Apr 11 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 12:49 pm
Ever have a meal like this with your kids?
I went with my boys to their favorite Japanese place for dinner last night. There was some debating in the car with my older son about why I order them brown rice sushi when he prefers white rice sushi. I explained that brown rice has more “muscle power” than white, but that we can order one order of brown rice avocado sushi and one order of white rice sushi and that’s a good compromise. He seemed okay with it.
Cut to dinner… Read the rest of this entry →
Apr 5 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 1:57 pm
A good friend of mine recently asked me when she should tell her son about the Holocaust. She is not Jewish, she homeschools her son, and he is 11 years old. She was asking me because she knows I grew up with a strong consciousness of the Holocaust (and family members who died during the Holocaust) and as a homeschooler, she wanted to present as accurately as possible the historical relevance and significance of the Holocaust in a way that a school might not.
I had to think back to when I learned about the Holocaust. I can’t remember a time I didn’t know about it, in all honesty. From the time I was very young, maybe 6 or 7 years old, I knew that my mom’s mom (my beloved bubbie Sura Perl z”l) had lost her parents and half of her dozen or so siblings during the War. I knew she was orphaned on the shores of Ellis Island and had to grow up with her siblings and my grandfather as her only life guides. Read the rest of this entry →
Apr 4 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 1:19 pm
One of the questions I get asked most often is, “Is it fun being on The Big Bang Theory?” I am happy to report that I always answer a resounding, “Yes!” But as fun as it is to be Amy Farrah Fowler, it’s more fun to watch the looks on girls’ faces when they find I’m a scientist in real life! In fact, this past hiatus from filming The Big Bang Theory was spent encouraging girls to embark in careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (known collectively as STEM) during National HerWorld Month.
My hiatus was spent, in fact, partnering with DeVryUniversity to speak at its HerWorld event in New York City. Throughout the month of March, more than 7,000 high school girls participated in similar conventions all over the country. HerWorld feature workshops, hands-on activities, and lectures from women in STEM. The idea is to provide information about STEM careers and to give young girls positive role models to learn from so that they can picture themselves as the next generation of scientists, techies, engineers, and mathematicians. Read the rest of this entry →
Mar 28 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 11:26 am
Two weeks ago, the cast of The Big Bang Theory participated in a panel discussion with the creators and executive producers of our show for the PaleyFest in Beverly Hills. It was an opportunity for us to be interviewed in front of about 500 fans, and the panel was broadcast all over the country and internet as well. We took questions from the audience, as well as from the moderator, Pauley Perrette (from “NCIS”).
There was a red carpet before and the event tends to be on the casual side, but since I don’t wear pants and my idea of casual is a denim skirt, black 3/4 T-shirt and Payless flats, I was nervous about what to wear, since I tend to inevitably look overdressed because of my tznius (modesty) choices. I barely understood why stylist Ali told me to wear what I wore, but my outfit got rave reviews. Go figure. (If I learned one thing from my make-over on “What Not To Wear,” it was to not trust myself in anything fashion-related and listen to someone who can be trusted.) Read the rest of this entry →
Mar 21 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 10:15 am
I saw an ad in a Jewish magazine today advertising the 30 minute Seder: The Haggadah That Blends Brevity With Tradition. “Sarah B.” from New York City says (on the ad), that this haggadah makes Passover “a joy to celebrate.” Hmmm.
In case you were wondering, it’s also “rabbinically approved,” “refreshingly brief” (hence the 30 minute bit), and “gender-neutral.” Hmmm.
Yep, I’ve got opinions. I’ve also got a lot of reasons to have opinions. (You can check out the haggadah here.)
As a mom of two young boys, I like the idea of a short Seder (and really, who doesn’t!?). By the time the Seder rolls around, most kids are already in bed. What gives? I asked my Partners In Torah chevrusa: Why have a ceremony that kids can’t even stay awake for?
Her answer–and the answer I have come to understand–is sort of up for debate. And you may not agree with it. But here’s what I have come to feel about this matter. And here’s why I won’t be doing a 30 minute Seder. Read the rest of this entry →
Mar 19 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 1:21 pm
Passover is upon us and I am sort of almost ready. Because of my car accident seven and a half months ago and my tendinitis which I am just finally over, my cleaning and cooking will not be as thorough and rigorous as I like them to be, but I am doing things differently this year and that’s a good thing.
Here are the things I am doing differently:
1. Not obsessing as much as I like to. Traditional Judaism is a beloved religious undertaking for those of us on the Obsessive-Compulsive spectrum, with its myriad boundaries, numerical rituals, and things to do and not do in order to be “right” with God and the world. Even our spring cleaning is regimented, to a certain extent, and I usually take this time of year to go totally nutso bonkers with my cleaning. This year, it will be more by-the-books and I will save the super duper magnifying glass-type of scouring for another time when my hand is better. And that’s ok. Read the rest of this entry →
Mar 14 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 11:53 am
With the publication of the Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, and the related decision by Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer to no longer allow working from home (she herself returned to work two weeks postpartum albeit with a nursery built for her son next to her office) there has been a lot of “feminist” stuff swirling around the media and my head. And it’s getting crowded in there.
I want to share some things that I have been considering. Mind you, these are just thoughts. The issues at hand are so broad, so complex, and so overwhelming, that I have decided to just throw out there my initial thoughts and reactions to the media storm swirling and see what happens next.
Here are “Five Things That Currently Don’t Make Sense To Me.” Read the rest of this entry →
Mar 8 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 10:30 am
Last night’s episode of The Big Bang Theory featured my character, Melissa Rauch’s character, and Kaley Cuoco’s character dressed up as different Disney princesses. I was Snow White (since I’m the brunette), Melissa was Cinderella, and Kaley was Sleeping Beauty.
This would be a good time to tell you that I never once for Halloween or Purim ever dressed as a princess. I don’t remember having any particular fondness for fairy tales or the color pink. I despised the color purple and much as I enjoyed jewelry and trying out my mom’s makeup and even wearing my favorite robe (which happened to be pink) around the house, there is not one picture of me dressed like any sort of princess, Disney or otherwise. Read the rest of this entry →
Mar 4 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 2:59 pm
Many of you may have seen The Big Bang Theory Super Bowl promo that our cast participated in. I believe it aired in the first 10 minutes or so of play in this year’s Super Bowl. The promo featured the entire cast of The Big Bang Theory swaggering down a smokey hallway, all decked out in football gear. The punchline was that Leonard was wearing his pads and jockstrap on the outside of his uniform. Read the rest of this entry →
Feb 27 2013
By Mayim Bialik at 12:00 pm
I wonder when parenting/my life will stop feeling like something to survive, but for today I can say with confidence and a smile on my face that we survived Purim.
As I described last week, despite the fact that we are in the middle of a divorce, our sons designed a family-themed Purim costume as they have in years past. The exact character designations changed slightly in the past week and here’s how it shook down: Fred, who is 4 and Miles, who is 7, went as everyone’s favorite French vintage comic book hero Tintin. Mike (my almost ex) went as Captain Haddock, like the fish. I still went as Snowy the Dog. Read the rest of this entry →
