Pop Culture

Manzano, shown above with Rosita — a bilingual Muppet from Mexico — recently announced that she will be retiring from Sesame Street after 44 years.

Books
Arts

In New Memoir, Maria Tells Us How She Got, How She Got To 'Sesame Street'

7:47pm October 19, 2015

by NPR Staff

Sonia Manzano has spent 44 years as one of the lucky residents of Sesame Street. In her memoir she describes how she sought comfort in TV during her own difficult childhood in the South Bronx.

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Kelly Carlin (center) says her parents, Brenda and George Carlin, could never be accused of hovering over their only child — she says her dad was "the ultimate laissez faire parent."

Books
Arts

The Dark Side Of Funny: Growing Up In George Carlin's Shadow

7:43pm October 19, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

In A Carlin Home Companion, Kelly Carlin reflects on life with her famous comedian (and drug addicted) father. "This book has always felt like unfinished business," she says.

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Arts

Eddie Murphy Accepts Mark Twain Prize With Unexpected Bill Cosby Jokes

6:34pm October 19, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Geoff Edgers, national arts reporter for the Washington Post, who attended the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony Sunday night at the Kennedy Center.

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Andre Holland (left) and Clive Owen get serious in Episode 3 of the second season of The Knick.

Arts

'The Knick' Returns To The Bloody Pursuit Of Knowledge

5:11pm October 19, 2015

by Michele Norris

The TV show, set in a New York City hospital in the early 1900s, depicts turn-of-the-century medicine in grisly detail. Stars Clive Owen and Andre Holland say there's no nostalgia involved.

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Russell Martin of the Toronto Blue Jays chose the Nicki Minaj song "Truffle Butter" for his walk-up music.

Sports

The Giant Foam Finger: What's Your Walk-Up Music?

7:03am October 19, 2015

by Stephen Thompson

Four teams remain in the battle to crown a World Series champion. So it's a natural time for Stephen Thompson and Gene Demby to discuss the songs you hear when different players get up to bat.

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Arts

A Model In A Hijab Talks About Her Faith And Fashion

8:02pm October 18, 2015

by Renee Montagne

Fashion retailer H&M featured non-fashion types in its latest video ad, including a London woman wearing a hijab. Mariah Idrissi, 23, talks about why she chooses to wear the head scarf.

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Comedian Tracy Morgan gives his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live. It was the comedian's first major return to television after being seriously injured in an accident 16 months ago.

National

More Than A Year After Near Fatal Injuries, Tracy Morgan Returns To SNL

2:17pm October 18, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

"You may have seen on the news I was in a terrible car accident a year ago. It was awful. But it also showed me how much love and support I have in this world," Morgan said in his opening monologue.

#MemeOfTheWeek: The Strange, Sad Case Of #FeelTheChafe

1:53pm October 17, 2015

The hashtag started out as a throwaway joke from a man who knew next to nothing about Democratic presidential candidate Lincoln Chafee. And then the Internet turned it mean.

Arts

'The Knick' Redefines Oscar-Winning Director's Role In Television

5:25pm October 16, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The Knick returns for its second season on Cinemax Friday night. And with it, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh seems to be making good on his vow to turn his back on the film world and work exclusively in TV. He also has a new show on Amazon called Red Oaks, a comedy set in the 1980s. NPR reviews both and says Soderbergh's success is enabling him to shift power in the TV business from writer/producers to director/producers, and that power shift has a lot of repercussions.

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National

'Ebony Magazine' Explores 'The Cosby Show's' Tainted Legacy

5:23pm October 16, 2015

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Ebony Magazine writer Goldie Taylor about the cover of next month's issue, which features the Huxtables with shattered glass over the image of Bill Cosby.

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