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Stephen Thompson Stephen Thompson is a host, writer and reviewer for NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour. He appears frequently on All Songs Considered and NPR newsmagazines.
Washington, DC - May 03, 2016: Stephen Thompson CREDIT: Matt Roth
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Stephen Thompson

Wednesday

Point, Blanc: 'Glass Onion' brings together a big cast to solve another murder

Edward Norton as Miles, Madelyn Cline as Whiskey, and Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. John Wilson/Netflix hide caption

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John Wilson/Netflix

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Point, Blanc: 'Glass Onion' brings together a big cast to solve another murder

What has a murder mystery, a big cast of stars, some amazing fashion, and the deep blue waters of Greece? The eagerly awaited Glass Onion, the follow-up to the 2019 Oscar-nominated comedy Knives Out. Daniel Craig returns as brilliant detective Benoit Blanc and this time, he's trying to solve a murder that involves a tech billionaire and his glamorous but sketchy friends.

Point, Blanc: 'Glass Onion' brings together a big cast to solve another murder

Listen · 21:07
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Monday

Songs for cleaning the bathroom

Cleaning the bathroom requires two things: a mop and some really good tunes. Angela Hsieh/NPR hide caption

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Angela Hsieh/NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Songs for cleaning the bathroom

Maybe you've got guests coming over for the holidays. Maybe an onslaught of news has kept you glued to the couch or hiding under your covers. Either way, you need to clean the bathroom, and you need a playlist. In this encore episode, we're recommending three songs for cleaning the bathroom.

Songs for cleaning the bathroom

Listen · 5:59
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Friday

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend listening, viewing and reading

Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams and Raul Julia as Gomez Addams in Addams Family Values. Paramount Pictures/Cinematic Collection/Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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Paramount Pictures/Cinematic Collection/Alamy Stock Photo

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend listening, viewing and reading

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Dawnlands: A Novel, Addams Family Values, Wind of Change and Turnstile.

'She Said' is a movie about journalism that knows whose story to tell

Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan depict reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey in She Said. JoJo Whilden/Universal Pictures hide caption

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JoJo Whilden/Universal Pictures

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'She Said' is a movie about journalism that knows whose story to tell

The film She Said is about the New York Times investigation of movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Zoe Kazan plays Jodi Kantor and Carey Mulligan plays Megan Twohey. Their reporting on Weinstein's sexual misconduct and assault allegations contributed greatly to the #MeToo movement, and helped lead to criminal charges that sent Weinstein to prison. The film was directed by Maria Schrader and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and is in theaters now.

'She Said' is a movie about journalism that knows whose story to tell

Listen · 29:21
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Thursday

We proposed to 'Love Is Blind' sight unseen, then watched

SK Alagbada and Raven Ross in Love Is Blind. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

We proposed to 'Love Is Blind' sight unseen, then watched

The reality dating show Love Is Blind is built around a simple premise: Couples date without meeting face to face, fall in love with each other's personalities, and don't meet in person until after they've gotten engaged. Viewers are bound to have strong opinions on the couples. The Netflix show just wrapped its third season, and we're going to unpack what happened.

We proposed to 'Love Is Blind' sight unseen, then watched

Listen · 19:03
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Monday

Saturday

Friday

In 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' friendship is war

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell star in the film The Banshees of Inisherin. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' friendship is war

In The Banshees Of Inisherin, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play two longtime drinking buddies who face a crisis when one of them decides he really doesn't want to be friends anymore. Set on a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, the film was written and directed by Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and is in theaters now.

In 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' friendship is war

Listen · 19:40
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Tuesday

'Till' finds joy and restraint in a historic tragedy

Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till and Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Mobley in Till. Orion Pictures hide caption

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Orion Pictures

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Till' finds joy and restraint in a historic tragedy

When 14-year-old Emmett Till was murdered by two white men in 1955, his mother Mamie Till-Mobley became a voice of the civil rights movement. And now, the events surrounding his death have been dramatized in the new movie Till. Danielle Deadwyler's performance as Mamie is the focal point and standout, as she taps into the depths of a mother's grief.

'Till' finds joy and restraint in a historic tragedy

Listen · 17:16
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Monday

Three great horror movies for scaredy cats

Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer in a scene from Warm Bodies. Lionsgate hide caption

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Lionsgate

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Three great horror movies for scaredy cats

It's Halloween, and maybe you're into the idea of horror movies, but you aren't looking to be grossed out by gore or freaked out by jump scares. If that's the case then this is the episode for you. In this encore episode, we're revisiting a conversation about three great horror movies for scaredy cats.

Three great horror movies for scaredy cats

Listen · 9:46
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Friday

Wednesday

Taylor Swift stays up late for the introspective 'Midnights'

Midnights is the latest album from Taylor Swift. Republic Records hide caption

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Republic Records

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Taylor Swift stays up late for the introspective 'Midnights'

Taylor Swift's tenth studio album, Midnights, once again reshapes her music in unexpected ways. Along with producer and co-writer Jack Antonoff, she's working with a palette of buzzy electro-pop. Midnights showcases love songs, confessions, and anthems — and all of them are rendered in the singer's distinct songwriting voice.

Taylor Swift stays up late for the introspective 'Midnights'

Listen · 17:32
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Tuesday

We celebrate Carly Rae Jepsen's 'The Loneliest Time,' together

Carly Rae Jepsen's latest album The Loneliest Time was released on October 21, 2022. Meredith Jenks hide caption

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Meredith Jenks

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

We celebrate Carly Rae Jepsen's 'The Loneliest Time,' together

Carly Rae Jepsen is back with a new album called The Loneliest Time. The Canadian singer first broke through with the inescapable banger "Call Me Maybe." But in these last few years Jepsen has become a full-blown pop star, thanks to well-received albums like Emotion and Dedicated. Her new album mixes hard-driving pop jams with breezy ballads.

We celebrate Carly Rae Jepsen's 'The Loneliest Time,' together

Listen · 21:08
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Sunday