Pop Culture

Sun Hi (Megan Lee), Jodi (Louriza Tronco) and Corki (Erika Tham) star in Make It Pop.

Music & Culture

How The South Korean Government Made K-Pop A Thing

6:57am April 20, 2015

by Kat Chow

K-pop — or Korean pop — makes its latest move toward the center of American pop culture with Nickelodeon's new show, Make It Pop. But beyond "Gangnam Style," how did K-pop evolve?

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Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding at a practice session at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

Sports
Arts

Like 'Dynasty' On Ice: The Nancy Kerrigan And Tonya Harding Museum

5:34pm April 19, 2015

by L. Carol Ritchie

Why would a couple of comedians build a museum in their hallway dedicated to figure skaters in 1994? Because the story of their rivalry, Kerrigan's attack and the media frenzy is just so American.

A religious volume from the early 1300s includes this image of a monk who resembles the Jedi Master Yoda of the Star Wars films.

Books
Arts

Yoda? Is It Thou? Figure In 14th-Century Manuscript Looks Familiar

3:26pm April 18, 2015

by Bill Chappell

A long time ago, in a place far away, a manuscript was created with an enigmatic figure who looks a great deal like a certain little — and yet powerful — green guy from the Star Wars films.

Health & Safety

Physicians Urge Columbia To Fire Dr. Oz For Promoting 'Quack Treatments'

10:05pm April 17, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Michael Specter, staff writer at The New Yorker about some physicians' calls for Columbia University to sever ties with TV's Dr. Oz.

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Chilean TV host Mario Kreutzberger, seen here in 2012, will stop making his Sabado Gigante show this September.

National

TV's 'Sabado Gigante' Will Cease Production This Fall, Ending Record Run

4:26pm April 17, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The Univision variety show has been a ratings and cultural phenomenon, captivating viewers with a three-hour blend that included amateur talent shows, interviews and music performances.

Tatiana Maslany (center) plays several different clones on the BBC America series Orphan Black.

Arts

Clone Drama 'Orphan Black' Returns, As Complex And Complicated As Ever

3:25pm April 17, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The BBC America series returns for a third season on Saturday. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says the show's dense stories are immensely absorbing, but can make it hard to follow for casual viewers.

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Comedian Joel McHale Talks Dyslexia, Bad TV And Filming A Thriller

1:17pm April 17, 2015

The host of The Soup co-stars in the thriller Deliver Us From Evil. "I felt like a 12-year-old getting to be in an action film," McHale tells Terry Gross. Originally broadcast June 30, 2014.

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An image from a video in which ESPN reporter Britt McHenry berates a tow company employee. ESPN says McHenry has been suspended for one week.

Sports

ESPN Suspends Reporter Over Rant Recorded By Towing Company

12:10pm April 17, 2015

by Bill Chappell

A string of insults aimed at a woman who works at a towing company were recorded by a surveillance camera. Now they've come back to sting sports reporter Britt McHenry.

A drawing of two clinking martini glasses.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Daredevil' And Credulity

11:28am April 17, 2015

by Stephen Thompson

The gang discusses the new Netflix superhero series, what happens when the audience knows too much and, as always, what's making us happy this week.

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Twenty-four competitors put their brewing techniques to the test last week at the World AeroPress Competition in Seattle.

Arts

How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way To A Better Cup Of Coffee

3:14pm April 16, 2015

by Emma Bowman

Coffee aficionados say the simple, syringe-like device makes exceptional espresso and allows for countless variations on the perfect cup. Not surprising, given that its inventor is a serial tinkerer.