Binge the Binge; David's Strange Appeal, Something Funny

First, to all my readers: Shanah tova. 5780 was tough. May 5781 be better.

Somehow, I missed the premiere (Aug. 28) of the Hulu original teen comedy film “The Binge”. The opening scene explains that (a future) America was breaking-down and that rampant substance abuse was a major cause. So, all drugs and alcohol were banned, except one day a year when anyone legally can consume all the “bad stuff” they want (“the binge”). SKYLAR GISONDO, 24, stars as an uptight teen overachiever who tries the try to find an epic binge party. This film has not got great reviews, but if you are in the mood, it might amuse you.

The director is JEREMY GARELICK, 44. He also helmed “The Wedding Ringer” (2015), which got mostly tepid reviews, but did fine at the box office. In 2006, he told a Jewish website that he had recently become very observant and that when he was a high school football player he had one problem:  his mother appeared at all his games with a sign that read: “Be careful, tatele.” Last year, the Jewish Foundation of Los Angeles profiled Garelick, and his wife of 14 years, SAMANTHA, 44ish. Growing up, Jeremy went to a suburban New York synagogue where Samantha’s father was the cantor. The profile noted the couple’s many charitable contributions, and how they are teaching their four young kids to be charitable. Samantha summed it up: “It’s just what we do — tzedakah is part of our DNA.”

What is LARRY DAVID’s secret?  What romantic magic does this 72-year-old, bald Jewish man have? Oh, you might say that some younger women could want him for the mega-millions he earned as the co-creator of “Seinfeld.” But I hardly think that super star actress Jennifer Lawrence, 25, and super model Tyra Banks, 46, want his gelt. I thought Lawrence was just odd when, in 2015, she told Seth Meyers that she once had crushes on Meyers and on Larry David. She added that she even gave Larry David her number, “but he never called me.” In 2017, David told Meyers that he was flattered by her crush, but added, tongue-in-cheek,: “I’m not gonna lie, it would have been better if it was just me…. You [Lawrence] got a crush on me? You got a crush on him [Meyers]? No good. I want the big crush."

Then, on Sept. 14, Tyra Banks was the guest star on “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”, the popular NPR current events quiz show. Host PETER SAGAL, 55, addressed her at the end of her appearance—“So one last question if I can. You are, of course, as we have been discussing, a supermodel. And we read that the person you find most attractive in this world is Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm.’ And first of all, as a fellow bald Jewish man, thank you. But, second, what is it about Larry David?”  Banks replied, “It is something about his humor. It is something about his walk and his facial expressions. It's his eyes. It just does it for me.” (recording and text of show on NPR site).

I agree that David can be funny. But many men are funny. Expert help is needed here to explain and possibly replicate the “Davidian appeal” (biologists, sociologists, psychologists). David can easily throw a few million at an institute that studies the “Lawrence/Banks” effect. Any results can first be tested on “hair compromised” older Jewish men—and then the general male population. It would be a mitzvah for both men and women.

 Here’s a Jewish-related entertainment anecdote to make you smile in these difficult times. On Youtube, I recently came across a 1970 Dick Cavett interview with star actor William Holden. Cavett asked him about on-set difficulties. Holden said that getting into make-up and costume can take hours. Holden then told about a story about Charlton Heston, who played MOSES in “The Ten Commandments” (1956). Heston, he said, was dressed up as the elderly Moses when he met Bob Hope on a studio street. Heston told Hope that it took hours put on and take off his heavy make-up, which included a pasted-on full white beard and pasted-on bushy white eyebrows.  Heston then added that he was dying from the heat in his heavy robe and he was drenched in sweat. Hope listened to all this and replied: “Well as I have always said, it’s hard to be a Jew.”

 

Jewish Emmy Winners, 2020

Primetime Emmys Winners (Presented Sept. 20)

DAN LEVY won four Emmys for his work on “Schitt’s Creek”. The series won best comedy series and Levy, the series co-creator and co-producer, shared that Emmy. He also won Emmys for best supporting actor, comedy; best director, comedy; and writing, comedy series.

Dan’s father, Eugene Levy, the co-creator and co-producer of “Schitt’s Creek”, shared the best comedy series Emmy. He also won the lead actor, comedy series, Emmy. JULIA GARNER (“Ozark”) won the best supporting actress, drama series, Emmy for the second year in-a-row.

DAMON LINDELOF (‘”Watchmen”) co-won an Emmy for best writing for a limited series and he won an Emmy as the co-creator and co-producer of “Watchman”, the limited series Emmy winner.

Notable winners of the Creative Emmys (Sept. 14-19)

MAYA RUDOLPH won two Emmys: best guest actress (“Saturday Night Live”) and best animated character voice (“Big Mouth”); MIKE MAKOWSKY was a co-producer of “Bad Education”, the best TV movie winner. He also wrote the film; and LORNE MICHAELS won his 19th Emmy as the producer of “Saturday Night Live". "SNL" won the outstanding variety sketch series Emmy.