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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Meet Drew Friedman, Picasso of ‘Old Jewish Comedians’
Did you hear the one about the old Jewish comedians who got hung on the wall? Seriously, a new show at the Society of Illustrators gallery in Manhattan is showcasing original paintings from Drew Friedman’s cult trilogy “Old Jewish Comedians” (Fantagraphics), along with a trove of memorabilia from Friedman’s own collection. Spread across two floors,…
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Enrico Macias, Sephardic Superstar
If you’ve grown up as a Sephardic Jew, there’s one singer that you’ve reliably heard at every single wedding, bar/bat-mitzvah, engagement party, Shabbat, or celebration of any kind. His name is Enrico Macias. Born Gaston Ghrenassia in Constantine — then in French Algeria — in 1938, the Jewish “Pied Noir” singer has come to embody…
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The Forward, ‘Blue Bloods’ and the Knockout Game
What happens when the New York City Police Commissioner wants his Deputy Commissioner for Public Information to ask the press for restraint? There’s been an epidemic of the “knockout game,” where young males sneak up on unsuspecting people and punch them, and the commissioner wants to turn down the volume. But only two newspapers are…
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‘Aladdin’ With a Jewish Twist
Hundreds of parents with children in tow — some in strollers — were rushing along 42nd Street to make the March 9 matinee curtain at the New Amsterdam Theatre for the preview/benefit of Disney’s musical comedy “Aladdin.” The marquee featured the logo Hebrew Charter School Center and the repeating zipper message — which could be…
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Is Beyonce Coming to Israel?
(JTA) — The upcoming Israeli summer might just be getting even hotter. According to a Sunday report on Israel’s Channel 2 news, Beyoncé will be stopping over for a gig at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park on June 15. The thing is, the date does not appear on Beyoncé’s website. Plus, as Israeli fans may remember,…
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Is ‘Family Guy’ Anti-Semitic?
Sunday night’s episode of “Family Guy,” the long-running animated comedy, included a 25-second segment that illustrated once again creator Seth MacFarlane’s unapologetic anti-Semitism. In the episode, main character Peter Griffin and his friends are off on a typically absurdist search to find God and to get Him to stop thwarting their favorite football team, the…
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Ranking ‘Pantheon’ of 6,000 Years of Jews
Well, rankings of the world’s most famous people from the past 6,000 years are in. Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman has beat out Ariel Sharon, Moses has an ever-so-slight lead over Muhammad and Jesus Christ is apparently the world’s number one Jew. The project, an endeavor of the Macro Connections group at MIT’s media lab, includes…
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Jewish Comedian’s Airbnb Nightmare
Who could have possibly imagined that letting perfect strangers into your plush Chelsea apartment could result in utter disaster? Jewish comedian Ari Teman found out the hard way when he came home to an “XXX Freak Fest” in the New York City apartment he had rented out on Airbnb. According to Buzzfeed, someone named David…
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Suit Against ‘McMansion’ Director Thrown Out
Lauren Greenfield received a best director nod at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for her documentary, “The Queen of Versailles.” Now, two years later, she has another victory to her credit, which may ultimately prove more important to her career. An arbitrator at the Independent Film and Television Alliance ruled that her movie about David…
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Remembering David Brenner
Comedian David Brenner, who died at 78 on March 15, was among my favorite TV funny men — except when the tall, witty guy told tall tales about his landsmen. Maybe it was due to a bad chopped liver sandwich in his youth, but his [mis]take on Jews sometimes left me no alternative but a…
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Madonna Celebrates Purim as ‘Mother of Dragons’
Stop the search: We have officially found the best Purim costume of the year. Madonna celebrated the triumph of Jews over Haman and the return of “Game of Thrones” (April 6, you guys!) in one fell swoop by dressing up as Daenerys Targaryan, a.k.a Mother of Dragons, a.k.a Khaleesi. She posted the picture to Instagram…
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Music Jill Sobule was as much a Jewish icon as a queer one
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