Pop Culture Parasha

Shoshana's favorite movie and new favorite parashah for her birthday week!!! How Parashat Shoftim and Spotlight both warn against turning a blind eye to evils in the world. 

Valerie and Shoshana (and cat Sumi) discuss both the Netflix and Hulu documentaries featuring Billy McFarland and Fyre Festival in comparison with Parashat Re'eh. Don't worry, they don't think Moshe scammed us... Or do they? Also, Valerie weighs in on festival experiences in general and Shoshana claims that Glee created COVID to avoid a plot hole. <3 

Sorry for the late upload! It's our third week of the same old stories, via the ~Moshe Swan Song~. Val and Shoshana compare this to 2003's Big Fish (Tim Burton??). A stacked cast and yet... What's the opposite of an instant classic? But, both the parashah and the movie redeem themselves by helping us think about the nature of stories, and the way archetype functions. NICE! Plus, Val tries her hand at bagel ASMR.  LOVE U LIL BURPS!!! xxoo 

Shoshana and Valerie compare 2018's WALL-E to Parashat Vaetchanan. Stewardship of the Earth, leaving and returning to a home, and warnings about avoiding bad behavior - whether it's listening to Hashem or recycling?? We also discuss how Moshe is essentially a supercomputer a la Auto/Hal. Plus, Shoshana loses her mind over the top grossing "sports" films of all time. 

Shoshana and Valerie collectively both agree, totally the two of them on the same page that Moshe is a cat person. That's pretty much all that's accomplished here. Also, Devarim and The Force Awakens are both just remakes of something we've seen before. 

All things Keira Knightley again this week! Does this adaptation hold up to our comparison with Zelophehad's daughters? BONUS: Preview of what's coming in Devarim!!! 

Back with what turns out to be a more serious comparison than expected: this week Shoshana and Valerie discuss 2020's Misbehaviour alongside the story of Zelophehad's daughters from Parashat Pinchas. Turns out, every generation thinks the one before it was whack and the generation after is even more whack (see: Gen Z's interpretation of y2k fashion??). Also, Shoshana hates on baby acting and Valerie watches Ghost. 

Finally!!! We've had this comparison on the docket since the founding of the podcast: it's giving talking donkeys, it's giving GirlBoss, it's giving unexpected heroes. It's 2001's Shrek and Balak! Shoshana gets vulnerable about her fears (space, the ocean, dinosaurs), and Valerie continues the will-she-won't-she of the decade: becoming a Disney adult. Plus, your Shrek comments get featured! 

For this week's parashah comparison, Shoshana and Valerie bring you the only comparison that could possibly include celebrity appearances, close contact with death, and snakes: Chukat and Snakes on a Plane. Valerie gives us the next steps on her Disney Adult journey. Bonus: where would we add gratuitous profanity to Torah verses (a la "I've had it with this MFing snakes on this MFing plane")? Listen to find out! 

Parashat Korach. Holes. The comparison writes itself. But Shoshana and Valerie chat for 47 minutes anyway! Bonus content: Shoshana's thoughts about cooking shows. 

It’s Shlach and we watched A Bug’s Life! Also, the best movies to watch on a plane and twin movies.

GOSSIP!!!! Shoshana and Val discuss the difference between Lashon Hara and gossip, aided by Parashat Beha'alotecha (Bamidbar 12 specifically) and Gossip Girl. They also throw in their favorite podcast Normal Gossip. Also: what DJ replaced Paris Hilton to perform for world leaders, after Paris chose Britney's wedding instead?! 

Valerie dispatches live from covid quarantine! She and Shoshana compare the sotah ritual discussed in Parashat Naso with 2010's Easy A. We agree that Emma Stone is the absolute best and that all men are the worst. Plus, Valerie claims that He's Just Not That Into You and Love Actually are the same movie. 

Valerie and Shoshana compare Parashat Bamidbar to the 2007 movie interpretation of The Da Vinci Code. Timely, since the Mona Lisa got pied. Also, Shoshana professes a love of nuns. 

Shoshana and Valerie compare Parashat Bechukotai to DCOM fav High School Musical 2. Shmittah and summer are both for rest, creativity, and Turkey from Maine. Shoshana makes the claim that HSM2 is the best one in the series. Also this movie is sort of about economics and capitalism and so is Shmittah?? What the frick frick is that.

Shoshana and special guest host Claire Abramovitz blow our entire royalties budget for the season immediately upon the opening of this episode. After discussing Jerry Seinfeld, Zac Efron, Kendall Jenner, and Shoshana’s pranks on our teachers, the compare 2003's The Simple Life starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie to Parashat Behar. If you're still surprised by our ability to connect pop culture to the parasha, you shouldn't be, because there's actually a lot to discuss when it comes to Shmita, the Yovel, reality [tv], economy, and respect of the land in comparison to Paris and Nicole's antics on a small-town farm. 

Shoshana and Valerie watch the best romcom of all time, When Harry Met Sally and find impressive ways to connect it to Parshat Emor. We discuss the premise of this movie - can men and women be friends? - which doesn't really hold up because queer people??  Also, how the Cohanim force Rashi to define scissoring. We also finally give our loyal fans a nickname.

On this week’s episode, Valerie indulges Shoshana talking about Glee for quite literally the whole time (and yet somehow she doesn’t even make it to the gay stuff.) We promise there IS parasha comparison and discussion but also we discuss why Will Schuester is the worst teacher in the world and why Burt Hummel is the best TV parent out there.

In this week’s episode, Valerie tries to kill Shoshana with information about Is It Cake, and Shoshana reveals her embarrassing levels of Twilight appreciation. Does Twilight have anything to do with parashat Achrei Mot? The answer may surprise you!!!

Shoshana and Val are back b'aretz in time to discuss THE PRINCE OF EGYPT before Pesach ends! Our take on this 1998 classic plus our favorite plagues and the usual jibber jabber. Chag kasher v'sameach y'all!