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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Ziggy Gruber — A ‘Deli Man’ for All Seasonings
After spending an hour at Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen with young Forward reader, Galitzianer Yiddish-speaking third generation deli man Ziggy Gruber — a featured deli owner in the must see “Deli Man” — I was ready to jet to Houston, Texas where he and partner Kenny Friedman reign over a deli called Kenny and Ziggy’s and the…
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Jon Stewart Mocks ‘Bibi-Sitter’ Ad — and Congress Speech
On Thursday, Jon Stewart weighed in on the announcement that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will make a speech to the U.S. Congress next month, just weeks before Israel’s elections. Stewart is critical of all sides, from the U.S. history of involvement in the Middle East to Netanyahu’s droll new campaign ad. The Daily Show…
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Amy Pascal Ousted at Sony Pictures
Amy Pascal will step down as co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment after hackers angry about a movie she championed mocking North Korea’s dictator exposed a raft of embarrassing emails between Pascal and other Hollywood figures. One of the most powerful women executives in Hollywood, Pascal had kept a low profile since her emails were leaked…
The Latest
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POEM: ‘Looking Out’
If God paid rent, someone would be looking out for His comings and goings.
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Radio Host Calls Jon Stewart ‘Nazi’ for Backing Vaccination
Forget self-hating Jew. Someone just compared Jon Stewart to a Nazi. Mediaite reports that Robert Scott Bell took issue with the comedian’s ‘Daily Show’ segment urging “science-denying affluent California liberals” to vaccinate their children. Bell’s Twitter feed shows him as an active anti-vaxxer — so logically, anyone who disagrees with him would have to be a…
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Are You Ready to Call Saul?
Courtesy of AMC Good news “Breaking Bad” fans. On Sunday, our favorite slightly shady, Jewish-impersonating legal mind, Saul Goodman, will be making his comeback on TV and computer screens everywhere. I’m referring to the premiere of “Better Call Saul,” which airs in two parts on Sunday, February 8 and Monday, February 9 on AMC. The…
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Natalie Portman Ruins Her Wedding in Dior Ad
Natalie’s back! The new ad for Dior fragrances stars our girl Natalie Portman in what is honestly the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen (drool). “It’s Miss, Actually,” directed by Anton Corbijn, shows Miss Dior on her wedding day. But here’s the twist: in what is every Jewish parent’s nightmare, she gets cold…
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11 Jewish Things To Watch For at the Grammys
From those working behind the scenes in recording studios to stars performing on international stages in the spotlight, The Chosen People helped make 2014 a great year for music. Jewish composers, producers, and performers—current and classic—are all nominated for the most prestigious award in music, so here are 11 Jewish things to look out for…
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Remembering Sir Martin Gilbert, Churchill and Holocaust Scholar
I had been corresponding with Winston Churchill chronicler and historian Sir Martin Gilbert for three years before meeting him on February 19, 2003 at Anti Defamation League’s headquarters for the launch of his opus “The Righteous: The Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust” (Henry Holt & Co.) In our correspondence, Sir Martin, who died in London…
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Comics, Motherhood — and Charlie Hebdo
Miss Lasko-Gross’s shrewd, poignant “Henni” (Z2 Comics) arrives at a charged moment for cartoons and religion. In the graphic novel — a marked departure from Lasko-Gross’ acclaimed autobiographical comics “Escape from ‘Special’” and “A Mess of Everything” — the female lead abandons her village in a quest for knowledge. The blind followers, cynical leaders, and…
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How Coke Made Hitler ‘Happy’
In an acute case of “no good deed goes unpunished,” Coca-Cola’s #MakeItHappy campaign has gone hopelessly awry. The campaign, launched during the Super Bowl, goes as follows: fans of Coke can tweet unpleasant things and the company, who then turns those angry thoughts into a fun image, which is then tweeted back with the slogan…
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