Pop Culture : NPR

Maggie Gyllenhaal Is 'The Honorable Woman': A Series Both Ruthless And Rewarding

Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as Nessa Stein in the SundanceTV original series The Honorable Woman. Des Willie/Courtesy of Sundance hide caption

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Des Willie/Courtesy of Sundance

Maggie Gyllenhaal Is 'The Honorable Woman': A Series Both Ruthless And Rewarding

Fresh Air

July 31, 2014 • The eight-part drama that begins Thursday stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a British baroness with an Israeli passport. She's a fearless actor in a show full of kidnappings, seductions and betrayals.

Maggie Gyllenhaal Is 'The Honorable Woman': A Series Both Ruthless And Rewarding

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'Guardians Of The Galaxy': Let's Hear It For F.U.N.

Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) have some adventures together in the terrific new Guardians Of The Galaxy. Jay Maidment/Marvel hide caption

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Review

'Guardians Of The Galaxy': Let's Hear It For F.U.N.

July 31, 2014 • The most surprising thing about the latest film in the Marvel Universe may be as simple as its genre: while it certainly has your space battles and big fights, it's a straight-up comedy.

Who's The Man? Hollywood Heroes Defined Masculinity For Millions

John Wayne — seen here in 1956's The Searchers — was an icon of traditional Hollywood manliness. AP/Warner Bros. hide caption

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AP/Warner Bros.

Who's The Man? Hollywood Heroes Defined Masculinity For Millions

July 30, 2014 • From silent stars to John Wayne to Iron Man, film critic Bob Mondello looks at the role that Hollywood has played in defining manliness, and how that definition has changed over several decades.

Who's The Man? Hollywood Heroes Defined Masculinity For Millions

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Kari Wuhrer as Ellen Brody, Courtney Baxter as Mora Brody, and Sandra "Pepa" Denton as a character even the captioners don't know the name of. I'm not sure she had one. Will Hart/Syfy hide caption

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Will Hart/Syfy

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Sharknado 2': Winner And Still Chomp

July 30, 2014 • Look, of course Sharknado 2 is stupid. That's not the question. The question is whether it still makes a good party game.

On Dipping An Introverted Toe In The Comic-Con Ocean

Christopher Petrone, of San Diego, CA, towering over attendees in his handmade, to-scale Chewbacca costume. T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images hide caption

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T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

On Dipping An Introverted Toe In The Comic-Con Ocean

July 30, 2014 • Is Comic-Con as overwhelming as you've heard? Well ... yes and no. Mostly yes. But on the other hand, it's also completely fascinating, even to nervous first-timers.

Sex And The Single Churl: Another 'Bachelorette' Finale Gets Weird

Andi gasps while accepting a proposal from Josh Murray (right, in the ill-fitting suit) on Monday night's finale of The Bachelorette. Javier Pesquera/ABC hide caption

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Javier Pesquera/ABC

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Sex And The Single Churl: Another 'Bachelorette' Finale Gets Weird

July 29, 2014 • Monday night's Bachelorette finale went in a very unusual direction for a show that usually denies the degree to which it's about sex.

At 75, Batman Still Seeks Justice, Not Revenge

"What Batman provides, what all superheroes provide is this notion that good will triumph over evil," says author Glen Weldon. "That evil will have its day, but there will be somebody up there who will keep trying, who will keep looking out for us. ... He's catharsis in a cape." Above, Adam West, as Batman, makes a road safety film with child actors in Kensington, London in the late 1960s. Keystone/Getty Images hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

At 75, Batman Still Seeks Justice, Not Revenge

July 27, 2014 • Batman keeps avenging the death of his parents, but "it's not a vendetta, it's a crusade," says author Glen Weldon. "He represents the idea of: 'This thing that happened to me? Never again.' "

At 75, Batman Still Seeks Justice, Not Revenge

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Hoping To Reach A Wider Audience, Lifetime Breaks Out Of Familiar Formula

On Wednesday, Lifetime premiered BAPs, a reality show that follows "an exclusive, privileged and affluent group of African American friends from St. Louis who self-identify as 'BAPs' — Black American Princesses and Princes." Richard Knapp hide caption

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Richard Knapp

Code Switch

Hoping To Reach A Wider Audience, Lifetime Breaks Out Of Familiar Formula

July 26, 2014 • Lifetime's general manager says the channel is trying to reflect "the true breadth" of America. It recently launched a reality show called BAPs — which stands for "Black American Prince or Princess."

Hoping To Reach A Wider Audience, Lifetime Breaks Out Of Familiar Formula

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We Can Be Heroes — With Some Glue And A Little Fabric

Twelve-year-old Hayley Lindsay spent almost a month working with her dad on this Toothless the Dragon costume. There are sawn-off crutches in the front legs so she can comfortably walk on all fours. Petra Mayer hide caption

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Petra Mayer

Opinion

We Can Be Heroes — With Some Glue And A Little Fabric

July 26, 2014 • The cosplay community has descended on the annual Comic-Con in San Diego. They're the dedicated folks who create lovingly accurate costume reproductions of their favorite fictional characters.

We Can Be Heroes — With Some Glue And A Little Fabric

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Fresh Air

Tim Gunn: On And Off The Runway, 'Life Is A Big Collaboration'

Fresh Air

July 25, 2014 • "Make it work," the fashion guru tells designers on Project Runway. But life hasn't always "worked" for Gunn. Originally broadcast on Feb. 5, 2014.

Tim Gunn: On And Off The Runway, 'Life Is A Big Collaboration'

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NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Culture Between The Coasts And Imperfect Fits

July 25, 2014 • With special guest Barrie Hardymon, the gang discusses the way the middle of the country is portrayed in pop culture. Plus, works in which a single piece is out of place and What's Making Us Happy.

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5 Things I Learned About TV's Future From The Critics Press Tour

Noah Hawley (left) and Warren Littlefield, executive producers of the FX series Fargo, speak at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images hide caption

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Movies

How To Name Your Sequel II: Not Just Roman Numerals Anymore

July 24, 2014 • In the middle of a summer of sequels — from The Expendables 3 to 22 Jump Street — it seemed the right moment to have Bob Mondello look at the art of (Son of, Bride of) sequel titling (Part Deux).

How To Name Your Sequel II: Not Just Roman Numerals Anymore

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