Pop Culture

Lear dropped out of college and enlisted in the Air Force to fight in World War II. In his late 20s, he moved to Los Angeles where he struggled for several years, selling furniture door to door and taking baby pictures. He's shown above in his Los Angeles office in March 1979.

Arts

Norman Lear, who made funny sitcoms about serious topics, dies at 101

10:04am December 06, 2023

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Lear's revolutionary comedies, including All in the Family and The Jeffersons, didn't shy away from issues of race, struggle and inequality. He believed that all people are "versions of each other."

Music & Culture

A term for popular a reggaeton dance is added to Spanish-language dictionary

6:56am December 06, 2023

The Spanish Royal Academy has added "perreo" to its dictionary, but the term's been around for decades. The move puts a spotlight on the dance and its significance in reggaetón music.

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How to get through a holiday party at work without embarrassing yourself

5:13am December 06, 2023

Work holiday parties are back in full force this year. Etiquette expert Elaine Swann talks to NPR's Michel Martin about how to get through them without embarrassing yourself.

The two protagonists from the much anticipated GTA VI.

The first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 is out. Here's why the hype is huge

4:54pm December 05, 2023

by Manuela López Restrepo

It's been a decade since the last Grand Theft Auto game, and fans have finally gotten what they've been asking for. No, not a new game — but a real trailer and a promised release year.

Rizz is Oxford's word of the year for 2023. What does it mean?

5:03am December 05, 2023

Have you got "rizz"? Oxford University Press has selected this shortened form of "charisma" as its word of the year.

Jonathan Majors faces misdemeanor charges of harassment and assaulting a former girlfriend. He's shown above in Los Angeles in October 2021.

Arts

Opening arguments have begun in Jonathan Majors trial

6:17pm December 04, 2023

by Neda Ulaby

The actor, whose Hollywood prospects have been dimmed by accusations of assault, is currently facing a six-person jury in a Manhattan courtroom.

Cher's Christmas album tops the charts

5:38pm December 04, 2023

Cher recently spoke with NPR's Scott Simon about her first holiday music album. "DJ Play a Christmas Song" has since hit Number 1 on two Billboard charts.

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Messi's World Cup jerseys bring in millions at auction

5:38pm December 04, 2023

The six jerseys Lionel Messi wore in the first half of each game in last year's World Cup are now garnering millions of dollars in bids at an auction at Sotheby's in New York.

Rizz is the word of year for 2023, according to the publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary. The term deals with charisma and charm — and other rizzes are available, such as Stockard Channing, center, seen here as Betty "Rizz" Rizzo in the 1978 film Grease.

Rizz is Oxford's word of the year for 2023. Do you have it?

1:17pm December 04, 2023

by Bill Chappell

If you're asking what "rizz" means, you're not alone. There's even a chance that you have rizz without actually knowing what it is.

Taylor Swift celebrates a touchdown during the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers game at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 22 in Kansas City, Mo.

If Taylor Swift is living in Kansas City, here's what locals say she should know

11:28am December 04, 2023

by Gabe Rosenberg

Even if you don't know burnt ends from a short end, here's a (brief!) introduction for Taylor Swift and the rest of the world to understanding Kansas City and what makes it so enchanting.