Pop Culture

Stevie Wonder, photographed arriving in London on Jan. 25, 1974 — almost directly in the middle of what many refer to as the artist's "classic period."

Half a century ago, Stevie Wonder defined what an 'artist's classic run' could mean

5:08am March 02, 2022

For the occasion of its half-centennial, cultural critic and poet Hanif Abdurraqib takes the measure of Stevie Wonder's unmatchable artistic achivements in the early-to-mid '70s.

Models walk the runway at the Tom Ford spring/summer 2022 fashion show at Lincoln Center during New York Fashion Week on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021.

Arts

From Tumblrcore to 2014core, the nostalgia loop is getting smaller and faster

8:37am March 01, 2022

by Neda Ulaby

Wired headphones are among the artifacts from the past decade making recent "nostalgic" comebacks. Fashion once moved in 20 year cycles but the nostalgia loop is getting smaller and faster,

Queue Listen Now

Even in a cowl that blocks his peripheral vision, The Batman (Robert Pattinson) can still serve side-eye.

Arts

In back-to-basics 'The Batman,' Robert Pattinson shines in the darkness

5:26pm February 28, 2022

by Glen Weldon

Matt Reeves' approach to the venerable hero is more emo than goth, and Robert Pattinson brings a haunted quality to the role.

Arts

Five big takeaways from the SAG Awards — and what they might mean for the Oscars

11:38am February 28, 2022

by Linda Holmes

The Screen Actors Guild Awards happened on Sunday night, and a couple of big wins might have implications for the rest of the awards year.

Arts

We love the Oscars – but we need to talk about those awards ceremony changes

11:53am February 27, 2022

by Glen Weldon

The scene: a high school cafeteria. The subject: the Oscars' decision to deliver eight prizes prior to the live awards ceremony.

Michelle Yeoh (front), Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Arts

In theaters this spring: multiverses, Bat-men, action stars and more

5:43pm February 21, 2022

by Bob Mondello

A look at the would-be blockbusters and prestige pictures Hollywood has in store as the weather warms and audiences come out of pandemic hibernation.

Queue Listen Now

Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill in a still from Season 6 of Better Call Saul.

Arts

Hiatus brain: When your favorite show returns, but you can't remember a thing

10:03pm February 18, 2022

by Aisha Harris

When months — even years — separate TV seasons, plotlines are lost to the sands of time.

Books
Arts

What's making us happy: A guide for your weekend reading and viewing

5:01pm February 18, 2022

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Secret History, a Futurama reboot and more.

George Takei testifies before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians in California in 1981.

Arts

George Takei got reparations. He says they 'strengthen the integrity of America'

1:07pm February 18, 2022

by Neda Ulaby

Eighty years ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed an executive order that sent thousands of Japanese Americans to internment camps. Actor George Takei was among them.

Netflix's 'jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy' is (mostly) genius

7:02pm February 17, 2022

by Eric Deggans

The three-part docuseries tracks the rappers rise, starting as an up-and-coming producer in Chicago.