pop_culture

Coronavirus Continues to Spread Despite Mass Quarantines in China

As the number of confirmed infections continues to climb in China, how effective has quarantine been? 

‘Birds of Prey’ Director Cathy Yan on Crafting Her Own Vision of Gotham City

The Takeaway speaks with Cathy Yan about helming ‘Birds of Prey’ and why studios are finally acknowledging that the fan base for superhero movies extends far beyond teenage boys.

The National Archives Is Deleting Records About Trump’s ICE Policies

In 2017 the Archives agreed to let Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials delete or destroy documents that detail the sexual abuse and death of undocumented immigrants

One Year After The First Step Act

Has the law achieved what it set out to do?

How Migrant Communities Throughout History Have Grappled With American Christmas

Hanukkah in the U.S. evolved alongside Christmas.

This is Not the Queer Representation You’re Looking For

Many are calling out the most recent Star Wars for teasing LGBTQ representation and then not following through in a meaningful way.

Ken Kesey had worked in a mental hospital, but his first novel was really a parable of what happens when you stand up to the Man — a counterculture fable that doesn’t end well.

How many f-bombs and gun shots determine a movie’s rating? Howard Fridkin reveals the process of rating movies. Plus, how Native Americans shaped rock and roll history, and a live performance by NPR Tiny Desk Contest winners Tank and the Bangas. 

This is the novel about racism that America couldn’t ignore.

This week, Kurt goes through the looking glass into the world of conspiracy thrillers. Plus, Matt Walsh breaks down how he improvises comedy on the set of “Veep.” And Jimmy Iovine explains how he sold music in the ever-shifting music industry. 

Episodes of false identity, living large, and murder in the suburbs add up to the great American novel.

Should arts organizations accept money from the Koch brothers? Art critic Philip Kennicott weighs in. Plus, Oscar-winning director Errol Morris talks about interviewing Elsa Dorfman and Donald Trump. And Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein share music that inspired their new album. 

This week, an episode about groundbreaking pop music: The music that preceded and followed Radiohead’s landmark album, “OK Computer.” Plus, an exploration of how the life of Tupac Shakur was mythologized — even by Tupac himself. And gospel punk band Algiers plays live in the studio. 

Universe not big enough for you? There’s always the multiverse — many universes, scattered through time and space. In one world, you might drive a bus; in another, you might be a Formula One racer. If the idea sounds familiar, that could be because it has obsessed science-fiction and comic-book writers for decades. But artists and writers aren’t the only ones fascinated by multiples — some physicists think the multiverse could be very real.

(Originally aired December 10, 2015)