Pop Culture

West Wing Fans: 'C.J. Cregg' Returns To The White House Briefing Room

3:06pm April 29, 2016

by Jessica Taylor

Actress Allison Janney, who played the White House press secretary in the NBC drama, made a surprise appearance during the daily press briefing to talk about opioid addiction.

Books
Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Silicon Valley' And 'Bob's Burgers'

11:14am April 29, 2016

by Linda Holmes

This week, the roundtable discusses the HBO comedy Silicon Valley and Stephen Thompson sits down with Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard.

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Jerrod Carmichael (shown with actress Amber Stevens West) says that the family debates on The Carmichael Show are inspired by real life. "I grew up in a household that's very argumentative," he explains.

Arts

If 'Carmichael Show' Topics Feel Uncomfortable, That's Because They're Real

2:12pm April 28, 2016

Jerrod Carmichael says that the complicated family debates on his NBC comedy series are inspired by real life. "I grew up in a household that's very argumentative ... in a very healthy way," he says.

Though the Mardi Gras Indian who appears in "Lemonade" is a young woman, most people who mask and parade as part of the tradition are male.

The Mardi Gras Indian Of 'Lemonade'

2:18pm April 27, 2016

by Leah Donnella

In "Lemonade," Beyoncé's much-discussed visual album, a girl resplendent in white plumage appears. It's a nod to the pop star's New Orleans roots and loaded with the region's racial history.

What if we talked about politics the way we talk about Prince and Beyonce?

What Harriet Tubman, Prince And Beyonce Can Teach Us About Politics

2:29pm April 26, 2016

by Sam Sanders

What if we took some tips from think-piece culture in the way we talk about our politics?

Arts

Kelly Ripa Comes Back To 'Live'

1:05pm April 26, 2016

by Linda Holmes

Kelly Ripa returned to Live with Michael and Kelly on Tuesday morning following a tumultuous week in the wake of the announcement of Michael Strahan's departure.

'Game Of Thrones' Begins Its 6th Season On HBO

8:04am April 25, 2016

by Eric Deggans

Season 5 of the HBO series ended with a lot of cliffhangers. The sixth season is the first one that goes beyond the realm of the books that the show is based on.

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Lupita Nyong'o says it was "a very discombobulating thing," to go from obscurity to the Academy Awards.

Arts

After Very Visible Roles, Lupita Nyong'o Looks To Disappear Into Character

8:38am April 24, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

The actor is now starring on Broadway in Eclipsed, a searing story of young women held captive in Liberia. After that and 12 Years a Slave, Nyong'o says she's ready for some lighter material.

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When a megastar like Prince dies, collective mourning ensues. But if you didn't grow up hooked on the music — whether out of taste, or even because you weren't allowed — these moments can be somewhat isolating.

I'm Not Sad About Prince, But Let Me Explain

12:41pm April 23, 2016

by Sarah McCammon

NPR's Sarah McCammon grew up in a conservative evangelical home in the Midwest. When Prince died and purple filled her newsfeeds, she felt like an outsider watching a ritual she couldn't fully join.

An illustration depicts a scene from Shakespeare's Coriolanus, a play that opens with citizens armed with "staves, clubs, and other weapons" in protest against the city fathers they accuse of hoarding grain. In Shakespeare's day, food shortages tore throu

In Shakespeare's Day, Hunger Tore Through England. His Plays Tell The Tale

7:00am April 23, 2016

by Anne Bramley

Many food riots broke out during Shakespeare's era. Endless rain wiped out crops, and speculators profited (including the bard). The chaos and anxiety around food show up in some of his famous works.