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Journalist says we're 'basically guinea pigs' for a new form of industrialized food

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 13:38:12 -0400
<em>Fast Food Nation</em> author Eric Schlosser says mergers and acquisitions have created food oligopolies that are inefficient, barely regulated and sometimes dangerous. His new documentary is <em>Food, Inc. 2.</em>

'When I Think of You' could be a ripped-from-the-headlines Hollywood romance

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:40:00 -0400
Myah Ariel's debut is like a fizzy, angsty mash-up of Bolu Babalola and Kennedy Ryan as the challenges of doing meaningful work in Hollywood threaten two young lovers' romantic reunion.

'The Beast' jumps from 1910, to 2014, to 2044, tracking fear through the ages

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:29:12 -0400
This wildly original adaptation of the Henry James novella <em>The Beast in the Jungle</em> follows human alienation and anxiety, asking why, in every era, we disengage from life and the people around us.

'Sesame Street' writers authorize a strike if they don't reach a contract by Friday

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:58:42 -0400
Writers for the children's program want better residuals and annual raises, and for auxiliary works, such as social media segments, to be covered by union benefits. Their contract expires Friday.

'Conan O'Brien Must Go' is side-splitting evidence of life beyond late night TV

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 05:00:13 -0400
As the late night TV genre crumbles under sagging viewership and the decline of traditional media, O'Brien's renaissance provides an example for the future.

How 'Hot Ones' took wing(s)

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 03:00:00 -0400
<em>Hot Ones</em> is the YouTube show where famous people answer questions while eating increasingly hot chicken wings. Hosted by Sean Evans, the series is a phenomenon. And Conan O'Brien is its most recent high achiever, and possibly the best guest ever. What exactly makes a good <em>Hot Ones</em> guest?<br><br><a href="https://plus.npr.org/happy">Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour </a>

What happened when the threat of danger became Salman Rushdie's reality?

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 19:10:59 -0400
Salman Rushdie is probably most closely associated with his 1988 novel <em>The Satanic Verses, </em>a book inspired by the life of the prophet Muhummad. The book was notorious not just for its contents but because of the intense backlash, and the threat it posed to his safety and wellbeing. <br><br>While Rushdie saw it as an exploration of Islamic culture, some Muslims saw it as blasphemous. The year after it published, Iran's supreme leader issued a fatwa, ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie.<br><br>Rushdie moved to New York in 2000, and was able to resume the public life of a popular author, but that all changed on August 12th, 2022 when a young man charged at Rushdie while he was on stage at an event, stabbing him at least a dozen times.<br><br>After two years, he has chronicled his brush with death, and the aftermath in his new memoir 'KNIFE'. <br><br>For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/">plus.npr.org</a>.<br><br>Email us at <a href="mailto:considerthis@npr.org">considerthis@npr.org</a>.

A new Lennon-McCartney collab has dropped — but this time, it's by the Beatles' sons

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:05:04 -0400
A new single, "Primrose Hill," was co-written by Sean Ono Lennon and James McCartney, the youngest sons of Beatles musicians John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Remembering acclaimed artist and quilter Faith Ringgold

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:16:47 -0400
Ringgold, who died April 12, portrayed themes of Black life and culture through her quilts, paintings, dolls and books. Her work was exhibited in many major museums.<em> Originally broadcast in 1991.</em>

Death doula says life is more meaningful if you 'get real' about the end

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 12:05:00 -0400
Alua Arthur helps people plan for death. A big part of her work is helping them reconcile the lives they lived with the lives they might have wanted. Her memoir is called<em> Briefly Perfectly Human.</em>