School's Out, Birthday Bummers and Pop-Culture Pods

School's Out, Birthday Bummers and Pop-Culture Pods

The Bagels are back to talk end-of-school reflections, social media tribulations, pop culture and podcast recommendations, and - of course - Jewish representation. Esther talked about her Facebook account being "permanently disabled," affecting her connections with nearly 5,000 friends (read the whole story here [https://estherkustanowitz.substack.com/p/on-june-1-meta-permanently-disabled?r=4529]), and Erin shared her experience working on a live remote broadcast for the FIFA World Cup. Then the pair got down to processing the latest onslaught of pop culture, with Larry David's take on American history on HBO; Mindy Kaling's latest, Not Suitable for Work; the film Bride!, which was about the Bride of Frankenstein but also about Mary Shelley, who authored the famous monster tale; and the anticipated arrival of Steven Spielberg's latest aliens film. Also in this episode: two odd films from Sacha Baron Cohen, "The Invite," directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Seth Rogen; Anderson Cooper's podcast on grief, featuring Amanda Peet, and a wonderful episode of The Daily, a New York Times podcast, featuring the Broadway show "Every Brilliant Thing," and more! Check out these links: On The Daily (NYTimes) [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/seth-rogen-knows-the-secret-to-marriage-and-being-rich/id1200361736?i=1000772516154] Amanda Peet "There's No Algorithm for Grief" with Anderson Cooper [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amanda-peet-theres-no-algorithm-for-grief/id1643163707?i=1000772290393] The Happiest List on Earth - Every Brilliant Thing [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daniel-radcliffe-mariska-hargitay-and-the-happiest/id1200361736?i=1000763652591] Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness - Trailer [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp7P5JmKvLI] Stop That Train Trailer [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx2YuoAnwlQ]

May the 27th...29th Be With You

Since we missed Star Wars Day, Esther and Erin are celebrating this week! Esther gives a short review of "The Mandalorian and Grogu," followed by some Jewish-adjacent notes in "Euphoria" and "The Testaments," and the funny thing that happened when the Bagels met up for "The Devil Wears Prada 2." Passover gets a moment to shine on "Friends and Neighbors," as Esther and Erin run through some of the excellent and authentic seder. There's also a reminder to watch out for the theatrical release of "Floaters," and Erin gives high praise to the documentary "Martin Short: Life is Short."

Frequent Flyer Bagels

Esther and Erin have been quite busy flying here, there, and everywhere the last few months. If they could convert their flight miles into money, they could buy a lifetime supply of bagels...probably! Purim and Passover have come and gone, so it's time to get into what they missed during their separate travels: a LOT of movies and some TV, too. A new Jewish actor on The Pitt; casting news for Nobody Wants This Season 3; and brief reviews from the latest roundup of streaming series. Later, Esther's got some publication news, Rachel Bloom's back in a few movies and Erin starts dreaming about future episodes. She'll keep the details to herself for now...you'll just have to stay tuned! Check out these links: Alexandra Metz (Garcia on "The Pitt") on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/metzaballsoup/?hl=en] Pre-order link to Modeling Religious Pluralism book on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Modeling-Religious-Pluralism-Cultivating-Equity/dp/0197745814/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1N623DMSZP95I&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.H4deSYbmAjXvXpKBzr2gGVDI6cDPGR9lVIgJSoDuGcLYfvf7AW8639EPBprsBncC5DhsYSBkdvLGDNWryFgtD-AP6F8yfJGh-XGjBQPyg7g.mbesvZCylnX16rJ_bD6UKkkNgbTcy2uJ-p1uEAa2AU8&dib_tag=se&keywords=modeling+religious+pluralism&qid=1776459104&sprefix=modeling+plural%2Caps%2C475&sr=8-1] (June 2nd release) Caught Stealing: available on Netflix Nothing Is Lost: available on Apple TV The Pitt and Rooser: available on HBO Max.

Bad Bunny, Good Hangs and Meeting Jason Alexander

Esther and Erin are back----how is it February already!? This week, they reflect on the Super Bowl and note the cultural significance of Bad Bunny's halftime show and the impact of SoCal commercials. Erin also spills the details of how she finally met her TV dad, Jason Alexander, and interviewed him about his production of Sweeney Todd playing at the La Mirada Theatre. They also react to catching some Jewy moments in The Pitt, Wonder Man, and Jeopardy.

Bagels Supreme: Airing Out Our Grievances for a Jewy 2026

It's 2026 and the bagels are using Festivus as a metaphorical sage so they're ready for 2026. Esther and Erin start with what's out, and what's in for Jewish trends in entertainment... Hot rabbis...OUT.....authentic Jewish encounters between celebrities...IN. As awards season begins, the pair shares musings on the portrayal of Jewish identity in films like "Marty Supreme" and "Is This the Thing On?" and discusses Jewish content scrutiny fatigue. Plus, is "Pluribus" both the most Jewish and un-Jewish show on TV right now?? More to come in 2026! Check out this week's links! Santa Ana Winds [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5XdQ5q2PIA&list=RDJ5XdQ5q2PIA&start_radio=1] song --Crazy Ex Girlfriend Drew Berrymore, Jack Black and Paul Rudd talk B'nai Mitzvahs [https://youtu.be/AAbiyO4LKtk?si=2S0W2Z-A4GJQbd8Q&t=79] Kate Hudson talks Matzah Ball Soup [https://youtu.be/v7yWCZ8PCrI?si=dtPD6uhQdGuTISDT&t=2040] on Table Manners Podcast