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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Show and Tell With Marc Maron
Marc Maron is a great talker. That’s true of most comics, but Maron doesn’t even have to be funny to be good. He’s got a sharp baritone voice with just a touch of a slur, and a talk radio delivery that grabs and holds your attention. It hardly matters whether he’s describing a fight with…
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Books A Scandalous Theory of Defense
Jonathan Kirsch is book editor of The Jewish Journal. Earlier this week, he wrote about Jewish resistance and restoring Herschel Grynszpan to the pages of history 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…
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Delia Ephron Dishes On Life And Marriage
“I’m shrinking! I’m in menopause! That’s when God says,’ Thank you for your children’” said actress Tovah Feldshuh, host at the May 1 American Friends of Rabin Medical Center’s luncheon at Manhattan’s landmark 21 Club, before handing the mic over to guest speaker Delia Ephron. Addressing the 80 elegantly dressed women, author, screenwriter, playwright and…
The Latest
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The Lonely Island Launch Whack Wednesdays
Move over #humpday, and make room for #WhackWednesdays! Raunchy comedy boy-band The Lonely Planet is releasing a new video every week until their new album, aptly named “The Whack Album,” is released on June 11. That’s six long-awaited opportunities for mid-week laughs. The first such gem, “Spring Break Anthem” features Zach Galifianakis interviewing James Franco…
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Paltrow-Gate
And then she wonders why people balk at her “normal gal” routine… One of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Los Angeles neighbors has filed a complaint to the L.A. City Department of Building and Safety, saying that the gate around the actress’ house is too high. The regulation high is six-feet and Paltrow and husband’s Chris Martin is…
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Baz Luhrmann Talks Jay-Z and ‘Gatsby’
Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann brings to life F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel, “The Great Gatsby,” which opens in U.S. theaters Friday before unspooling at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15. The film reunites Luhrmann with actor Leonardo DiCaprio, with whom he last worked on the big screen adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo +…
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Madonna’s Boyfriend Waves Israeli and Palestinian Flags
We were all so busy being mesmerized with every aspect of Madonna’s questionable outfit for the Met Gala on Monday, that no one noticed Brahim Zaibat’s choice of accessory: miniature Israeli and Palestinian Authority flags. Statement of tolerance, or weird Kabbalah practice? Who knows. The 25-year-old dancer and the 54-year-old diva have been dating for…
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‘Mad Men’ Is Best When It’s Angry
Sometimes it seems as if only Daniel Mendelsohn and the New York Review of Books can criticize AMC’s “Mad Men.” Only someone like Mendelsohn, whose work is devoted to mythic themes and to the eternal, can look past the crisp elegance of Don Draper’s pocket square and the show’s captivating visual style. Only someone like…
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Books Restoring Herschel Grynszpan to History
Jonathan Kirsch is book editor of The Jewish Journal. Earlier this week, he wrote about Jewish resistance and Herschel Grynszpan. 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: My new book, “The Short,…
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Books How the Macho Male Identifies With Wildlife
Helène Aylon is an activist artist whose work has been shown in MoMA, the Whitney and the Warhol museums. Her memoir, published by the Feminist Press, is called “Whatever Is Contained Must Be Released: My Jewish Orthodox Girlhood, My Life as a Feminist Artist.” Her blog posts are featured on The Arty Semite courtesy of…
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Jewish Stars Shine Bright At Met Gala
Despite the reported confusion and last-minute panic caused by this year’s theme (the rich and famous apparently missed the boat on CBGB), the Met Gala red carpet was all glitz and glam for “Punk: Chaos to Couture.” From Sarah Jessica Parker’s mohawk headdress, to Madonna’s (granted, not Jewish, but would like to be) ACDC-like schoolboy…
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