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Hasan Minhaj and the limits of representation

Stephanie Mills in The Wiz, and Hasan Minhaj on stage. Hulton Archive/Kevin Winter hide caption

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Hulton Archive/Kevin Winter

It's Been a Minute

Hasan Minhaj and the limits of representation

A recent New Yorker piece on Hasan Minhaj found that some crucial bits of his stand-up act didn't stand up to fact-checking. Stretching the truth in comedy is par for the course, but how does that work for a figure like Minhaj, who'd previously doubled down on these stories in interviews and is known for his political satire shows? Brittany is joined by writer Imran Siddiquee and journalist Allana Akhtar to make sense of an entertainment industry that created the conditions for his fame.

Hasan Minhaj and the limits of representation

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'The Creator' is based on big ideas — and a lot of spare parts

John David Washington as Joshua in The Creator. 20th Century Studios hide caption

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20th Century Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Creator' is based on big ideas — and a lot of spare parts

In the new movie The Creator, humanity is at war with artificial intelligence. It stars John David Washington as a former soldier who's been recruited to find and kill the creator of a powerful AI weapon. Directed by Gareth Edwards, the film's big themes involve the role of AI, the brutality of war, and the building blocks of life and society.

'The Creator' is based on big ideas — and a lot of spare parts

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T.J. Mack wants you to know it's OK to sit

T.J. Mack — AKA Brian Jordan Alvarez. Brennan Goldstein hide caption

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Brennan Goldstein

Main Character of the Day

T.J. Mack wants you to know it's OK to sit

Actor and comedian Brian Jordan Alvarez is a prolific poster online. Now, one of his latest videos has taken on a new life.

T.J. Mack wants you to know it's OK to sit

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Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in 'Harry Potter,' dies at 82

Actor Michael Gambon took over the role of Albus Dumbledore in The Prisoner of Azkaban. Carl Court/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Carl Court/AFP via Getty Images

Obituaries

Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in 'Harry Potter,' dies at 82

Gambon was best known for playing Albus Dumbledore in most of the Harry Potter movies. The Irish-born actor got his start on stage and worked under Laurence Olivier.

Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in 'Harry Potter,' dies at 82

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Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense' is still burning down the house

David Byrne of the Talking Heads in Stop Making Sense. A24 hide caption

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A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense' is still burning down the house

Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense has been called the greatest concert film of all time. Directed by Jonathan Demme, the iconic 1984 film takes the audience onstage with the band and captures them at the height of their power. Now, a restored version of the film is back in theaters, featuring propulsive performances of early hits like "Psycho Killer," along with deeper and funkier cuts, too.

Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense' is still burning down the house

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What happens when your secret fiancee becomes your boss? Find out in 'Fair Play'

A cutthroat power couple Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) and Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) end up in a power struggle in Fair Play. Sergej Radovic/Netflix hide caption

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Sergej Radovic/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

What happens when your secret fiancee becomes your boss? Find out in 'Fair Play'

A power couple crumbles when one gets promoted over the other at their cutthroat hedge fund firm. Fair Play is a withering melodrama, depicting a relationship contaminated by ambition and jealousy.

In 'Cassandro,' a gay luchador finds himself, and international fame

Gael García Bernal stars in Cassandro. Amazon Prime Studios hide caption

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Amazon Prime Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Cassandro,' a gay luchador finds himself, and international fame

In the new film Cassandro, Gael García Bernal plays the real-life Mexican-American wrestler who came to international stardom by adopting the persona of the flamboyant Cassandro, the Liberace of Lucha Libre. It's the story of a queer man who challenges a macho and homophobic system through sheer showmanship – and earns the respect of his fellow wrestlers and audiences.

In 'Cassandro,' a gay luchador finds himself, and international fame

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In 'Dumb Money,' the mischievous are eating the rich

Pete Davidson and Paul Dano in Dumb Money. Claire Folger/Sony Pictures hide caption

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Claire Folger/Sony Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Dumb Money,' the mischievous are eating the rich

The snappy "eat the rich" comedy Dumb Money is about a sly bunch of Reddit users who made some Wall Street billionaires sweat, in an infamous stock market incident known as the Game Stop short squeeze. With a star-studded ensemble including Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Pete Davidson, the movie has got class warfare and needle drops galore. But will it inspire you to fight the power or just go out and buy some stocks?

In 'Dumb Money,' the mischievous are eating the rich

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'Here I am, closer to the gutter than ever': John Waters gets his Hollywood star

Self-described "filth elder" John Waters unveiled his sidewalk star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday. "It's about time," said fan Kyle Montgomery, who attended the event. "The world is trash. He knew it all along." Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP hide caption

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Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Movies

'Here I am, closer to the gutter than ever': John Waters gets his Hollywood star

A new exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures celebrates the life and outrageous cinema of John Waters, queer icon and proud maker of "filth."

'Here I am, closer to the gutter than ever': John Waters gets his Hollywood star

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'Sex Education' teaches valuable lessons in empathy

Ncuti Gatwa in season 4 of Netflix's Sex Education. Samuel Taylor/Netflix hide caption

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Samuel Taylor/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Sex Education' teaches valuable lessons in empathy

Netflix's hit series Sex Education is a refreshing and frank coming-of-age story about modern teens learning about their bodies and themselves in awkward, relatable ways. In the final season, amateur sex therapist Otis (Asa Butterfield), his best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), and their friends juggle academic life and young adulthood.

'Sex Education' teaches valuable lessons in empathy

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How comic Leslie Jones went from funniest person on campus to 'SNL' star

Leslie Jones says she was 19 when Jamie Foxx told her she needed to live life — get hired, get fired, fall in love — in order to be truly funny. Jen Rosenstein/HGBUSA hide caption

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Jen Rosenstein/HGBUSA

Television

How comic Leslie Jones went from funniest person on campus to 'SNL' star

Fresh Air

Jones says performing stand-up for the first time as a freshman in college felt like putting on a shirt that fit perfectly: "It was just so natural." Her memoir is Leslie F*cking Jones.

How comic Leslie Jones went from funniest person on campus to 'SNL' star

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In 'Starfield', human destiny is written in the stars

Bethesda's new game Starfield features over 1000 planets. Bethesda Softworks hide caption

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Bethesda Softworks

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Starfield', human destiny is written in the stars

Starfield is one of the biggest and most anticipated video game releases of the year. It's a massive open world game set in humanity's future, when we've settled on star systems throughout the galaxy. There's over 1000 planets to explore, multiple factions to join, spaceships to pilot and quests to go on. But does Starfield live up to the hype?

In 'Starfield', human destiny is written in the stars

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"Based on a true story"
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Planet Money

"Based on a true story"

When a group of amateur investors rallied around the stock for GameStop back in 2021, the story blew up the internet. News outlets around the world, including us here at Planet Money, rushed in to explain why the stock for this retail video game company was suddenly skyrocketing, at times by as much as 1700% in value, and what that meant for the rest of us.

"Based on a true story"

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Three great 90s thrillers

Harrison Ford in The Fugitive. PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Three great 90s thrillers

When you're talking about the movies of the 1990s, you have to mention the decade's huge assortment of thrillers. From courtroom standoffs and frantic chases to wild twists and A-list stars, today, we are recommending three of our favorite 90s thrillers.

Three great 90s thrillers

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The year concert etiquette went to trash and why

Ashes were thrown at Pink, Bebe Rexha was hit by a cellphone and many fans watch concerts through screens. YouTuber Tiffany Ferguson theorizes what's behind all the bad concert behavior. Jacques Demarthon/ AFP; Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Jacques Demarthon/ AFP; Screenshot by NPR

It's Been a Minute

The year concert etiquette went to trash and why

Every couple of weeks there's a new story of a fan at a concert misbehaving. One fan threw ashes at Pink, another hit Drake with a cellphone, Miranda Lambert stopped her show when fans took selfies with flash photography. Extreme instances have landed performers in the hospital, but more often attendees have noticed the audience has gotten louder and more distracting than ever. Where is all of this coming from?

The year concert etiquette went to trash and why

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This rare Bob Ross painting could be yours — for close to $10 million

A screenshot from the premiere of The Joy of Painting shows the painter Bob Ross with the work, A Walk in the Woods, which is up for sale. YouTube/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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YouTube/Screenshot by NPR

Culture

This rare Bob Ross painting could be yours — for close to $10 million

The late pop culture icon once said he painted over 30,000 works of art in his lifetime, but it's rare for an authenticated Ross piece to come on the market, let alone one with this much history.

This rare Bob Ross painting could be yours — for close to $10 million

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'The Other Black Girl' explores identity and unease

Sinclair Daniel and Ashleigh Murray in The Other Black Girl. Hulu hide caption

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Hulu

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Other Black Girl' explores identity and unease

Part blistering workplace satire, part creepy thriller, Hulu's The Other Black Girl packs a lot of punches. Nella (Sinclair Daniel) is a young editorial assistant who forms a fast-friendship with her new-coworker, Hazel (Ashleigh Murray) as they both navigate working in a mostly white publishing company. Hazel is confident, a bit mysterious, and full of secrets. The Other Black Girl is based on the novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris.

'The Other Black Girl' explores identity and unease

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Maybe think twice before making an innocent stranger go viral?

Other people just going about their lives in public are not fodder for your social media. Let's think a little harder about the etiquette of putting pictures and videos of strangers up online. Delmaine Donson/Getty Images hide caption

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Delmaine Donson/Getty Images

Opinion

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Maybe think twice before making an innocent stranger go viral?

Other people just going about their lives in public are not fodder for your social media. Let's think a little harder about the etiquette of putting pictures and videos of strangers up online.

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