Pop Culture

Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, two members of N.W.A, will be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Acts like The Smiths and Nine Inch Nails were overlooked. The prog rock band Yes got a no.

Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, N.W.A Picked For Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

1:16pm December 17, 2015

by Marie Andrusewicz

Chicago and Steve Miller were also among the acts chosen by the nominating committee for the 2016 class, which will be inducted in a ceremony in New York on April 8.

Arts

Fans Anticipate Opening Of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

12:45pm December 17, 2015

by Linda Holmes

NPR's Ari Shapiro asks NPR' pop culture blogger Linda Holmes to put the much-anticipated new Star Wars film into perspective.

Queue Listen Now

Comedian John Mulaney in his new special, The Comeback Kid.

Arts

You're Never Too Young To Be A 'Comeback Kid'

7:19pm December 16, 2015

by NPR Staff

Comedian John Mulaney is only 33, but he's already had an Emmy nomination and a failed sitcom — so he decided it would be amusingly on-the-nose to name his new Netflix special The Comeback Kid.

Queue Listen Now

John Boyega and Daisy Ridley in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Arts

The Best-Case Scenario: 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

10:27am December 16, 2015

by Linda Holmes

After all the hype and all the talk and all the guessing, the bottom line is pretty simple: Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a really good movie.

Queen Amidala addresses the Galactic Senate, calling for a vote of no confidence in the chancellor.

Politics & Government

Why The Politics Of The 'Star Wars' Universe Makes No Sense

8:53pm December 15, 2015

Seriously, do you understand how the Galactic Senate functioned?

Kenya Barris, the creator and writer of Black-ish, in his office on the ABC lot in Burbank, Calif., in December. Black-ish is now in its second season, airing on ABC.

Arts

Kenya Barris Creates An 'Absolutely Black' Family for Prime Time

3:48pm December 15, 2015

by Karen Grigsby Bates

"We're kind of taught to give your kids more than you had. But in giving them more, what do they lose?" asks the creator of Black-ish.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Kenya Barris Creates An 'Absolutely Black' Family for Prime Time

1:47pm December 15, 2015

by Karen Grigsby Bates

"We're taught to give your kids more than you had. But in giving them more, what do they lose?" Kenya Barris, creator, Black-ish

Queue Listen Now

Frank Sinatra would have turned 100 on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Music & Culture

Pop Culture Happy Hour Small Batch: Frank Sinatra At 100

7:04am December 15, 2015

by Stephen Thompson

Sinatra was born 100 years ago this past Saturday, which at NPR could mean only one thing: an opportunity to talk to superfan Sonari Glinton about the singer's formidable legacy.

Patrick Wilson as Lou Solverson in FX's Fargo.

Arts

Decency And Discipline And The Good People Of 'Fargo'

11:27pm December 14, 2015

by Linda Holmes

The second season of FX's Fargo wrapped up Monday night, and as always, the show had thoughts on goodness.

John Powers, NPR Fresh Air's Pop Culture critic, shares his end of year list.

John Powers' List Of Books, CDs And DVDs He Wishes He Had Reviewed In 2015

2:30pm December 14, 2015

by John Powers

Every year, critic John Powers finds himself compiling a list of praiseworthy work he's read, watched or heard that he neglected to mention on the radio. This year, he's sharing his "Ghost List."

Queue Listen Now