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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Bethenny Frankel Feels Nothing For New Jersey ‘Housewife’
Former “Real Housewives of New York” star Bethenny Frankel feels no sympathy for her Jersey “Housewives” counterpart, Teresa Giudice, who along with her husband, was indicted on 39 counts, including bank and bankruptcy fraud on Monday. My first thought today was, ‘Oh, if they weren’t on reality TV, none of this would probably ever be…
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Taking Another Look at ‘Suspicious Objects’
Moving around Jerusalem you always have to be on the lookout for suspicious objects, and to keep your distance from them. The Tower of David museum, however, has a collection of suspicious objects you’ll actually want to take a closer look at. Conceived together with “Threads,” a companion fashion exhibition, “Suspicious Objects” brings contemporary design…
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Nick Cannon Writes Open Letter To Amanda Bynes
The last time Nick Cannon and Amanda Bynes hung out, they were fresh-faced and rosy-cheeked Nickelodeon darlings. Since then, Cannon has said “I do” to Mariah Carey, while Amanda…well, has very publicly self-destructed. But it seems that Cannon stands by his friends, no matter how many people they call “ugly.” In a post on his…
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Why Michael Cera Should Direct More Movies
This is the way the story goes in the alternate timeline: “Paper Heart” (2009), the arch and quirky romantic comedy written by and starring Charlene Yi, became the next “Juno” (2007) and earned all the money at the box office. Audiences burst in anticipation for “Youth in Revolt” (2009) and swooned over its male lead’s…
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Books Complication of the Jewish Writer Question
Earlier, Daniel Torday wrote about Jewish novella-writers. Daniel’s novella “The Sensualist” won the 2012 National Jewish Book Award in Outstanding Debut Fiction. His blog posts are featured on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s Author Blog Series. For more information on the series, please visit: About three days…
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Some ‘Wicked’ Advice For Weiner
Anthony Weiner can rest easy: Kristen Chenoweth has found a way to save his campaign. Chenowith, best known for her Tony Award-winning performance in “Wicked,” the hit Broadway musical, gave the disgraced candidate a little advice during a parody rendition of one of the show’s hits, “Popular,” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. “Can’t…
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Syria President Bashar Al-Assad Joins Instagram
In an attempt to show that dictators too, can bask in the glow of the Earlybird filter, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has joined Instagram. The account, which goes under the name “syrianpresidency” shows Assad’s softer, friendlier side — smiling, waving and shaking hands with laughing children. Syrian First Lady Asma al-Assad, who grew up in…
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Books Jews and the Novella
Daniel Torday’s novella “The Sensualist” won the 2012 National Jewish Book Award in Outstanding Debut Fiction. His debut novel, “The Last Flight of Poxl West,” will be published by St. Martin’s Press in 2015. His blog posts are featured on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s Author Blog…
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Anthony Weiner Aide Slams Former Intern
Shocker: Things are not going well for Anthony Weiner. A week after the mayoral hopeful’s campaign started to implode when it was revealed that he had in fact continued his Internet sexcapades after his resignation from Congress, Weiner’s reputation continues to tank. The latest debacle involves remarks made by a Weiner spokeswoman, Barbara Morgan, regarding…
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Sid Caesar Shines in ‘When Comedy Went to School’
Watching Sid Caesar’s side-splitting, insanely funny linguistic gymnastics in the documentary “When Comedy Went to School,” reminded me of the December 11, 2000 gala at The Pierre at which Caesar was honored with the National Foundation for Jewish Culture’s “Alan King Award in American Jewish Humor” which was presented to him by Mel Brooks [who…
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The Sublime and Ridiculous at Maccabiah 2013
The Maccabiah Games have always been a mix of the sublime and the ridiculous, from moving displays of international Jewish unity to typical Israeli foibles — a tennis match this week was interrupted by a nearby military exercise. This year’s games are no exception: from the inspiring side of the ledger, a Cuban delegation has…
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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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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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