Give Heeb a Chance

In the name of research, I went to Heeb's release party for their Money Issue at a club in the West Village. It wasn't exactly what I expected. First of all, the crowd wasn't nearly as hipster or alternative (whatever that means) as I'd pictured. People were generally dressed like NYU students (a lot of urban outfitters and some ironically geekish gear). Not so many nose rings or visible tattoos or giant chai bling. A few things distinguished it from a normal night at a club. A lot more people were wearing glasses (which I've decided is a Jewish thing 'cause I'm always the only one without contacts until I hit up a Jewish event) and everyone was talking instead of dancing (possibly another Jewish thing). While most Jewish events for people in their 20s and 30s are thinly-veiled singles nights, people didn't seem to be there in hopes of eventually making Jewish babies. Another thing that surprised me was that a couple really Orthodox-looking guys were there in white shirts, yarmulkes, and tzitzit. I'd always pegged Heeb's audience as the secular crowd. But other than the gelt on the tables and a couple of Streits matzah posters ("the perfect cure for the munchies"), there wasn't anything noticably Jewish about the event. Maybe that makes it more authentically Jewish--Jews just hanging out being themselves without having to listen to klezmer music. I don't know.

The night picked up when my friend convinced me to corner the editor (remember Leather Jacket Guy?) and ask him for an interview. If you remember my entry from the class we spent on the Passion issue, I'm not the biggest fan of the magazine. After talking to him, however, I may be coming around. One of my main problems was that I felt it was coming from a place of "I may be Jewish, BUT I can still be cool." He said that they aren't trying to set up stereotypes and break them, but rather play with them. Explore their meaning through manipulation. I think this becomes more apparent when you read more issues and when you have a greater knowledge of what Jewish stereotypes are. (It's so hard to keep track sometimes!) Oh, and I asked him about all the topless pics in the Passion spread. He says they were imitating paintings, not just for shock value, so mystery solved.

Highlight of the night: In the middle of talking to him, we started to smell something burning, saw a HUGE cloud of smoke to our left, and realized that a girl's giant Jewfro had caught on fire from one of the votive candles lying about.

Runner up: I met one of Lisa Loeb's potential suitors from Number 1 Single who immediately informed me that the TV show had been edited poorly and he and Lisa are still friends. Hmmm...maybe I should've blogged about her quest for a nice Jewish boy.

In an unrelated note, you know you aren't feeling well when you actually choose to eat matzah post-Passover.