Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

ABC wants more 'Goldbergs'

Hollywood, Fla.-Fans of "The Goldbergs," kvell away. ABC has announced it is picking up the fledgling comedy for a full season.

While the series received lukewarm reviews from critics, it is averaging 7.5 million total viewers. Apparently folks like being inundated with 1980s memorabilia (think Rubik's Cube and "Ghostbusters" Halloween costumes) and hearing Jeff Garlin lovingly refer to his TV brood as idiots ad nauseam.

Yes, we think it's cool that a Jewish family is standing in for the average American family. That said, is it so wrong to hope for a little more overt Jewiness now that the season has been extended? We're envisioning a Chanukah episode, a seder or, even better, some blue eye-shadowed, shoulder-padded bar mitzvah action.

Drew Barrymore is pregnant again

A hearty b'sha'ah tovah to Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman. The couple is expecting their second child, according to a report from Us Weekly that includes what is possibly the cutest, check-out-my-baby-bump photo of all time.

While Barrymore is a self-described "shiksa," she has spoken about her appreciation for her husband's faith and their plans to raise their 13-month-old daughter, Olive, in the Jewish tradition. During an appearance on "The View" in January, the actress called Judaism "a beautiful faith" that she is "so honored" to be around.

"It's so family oriented," she said. "The stories are so beautiful and it's incredibly enlightening. I'm really happy."

Austin Mahone plays bar mitzvah

YouTube-incubated teen pop sensation Austin Mahone (aka Justin Bieber the second) performed at a Manhattan bar mitzvah.

The over-the-top bash at a downtown nightclub was thrown by Republic Records' EVP Charlie Walk and his wife, Lauren, for their sons Jesse and Jagger, the New York Post's Page Six reports.

Mahone was introduced via video by Ryan Seacrest, who apparently has a thriving second career in the bar mitzvah industry. He was followed by "up-and-coming 16-year-old DJ/producer" Ares Carter.

Mazel tov boys. If you weren't massively popular already, that has certainly changed.

A drunk David Arquette dials Howard Stern

Actor David Arquette called into Howard Stern's Sirius XM radio show after the wrap party for his film "The Key," admitting he'd had a few too many, E! online reports.

"This isn't the first time I called you [drunk]," said Arquette, who happened to reveal he was off the wagon on Stern's show two months earlier. "I've called in a few times."

This time, though, Arquette wasn't in the mood for the regular on-air banter. Instead he seemed to be in a deeper, more, uh, philosophical kind of mood.

"You're amazing. You are incredible. You are God. We're all gods in our own way. We're all droplets of God... The whole game is to entertain God. God created us all. God is love. The best feeling is love... We're all connected. It's all the same."

Arquette, who had a bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in 2012, then moved on to something he billed as "the most controversial thing I'm going to say."

It was this: "Hitler played the game very well. He did. Listen, yeah, he played his game very well. He convinced a lot of people to play his f***ing evil game. He played the game really well, but he was playing the wrong game."

At least it wasn't all bizarre and heavy. Arquette also threw in some nice words about his ex-wife, Courteney Cox.

"She's the most brilliant, beautiful friend that I've ever met," he said.

Sacha Baron Cohen's latest role

Comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen is set to play a British soccer thug in a new film, The Daily Mirror reports.

The movie will follow the duping-real-people format utilized in "Borat," "Bruno" and "Da Ali G Show."

While this new role might not sound all that scandalous to us Americans, the English paper calls it "his most vile and controversial character yet."

Baron Cohen has spent the past few weeks in the northern section of the country researching the part, which apparently will involve throwing stuff at players and referees and acting like a narrow-minded cretin.

Somehow we think he'll be able to pull it off.

For the latest Jewish celebrity news, visit JTA's 6 Degrees (no Bacon) blog.