Pop Culture Happy Hour

NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour is a lively chat about books, movies, music, television, comics and pretty much anything else that strikes a nerve, all in a weekly roundtable from NPR. Features "Monkey See" blogger Linda Holmes and an occasionally rowdy cast of characters. Join the club at NPR.org/pchh.

Pop Culture Happy Hour is a lively chat about books, movies, music, television, comics and pretty much anything else that strikes a nerve, all in a weekly roundtable from NPR. Features "Monkey See" blogger Linda Holmes and an occasionally rowdy cast of characters. Join the club at NPR.org/pchh.

More Information

Location:

Washington, DC

Genres:

Media & Entertainment Podcasts

Arts & Entertainment News

Entertainment

Public Radio

Networks:

NPR

Description:

Twitter:

@NPR

Language:

English

Contact:

635 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 513-3232

Website:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/129472378/pop-culture-happy-hour/

Episodes

Forever And What's Making Us Happy

9/21/2018

Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen star in the new Amazon series Forever. The two of them play a middle-aged married couple named Oscar and June, who are in a bit of a rut. Along the way, they find themselves in an unexpected situation that challenges their thinking about the permanence of marriage. Today, we dive into this very curious relationship comedy. Guest: Aisha Harris

Duration:00:27:42

2018 Emmy Awards

9/18/2018

We're here to fill you in on everything you need to know about the 2018 Emmys. On a night we were constantly reminded how diverse this year's nominations were — the winners were mostly white. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Game of Thrones won the top awards. Guest: NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans.

Duration:00:22:12

On the Books: An All-Book Edition

9/14/2018

Today, we take a break from TV and movies to talk about some of our favorite books we've read — and what books we're most looking forward to this fall.

Duration:00:24:50

Celebrating Women in Music With Turning the Tables

9/12/2018

NPR Music's ambitious Turning the Tables series re-imagines the popular music canon by putting women and non-binary musicians at the center. All Songs Considered recently had a great conversation about the project, and today we bring that conversation to your Pop Culture Happy Hour feed.

Duration:00:35:25

Celebrating Women in Music With Turning the Tables

9/12/2018

Duration:00:35:39

Pop Culture Serotonin and What's Making Us Happy

9/7/2018

Not every day can be Friday, not every bit of weather can be sunny and not every plate can have cookies on it. That's why we love our pop culture serotonin — the stuff we watch, read and listen to that boosts our mood and makes us feel better. Today, we share some of our favorites.

Duration:00:32:28

To All The Boys I've Loved Before

9/5/2018

The Netflix young adult romance To All The Boys I've Loved Before tells the story of a high school pair who may or may not — but come on, they will — end up together. You've probably seen it on your Twitter feed, and today we assemble a very special panel to talk about it.

Duration:00:20:40

Fall TV Preview and What's Making Us Happy

8/31/2018

It's almost the end of the summer, which means it's time for Pop Culture Happy Hour's fall TV preview. We're telling you what new shows we're excited about, and which ones we think are built to last. Guest: NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans.

Duration:00:33:03

Black Panther

8/29/2018

Ryan Coogler's Marvel film, set largely in the richly imagined Afro-futurist utopia of Wakanda, is by turns intimate, immediate and — most importantly — original. Guest: Code Switch's Gene Demby. (This episode originally aired on February 16, 2018.)

Duration:00:19:15

BlacKkKlansman and What's Making Us Happy

8/24/2018

BlacKkKlansman tells the story Ron Stallworth — a black police detective who infiltrated the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. On today's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we dive into the most talked about Spike Lee movie in years. Guest: Code Switch's Gene Demby

Duration:00:27:08

2018 MTV VMAs

8/21/2018

Last night the VMAs honored some top songs and artists including Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. The show also recognized Aretha Franklin—sort of. And trotted out Aerosmith—again. New York Times editor Aisha Harris joins us for a recap.

Duration:00:15:37

Crazy Rich Asians and What's Making Us Happy

8/17/2018

This week, we talk about the charming romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, which has been lauded as groundbreaking for its all Asian and Asian-American cast. Guests: NPR's Mallory Yu and Code Switch's Kat Chow.

Duration:00:25:07

Remembering Aretha Franklin

8/16/2018

The "Queen of Soul" died today at age 76. She was a gifted pop singer, gospel singer, R&B singer, and even opera singer. We talk with All Things Considered's Audie Cornish about the unforgettable Aretha Franklin, and the utter abundance of music she left us.

Duration:00:21:58

Blockers and Game Night: Playing Catch-Up On Comedies We Missed

8/15/2018

Most of this summer's blockbusters are already out. That makes it a great time to catch up on a couple of surprisingly well-reviewed comedies. In this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour, we talk about Blockers and Game Night.

Duration:00:19:08

Pop Culture Punching Bags and What's Making Us Happy

8/10/2018

Every once in a while, we decide to defend the seemingly indefensible pieces of pop culture that everyone loves to hate. Today, we put on our boxing gloves to defend the honor of some of pop culture's most notorious punching bags. Guests: Audie Cornish and Guy Branum.

Duration:00:26:17

Sorry to Bother You

8/8/2018

The indie movie Sorry to Bother You is a summer hit. Lakeith Stanfield stars as Cassius Green, a telemarketer whose world spirals into chaos. Code Switch's Gene Demby and Shereen Meraji have some very different views on the film.

Duration:00:15:06

Eighth Grade and What's Making Us Happy

8/3/2018

This week, we're talking about Bo Burnam's breakout festival hit Eighth Grade. Kayla Day, played by Elsie Fisher, is a middle-schooler who gives pep talks on YouTube and yearns for friends she can talk to. Guest: New York Times editor Aisha Harris.

Duration:00:24:30

Breath Of The Wild

8/1/2018

Video game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild drops you into a world of sweeping vistas and challenging weapons, and it gives you a vast area to explore. It's an adventure and a challenge, and there are lots of different ways to play. Guest: Code Switch's Gene Demby.

Duration:00:20:16

Mission: Impossible - Fallout and What's Making Us Happy

7/27/2018

We're taking to the streets, the skies, the water and the glitzy high-class nightclubs to talk about Mission: Impossible - Fallout on this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour. Guest: Chris Klimek.

Duration:00:24:01

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

7/25/2018

Under the blue skies of summer, what could be more welcome than ABBA songs? That's right, eight years after a big cast whooped it up in the film adaptation of the jukebox musical Mamma Mia!, there's a sequel. Today, we're talking about the all-singing, all-dancing, all-silly extravaganza that is Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Duration:00:20:48