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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Mayim Bialik’s Scary Ironic Biblical Cat
Mayim Bialik has a sense of humor. The actress shared a picture of her cat on Instagram today with the caption: “My sleepy baby, Esau. (that’s an ironic Biblical name. Google it.)” Once you recover from the sight of what is really a scary-looking hairless creature, the joke is pretty clever. Esau, in the Torah,…
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10 Food Movies Everyone Should See
While it may seem as though deli food is the only grub worthy of cinematic treatment, some foolish auteurs have tackled others. Here are some of the best food films ever, in our humble opinion. 1. The Hundred-Foot Journey (Lasse Hallström, 2014) Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren) is not pleased when Indian immigrants open a restaurant…
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‘Deli Man’ Pays Homage to Jewish Comfort Food
Photo courtesy Cohen Media Group For many Jews, much of their identity revolves around a bagel with shmear or a hot pastrami sandwich. And in mid-20th-century America, there were plenty of places they could indulge their cultural-culinary passions. In 1931, New York City alone was home to over 1,500 kosher delicatessens. Today, not so much….
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Monica Lewinsky’s Life Has Been Turned Into a Mini-Series
Remember when Monica Lewinsky tried to put that whole Bill Clinton scandal behind her by moving to Manhattan and starting her own handbag line? Well, now the whole saga has been immortalized in a new 6-part DIY mini-series, the Fader reports. The series, directed by Doron Max Hagay, seems loosely based on New York Magazine’s…
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This What You Get When You Combine Limp Bizkit and ‘Seinfeld’
Seinfeld and Limp Bizkit — two 90s phenomenon (ok, one is early 2000s, but bear with me). And there the similarities end. One has achieved cult status; the other — not so much. One is Jewish; the other — not so much. But combine them, and you get something surprisingly, well, awesome. Posted last Thursday, the video…
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The Sway Machinery’s Expanding Cantorial Epic
The Sway Machinery promises that its 3rd LP, “Purity and Danger,” is its “most chiseled enunciation of its foundational concept” yet — and it delivers on this promise. In a return to Afro-pop infused cantorial traditionals and modern blues myth-making, The Sway Machinery comfortably resettles into its epic vision, though this time with even more…
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Melissa Rivers Speaks Out on Joan Rivers Oscars Snub
Getty Images Fans were outraged that Joan Rivers was left out of the Oscars’ “In Memoriam” segment — but her daughter seems to be taking the high road. In a statement posted to Joan Rivers’ official Facebook page, Melissa Rivers basically told everyone to please, take a chill pill: “It would have been nice, especially…
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Reaching Young Jews With Twebrew, Tweets and Treats
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald, founder and executive director of National Jewish Outreach Program, told the 300 guests at its February 27th Annual Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria that “on October 12, 2014 NJOP celebrated Sukkot Across America at 80 locations.” The brainchild of Holocaust survivor and NJOP supporter Sam Domb, the rabbi said: “Over 4,200 men women…
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Marisa Tomei Will Play Gloria Steinem in New HBO Series
Oscar winner Marisa Tomei will be playing Gloria Steinem in a new HBO-series produced by George Clooney. (Yes, that’s a lot of big names. Take a minute to process.) The project, which will also star Kathy Najimy, will reportedly be set in 1971, during the early days of Ms. Magazine. The story will be told…
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Jon Stewart’s ‘Uncircumcised’ Swansong
In a long, in depth interview that covered the span of his career as a performer, director, and show creator, Jon Stewart appeared at a live performance in New York City with comedian Catie Lazarus and discussed the reaction to his announcement last week that he was stepping down from the helm of the hugely…
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Idina Menzel’s Revenge and 6 More Thumbs-Up at the Oscars
All in all, it was a decent night for the Tribe at the 87th Academy Awards. Among the high notes: IDINA’S REVENGE: Last year, John Travolta botched the name of Idina Menzel our second-favorite Jewish diva (after Barbra). This year Adele Dazeem got her revenge as the two collaborated to present best song to Glory….
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