Truth be told, I didn’t post the Macabeats viral video (I was sent it way before it went viral) because I thought it was really gay (yes I know that term is offensive to the gay readers – too bad – there’s no other way to describe it) and I didn’t want it to turn into a YU/Modern Orthodox bashing fest, but I found this awesome post on some random blog named Walking The Gray Line about the Jewish girl crushes of the Macabeats and I got to thinking about a comment that someone made to me several months back. A friend of mine told me that I was one of the few single frum Jewish celebrities and that this would be a problem (it has been a boon and a problem for dating – it works both ways) since most of the folks who were “frum celebrities” were either married or mamash frum and non-controversial making it easier for them to remain married or date without having to give explanations of what they do.
Back in the day I was able to deny I had a blog, I was anonymous, I didn’t have a wikipedia page for God’s sake and I could float freely in obscurity. Then I went through a phase where I would tell girls or shadchanim about this blogging thing only after I knew them well. Fast forward to modern times, it’s tough for me to go to any Jewish event and not have several people walk up to me to say they are fans or people stare at me in restaurants only to email me later and say they thought it was me but weren’t sure. Don’t get me wrong, I’m down with the kavod and attention, but I’ve been trying to figure out how to bring it to the shidduch scene.
I recently decided to really buckle down with this marriage thing, I took stock and decided that I’ve found a rewarding career that has great potential and I have quite my transient ways – so naturally I decided to force myself into the shidduch thing again. I haven’t gone out on a proper date in 2 or 3 years (had 2 great long term relationships though) so I recently started telling people I’m on the market and I even joined Saw You At Sinai as a full paying member (I will have many rants and already I have found myself being matched up with fans of mine)
I haven’t really decided whether to place my shidduch resume on the blog as of yet, since 98% really don’t know me and very few of you could actually figure me out based on the fact that I probably give over about 25% of myself over the internet and the rest is my private life. There have been several people throughout the years that have gotten it right, A. Nuran and my previous girlfriend (both fans who actually understood, but they have been very rare) and although I break my rules once in a while, I try to refrain from dating fans – in fact – any girl I do date I try to let them know up front what I do, but I try to keep them from reading my stuff until they actually know me. For instance, I was recently chatting with this girl on frumster who said that she just realized 4000 people were going to read a facebook status update she deemed “offensive” which stated that “I need a wife who got horny thinking about our honeymoon backpacking the John Muir Trail” and she ended out internet courtship right there – of course I responded that she forgot that I had 2 Facebook accounts, Twitter, Buzz and a blog with 60 – 70k readers a month. I really wanted to say “You gotta be f%^&in kidding me right?”
To comment on the Macabeat photo. I guess the single guys can really call themselves Macabeat-offs(heck ,probably some of the married ones too, if they aint gettin any)
Those guys can sing Eshes Chayil to me any day…
My niece is engaged to a former Maccabeat. He was part of the group before it became famous. Its kind of like being engaged to Pete Best of the Beatles.
Just funny that while I’m sitting in English Lit class, next to a Maccabeat, I open the blog and he happens peers over to see his photo.
Hashkacha.
It’s hashgacha 😉 C’mon, you’re representing YU!
it’s ‘hashgocho’!! after all, isn’t YU a yeshiva?!?
Interestingly, the actual founder gets almost no media attention. He prefers to take a back seat.
Smart guy.
I want to marry all of the Maccabeats *drool*
They could sing Eshes Chayil to me any Shabbos…
I was backstage at the Maccabeats concert in yerushalayim (how cool am I) and at the end some real live groupies came and asked them for pictures. The Maccabeats were not impressed.
we need more info to help you, for your profile,not resume, seriously how many kids do you want? does your wife have to cover all of her hair or just some? Are we showing elbows or not? Didn’t you say you don’t eat meat? That could be tricky, Are you going to get to Shul on time? Or walk in with the ladies and kids? Does she have to go on your bike trips or not? Should she be working,or fresh out of school? When you say you just listened to Dr. Dre, do you want her to know that he’s a rapper? Or should she think he is an OBGYN? do you see where I’m going here?
She better know who Dr Dre is. Fine I’ll send you my shidduch resume
With all due respect to you Heshy and your Shidduch/Job situation, this post is barely about the Maccabeats.
This post has nothing to do with the maccabeats – that was the opener my friend, I was wondering if anyone read the whole darned thing. I guess you did, but I don’t understand the criticism.
I think the opener only mentioned that you didn’t post the viral video so as not to cause a stir. Doesn’t really say that this post wasn’t supposed to be about the Maccabeats. Anyway, it’s really not that important. I just want to let you know that I’m not out to criticize you at all! I am a HUGE fan of your blog (well, at least when you keep it Frum, although your motto does give you leeway with that lol) and I often post links to your posts on my Facebook. Anyway, keep the laughs and hock coming! And now I realize I probably sound like a girl, but wtvr you got the point.
I’m gonna be honest with you, Heshy. Your vulgarity is a bit of a turnoff to the softer female type. Amusing…but off-putting. Either find yourself a nice tough woman (somehow, a woman named Olga with wooden shoes comes to mind ) or tone it down a bit for the average lady folk. I’m not saying don’t be who you are( because THAT would be an awful shame), I’m just saying maybe try a new approach.
Feistyfrummy,
Comedians thrive on vulgarity. When they try to soften up, they become really lame. Take Eddie Murphy, Geroge Carlin, Sam Kinison or the Diceman as a few examples. You could piss in your pants laughing watching their old stuff. Any of the toned down stuff really sucked.
Hesh will eventually find a woman that accepts his blogging, but I’m quite sure she’ll lay down the law as to what is private / sacred.
Bill Cosby was completely clean, and bloody hilarious. I think it sometimes actually makes it funnier when the comedian is clean.
Dreadlocks,
Cosby was never vulgar to begin with, the guys I mentoined were. Kind of like rockers that made some great tunes when they were stoned. As soon as they went sober, their music went to the shits.
The funny thing about this whole discussion is that I am clean, I use a heck of a lot of innuendo in my writing, but if you would ask any comedian out there 99% of them would say I’m clean. My standup is also a lot different than my writing, because it’s more of a family show – the writing is more about the kiruv aspect “just because I’m frum, doesn’t mean I can’t say this and that”
Yoreh K’chetz,
Just like Burnt Dreadlocks said, clean comedy is definitely worth something when done right. But you do have a point, when vulgar comedians tone it down, they do end up sounding lame. That’s because people know what they’re capable of and their expectations aren’t met.
With Heshy, it’s different. Just like he said himself, he’s pretty clean. It’s just those random comments here and there that I feel don’t really reflect who he is that gets him into trouble with us women. (i.e. “Crazy Yosef” a few posts ago…and his facebook status mentioned in this post). That’s what off-putting. Not the other stuff. His blunt honesty and conviction make him the great comedian that he is. If he removed those miniscule vulgarities that come up once in a blue moon, I doubt it would change his level of humor, if anything, it’d gain him a bunch more respect (at least in many women’s eyes). I don’t know what to tell Heshy about his kiruv argument. I respect his ends but not his means. I have a feeling that just from reading older posts, people will understand that being frum doesn’t necessarily mean not swearing. But what I can tell him is that the majority of women out there aren’t interested in marrying a potty-mouth…
Feistyfrummy,
I think Hesh’s blog may put him in a tough position shidduchwise, regardless of whether or not it gets vulgar. I can see how most women may be reluctant to marry someone that they think would be likely to blog about their personal lives to thousands of people. Reminds me of that scene in Howard Stern’s movie of his wife driving to work with her friends listening to his show. Picture yourself in that position, especially when you end up being recognized in a big Jewish community.
The world is a lot smaller than people may think. I have a fishing blog with a lot less viewers than Hesh, maybe 1000-2000 per month. Despite having over 500,000 lakes and rivers and
10 million+ inhabitants in Quebec and Ontario, people recognize me quite often when I’m out fishing.
It’s cool, I just checked it out.
issues facing a girl who might otherwise be interested in dating heshy:
my friends will read his blog & know more than i want them to about my significant other
my father could read his blog & know way more than i want him to about my significant other
what will he write about me/us?
vetting all previous and current posts will see his shidduch potential increase exponentially
You should hear my Spanish, it makes my English look clean.
“A woman named Olga with wooden shoes comes to mind.” With a Russian accent and beard I presume?
Oh yes. Russian accent and beard DEFINITELY included! 😉
Of course, when grocery shopping, she can pick out the very best potatoes and beets. And when her husband needs a drink to make a l’chaim, boy, does she know how to mix a “White Russian”.
She must wear housedresses made of rough material, with patches, and cook on a woodburning stove. And she should have calloused hands.
This is WAAAYYYYY too entertaining. We should start a whole new post describing “Tough Olga”. She is without doubt my new hero. 😉
The Jewish Chuck Norris? Maybe I’ll write a post about that. Send me some ideas 🙂
Definitely a balabusta Chuck Norris.
Haha this is the funniest post ever!!!
I’m pretty sure that calling something “gay” is offensive only if you’re using “gay” to mean “stupid” (or something along those lines). If you’re using “gay” to mean “homosexual,” you’re just being descriptive. Looking at it that way, I thought that ALL of the Maccabeats were gay, so when I read the title of your post, my initial response was, “Another gay Jewish dude, of course.”
Are your commenters saying that these guys are straight?!
Who are the Maccabeats?
I wish I could marry you.
I think ur awesome!
My niece is engaged to a former Maccabeat. He was part of the group before it became famous. Its kind of like being engaged to Pete Best of the Beatles. – LOL, she could claim she knew they’d be famous before they became famous. Talk about booking in advance.
I want to marry a Maccabeat.
2 of them in fact…
*sigh*
Avrumy,
After checking them out on Youtube, I think they’re your type. Seems like they’d be perfect wearing pink tutus in a pride parade. And I thought the miami boys choir / Avrum Fried was as gay as it gets…
I’m actually surprised any female over 12 years old would be interested in them.
You check it dog(when I say “dog” I don’t mean to belittle you in any way, it’s actually a friendly jestcher way of saying “buddy” in the african american culture)
I got a great inscription for that picture in the beggining of this blog:
“DON’T LET A MACCABEAT BECOME A MACCA BEAT-OFF”
What do you think?
I know polygamy was rabbinically banned (Is it technically expired now? I think it should be right around this year, if I remember correctly)…but what about polyandry? You may be on to something here…
Actually…now that I think about it…my current ONE husband is WAY more work that one woman should have to deal with. I think I’ll skip that whole second husband thing.
Actually…on third thought…I just realized my husband loves the Maccabeats. Maybe I should make HIM marry one of them. If we pick a gay one, he could be like a junior wife and I could make him do chores and stuff.
are any of them looking for a gay relationship?
Are you?
Happy Valentine’s Day
ROFLMTO!!!
Hesh, I didn’t know you had a wikipedia page though I have been your blog for a couple of years. Just checked it out. I’m wondering who wrote it?
screw the maccabeats, they should try being famous for a jewish song, after all they are “frum”. Its a disgrace to call that “jewish music”. I’ll see you all at the next matisyahu concert!!
I really don’t see what all this hype about the Maccabeats is
Hesh, if u read this, I would totally date you if not for some of the “horny-style” jokes, then again all guys make those jokes, just not on a public blog