Accessibility links
Pop Culture News and commentary on popular culture trends. Download the Pop Culture podcast.

Pop Culture

Poppy Liu wants to remind you how revolutionary I Love Boosters is
Daniel Speer/Maximum Fun

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Poppy Liu wants to remind you how revolutionary I Love Boosters is

Poppy Liu joins us to talk about all things I Love Boosters and the message she hopes audiences take away from the film. She also chats with us about her upbringing in Minnesota, how she got into comedy acting, her role on Hacks, and much more!

Poppy Liu

Listen · 39:08
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5837922/nx-s1-mx-5837922-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Tatiana Maslany in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.

Tatiana Maslany in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. Apple TV hide caption

toggle caption
Apple TV

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

A twisty scam goes haywire in the fun 'Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed'

The Apple TV series Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed pulls you in almost immediately. Tatiana Maslany plays a newly divorced woman who finds comfort in an online relationship with a camboy, but that comfort is cut short by a frightening incident. As things escalate, every aspect of her life comes under threat. The show also has a colorful cast that features Jake Johnson and Murray Bartlett, with a sharp script that lives up to its hook.

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed and What’s Making Us Happy

Listen · 23:04
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5837301/nx-s1-mx-5837301-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
E.W. Scripps Company president and CEO Adam Symson holds the trophy over Shrey Parikh, winner of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.

E.W. Scripps Company president and CEO Adam Symson holds the trophy over Shrey Parikh, winner of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Allison Robbert/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Allison Robbert/AP

National

Shrey Parikh, 14, wins the Scripps Spelling Bee after a nail-biting 'spell-off'

This is the 101st year of the national spelling competition, and the third time it's been decided by a rapid-fire "spell-off" since the practice was introduced in 2021.

Shrey Parikh, 14, wins the Scripps Spelling Bee after a nail-biting ‘spell-off’

Listen · 2:13
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5837572/nx-s1-9789666" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Tina Fey in the second season of The Four Seasons.

Tina Fey in the second season of The Four Seasons. Emily V. Aragones/Netflix hide caption

toggle caption
Emily V. Aragones/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In Tina Fey’s ‘The Four Seasons,’ marriage is far from a vacation

Netflix’s charming comedy The Four Seasons follows a group of couples whose friendship dynamic is rocked by their mid-life crises. The impressive cast includes Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Colman Domingo, and Will Forte. And while the jokes may not fly quite as fast as they did on 30 Rock, Fey’s comedic sensibilities are written all over it. The Four Seasons just returned for a second season, so we’re revisiting our conversation about the series.

The Four Seasons

Listen · 19:14
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5836363/nx-s1-mx-5836363-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield at MaxFun HQ Daniel Speer/Maximum Fun hide caption

toggle caption
Daniel Speer/Maximum Fun

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

LaKeith Stanfield

We’re joined by LaKeith Stanfield! He’s reunited with rapper and filmmaker Boots Riley for the new film I Love Bosters. LaKeith chats with us about the movie and what it’s been like working with Boots on another project. He also talks with us about how he got cast on Donald Glover’s Atlanta, how he got into making music, and more.

LaKeith Stanfield

Listen · 34:30
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5831528/nx-s1-mx-5831528-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Keke Palmer in I Love Boosters.

Keke Palmer in I Love Boosters. Neon hide caption

toggle caption
Neon

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Keke Palmer steals the (fashion) scene in 'I Love Boosters'

In the new film I Love Boosters, Keke Palmer is the ringleader of a shoplifting crew that squares off with an unethical fashion CEO played by Demi Moore. It's from the bizarro visionary director Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You) and it may be his most delightfully unhinged project yet. 

Pop Culture Happy Hour-05.26.2026

Listen · 20:32
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5831472/nx-s1-mx-5831472-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Geena Davis in The Boroughs.

Geena Davis in The Boroughs. Netflix hide caption

toggle caption
Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

‘The Boroughs’ lets a veteran cast shine in a sci-fi monster mystery

Something is definitely up in the fantastic new Netflix series The Boroughs. Monsters, or maybe aliens? It’s set in a seemingly idyllic mid-century modern retirement community in the middle of the desert, and focuses on a septuagenarian Scooby Gang formed by Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare and Clarke Peters.

The Boroughs

Listen · 20:34
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5830287/nx-s1-mx-5830287-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Bleachers, the American rock band formed in 2013, is out with its latest album is titled "everyone for ten minutes"

In their latest album, everyone for ten minutes, the American rock band Bleachers explores love, loss and the angst of our time. Alex Lockett hide caption

toggle caption
Alex Lockett

Music Interviews

Jack Antonoff says 'this version of modernity is trash' in new Bleachers album

Jack Antonoff explores marriage, grief and the current moment in Bleachers' latest album, everyone for ten minutes.

Jack Antonoff says ‘this version of modernity is trash’ in new Bleachers album

Listen · 7:00
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5711517/nx-s1-9781294" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian And Grogu.

Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian And Grogu. Lucasfilm Ltd. hide caption

toggle caption
Lucasfilm Ltd.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’ may not be the way

The Mandalorian has made the jetpack-assisted leap to the big screen with the new movie Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. The laconic bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) and his cute sidekick Grogu are hired by the good guys to do a job for some bad guys. You know what you’re gonna get – creatures, droids, easter eggs, and lots of fights. But, after three seasons on Disney+, will folks go out to the theaters to watch something they’ve gotten to know on their couches? 

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu and What’s Making Us Happy

Listen · 19:00
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5830076/nx-s1-mx-5830076-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday May 18, 2026.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday May 18, 2026. Scott Kowalchyk/CBS Broadcasting Inc. hide caption

toggle caption
Scott Kowalchyk/CBS Broadcasting Inc.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Stephen Colbert takes his last bow in late night

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert comes to an end this week amid a lot of changes in the business and the country. Some of the sources of tension include the economics of late night, the approaching merger of Paramount and Warner Brothers, and President Donald Trump's constant criticism of late-night hosts. But for Colbert's fans, it's the end of a friendly, funny, candid show. So we’re talking about the legacy of Stephen Colbert in late night.

Pop Culture Happy Hour-05.21.2026

Listen · 17:07
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5828845/nx-s1-mx-5828845-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A still from a Kars4Kids TV commercial, showing children playing pink instruments and the words "donate your car today."

Kars4Kids advertisements, like this TV commercial on a hot-pink set, feature children turning the charity's phone number into a catchy jingle. But they do not disclose that most of the proceeds go to a Jewish nonprofit that supports programming for young adults. Kars4Kids/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Kars4Kids/Screenshot by NPR

National

After the Kars4Kids ad is banned in California, we check in on nostalgic jingles past

A California judge has given Kars4Kids 30 days to either take its ads off the air or update them to disclose its affiliations to a Jewish charity based in the Northeast.

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is.

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is. Patti Perret/Amazon MGM Studios hide caption

toggle caption
Patti Perret/Amazon MGM Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

‘Is God Is’ interrogates misogyny in a vivid, scathing revenge tale

You should make sure to check out the new film Is God Is. It’s a kinetic movie about twin sisters (Kara Young and Mallori Johnson) who set out to kill their abusive dad (Sterling K. Brown). It’s an exciting road trip movie akin to Thelma & Louise mashed up with the affecting themes of sisterhood in The Color Purple. The promising feature debut from acclaimed playwright Alesha Harris also features Janelle Monáe, Vivica A. Fox and Erika Alexander. 

Is God Is

Listen · 21:19
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5826695/nx-s1-mx-5826695-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis accept an award onstage during the Songwriters of North America (SONA) Warrior Awards Phillip Faraone/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have been working together for 40 years, producing some of the biggest R&B records of all time. When they spoke to Bullseye in 2021, they had just released their first ever album as recording artists: Jam & Lewis, Volume 1. They talked about the album, the hits they contributed vocals to, and the jaw-dropping synthesizer work they do on the Janet Jackson single “Love Will Never Do.”

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

Listen · 1:04:09
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5826098/nx-s1-mx-5826098-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Matthew Law in Nemesis.

Matthew Law in Nemesis. Saeed Adyan/Netflix hide caption

toggle caption
Saeed Adyan/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Nemesis' brings strong 'Heat' vibes, and we're not mad at it

If you’re a fan of the movie Heat, then you might be into Netflix’s new action-packed heist series Nemesis. Co-created by Courtney A. Kemp (Power), it’s about the blurry lines between criminality and the law, and follows an LAPD detective (Matthew Law) chasing an elusive crew of robbers and its ringleader (Y’lan Noel). The show has a lot going on – stylized set pieces, double-crosses, relationship issues, daddy issues – but it all goes down smoothly enough.

Nemesis

Listen · 20:20
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5821272/nx-s1-mx-5821272-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Andy Serkis
ISABEL INFANTES/AFP/Getty Images

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Andy Serkis

To say that Andy Serkis is good at so many different things is an understatement. He’s revolutionized the practice of motion capture, is a genius real-life actor, and does work behind the camera as a director. Serkis joined us to talk about his animated adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. He also shares his thoughts on the impact AI has had on technology in film, and much more.

Andy Serkis

Listen · 34:40
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5819906/nx-s1-mx-5819906-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston in Obsession.

Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston in Obsession. Focus Features hide caption

toggle caption
Focus Features

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In ‘Obsession,’ love hurts. It really, really, really hurts.

The new film Obsession has a familiar setup: A guy makes a wish, wish comes true, and things go bad. But what sets this twisted little movie apart is how bad things go, and the astonishing, terrifying performance of its lead actress, Inde Navarrette. Written and directed by Curry Barker, the film follows a schlubby music store employee (Michael Johnston) who’s in love with his coworker (Navarrette) and makes a wish on a cheap magic gag gift for her to love him. That love soon proves to be the kind that’s jealous, all-consuming and comes with a body count.

Pop Culture Happy Hour-05.15.2026

Listen · 23:21
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5822305/nx-s1-mx-5822305-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Shrek (Mike Myers) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) in Shrek.

Shrek (Mike Myers) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) in Shrek. Dreamworks / Album / Alamy hide caption

toggle caption
Dreamworks / Album / Alamy

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Shrek' – a weird, flatulent and beloved franchise – turns 25

Shrek launched a Dreamworks franchise, won an Oscar, spawned a stage musical, and greatly extended the cultural life of the band Smash Mouth. And it all started with the story of a crabby green ogre, voiced by Mike Myers, who just wants a bunch of fairy-tale characters to stay out of his swamp. The film turns 25 this month, so we are revisiting our conversation about its legacy. 

Shrek

Listen · 19:37
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5818294/nx-s1-mx-5818294-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Browse archive or search npr.org