Esther Kustanowitz: June 2008 Archives

When you think of Barbie, you think of unrealistic body proportions that create insecurity in girls and promote an unattainable and superficial beauty ideal. When you think of Bratz, you think of those enormous eyes, and a wardrobe that you'd never wish on your daughter. But now there's a doll for Jews who are concerned with modesty, want their girls to have dolls who look like them, and who also bring a little historical context and Jewish education to the dollhouse.

Welcome to GaliGirls, which promote Jewish values and apparently, actually wearing clothes. Check out the introductory video, a cartoon by JewishRobot.

This company was brought to the attention of Idol Chatter by this post on Jezebel (of all places), where the pretty straightforward and unsnarky post itself has since been followed by dozens of comments about whether the doll is attractive, whether the books are derivative of the American Girl series, and whether or not Jews "do conversions," as well as one comment about the weirdness of no one on "Gossip Girl" being Jewish. Ah, commenters...you make the blog world so interesting.

There are many people who don't get George Carlin. They think his routines are too misanthropic ("People are stupid"), too anti-religious ("Religion is bullsh*t"), or misogynistic ("rape can be funny"). Judge them from the titles alone, and you aren't deriving any appreciation of what an impact Carlin, who died today at age 71, had on the comedy scene over the past 50 years.

George Carlin was the kind of guy who could curse a blue streak, FCC be damned. (For a time capsule into how our understanding of obscenity has evolved, as well as how a treatise on obscenity can be rendered intelligently and as a thing of beauty, check out his routine about the 7 words you can't say on television. Or if you're sensitive to obscenity, look below for some more family friendly alternates.)

Carlin resented censorship and wasn't shy about it...but even within his survey of foul language, you can see a mind that was razor sharp, intelligent and insightful. He was a man obsessed with the peculiarities of humanity, our inconsistencies and eccentricities in everything from eating habits to religious observance. His routines were more than just setup, punch line/setup, punch line. They were delicate dances within language and delving into human personality.

In classic roles in movies from the 90s, they seemed untouchably young, virile, and sane. Mel had the eyes and that amazing, charming, mischievous smile. But Patrick had the dancer's bod, and was the kind of guy who'd dance with a girl even if her first words were "I carried a watermelon." But in recent years, those of us whose hearts went "ga-gung" for Gibson and Swayze watched as time altered--if not in appearance, then from within.

In March, Patrick Swayze announced that he had pancreatic cancer, and in some reports, the gravity of the illness was reported as imminently life-threatening. But according to MTV news, Swayze is back at work, despite undergoing treatment to keep the cancer in check. He's filming an A&E drama, "The Beast," which "sees Swayze playing an unconventional FBI agent whose failures to play by the rules makes him a target for internal affairs." Much success and to your health, Patrick.

Meanwhile, everyone's favorite ranting former heartthrob-turned-evangelical-anti-Semite, Mel Gibson, is also back at work, and the New York Post wonders, "HAS Hollywood forgiven Mel Gibson for his drunken anti-Semitic rant two years ago?" at the same time as they title the piece "Gibson's Back in Business," ruining the ending for all of us. While the piece cites one source calling Gibson a pariah, shooting for Gibson's next film, "Edge of Darkness" is slated to start Aug. 18. When producer Graham King, who won an Oscar for "The Departed," was asked if there was a boycott against Gibson, King said no. (More Hollywood details in the article, here.) Say what you want about Jewish Hollywood (not you, Mel), but it seems that for the moment, Mel's not persona anti-Semitus non grata.

To sum up: Health. Forgiveness. Amen.

And no one puts these heartthrobs in a corner.

The streets of Jerusalem have been known for centuries: from the stones that speak ancient rhymes to people from different religions as well as for its prophets and would-be prophets, its farmers-turned-kings, and shepherds-turned-leaders. And on Friday afternoon (on which most people don't work--it's like an American Sunday), most people are running around town trying to get to all the stores they need to get to before they all close for the Jewish Sabbath. Eateries and bars which want to keep their kosher certification are not open on Shabbat, and often shutter their doors at the close of their gangbuster business on Thursday night, and prepare for the post-Sabbath crush of company and demand.

But the thing about Jerusalem is that it keeps on surprising you.

Today, while half the city was scurrying around looking for last-minute Sabbath purchases, some from the other half were at one of the "non-certified" bars for a "block party": drinking beer by noon, listening to Rebel Sun, a Jerusalem-based rapper (and lead vocalist for local band Coolooloosh), spin old school music, as Jerusalem's kids spent their Friday afternoon breakdancing. At the bar, Zabotinski (named after Zionist leader Vladimir Zev Jabotinsky) some of the dancers worked better on their own, others in duos...and there was at least one team of hip-hop dancers in their teens, wearing matching t-shirts with the name of their troupe (B'Beat, which means "on the beat" in Hebrew). Watch some video of the festivities below.