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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The Sandy Cohen Guide to Life
No one dished out advice like Sandy Cohen from “The O.C.” Over four seasons, Newport Beach’s resident cool dad gave us tips on love, life, success, bagel-cutting and happiness. But Josh Schwartz’s show being what it was, that advice was usually about relationships. Girl problems? “You’ve come to the master.” Foreplay? “The appetizer is as…
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Watch Daniel Radcliffe Play Allen Ginsberg
Who knew that Allen Ginsberg would become such a sought-after role? We’ve already seen James Franco play Ginsberg — that would be in 2010’s “Howl,” directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman — and now Daniel Radcliffe, of Harry Potter fame, is getting his shot. “Kill Your Darlings,” which premiered at Sundance and will get limited…
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David Hyde Pierce in Broadway Kvetch-fest
It was the arrival of the amazing Julie White in the role of Masha in Christopher Durang’s roarathon take-off on Chekhovian angst — “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” that got me to the Golden Theatre before its extended August 25 closing. What took me so long — since the character is my namesake…
The Latest
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Drake Finally Responds to Amanda Bynes
Drake is finally speaking out about Amanda Bynes’ strange love/hate tweets about him. “I don’t even know who that is doing that or what that’s about,” the Jewish Canadian rapper told XXL, whose 150th anniversary issue bears his face. ” If that is her, I guess it’s a little weird and disturbing. It’s obviously a…
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The Life of Linda Lovelace
Before home computers, before the Internet, there was Linda Lovelace. For those who may have missed the 1970s, Lovelace starred in “Deep Throat,” the first “adult” film to receive mainstream distribution. Typical porno flicks of the time were sleazy, hurriedly shot and poorly lit. “Deep Throat” was comparatively better, and even had an unusual comic…
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Dr. Oz Goes to Israel
(JTA) — Dr. Mehmet Oz sat down to talk with JTA on the Tel Aviv coast last week, but what he really wanted to do was go to the beach. Oz, the surgeon and well-known TV personality, was in Israel for the first time and had a packed itinerary. He traversed the country from the…
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Stephen Fry Calls for Sochi Olympics Boycott
British actor and comedian Stephen Fry urged on Wednesday that Russia should be banned from hosting the Winter Olympics due to its repressive policies against gays and lesbians, the Mirror reported. In an open letter to British prime minister David Cameron, Fry compared the victimizations of homosexuals Putin’s Russia to the treatment of Jews in…
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Charlie Sheen Dating Jewish Porn Star
It turns out James Deen has a female equivalent. TMZ has identified all three of Charlie Sheen’s “angels,” the three porn stars that the actor has reportedly been dating. Their names are Jana Jordan, Celeste Star and, most interestingly for us, Jayme Langford. Langford, it turns out, is not only Jewish, but studied bioethics at…
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Dustin Hoffman Treated for Cancer
Dustin Hoffman’s rep announced yesterday that the Oscar-winning actor has been treated for cancer, and is doing well, though details are few and far between. “It was detected early and he has been surgically cured,” Jodi Gottlieb told People magazine. “Dustin is feeling great and is in good health.” Hoffman, 75, who won Oscars for…
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Egypt’s Donald Duck Wants Israel ‘Demolished’
An Egyptian radio host who identifies himself as the official voice of Donald Duck on Disney Middle East called on Twitter for Israel to be “demolished.” The discussion that began Sunday on the Twitter feed of Wael Mansour continued on Tuesday. “I truly wish #Israel is demolished, I hate Zionism, I have so much hate…
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My Wife the Suicide Bomber
Why would a brilliant woman, blessed with familial, material and career success, without any religious animus against Jews or direct experience of oppression, decide to blow herself up and murder a room full of Israeli children? This question seems to be at the heart of “The Attack,” a beautifully built film by Lebanese director Ziad…
Most Popular
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Film & TV The new ‘Superman’ is being called anti-Israel, but does that make it pro-Palestine?
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Fast Forward Tucker Carlson calls for stripping citizenship from Americans who served in the Israeli army
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Opinion This German word explains Trump’s authoritarian impulses — and Hitler’s rise to power
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Music ‘No matter what, I will always be a Jew.’ Billy Joel opens up about his family’s Holocaust history
In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward How the Jewish commandment to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ could help a woman challenge Kentucky’s abortion ban in court
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Yiddish ווידעאָ: יוטוב־פּערזענלעכקייט רעדט אויף ייִדיש וועגן אַ משפּחה־טראַגעדיעVIDEO: Youtube personality speaks in Yiddish about a tragedy in the family
מאַטי מענדלאָוויטשעס ברודער, וואָס האָט יאָרן לאַנג געליטן פֿון דעפּרעסיע, האָט הײַיאָר זיך גענומען דאָס לעבן. .
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Music Can 6 hours of Billy Joel turn critics into believers?
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Opinion What exactly is going on between Israel and Syria — and is the prospect of peace dead?
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