Weekly Schmooze: Oxfam boots ScarJo over Sodastream

Jewish culture news worldwide: Kosher Super Bowl halftime show; Larry David insult supercut.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Scarlett Johansson as pitchwoman for SodaStream. (photo credit: Courtesy)
Scarlett Johansson as pitchwoman for SodaStream.
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Scarlett Johansson and Sodastream are involved in scandal after scandal – though some are real and some are manufactured. In the real department, Oxfam International dropped ScarJo as an ambassador. The organization doesn't admit as much in its statement, but in a display of utter stupidity, it seems to have caved to the BDS movement, since Sodastream, for which Johansson is shilling in a Super Bowl ad, has a factory near Maale Adumim. Of course, Sodastream employs Palestinian workers in that factory with better salaries and benefits than they would get working for a PA company, but Oxfam clearly won't let facts get in the way of its preconceived anti-Israel notions.
As for manufactured scandals, SodaStream's original version of its Super Bowl ad was banned by Fox, because it disparages Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Considering that the same thing happened to its ad last year, this was obviously an intentional publicity stunt. Anyway, here's the banned ad:
If you're worried about Super Bowl cheerleaders' modesty or just aren't a big fan of Bruno Mars, check out the Kosher Halftime Show on Sunday. Shlock Rock will be performing on the alternative entertainment show organized by Jewish radio impresario Nachum Segal. If you're not familiar with Shlock Rock's oeuvre, here's one of their hits.
Jonah Hill was on "Saturday Night Live" last weekend, where it seems like every week they have a very Jewish sketch. This time, Hill played a Catskills comedian, who happens to be six years old. His turtle is named Shel Silverstein, hilariously. Hill originated the character in his very first appearance on SNL.
Hill was just cast in yet another movie written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, together with their BFFs Michael Cera, James Franco and David Krumholtz. The is called "Sausage Party," and it's about a sausage that falls out of a shopping cart. You get the feeling that Rogen and Goldberg thought of the name and then made up a story, don't you?
This video is not for the faint of heart. But if you're a "Curb Your Enthusiasm" fan, please proceed and watch this supercut of all of Larry David's insults on the show.
If you're a fan of cooking shows, you should check out this write-up of the Israeli version of Master Chef and its diverse staff, ranging from Israeli Arabs to haredim from the UK to a 67-year-old grandmother from Romania.
And don't forget to read this Jerusalem Post article about Natalie Portman's partner and father of son Aleph, choreographer and dancer Benjamin Milipied, converting to Judaism.
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