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In 'Squid Game,' children's games get awfully bloody

Park Hae-soo, Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon star in the Korean Netflix series, Squid Game. Youngkyu Park/Netflix hide caption

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Youngkyu Park/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Squid Game,' children's games get awfully bloody

The Korean drama Squid Game is a worldwide sensation. According to Netflix, it's topped their rankings in more than 90 countries. Written and directed by the filmmaker Hwang Dong-Hyuk, it's a violent and artful horror miniseries, a survival drama, and a commentary on debt and capitalism. With a plot that's both simple and ambitious, the series is fast-paced but character-driven, and unbelievably addictive to watch.

In 'Squid Game,' children's games get awfully bloody

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A new museum in Nashville centers the artistry of Black musicians

The National Museum of African American Music, in Nashville. NMAAM/353 Media Group hide caption

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NMAAM/353 Media Group

Music

A new museum in Nashville centers the artistry of Black musicians

Nashville has long been associated with country music. But a museum devoted to African-American music, which opened earlier this year, sets the record straight about the city's diversity

A new museum in Nashville centers the artistry of Black musicians

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40 years ago, San Francisco lowriders organized to fight police harassment — and won

A Lowrider rides on three-wheels on Sunset Blvd., in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles in July. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption

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Damian Dovarganes/AP

Hispanic Heritage Month

40 years ago, San Francisco lowriders organized to fight police harassment — and won

"At one point it was bumper to bumper for 20 blocks. It was like a parade every Friday and Saturday night," Roberto Hernandez said. "It was something that the police just weren't able to manage."

'Maid' shines a light on a flawed safety net

Margaret Qualley and Rylea Nevaeh Whittet star in Maid. Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix hide caption

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Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Maid' shines a light on a flawed safety net

Based on Stephanie Land's memoir, the Netflix series Maid stars Margaret Qualley as a single mom who must learn to survive on public assistance. While the series takes a hard look at the logistics of poverty, it's also a riveting personal story that will keep you guessing until the very end of its tenth episode.

'Maid' shines a light on a flawed safety net

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Matt Amodio's history-making run on TV's 'Jeopardy!' ends

Matt Amodio's historic run on Jeopardy! ended on Monday's show, leaving the Yale doctoral student with 38 wins and more than $1.5 million in prize money. Jeopardy Productions Inc. via AP hide caption

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Jeopardy Productions Inc. via AP

Television

Matt Amodio's history-making run on TV's 'Jeopardy!' ends

The Yale doctoral student, with 38 wins and more than $1.5 million in prize money, finished No. 2 on the all-time consecutive wins list behind only Ken Jennings with 74 wins.

1999's 'Latin Explosion' chased crossover hits. Today, Latino artists don't need them

In the third part of our series exploring crossover in pop music, we reexamine the so-called "Latin explosion" of the '90s: what it was supposed to be for audiences across the U.S., and what it actually came to represent. Blake Cale for NPR hide caption

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Blake Cale for NPR

It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

1999's 'Latin Explosion' chased crossover hits. Today, Latino artists don't need them

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Latino artists like Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira ruled the pop charts. But who was that so-called "Latin Explosion" actually for, and what were the business considerations behind it? In the third part of our series exploring crossover in pop music, we examine how this supposed boom turned out to be more of a marketing creation, which evaporated when digital streaming entered the picture. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org.

1999's 'Latin Explosion' chased crossover hits. Today, Latino artists don't need them

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'Y: The Last Man'? More like the walking dude

Ashley Romans as Agent 355 and Ben Schnetzer as Yorick Brown in the FX on Hulu series, Y: The Last Man. Rafy/FX hide caption

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Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Y: The Last Man'? More like the walking dude

The FX on Hulu drama Y: The Last Man is the latest in a long line of post-apocalyptic narratives of TV, but this one comes with a novel twist: A mysterious event wipes out every mammal on Earth with a Y chromosome, except for two: an aimless would-be escape artist named Yorick, and his companion monkey, Ampersand. In a world overrun by militias and fueled by paranoid conspiracy theories, a beleaguered government attempts to rebuild — and keep certain secrets from getting out.

'Y: The Last Man'? More like the walking dude

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Native Americans Take Over The Writers' Room and Tell Their Own Stories

Dustin Milligan, Ed Helms, Sierra Teller Ornelas, Jesse Leigh, Tai Leclaire and Kimberly Guerrero arrive at the Peacock Series "Rutherford Falls" partnership with The Autry of the American West to celebrate Native American storytelling event at the Autry Museum of the American West on June 26, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Amanda Edwards/Getty Images hide caption

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Consider This from NPR

Native Americans Take Over The Writers' Room and Tell Their Own Stories

After decades of Indigenous stories told by non-Natives, two shows from this past year signal a change.

Native Americans Take Over The Writers' Room and Tell Their Own Stories

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Superman's son comes out as bisexual in a new comic. It's a big deal — sort of

In November's Superman: Son of Kal-El #5, (written by Tom Taylor, art by John Timms), Jonathan Kent, son of Clark, will get a boyfriend. DC Comics hide caption

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DC Comics

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Superman's son comes out as bisexual in a new comic. It's a big deal — sort of

DC Comics announced that Superman's teenage son will be romantically involved with a male friend in a comic to be published in November. It's a growing trend.

Superman's son comes out as bisexual in a new comic. It's a big deal — sort of

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There was nothing like 'Soul Train' on TV. There's never been anything like it since

Soul Train made its national television premiere 50 years ago, in October 1971. Blake Cale for NPR hide caption

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Blake Cale for NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

There was nothing like 'Soul Train' on TV. There's never been anything like it since

When Soul Train was first nationally syndicated in October of 1971, there was nothing else like it on TV. It became an iconic Black music and dance show — a party every weekend that anyone could join from their living room. In this episode of It's Been A Minute With Sam Sanders, we break down the lasting influence of Soul Train on our culture, with Hanif Abdurraqib, author of A Little Devil in America.

There was nothing like 'Soul Train' on TV. There's never been anything like it since

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Governor run or no, Matthew McConaughey is full of campaign slogans

Matthew McConaughey, the star of Dazed and Confused and Dallas Buyers Club, isn't not thinking about throwing his cowboy hat in the race for "CEO" of Texas. Noam Galai/Getty Images for HISTORY hide caption

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Noam Galai/Getty Images for HISTORY

Arts & Life

Governor run or no, Matthew McConaughey is full of campaign slogans

In a Twitter Spaces chat hosted by NPR, the actor discussed his potential run for Texas governor, where he fits — or doesn't — on the political party spectrum, abortion, Amazon unions and more.

Governor run or no, Matthew McConaughey is full of campaign slogans

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R. Kelly, Britney Spears, And The Rise Of 'Consequence Culture'

R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago in September 2019. Antonio Perez/Getty Images hide caption

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Consider This from NPR

R. Kelly, Britney Spears, And The Rise Of 'Consequence Culture'

Last month, R&B singer R. Kelly was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. Days later, a judge suspended Jamie Spears as the conservator of his daughter Britney Spears' estate. While these cases are completely unrelated, they do have one crucial thing in common: a massive online following, and an ecosystem of think pieces and documentaries that fuel conversation online.

R. Kelly, Britney Spears, And The Rise Of 'Consequence Culture'

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What's making us happy: A guide for your weekend watching, listening and reading

If you're a fan of Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, check out Midnight Mass, available on Netflix. Eike Schroter/Netflix hide caption

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Eike Schroter/Netflix

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

What's making us happy: A guide for your weekend watching, listening and reading

Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's a new French horror movie, Titane, Netflix's Midnight Mass, and the web series Dimension 20.

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