Pop Culture : NPR

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Going, Going, And Gone?: No, The Oxford Comma Is Safe ... For Now

June 30, 2011 • Yesterday, a brief panic ensued when it seemed like Oxford was abandoning its own comma. It isn't, but the whole kerfuffle raised the issue of how and why we care so much about these little things.

'New Hero' Of Classical Guitar Shares His Passion

Milos Karadaglich says as soon as he held his father's rusty, old guitar, he knew it was the instrument he would play. Olaf Heine hide caption

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Olaf Heine

'New Hero' Of Classical Guitar Shares His Passion

June 30, 2011 • Milos Karadaglich grew up during wartime, but no conflict on the Balkans could stop him from playing the guitar. He earned a coveted spot at London's Royal Academy of Music, and his debut album made a splash on the U.K. charts. Host Michel Martin speaks with the Eastern European artist about his life, music and goals.

'New Hero' Of Classical Guitar Shares His Passion

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DC Comics

Funnybook Round-Up: Of Lawsuits, Ladies And Also, For Some Reason, 'Burn Notice'

June 29, 2011 • In this week's roundup of news in and around the world of comics: Superheroic litigation, the top ten patriotic do-gooders, and a very funny cartoon about a very frustrating issue.

'That's Racist!' How A Serious Accusation Became A Commonplace Quip

Sort your laundry into whites and darks? "That's racist," quips one character on Parks and Recreation. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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'That's Racist!' How A Serious Accusation Became A Commonplace Quip

June 27, 2011 • Once a loaded challenge, "that's racist" has become a staple of schoolyards and comedy routines. NPR's Neda Ulaby describes how the ironic diss went from meme to mainstream.

'That's Racist!' How A Serious Accusation Became A Commonplace Quip

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ROAD MOVIES/ARGOS FILMS/WDR

'Just One More Thing' About Peter Falk, TV's 'Columbo'

Fresh Air

June 27, 2011 • Peter Falk, who was known for his portrayal of the disheveled and seemingly inept homicide detective Lt. Columbo, died on Thursday at age 83. Fresh Air remembers the actor with excerpts from a 1995 interview.

'Just One More Thing' About Peter Falk, TV's 'Columbo'

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'True Blood' Returns; Let's Run Down The Gaudiest Moments

Stephen Moyer of True Blood. John P. Johnson/HBO hide caption

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John P. Johnson/HBO

'True Blood' Returns; Let's Run Down The Gaudiest Moments

June 27, 2011 • Critic Mark Blankenship recaps the big moments in the fourth-season opener of HBO's True Blood, and just be advised: there may be cages involved.

Host Alex Trebek greets celebrity contestants on the set of Jeopardy! For non-celebrity contestants, fame means a 30-second personal anecdote after the first commercial break. Amanda Edwards/Getty Images hide caption

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What Story Would You Tell On Jeopardy?

June 26, 2011 • You have 30 seconds. You're on the smartest show on national television. So, what's the most interesting thing about yourself? Ready? Go.

What Story Would You Tell On Jeopardy?

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Gabe Kaplan, star of Welcome Back Kotter, has been part of a long-standing, private poker game. He is now being sued for his winnings. Ethan Miller/Getty Images hide caption

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News

Lawsuit Targets Celebrity Poker Game

June 26, 2011 • Celebrities including Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Affleck are said to have been players in a weekly poker game. Several players in the game have had lawsuits brought against them, after a hedge fund manager who also played gambled away money gathered in a Ponzi scheme.

Lawsuit Targets Celebrity Poker Game

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The Two-Way

'Columbo' Star Peter Falk Dies At 83

June 24, 2011 • Indelible as the rumpled, comically relentless homicide detective in Columbo, the actor will also be remembered as the grandfather reading The Princess Bride to his skeptical grandson ... and for his work in dramatic films.

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour: In Our Host's Absence, We Invite 'Company'

June 24, 2011 • In host Linda Holmes' absence, the PCHH gang descends into madness, discussing Green Lantern, Stephen Sondheim and more.

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Television

Spanish-Language Network Makes Emmy Bid

June 24, 2011 • Telemundo is promoting its biggest-ever hit, La Reina del Sur. The show's season finale last month beat out English-language networks in all the major markets. But Telemundo's effort is a long shot. Spanish-language TV has never won an Emmy in any of the major categories.

Spanish-Language Network Makes Emmy Bid

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Androgynous male model Andrej Pejic on the runway in Rio de Janeiro, June 4. Felipe Dana/AP hide caption

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Felipe Dana/AP

June 23, 2011 • A fashion model walks both male and female runways, college campuses offer gender-neutral dorms, and a Toronto couple refuse to reveal the sex of their baby — all signs that some people may be ready to relax their grip on gender categories.

For Essence Magazine, A New Direction With A New Chief

Essence's new Editor-in-Chief Constance C.R. White Courtesy of Essence hide caption

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Courtesy of Essence

Culture

For Essence Magazine, A New Direction With A New Chief

June 22, 2011 • Essence's new Editor-in-Chief Constance C.R. White is putting her first official stamp on the magazine for its July issue, which features Beyonce's debut cover story and profiles of socially influential women abroad. To learn more about these articles and how Essence plans to better capture the lives of everyday black women, host Michel Martin speaks with its new Chief Constance C.R. White.

For Essence Magazine, A New Direction With A New Chief

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It's Emmy Season, And The Nominees Should Be...

Aziz Ansari stars as Tom Haverford on NBC's Parks And Recreation. Chris Haston/NBC hide caption

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Chris Haston/NBC

Pop Culture Happy Hour

It's Emmy Season, And The Nominees Should Be...

June 21, 2011 • Critic Eric Deggans looks ahead to the Emmy Awards and has a few suggestions for voters about who deserves to be nominated. His choices span cable and broadcast, fantasy and police dramas, and one very clueless government employee.

It's Emmy Season, And The Nominees Should Be...

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Are Comic Book Geeks Superhero Movie Kryptonite?

Seth Rogen plays Britt Reid in The Green Hornet. Columbia Pictures hide caption

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Columbia Pictures

Movies

Are Comic Book Geeks Superhero Movie Kryptonite?

June 20, 2011 • Green Lantern is the latest in a long line of summer superhero movies Hollywood hopes can save the day at the box office, yet its theatrical debut was anything but heroic. NPR's Glen Weldon says that for Hollywood's superhero movies to succeed, they have to start drawing in non-comic book geeks.

Are Comic Book Geeks Superhero Movie Kryptonite?

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Thursday June 30, 2011

'New Hero' Of Classical Guitar Shares His Passion

Wednesday June 29, 2011

Monday June 27, 2011

'That's Racist!' How A Serious Accusation Became A Commonplace Quip

Fresh Air

'Just One More Thing' About Peter Falk, TV's 'Columbo'

Sunday June 26, 2011

What Story Would You Tell On Jeopardy?

Lawsuit Targets Celebrity Poker Game

Friday June 24, 2011

Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour

Spanish-Language Network Makes Emmy Bid

Thursday June 23, 2011

Wednesday June 22, 2011

For Essence Magazine, A New Direction With A New Chief

Tuesday June 21, 2011

It's Emmy Season, And The Nominees Should Be...

Monday June 20, 2011

Are Comic Book Geeks Superhero Movie Kryptonite?