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Barton Girdwood
Barton Girdwood at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 21, 2019. (photo by Allison Shelley)
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Barton Girdwood

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Actor Judy Greer on 'Reboot' — and why are there so many TV reboots, anyway?

Judy Greer playing Bree Marie Jensen in the new Hulu sitcom 'Reboot.' Michael Desmond/ Hulu hide caption

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Actor Judy Greer on 'Reboot' — and why are there so many TV reboots, anyway?

We talk TV REBOOTS. Guest host Elise Hu chats with Judy Greer about her role in the new Hulu series Reboot; her work as a comedic actress, and the state of television. Then, Elise talks with Daniel Herbert, associate professor of film and TV at the University of Michigan and co-editor of the book Film Reboots, about why so many old shows are being remade now. Plus, a special reboot-themed "Who Said That!" with Rob Pearlstein, co-executive producer and writer of the CBS MacGyver reboot (note: Rob is also Elise's partner) and his sister Joanna Pearlstein, opinion editor at The New York Times.

Actor Judy Greer on 'Reboot' — and why are there so many TV reboots, anyway?

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Who needs the monarchy? Plus, why gray floors and barn doors are everywhere

Britain's King Charles III outside Buckingham Palace in London. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Who needs the monarchy? Plus, why gray floors and barn doors are everywhere

King Charles III doesn't enjoy the same popularity as his mother. In the face of mixed feelings towards the new king, some are asking: Is this the beginning of the end of the British monarchy? Guest host Elise Hu talks to Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, lawyer, activist and author of This Is Why I Resist about this new era for the British royals, the power they hold and the potential opportunities for the new monarch.

Who needs the monarchy? Plus, why gray floors and barn doors are everywhere

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Serena's final serve; plus, the Emmys in an era of too much TV

Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open on September 02, 2022 in New York City. Al Bello/Getty Images hide caption

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Serena's final serve; plus, the Emmys in an era of too much TV

Serena Williams just played her last U.S. Open. In the historic two-plus decades of her tennis career, she's won 23 Grand Slams and four Olympic gold medals — all while becoming a mother, dealing with injuries and health crises and facing more scrutiny and downright bias than her peers. Guest host Elise Hu talks to Alex Abad-Santos, senior correspondent at Vox, about her legacy in sports and beyond.

Serena's final serve; plus, the Emmys in an era of too much TV

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The lesbian anthem was actually written by straight people

t.A.T.u. performs on stage at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on May 31, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. Robert Mora/Getty Images hide caption

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The lesbian anthem was actually written by straight people

The Russian pop duo t.A.T.u released their smash single "All The Things She Said" 20 years ago this week. To this day, the bop is a queer staple, but should it be?

The lesbian anthem was actually written by straight people

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The game has changed for D&D and 'A League of Their Own'

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The game has changed for D&D and 'A League of Their Own'

For a long time, Dungeons & Dragons was stereotyped as a game for nerdy young white guys in their parents' basement. But not anymore — the game has exploded in popularity and players of all backgrounds are joining in. Guest co-host Andrea Gutierrez talks to Jasmine Bhullar and Persephone Valentine, both content creators and dungeon masters, about how D&D has become an exciting medium for marginalized people to tell new kinds of fantasy stories.

The game has changed for D&D and 'A League of Their Own'

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Will BeReal just make us BeFake? Plus, A Guidebook To Smell

The BeReal app is blowing up - but does it give users what they want from social media? Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption

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Will BeReal just make us BeFake? Plus, A Guidebook To Smell

BeReal may be the hottest new social media app on the market, but can it live up to its promise to be a more authentic alternative to other platforms? Guest co-host Elise Hu talks with writers Haley Nahman and Ryan Broderick about how BeReal signifies a shift in what we want from our apps and why social media always barrels towards its worst self. They also flex their pop culture knowledge in a game of Who Said That.

Will BeReal just make us BeFake? Plus, A Guidebook To Smell

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Bad Bunny's dream for Puerto Rico; plus, 'Koshersoul'

Bad Bunny performs during his concert, "Un Verano Sin Ti" at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on July 28, 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Gladys Vega/Getty Images hide caption

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Bad Bunny's dream for Puerto Rico; plus, 'Koshersoul'

Bad Bunny is the biggest pop star in the world, so what does he believe in? Guest host Tracie Hunte and political anthropologist Yarimar Bonilla look at the politics of Bad Bunny, and his vision of a Puerto Rico for Puerto Ricans.

Bad Bunny's dream for Puerto Rico; plus, 'Koshersoul'

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Russia's long played with U.S. racial politics. Brittney Griner is the latest example

Brittney Griner, #15 of Team United States, poses for photographs with her gold medal during the Women's Basketball medal ceremony on day sixteen of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games at Saitama Super Arena on August 08, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images hide caption

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Russia's long played with U.S. racial politics. Brittney Griner is the latest example

What does Brittney Griner's hypervisibility as a tall, queer, Black woman have to do with her 9-year sentence in a Russian prison? A lot, according to historian Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, who studies race and Blackness in Russia. She chats with guest host Tracie Hunte about what Griner's detainment means for Black queer folks who travel and the antagonism surrounding the case.

Russia's long played with U.S. racial politics. Brittney Griner is the latest example

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All things comedy: HBO's 'Rap Sh!t,' plus, what's going on with late-night TV?

Aida Osman and KaMillion, Rapsh!t Alicia Vera/HBO Max hide caption

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All things comedy: HBO's 'Rap Sh!t,' plus, what's going on with late-night TV?

What do we expect from women rappers? Guest host Tracie Hunte and music and culture journalist Naima Cochrane discuss HBO's Rap Sh!t — and how it portrays women in hip hop walking the line between sexuality and respectability.

All things comedy: HBO's 'Rap Sh!t,' plus, what's going on with late-night TV?

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Why protecting the 'viral underclass' can keep us all healthy

FILE - A sign urges the release of the monkeypox vaccine during a protest in San Francisco, July 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Haven Daley, File) Haven Daley/AP hide caption

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Why protecting the 'viral underclass' can keep us all healthy

After years of covering HIV and AIDS, journalist Steven Thrasher knew that the hardest hit communities were almost always the poorest and most marginalized ones. Then COVID-19 struck, and he saw that the same groups of people were suffering the most.

Why protecting the 'viral underclass' can keep us all healthy

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Bow down, Queen Bey's 'Renaissance' era has finally arrived

Beyoncé's seventh album, Renaissance, is now available worldwide. Carlijn Jacobs/Parkwood Entertainment hide caption

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Bow down, Queen Bey's 'Renaissance' era has finally arrived

Beyoncé's new album is here! Guest host Anna Sale chats with Dan Runcie, founder of the hip hop site Trapital, and Joey Guerra, music critic for the Houston Chronicle. They talk about Renaissance, what Beyoncé means to us and how this album meets the moment.

Bow down, Queen Bey's 'Renaissance' era has finally arrived

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Hoochie daddy shorts give more than a lil leg; plus, let's get 'Seen, Heard and Paid'

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Hoochie daddy shorts give more than a lil leg; plus, let's get 'Seen, Heard and Paid'

They're short, sexy and on-trend: Hoochie daddy shorts are all the rage for cisgender straight men this summer. And this week, they are the center of a conversation between guest host Anna Sale and writer and poet Danez Smith about sex, gender and freedom. What do higher hemlines on men reveal about the gender anxiety rippling through America today?

Hoochie daddy shorts give more than a lil leg; plus, let's get 'Seen, Heard and Paid'

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Staying grounded after Roe v. Wade; plus, let's talk about fat liberation

Abortion rights activists hoist their signs outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2022. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

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Staying grounded after Roe v. Wade; plus, let's talk about fat liberation

The Supreme Court gutted abortion rights by overturning Roe v. Wade. For those who have been in the trenches of the reproductive justice movement — people who saw this coming — is there anything left to feel hopeful about? Guest host B.A. Parker chats with four young organizers about their stories and their plans for the future.

Staying grounded after Roe v. Wade; plus, let's talk about fat liberation

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Guess who's back in the house (music scene); plus, 'Would it Kill You to Laugh'

DJ Frankie Knuckles plays at the Def Mix 20th Anniversary Weekender on May 6, 2007 in London, England. Frankie Knuckles was one of the earliest pioneers of house music, helping to popularize it in Chicago during the 1980's. Claire Greenway/Getty Images hide caption

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Guess who's back in the house (music scene); plus, 'Would it Kill You to Laugh'

In a matter of days Beyoncé and Drake both released music that draws deeply on 90s era house music. Neither of them are queer, but the they're borrowing from a genre that has been liberating for Black & Latino queer people from the 70s to today. In this episode our June guest host B.A. Parker welcomes Back Issue's co-host Josh Gwynn to chat about house music's roots and the genre's resurgence. Also, comedians Kate Berlant & John Early talk about their new special Would it Kill You to Laugh. They're great friends, and they let us in on some of their inside jokes.

Guess who's back in the house (music scene); plus, 'Would it Kill You to Laugh'

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