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The Maccabeats Vs. Shalom Sesame

Who does the worst Passover-Les Misérables homage?

by
Adam Chandler
March 19, 2013
(Flickr)
(Flickr)

It’s that time of year again. While our stomachs are soon to be deprived of carbo-nourishment, our minds are already being fed Kosher for Passover pablum.

My e-mail box is a’jam with the YouTube fruit of the season and, in these videos, you can see that the Les Misérables movie is suffusing from the bold of the big screen to each of the small screens in our lives. But at what cost?!

First, an e-mailer from Los Angeles sent me this Shalom Sesame jam, which is based on the Les Miz. song “Master of the House” and is called “Les Matzarables.” It seems like this is a few years old and has had more than its share of viewers, but judge for yourself.

Next up, we have the Maccabeats, who have a much longer offering in the form of a Les Miz medley about Passover. There is some acting, some harmony, and some other stuff going that defies description. I know the ‘Beats are beloved by some, so like the Les Misérables movie, it’s up to you to decide if you’re ready to challenge the purity of both the musical and the holiday by watching this. I made it a minute.

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.