Pop Culture

Taran Killam wrote, directed and stars in the mockumentary Killing Gunther.

Arts

Taran Killam Says 'There Was Never Any Common Ground' When Trump Hosted 'SNL'

1:56pm October 17, 2017

In November 2015, candidate Donald Trump drew protesters to NBC's New York studio. Saturday Night Live alum Taran Killam says, "We could hear the protests during our table read."

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The ousting of a powerful Hollywood producer over multiple abuse allegations prompted women and other assault survivors to proclaim a simple idea: that sexual abuse is common in their lives.

In The Wake Of Harvey Weinstein Scandal, Women Say #MeToo

12:28pm October 17, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

The ousting of a powerful Hollywood producer over multiple abuse allegations prompted women and other assault survivors to proclaim a simple idea: that sexual abuse is common in their lives.

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Thompson seems less concerned with superstardom than steady, quality work. (The actor is pictured here at a No Kid Hungry event in New York City earlier this year.)

Arts

In His 15th Season At 'SNL,' Kenan Thompson Still Knows How To Play It Funny

6:58am October 16, 2017

by Eric Deggans

Thompson has lasted longer than any other performer in Saturday Night Live history. He's so likeable that the writers sometimes use the action line "Kenan reacts" when they need to get a joke in.

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Aidy Bryant moderates a film panel sketch featuring Leslie Jones as Viola Davis, Cecily Strong as Marion Cotillard, and Kate McKinnon as Debette Goldry, that rips into Weinstein's alleged history of sexual abuse.

'SNL' Goes After 'Well-Dressed Skin Tag' Weinstein, Stages Pence Walkouts

9:23am October 15, 2017

by Emma Bowman

Slammed for last week's silence on Weinstein, the show ripped into sex abuse allegations against the producer. Elsewhere, Kate McKinnon revived Kellyanne Conway as an eerie Pennywise from It.

A New Orleans Saints fan holds a voodoo doll at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans in 2016.

On Halloween, Remember: Voodoo Isn't Black Magic

3:47pm October 13, 2017

by Leah Donnella

Halloween is nigh. Does your costume pass the racial sensitivity test? That's our topic this week on Ask Code Switch.

"I'm meant to make people happy. That's my job," says Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon.

Books
Arts

Jimmy Fallon On The School Of 'SNL' And His Tendency To Smile Too Much

7:15pm October 12, 2017

by Terry Gross

"There was a report card from kindergarten and the comment from the teacher was, 'Jimmy smiles too much,' " Fallon says. "I think I would smile even when I was getting yelled at."

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Harvey Weinstein, the former entertainment executive embroiled in multiple allegations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct, has been a dedicated Democratic donor since the early 1990s.

Politics & Government

As Democrats Purge Weinstein's Cash, Impact On The Party Is Likely To Be Low

3:20pm October 12, 2017

by Peter Overby

Among Democratic high rollers, Weinstein's presence was bigger than his bankroll.

On his podcast, Marc Maron (pictured here in Los Angeles in 2013) often asks guests what their parents do. "It's a very defining thing," he says.

Books
Arts

Marc Maron On Robin Williams, Barack Obama And Learning To Be A Good Listener

10:52pm October 10, 2017

by David Greene

NPR interviewed Maron in the cramped garage where he tapes most of his podcast, WTF. When he's the interviewer, he says, "I generally don't have a page full of questions, like you have there."

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Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest performs onstage at FYF Fest in July in Los Angeles.

Q-Tip Says His New Kennedy Center Role Helps 'Institutionalize Hip-Hop'

3:00pm October 09, 2017

by Michel Martin

A Tribe Called Quest frontman is the first artistic director for hip-hop culture at the Kennedy Center. He discusses the cultural levity of his appointment and the current political climate.

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Faces Places co-directors JR and Agnes Varda (along with composer Matthieu Chedid, right) at this year's Cannes film festival.

Arts

Agnes Varda And JR: The Cinematic Odd Couple Behind 'Faces Places'

5:40pm October 08, 2017

by Howie Movshovitz

Agnes Varda practically invented the French New Wave, and at 89 she's still working, co-directing a new film with artist JR about their travels through the French countryside in his photography van.