Pop Culture

"Christmas Eve on Sesame Street" first aired in 1978 and won an Emmy Award for outstanding children's program the following year.

National

A Very Code Switch Christmas TV Special

5:21pm December 22, 2014

by Charles Pulliam-Moore

It's that time around Christmas, when all we can see are a handful of stories on our TV screens. Frosty, and Charlie, and Ralphie, and Kevin, but there's not too much brown in this mostly white canon.

Why Does It Take A Movie Robot To Show What Nurses Really Do?

3:13pm December 22, 2014

by Kelli Dunham

If TV and movie nurses took care of us when we're sick, we'd be in a heap of trouble. Those images of nutty, slutty and clueless nurses are bad news for the profession, and for patients.

Sony Pictures Studios headquarters building is seen in Culver City, Calif., on Friday. President Obama has criticized Sony for cancelling distribution of The Interview following after the studio was hacked by North Korea.

Obama Calls North Korean Hack 'Cybervandalism'

2:40pm December 21, 2014

by Scott Neuman

On CNN's State of the Union, the president expanded on earlier remarks he made criticizing a decision by Sony Pictures to pull distribution of The Interview.

A banner for The Interview is posted outside Arclight Cinemas, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on Wednesday. The theatrical release of the film has been cancelled following cyber attacks and threats believed to originate in North Korea.

North Korea Has An Interesting Offer. And Another Threat

4:34pm December 20, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The secretive regime denies any involvement with the Sony Pictures hack and says the U.S. must allow it to help find the real culprit. Or else.

Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhane Wallis star in the latest incarnation of the musical Annie.

Arts

A Different 'Annie,' But Still A Good Kid

12:19pm December 19, 2014

by Linda Holmes

The new adaptation of Annie, starring Quvenzhane Wallis and Jamie Foxx, isn't the same Annie some of us knew in childhood. But on her own terms, she's still a charmer.

A drawing of two clinking martini glasses.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Top Five' And The Art Of The Mixtape

11:11am December 19, 2014

by Linda Holmes

On this week's show: Chris Rock's Top Five, mix tapes and loved music, and what's making us happy this week.

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Arts

Sarah Koenig On Serial: 'I Think Something Went Wrong With This Case'

6:32pm December 18, 2014

by Linda Holmes

Serial, the hugely popular (and sometimes controversial) podcast spun off from This American Life, wraps up its first season today. NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Serial creator Sarah Koenig.

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Serial focuses on Adnan Syed, who was a teenager when he was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, despite big question marks in the case. (But you almost certainly knew that already.)

Arts

Serial Isn't About Ferguson. (But It's Kind Of About Ferguson.)

5:16pm December 18, 2014

by Gene Demby

In Part 2 of a roundtable on the Podcast Everyone's Talking About, Code Switch's Gene Demby says that a lot of Serial's themes echo news stories that focus attention on how our justice system works.

Sarah Koenig will, on Thursday, host the final episode of the first season of Serial.

Arts

Yes, Serial Is True Crime — And That's OK

5:11pm December 18, 2014

by Linda Holmes

Our continuing discussion of Serial turns to a consideration of the true crime genre, its tendency to reveal the oddities of human behavior, and what can be taken away from this series.

Serial producers Sarah Koenig (left) and Dana Chivvis in the recording studio.

A Prediction For How Serial Is Going To End

5:06pm December 18, 2014

by Matt Thompson

In part one of a roundtable on the Podcast Everyone's Talking About, Code Switch editor Matt Thompson makes the brave and foolhardy decision to predict the conclusion.