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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‘Real Housewife’ Bethenny Frankel Splits From Hubby
Reality TV star Bethenny Frankel and her husband Jason Hoppy are separating, Frankel announced on Sunday. “It brings me great sadness to say that Jason and I are separating. This was an extremely difficult decision that, as a woman and a mother, I have to accept as the best choice for our family,” Frankel said…
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Dreaming of Arthur Schnitzler
The Viennese Jewish doctor Arthur Schnitzler, whose 150th birthday was on May 15, 2012 wrote dozens of plays, including “Professor Bernhardi,” about a Jewish doctor, and “Round Dance,” adapted by the German Jewish director Max Ophüls into the 1950 film classic “La Ronde.” Schnitzler’s “Dream Story” inspired the 1999 Stanley Kubrick film “Eyes Wide Shut”…
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Seth Rogen’s Nude Pics
Seth Rogen told David Letterman about his first nude photos…taken in the doctor’s office. Bummer. Carly Rose Sonenclar came in second at the end of the second season of “The X Factor,” failing to win the $5 million prize. Nonetheless, the amazingly talented 13-year-old is number one in our books. Listen to her sing her…
The Latest
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Speaking Out Against Gun Violence
In the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings one week ago, a large number of performing artists have joined forces with Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence to “Demand A Plan Against Gun Violence.” Celebrities, including Paul Rudd, Amanda Peet, Rashida Jones, Sarah Silverman, Kate Hudson, Debra Messing, Elizabeth…
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A French Jewish Statesman
In the 140th anniversary year of his birth on April 9, 1872, the French Jewish statesman Léon Blum is more timely than ever. In April, during France’s latest presidential election, Les éditions Albin Michel reprinted a short exhortatory text, “In Order to be a Socialist,” which Blum wrote in 1919 when he was 42. It…
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Forward Fives: 2012 in Film
In the annual Forward Fives selection we celebrate the year’s cultural output with a series of deliberately eclectic choices in music, performance, exhibitions, books and film. Here we present five of our favorite films of 2012. Feel free to argue with and add to our selections in the comments. Alison Klayman, “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”…
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Geek Hero Nate Silver
Geek hero Nate Silver is Out’s Person of the Year. The Daily Intelligencer seems to think Silver used the opportunity to trash talk his detractors. The holiday season is making Mark Zuckerberg feel very charitable. He just gave his largest gift to date—$500 million in Facebook stock to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a non-profit…
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Amy Winehouse Inquest
A new inquest has been ordered into the death of singer Amy Winehouse. It was revealed that the coroner who oversaw the original inquest lacked proper credentials and resigned shortly thereafter. Celebrities, including Bethenny Frankel, Paul Abdul, and Dianna Agron, reacted on Twitter to the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT….
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Jerry Seinfeld Stands Up to Test of Time
Jerry Seinfeld is a master comedic craftsman still keeping his standup game in top form. That’s the takeaway from this weekend’s New York Times magazine profile in which Seinfeld shares his writing process (including his notes) and talks spirituality with the Times’s Jonah Weiner. Seinfeld describes growing up on Long Island in a “pretty Jewish”…
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Books Forward Fives: 2012 in Fiction
In the annual Forward Fives selection we celebrate the year’s cultural output with a series of deliberately eclectic choices in music, performance, exhibitions, books and film. Here we present five of our favorite works of fiction of 2012. Feel free to argue with and add to our selections in the comments. Jami Attenberg, “The Middlesteins”…
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Books Forward Fives: 2012 in Non-Fiction
In the annual Forward Fives selection we celebrate the year’s cultural output with a series of deliberately eclectic choices in music, performance, exhibitions, books and film. Here we present five of our favorite works of non-fiction of 2012. Feel free to argue with and add to our selections in the comments. Joy Ladin, “Through the…
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