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'The Mandalorian': The Show That Launched A Thousand Memes

Baby Yoda, pictured here in season two of The Mandalorian. Lucasfilm LTD/Disney hide caption

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Lucasfilm LTD/Disney

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Mandalorian': The Show That Launched A Thousand Memes

It was a little over a year ago that the first episode of The Mandalorian debuted on Disney Plus. Can you remember a world before Baby Yoda was a thing? Now that season two is underway, we're bringing you an encore episode of our discussion of a show that has since gone on to become a digital phenomenon, while launching a thousand memes.

'The Mandalorian': The Show That Launched A Thousand Memes

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Food

Sohla El-Waylly Talks Holiday Traditions And Her Path To Stardom

NPR's Sarah McCammon talks with cooking show host Sohla El-Waylly about re-imagined holiday meals and the challenges she embraces in the kitchen and in life.

Sohla El-Waylly Talks Holiday Traditions And Her Path To Stardom

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Who Cares About The No. 1 Toy When You Could Have No. 2?

G.I. Woe: Mattel's Flushin' Frenzy sends a brown plastic poop flying into the air. It's pictured above at Toy Fair in New York in February 2018. Mark Lennihan/AP hide caption

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Mark Lennihan/AP

Games & Humor

Who Cares About The No. 1 Toy When You Could Have No. 2?

The market remains flush with toys that poop: Gotta Go Flamingo, Poopsie Slime Surprise, Doggie Doo, Fishin' For Floaters. "It's a very light taboo," says Mary Higbe of Goliath Games.

Who Cares About The No. 1 Toy When You Could Have No. 2?

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David Prowse, Actor Behind Darth Vader, Dies At 85

British actor David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the first Star Wars trilogy, poses with a fan dressed in a Darth Vader costume during a Star Wars convention on April 27, 2013. On Sunday morning, Prowse's management company shared the news of his death at age 85. Thierry Zoccolan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Thierry Zoccolan/AFP via Getty Images

Obituaries

David Prowse, Actor Behind Darth Vader, Dies At 85

Audiences heard James Earl Jones' voice as the iconic Star Wars villain, but it was Prowse behind Darth Vader's mask.

'Happiest Season' Is A Holiday Family Romcom With A Very Merry Cast

The big family in The Happiest Season includes Burl Moseley, Alison Brie, Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Mary Holland, Victor Garber and Mary Steenburgen. (Whew!) Hulu hide caption

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Hulu

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Happiest Season' Is A Holiday Family Romcom With A Very Merry Cast

Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis play Abby and Harper, a couple headed home to Abby's parents' house for Christmas. Dan Levy, Victor Garber and Aubrey Plaza are among the terrific supporting cast.

Television

From 'Dash And Lily' To Dolly Parton: These Holiday Specials Will Bring On The Cheer

Linda Holmes and Glen Weldon from NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour talk about their favorite 2020 holiday TV specials.

From 'Dash And Lily' To Dolly Parton: These Holiday Specials Will Bring On The Cheer

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Introducing: 'Louder Than A Riot'

Killer Mike Dale Edwin Murray for NPR hide caption

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Dale Edwin Murray for NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Introducing: 'Louder Than A Riot'

A special bonus feed drop from the new NPR podcast Louder Than A Riot. Hosts Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden have been working on a deep-diving exploration of the relationship between hip-hop and mass incarceration. Episodes cover the likes of Nipsey Hussle, Bobby Shmurda, Killer Mike and many more. We're dropping the first episode here.

Introducing: 'Louder Than A Riot'

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'Genshin Impact' Is Free-To-Play Fun — If You Can Resist Opening Your Wallet

Genshin Impact has a huge world to explore, and a surprising amount of content for a free-to-play game. Screenshot by Kaity Kline/MiHoYo hide caption

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Screenshot by Kaity Kline/MiHoYo

Join The Game

'Genshin Impact' Is Free-To-Play Fun — If You Can Resist Opening Your Wallet

The exploration and combat game Genshin Impact has earned some favorable comparisons to Nintendo's Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but like many free-to-play games, it's good at getting you to spend money.

Yes, The Macy's Parade Is Still Happening This Year — But It'll Be A Bit Different

Performers dance along 34th Street during a pre-taping of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in front of the flagship store in New York City on Nov. 25. Mary Altaffer/AP hide caption

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Mary Altaffer/AP

Coronavirus Updates

Yes, The Macy's Parade Is Still Happening This Year — But It'll Be A Bit Different

Instead of traveling the traditional 2.5-mile-route through New York City's Midtown, the Thanksgiving Day parade will take place in front of Macy's department store.

Twenty Years Later, Is 'The Emperor's New Groove'... A Classic?
Angela Hsieh/NPR

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Twenty Years Later, Is 'The Emperor's New Groove'... A Classic?

The Emperor's New Groove came out 20 years ago, during a time when Disney's animation department was going through an identity crisis. The plot is simple: David Spade is a bratty emperor. Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton turn him into a llama. And John Goodman is the peasant who helps make things right. It was originally gonna be an epic musical, but then it became a comedy, a box-office disappointment, and now, we would argue, a beloved classic.

Twenty Years Later, Is 'The Emperor's New Groove'... A Classic?

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Ken Jennings: Who Is 1st 'Jeopardy!' Guest Host?

Ken Jennings, a 74-time champion of the popular quiz show, will be the first interim guest for the late Alex Trebek, and the show will try other guest hosts before naming a permanent replacement. Jeopardy! via AP hide caption

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Jeopardy! via AP

Television

Ken Jennings: Who Is 1st 'Jeopardy!' Guest Host?

"There will only ever be one Alex Trebek, but I'm honored to be helping Jeopardy! out with this in January," said Jennings, one of the show's all-time top winners.