Pop Culture

Original American Idol judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell on stage in 2008.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'American Idol' Sails Off Into The Sunset

3:18pm January 08, 2016

by Linda Holmes

This week, we look back on American Idol as it prepares to finally take its gargantuan self out to the place where old shows live happily in retirement. Plus: a new round of People We're Pulling For.

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Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, was the central figure in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But she was far from a central figurine when it came to the movie's tie-in toys and games.

Arts

#WhereIsRey? She's On Her Way, Says Hasbro

3:22pm January 06, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The newest Star Wars Monopoly game featured Finn, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader — but not the latest film's heroine, Rey. Hasbro says it will add her to the game this year.

At left, Jimmy Smits in My Family. At right, Jennifer Lopez in Selena.

National

'Mi Familia' In Movies: Films Mexican-American Millennials Grew Up On

1:00pm January 06, 2016

by Adrian Florido

The bush-disguise bit in Born in East L.A. The murder scene in Selena. I watched these dozens of times as a kid, but as an adult, they've come to mean more.

Steven Avery served 18 years in prison for sexual assault. He was exonerated by DNA evidence in 2003.

Arts

Over 10 Years, 2 Filmmakers Documented The 'Making' Of A Murderer

3:57pm January 05, 2016

by NPR Staff

Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi were film students when they started working on their 10-part Netflix series about Steven Avery. "We had no money, but what we did have was time," Demos says.

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Author Gene Luen Yang is the author of books including American Born Chinese and Level Up.

Books
Arts

The War Over Comics For Kids Is Nearly Over, And Kids Are Winning

12:13pm January 05, 2016

by Glen Weldon

The selection of graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang as the latest National Ambassador for Young People's Literature signals an important shift in the effort to reunite kids and comics.

National

What Happens When You Try To Date Offline

8:50am January 04, 2016

by NPR Staff

Lisa Bonos recently performed an experiment: She dated for three months without the help of her familiar dating apps.

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Arts

'Downtown Abbey' Begins Its Sixth And Final Season

7:49am January 03, 2016

And it's about time the mansion closed its doors for the last time, says reviewer Eric Deggans.

Natalie Cole performing in New York in 2015

Music & Culture

Remembering Natalie Cole, Who Made A Name All Her Own

4:07pm January 02, 2016

by Scott Simon

The influential singer not only lived up to her father, Nat King Cole's legacy, she forged a new one entirely her own. NPR's Scott Simon looks back on a 2013 conversation with the late Natalie Cole.

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Music & Culture

25 Years Of A-Pickin' And A-Grinnin': Roy Clark Reflects On 'Hee Haw'

7:54am January 02, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Roy Clark, a musician in the country music hall of fame and co-host of the variety show Hee Haw, about his time on the TV show he once believed would fail.

One of the trendiest videos in India in 2015? This comedy sketch on Indian weddings.

You've Heard Of The Nae Nae. But What About Na Goore?

5:16am January 02, 2016

by Malaka Gharib

Viral videos come from every corner of the planet. Here's a look at some of the year's most popular YouTube videos from the developing world.