NPR News: 50 years ago, 'Blazing Saddles' broke wind — and box office expectations

50 years ago, 'Blazing Saddles' broke wind — and box office expectations
Mel Brooks' satirical Western got mixed reviews when it opened in February 1974, but it became the year's biggest box office hit.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life March 1, 2024 at 02:00AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: Tracing the rise of Christian nationalism, from Trump to the Ala. Supreme Court

Tracing the rise of Christian nationalism, from Trump to the Ala. Supreme Court
Bradley Onishi is a former Christian nationalist who's now a professor of religion and the author of Preparing for War, a critique of the movement and its impact on American democracy.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life March 1, 2024 at 01:31AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: A growing number of gamers are LGBTQ+, so why is representation still lacking?

A growing number of gamers are LGBTQ+, so why is representation still lacking?
While nearly 20% of American gamers identify as LGBTQ+, according to a study from GLAAD and Nielsen, less than 2% of all games include LGBTQ+ characters or storylines.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life March 1, 2024 at 12:46AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: The internet is obsessed with a woman's TikTok story about marrying a compulsive liar

The internet is obsessed with a woman's TikTok story about marrying a compulsive liar
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim, hosts of the Slate podcast ICYMI, about "Who the F Did I Marry," the TikTok saga that now has tens of millions of views.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 29, 2024 at 04:37AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: The iconic Wayfarers Chapel may have to close because of mudslide damage

The iconic Wayfarers Chapel may have to close because of mudslide damage
Rainfall-caused mudslides have forced the iconic Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., to close. Chapel leaders are raising money to begin repairs and refund canceled weddings.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 29, 2024 at 04:35AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: Storyboarding 'Dune' since he was 13, Denis Villeneuve is 'still pinching' himself

Storyboarding 'Dune' since he was 13, Denis Villeneuve is 'still pinching' himself
Villeneuve remembers watching the 1984 movie version of Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi novel Dune and thinking, "Someday, someone else will do it again" — not realizing he would be that filmmaker.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 29, 2024 at 01:32AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: In the mood for a sweet, off-beat murder mystery? 'Elsbeth' is on the case

In the mood for a sweet, off-beat murder mystery? 'Elsbeth' is on the case
Carrie Preston revives her eccentric Good Wife character in a new CBS series featuring delightful guest stars and clever mysteries that are resolved at the end of each episode.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 29, 2024 at 12:47AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: A new Wendy Williams documentary raises more questions than it answers

A new Wendy Williams documentary raises more questions than it answers
The new and unsettling Lifetime docuseries Where Is Wendy Williams? documents the former daytime talk show host as she struggled with alcohol addiction, serious health ailments, and financial issues. Days before the documentary aired, we learned that Williams had been diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. The four-episode series raises many ethical questions related to celebrity, privacy, and perceived exploitation.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 28, 2024 at 03:00PM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: SZA, Doja Cat songs now also being removed on TikTok

SZA, Doja Cat songs now also being removed on TikTok
TikTok and Universal Music Group still haven't come to an agreement about artists' compensation and AI-generated recordings. Now TikTok must start removing songs from UMPG, Universal's publishing arm.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 28, 2024 at 06:17AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: Sex, violence, 'Game of Thrones'-style power grabs — the new 'Shōgun' has it all

Sex, violence, 'Game of Thrones'-style power grabs — the new 'Shōgun' has it all
In 1980, NBC's Shōgun miniseries told the story of an English sea pilot's adventures in Japan in the year 1600. Now, FX's remake is even more thought-provoking and stunning than the original.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 28, 2024 at 01:17AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: She missed out on 'Mean Girls' 20 years ago — but Busy Philipps got a second chance

She missed out on 'Mean Girls' 20 years ago — but Busy Philipps got a second chance
Philipps plays Mrs. George, a "cool mom" seeking the approval of her teen daughter in the new movie musical version of the 2004 film. Philipps got her start as a teen on the series Freaks and Geeks.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 28, 2024 at 12:32AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: How The Underground Railroad Got Its Name

How The Underground Railroad Got Its Name
Popular culture is filled with stories of the underground railroad - the legendary secret network that helped enslaved people escape from southern slave states to free states in the north. Harriet Tubman is the underground railroad's best known conductor. Tubman, who was a Union spy during the Civil War, escaped slavery in Maryland, but returned again and again, risking her own freedom to help free others, including members of her family. Inevitably there's much we don't know ...including how the term, the Underground Railroad, came to be. Journalist Scott Shane, stumbled on the answer while he was writing his book "Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery's Borderland." His book tells the story of Thomas Smallwood, an activist and writer who's story and the key role he played in the abolition movement has mostly been lost to history. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 27, 2024 at 04:25AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: Dishy-yet-earnest, 'Cocktails' revisits the making of 'Virginia Woolf'

Dishy-yet-earnest, 'Cocktails' revisits the making of 'Virginia Woolf'
Philip Gefter's Cocktails with George and Martha traces the evolution of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — from Broadway sensation, to Oscar-winning film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 27, 2024 at 01:16AM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: Returning characters revive 'The Walking Dead' in 'The Ones Who Live'

Returning characters revive 'The Walking Dead' in 'The Ones Who Live'
Danai Gurira and Andrew Lincoln are back as Michonne and Rick Grimes in the new spinoff. But will a new audience show up for a franchise that is nearly 14 years old?

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 26, 2024 at 11:56PM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: Why do we leap day? We remind you (so you can forget for another 4 years)

Why do we leap day? We remind you (so you can forget for another 4 years)
Why do we have leap years, and what are we supposed to do — or not do — with our rare extra day? NPR's Morning Edition spoke with experts in astronomy, history and economics to find out.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 26, 2024 at 06:00PM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: Kara Swisher is still drawn to tech despite her disappointments with the industry

Kara Swisher is still drawn to tech despite her disappointments with the industry
Writer and podcaster Kara Swisher wrote her memoir, Burn Book, about her disillusionment with many tech moguls. It recounts more than three decades covering the tech industry.

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 26, 2024 at 05:32PM Blog Beauty 24/7

NPR News: 'Oppenheimer' looks at the building of the bomb, and its lingering fallout

'Oppenheimer' looks at the building of the bomb, and its lingering fallout
Oppenheimer tells the story of the brilliant physicist (Cillian Murphy) who oversaw the construction of the first atomic bomb. It goes on to chart the dark, complicated legacy of what he made – a technology that has gone on to irrevocably change the world, and that retains the real possibility of ending it. Christopher Nolan's film was a blockbuster hit last summer, and it earned 13 Oscar nominations – including best picture and best director. Today, we are revisiting our conversation about the movie. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

Read more on NPR Category: Arts & Life February 26, 2024 at 03:00PM Blog Beauty 24/7