Idol Chatter

Israel has a difficult relationship with American culture. On the one hand, Israel creates its own culture and doesn’t want to be an America’s clone. And then there’s the other hand, the celeb-obsessed, hypersexualized American pop culture-consuming hand that resents and consumes at the same time. So it should be no surprise that recently Israel…

While ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” is known for its over-the-top storylines and tawdry sexual affairs, it is an emotional–not literal–affair that has been at the front and center of the show’s final episodes.Lynette and Tom, the somewhat “normal” couple of Wisteria Lane, have had a tough year–what with Tom’s daughter by an old flame coming to…

Tonight’s national 6:30 pm time slot features a potentially wonderfully new kind of drama. This one has to do with the future, but there will be no voting, no calling in, and no consolation prize of an appearance on Leno or Letterman. Tonight, “NBC News with Brian Williams” will feature two things that make this…

Spider-Man 3″ took a huge fall this past weekend. Sure, it took in $60 million, but that was a 60 percent drop-off from its opening weekend, which meant the hype and marketing worked great but the movie itself didn’t go over as well. Why is that? I think the question lies in that great line…

You know that feeling of disappointment you get when you tune into your favorite TV show expecting to get a new episode, and it turns out to be a cleverly concealed clip-show? Sure, it’s artfully put together, but you wanted fresh entertainment. Or in the case of “20/20’s” “Seeing and Believing: The Power of Faith,”…

I’ve been really amazed by how prevalent Jewish expression seems to be in popular culture these days. Of course, I live in New York so Jewish visibility is likely to be high. I was slightly incredulous when that Gap ad featuring a Star-of-David wearing Jeremy Piven showed up, but the new American Apparel billboard advertisement…

Although “insult fighting,”where people verbally abuse each other and their mothers, has been around for ages, it’s been most recently popularized by shows like MTV’s “Yo Mama.” That’s why it’s so refreshing that this classic Mr. T music video celebrating mothers is still working it’s way around the Internet. Although the subject matter, “treat your…

Tonight’s “20/20” on ABC looks to be a fascinating two-hour special on all aspects of faith and spirituality. The show is known for producing such specials on a variety of subjects, and tonight’s episode covers nearly all “hot” aspects of faith that are permeating news magazines, documentaries, news shows, and other types of media. Some…

Wednesday’s “Lost” episode veered deeper into supernatural territory as Locke (and viewers) got their first glimpse of Jacob … or, more correctly, didn’t. After forcing Ben to take him to see Jacob, the supposed Man behind the man behind the curtain, Locke was taken through the forest, into the night, across a mysterious boundary of…

Where do celebrities find their spirituality? It could be in the garden, on the golf course, or in their singing, performing comedy, or even drumming. A new Beliefnet gallery highlights all the fascinating ways that different celebrities–like “Everybody Loves Raymond’s” Patricia Heaton, singer Roseanne Cash, and actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell–find spirituality in their…

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