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May 25, 2012
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The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
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The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
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May 22, 2012
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Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
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The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
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Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
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Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
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Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
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The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
June 30, 2011
/ 28 Sivan, 5771
Missing the manly men on TV
By
Betsy Hart
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Get ready for a fall line-up of television sitcoms that feature men trying to find themselves as, well, men in a world where dads race to get to their child and change his dirty diaper before the wives do.
As The Wall Street Journal chronicled recently in "A New Generation of TV Wimps," some half-dozen sitcoms -- yes, a half-dozen this fall -- will focus on men finding their way in an increasingly woman-ordered world. Of one, "Work It," the writers said that "we're showing how guys are growing and maturing and evolving by listening to women more than they traditionally have." Does that imply that if women listen to men more than they traditionally have that they are "un"-evolving? Interesting.
Many of the shows will feature a dad as the primary caregiver, of course.
You get the drift. The show that intrigues me most is "The Last Man Standing," with the lovable Tim Allen, which will provide "regular diatribes about the softening of American men."
The creators of this show seem to have some sympathy for the plight of real men in a girls' world, but it doesn't take a crystal ball to see that Allen will most likely end up as a caricature of a "real guy" meant to make real guys look like cavemen.
This was similar to the idea for the character of Alex Keaton in "Family Ties," the hit 1980s sitcom. His parents were '70s liberals, but their son, Alex, was a Reagan conservative. Here's the ironic part: Although Alex was generally intended to be a caricature, it didn't work -- he became a respected conservative voice. The bits of conservative wisdom that got through, probably when the writers least understood what they were writing, made him a hero to conservatives everywhere.
That could happen with "Last Man Standing" if Allen's character, stumblingly saying some supposedly cliched male thing, actually makes male viewers (and more than a few females) respond with "Right on, brother!"
In any event, "Studio and network executives say that this year they heard more pitches than ever before for shows about the changing dynamics of men," according to the Journal. Well, all right then -- here's mine (all rights reserved):
How about basing a show on a fellow finding his way in all this who isn't a joke? Who provides for his family without complaining, roughhouses with his kids, loves his wife, but is sympathetically hopeful for more sex than he's getting, is trying to listen to her feelings but legitimately wants her to respect him more. Let the next-door neighbor, Mr. Sensitivity, who shops for organic food, cries with his wife over her difficult day at the office, makes sure his child's diapers are absorbent enough, cautions his son to be careful when climbing the monkey bars -- let him be the goofball caricature of this sitcom.
Few viewers, male or female, will cheer this fellow on. And when he asks his wife to go figure out what's making that noise in the middle of the night? The audience might laugh -- a la Woody Allen squeamishly going after a spider in "Annie Hall." But, they will think he's about as manly, by any definition, as Woody Allen, too.
Well, in the end, whether we realize it or not, I fear our culture is increasingly celebrating Woody Allen as the uber-male. How is that going over? The success or failure of these new sitcoms will, I think, tell us something about that. Stay tuned.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Betsy Hart, a frequent commentator on CNN and the Fox News Channel, can be reached by clicking here.
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