Pop Culture

Books
Arts

Early On, Comedian John Cleese Says, He Had Good Timing But Little Else

2:47pm October 16, 2015

The co-founder of the Monty Python troupe admits he wasn't "naturally gifted" at physical comedy. His memoir, So, Anyway..., covers his boyhood and early career. Originally broadcast Dec. 16, 2014.

Queue Listen Now

Michael Fassbender plays Apple Founder Steve Jobs in a new film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Steve Jobs' And More About Moguls

8:37am October 16, 2015

by Linda Holmes

On this week's show: Steve Jobs, Sorkin dialogue, Seth Rogen, Citizen Kane, Empire, rich business guys in suits, and what's making us happy this week.

Queue Listen Now

Beakman, played by performance artist Paul Zaloom, was on TV in the U.S. 20 years ago, but is still beloved in Latin America, where it plays in reruns.

Arts

Remember 'Beakman's World'? The Wacky Scientist Is Still Big In Latin America

7:33pm October 15, 2015

by Jon Kalish

The children's TV show ran for just five years in the U.S. in the 1990s. But it's still hugely popular in Latin America, and a stage version of the show attracts audiences in the thousands.

Queue Listen Now

Dance, Sing, Just 'Keep Moving,' Dick Van Dyke Tells Seniors

6:20pm October 15, 2015

by NPR Staff

As he approaches his 90th birthday, the energetic, award-winning actor shares his tips on how to enjoy aging — and has a new book to prove it. It's all about attitude and staying active, he says.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Action Movies Love That Typing Sound, But Where Does It Come From?

5:06pm October 15, 2015

What's that sound text makes when it appears on screen in action movies? NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Forrest Wickman of Slate, who investigated where exactly it came from.

Arts

Jennifer Lawrence Hits A Nerve With Essay On Hollywood's Gender Pay Gap

4:07pm October 15, 2015

by alexandra starr

The actress berated herself for not pushing for a higher fee for American Hustle after learning male co-stars made more. She says she's "over trying to find the 'adorable' way to state my opinion."

Hasan Minhaj performs in his new one-man show "Homecoming King".

Arts

Hasan Minhaj Of 'Daily Show' On Prom, Indian Dads And White Folks At Desi Weddings

2:30pm October 15, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

Homecoming King is the comedian's absorbing tale about the first-generation American experience and the NBA (New Brown America).

Queue Listen Now

Marlon James Becomes First Jamaican To Win Man Booker Prize

6:42pm October 14, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish talks to James, whose novel, A Brief History Of Seven Killings, won the Man Booker Prize Tuesday. The novel is an epic reimagining of the assassination attempt on Bob Marley.

Queue Listen Now

Justin Theroux plays a former police chief who has moved from New York to Texas and is trying to create a new family in the second season of the HBO series, The Leftovers.

Arts

As One Of 'The Leftovers,' Actor Justin Theroux Explores Loss And Spirituality

5:19pm October 14, 2015

In the HBO series, Theroux is a man trying to make sense of the disappearance of 2 percent of the world's population. He describes Season 2 as moving into "spiritual territory."

Queue Listen Now

Randall Park plays Louis Huang on the ABC comedy Fresh Off the Boat. He says it was easy for the show to steer clear of "easy" racist jokes. "To us that's not funny," he says. "We weren't going to go there."

Arts

Actor Randall Park Says 'Fresh Off The Boat' Is Comedy Without The Cliché

4:22pm October 14, 2015

The Asian-American actor is determined to "do good by the community" in his work. He says the ABC comedy steers clear of "easy" and "tired" racist jokes.

Queue Listen Now