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Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast

Pop Culture Happy Hour

·

  NPR  

Get obsessed with us. Five days a week, Pop Culture Happy Hour serves you recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, books, videogames and more. Join arts journalists Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris - plus a rotating cast of guest pop culture aficionados. The Happy Hour team leaves room at the table for exploring a range of reactions and opinions on every bit of the pop universe. From lowbrow to highbrow to the stuff in between, they take it all with a shot of cheer.Make your happy hour even happier with Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus! Your subscription supports the podcast and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/happyhour

Get obsessed with us. Five days a week, Pop Culture Happy Hour serves you recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, books, videogames and more. Join arts journalists Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris - plus a rotating cast of guest pop culture aficionados. The Happy Hour team leaves room at the table for exploring a range of reactions and opinions on every bit of the pop universe. From lowbrow to highbrow to the stuff in between, they take it all with a shot of cheer.Make your happy hour even happier with Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus! Your subscription supports the podcast and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/happyhour

 

#300

Star Wars: Ahsoka

Ahsoka is the latest Star Wars TV series on Disney+. This one's about a character who's beloved by fans of the franchise's animated series – but if you only know the Star Wars movies, you're likely meeting her for the very first time. Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) was once a Jedi who rejected the Order's stuffy, bureaucratic ways and is harboring a great sense of guilt over her mentor becoming Darth Vader. She's back with a new Jedi mentee of her own (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) as they try to stop a new threat to the galaxy. [Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour ] (https://plus.npr.org/happy) ... Read more

20 hrs Ago

19 MINS

19:03

20 hrs Ago


#299

The Creator And What's Making Us Happy

In the new movie The Creator, humanity is at war with artificial intelligence. It stars John David Washington as a former soldier who's been recruited to find and kill the creator of a powerful AI weapon. Directed by Gareth Edwards, the film's big themes involve the role of AI, the brutality of war, and the building blocks of life and society. ... Read more

29 Sep 2023

22 MINS

22:09

29 Sep 2023


#298

Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense

Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense has been called the greatest concert film of all time. Directed by Jonathan Demme, the iconic 1984 film takes the audience onstage with the band and captures them at the height of their power. Now, a restored version of the film is back in theaters, featuring propulsive performances of early hits like "Psycho Killer," along with deeper and funkier cuts, too. [Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour ] (https://plus.npr.org/happy) ... Read more

28 Sep 2023

19 MINS

19:24

28 Sep 2023


#297

Cassandro

In the new film Cassandro, Gael García Bernal plays the real-life Mexican-American wrestler who came to international stardom by adopting the persona of the flamboyant Cassandro, the Liberace of Lucha Libre. It's the story of a queer man who challenges a macho and homophobic system through sheer showmanship – and earns the respect of his fellow wrestlers and audiences. ... Read more

27 Sep 2023

20 MINS

20:20

27 Sep 2023


#296

Dumb Money

The snappy "eat the rich" comedy Dumb Money is about a sly bunch of Reddit users who made some Wall Street billionaires sweat, in an infamous stock market incident known as the Game Stop short squeeze. With a star-studded ensemble including Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Pete Davidson, the movie has got class warfare and needle drops galore. But will it inspire you to fight the power or just go out and buy some stocks? [Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour ] (https://plus.npr.org/happy) ... Read more

26 Sep 2023

21 MINS

21:39

26 Sep 2023


#295

Sex Education And What's Making Us Happy

Netflix's hit series Sex Education is a refreshing and frank coming-of-age story about modern teens learning about their bodies and themselves in awkward, relatable ways. In the final season, amateur sex therapist Otis (Asa Butterfield), his best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), and their friends juggle academic life and young adulthood. ... Read more

22 Sep 2023

26 MINS

26:34

22 Sep 2023


#294

Starfield

[Starfield ] (https://www.npr.org/2023/08/31/1196861584/starfield-review-bethesda-microsoft) is one of the biggest and most anticipated video game releases of the year. It's a massive open world game set in humanity's future, when we've settled on star systems throughout the galaxy. There's over 1000 planets to explore, multiple factions to join, spaceships to pilot and quests to go on. But does Starfield live up to the hype? [Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour] (https://plus.npr.org/happy) ... Read more

21 Sep 2023

22 MINS

22:54

21 Sep 2023


#293

Three Great 90s Thrillers

When you're talking about the movies of the 1990s, you have to mention the decade's huge assortment of thrillers. From courtroom standoffs and frantic chases to wild twists and A-list stars, today, we are recommending three of our favorite 90s thrillers. ... Read more

20 Sep 2023

09 MINS

09:13

20 Sep 2023


#292

The Other Black Girl

Part blistering workplace satire, part creepy thriller, Hulu's The Other Black Girl packs a lot of punches. Nella (Sinclair Daniel) is a young editorial assistant who forms a fast-friendship with her new-coworker, Hazel (Ashleigh Murray) as they both navigate working in a mostly white publishing company. Hazel is confident, a bit mysterious, and full of secrets. The Other Black Girl is based on the novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris. ... Read more

19 Sep 2023

24 MINS

24:46

19 Sep 2023


#291

Fall Guide And What's Making Us Happy

Today we offer up a guide to some of the most exciting movies, TV, and music you can check out this fall. ... Read more

15 Sep 2023

28 MINS

28:09

15 Sep 2023


#290

Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS

Olivia Rodrigo's debut album, Sour, was one of the biggest hits of 2021. Now, she's back with a new record called GUTS, which has already spawned two hits with "vampire" and "bad idea right?" The album sharpens a sound inspired by pop, punk and singer-songwriters. ... Read more

14 Sep 2023

18 MINS

18:51

14 Sep 2023


#289

Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour

This summer, millions of us got cozy with Beyoncé during the Renaissance World Tour. With stunning visuals, an array of costume changes, and the occasional Blue Ivy cameo, this is reportedly Beyonce's highest-grossing tour yet. Renaissance has been unlike any other Beyoncé experience, a truly communal and social media-hyped dance party. [Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour] (https://plus.npr.org/happy) ... Read more

13 Sep 2023

22 MINS

22:32

13 Sep 2023


#288

Jimmy Fallon And Strike Force Five

Recently, late night talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Jimmy Kimmel started the chat podcast Strike Force Five to raise money and support their staff during the actors and writers strikes. Shortly after it launched, an investigation in Rolling Stone outlined allegations of erratic and aggressive behavior by Jimmy Fallon and a generally terrible working environment at The Tonight Show. So now, this unusual project finds itself in an awkward position. ... Read more

11 Sep 2023

19 MINS

19:58

11 Sep 2023


#287

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 And What's Making Us Happy

The family comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a very big hit back in 2002. So it was inevitable that the movie spawned a couple of sequels – thus, we now have My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. Writer and director Nia Vardalos is back as Toula, John Corbett is back as her husband, and this time, they're headed to Greece for a family reunion. ... Read more

08 Sep 2023

26 MINS

26:29

08 Sep 2023


#286

Are We Witnessing The Death Of Movie Stars?

Movie stars are larger than life, and usually have some sort of mystique or mystery. And they defined the movies for generations, from Charlie Chaplin to Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. But in an age of Disney and Marvel, the movie star seems to have been eclipsed by the franchises in which they appear. So are we witnessing the death of the movie star? Today we present an episode of NPR's Consider This podcast about the history of movie stars, and their place in Hollywood today. ... Read more

07 Sep 2023

12 MINS

12:00

07 Sep 2023


#285

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is on pace to become the biggest and most lucrative concert tour in history. Each night's show offers up a career-spanning three-hour epic, with a sprawling setlist that includes a nightly assortment of surprises. But what made the tour such a juggernaut this summer? [Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour ] (https://plus.npr.org/happy) ... Read more

06 Sep 2023

22 MINS

22:56

06 Sep 2023


#284

TV Guest Stars

New seasons of FX's The Bear and Hulu's Only Murders in the Building are bringing in big talent like Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Coleman and Meryl Streep. So we decided to discuss: What makes a great TV guest star? And who are some of the best guest stars of all time? [Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour ] (https://plus.npr.org/happy) ... Read more

05 Sep 2023

25 MINS

25:54

05 Sep 2023


#283

Suits And What's Making Us Happy

The long-running lawyer show Suits is this summer's streaming sensation, and riding high on Netflix's top ten. Starring Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams, the series originally ran on the USA Network and ended its run four years ago. So why is it now so popular? Is it nostalgia for a different kind of television? Is it Meghan Markle? And how good is this show? ... Read more

01 Sep 2023

25 MINS

25:53

01 Sep 2023


#282

NewJeans

In a little more than a year, NewJeans has become huge in the world of K-pop, with a reputation for upending industry conventions. They've become the fastest K-Pop act ever to reach one billion streams on Spotify, and their new EP, Get Up, just hit number one on the Billboard charts. Plus, their single "OMG" went viral on TikTok, spawning dance challenges and memes. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at [plus.npr.org/happyhour ] (https://plus.npr.org/happy) ... Read more

31 Aug 2023

16 MINS

16:49

31 Aug 2023


#281

Two Great Scammer Documentaries

HBO has two great new documentary projects about two very different scams. BS High is about a high school football team that came from what turned out to be a nonexistent high school. Telemarketers is about telemarketing scams, and how hard it is to stop them. Both stories are about not just the very colorful nitty-gritty details of a successful scam, but also the conditions and the systems that make scams possible. ... Read more

30 Aug 2023

26 MINS

26:56

30 Aug 2023