Here’s who you definitely wouldn’t expect to be found in it: an Algerian Jew. on the findings in Williams College professor Flagg Williams’ forthcoming book, The Audacious Ascetic, on Bin Laden’s private music collection. Yes, it included…
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This Is What Andy Samberg Looked Like in High School
Andy Samberg, nice Jewish boy and funny man, turned 37 today. To celebrate,some yearbook photos of the comedian, courtesy of Instagram user Judith Horn. Two words: THAT. HAIR. The pictures, taken when Samberg was a student at Berkeley High in his hometown of Berkeley, California, show some early clowning abilities. After graduating in 1996, he…
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Is That a Mel Brooks Joke in the New Frankenstein Trailer?
Among the many iconic lines from Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein,” (“Walk this way;” “Would you like to roll in the hay;” “Frau Blucher”) one always stands out for me. It’s the one spoken by Dr. Frederick Frankenstein when, upon meeting his assistant Igor for the first time, he corrects his pronunciation. The exchange goes as…
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