Pop Culture

Pop Culture Happy Hour team points out 2021's best films and TV shows

5:54am December 28, 2021

The end of the year means it's time to look back on the best films and TV shows of 2021. The hosts of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast share their favorites.

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Molly (Yvonne Orji) and Issa's bantering and bickering has been a welcome addition to the canon of great Black onscreen friendships.

Arts

The romantic drama has never been what makes 'Insecure' so good

10:10am December 27, 2021

by Aisha Harris

In the series finale, we finally get an answer to the "will they, won't they" question that's been surrounding Issa and Lawrence since Season 1—but that won't define the show's legacy.

A page from the book The Me I Choose to Be by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley with photography by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt.

Books
Arts

Kids need to see themselves reflected in media. Here are some recommendations

5:06pm December 26, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

We asked children's media experts to recommend their favorite new books, TV shows and video games with characters and storylines representing the diversity of the U.S.

Filmmaker John Waters puts his own spin on Christmas

1:02pm December 24, 2021

by Terry Gross

In 2004, Waters shared music from his album A John Waters Christmas, an anthology of catchy, entertaining and ridiculous holiday songs that reflect his fascination with the odd and unusual.

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stills from Pose, Dune, Only Murders In The Building, Squid Game, Summer Of Soul, West Side Story, The Green Knight, Wandavision and Power Of The Dog

Arts

The best movies and TV of 2021, picked by NPR critics

4:52pm December 23, 2021

This past year was a tumultuous one for both the film and TV industries. With that in mind, here's our critics' guide to all the movies and television shows they loved this year.

Illustration showing a person gazing into a glowing green Matrix. Their reflection smiles lovingly back.

Arts

'I, too, was living a double life': Why trans fans connect to 'The Matrix'

8:50pm December 22, 2021

by Connie Hanzhang Jin

Long before writers Lilly and Lana Wachowski confirmed that the original film was written as a trans allegory, fans connected to its themes of self-actualization.

Politics & Government

Talking race, pop culture and YouTube with Khadija Mbowe

12:02pm December 22, 2021

by Aja Drain

The singer-turned-YouTuber is using their platform to take on everything from race- and queer-baiting in Bridgerton to the scrutiny of Black women's bodies to the history of dog-whistle politics.

Elizabeth Stanley plays Mary Jane Healy, a central character in Jagged Little Pill.

Broadway musical 'Jagged Little Pill' closes after rising cases of coronavirus

12:29pm December 21, 2021

by Mia Estrada

The show, which takes its title from Alanis Morissette's 1995 album, cited the Omicron surge for closing.

A truck carrying Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin and Residente joins with thousands of other people as they call on Puerto Rican Gov. Rosselló to step down.

The many contradictions of 'Latin Music'

1:08pm December 20, 2021

by Anamaria Sayre

For some, the term 'Latin music' is too broad to be meaningful. For others, it invokes a sense of pride and resistance. To help break it down, we spoke to an expert on race and music and pop culture.

Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star in Being the Ricardos.

Arts

'Being the Ricardos' takes a legendary comedienne seriously, with mixed results

7:00am December 20, 2021

by Aisha Harris

Aaron Sorkin's take on the scandals and controversies of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is Sorkin-y to a fault. But Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, and the rest of the cast keep things interesting.