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.