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Monday

Pee-wee Herman was more than a boy who never grew up

Paul Reubens poses after a performance of The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway in October 2010. Charles Sykes/AP hide caption

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Charles Sykes/AP

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pee-wee Herman was more than a boy who never grew up

Pee-wee's creator, Paul Reubens, died Sunday of cancer. He was 70. Pee-wee was a petulant man-child and a trickster spirit, a burst of joyous id that snuck his brand of anarchy into the mainstream.

Pee-wee Herman was more than a boy who never grew up

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Leanne Morgan, the 'Mrs. Maisel of Appalachia,' jokes about motherhood and menopause

A Tennessee native, Leanne Morgan refers to herself as the "Mrs. Maisel of Appalachia." Joseph Llanes/Netflix hide caption

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Joseph Llanes/Netflix

Television

Leanne Morgan, the 'Mrs. Maisel of Appalachia,' jokes about motherhood and menopause

Fresh Air

"It took me a long time to find my audience ... but I always knew they were out there," says Morgan, who started doing stand-up as a mom in her mid-30s. Her new Netflix special is I'm Every Woman.

Leanne Morgan, the 'Mrs. Maisel of Appalachia,' jokes about motherhood and menopause

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Friday

Viral dating screenshots and the absurdity of 'And Just Like That'
Craig Blankenhorn/Max

It's Been a Minute

Viral dating screenshots and the absurdity of 'And Just Like That'

Screenshots of dating apps are making the rounds online and what feels like mundane exchanges are generating lots of ire and discourse. As these screenshots become more common in our feeds, how does it impact the search for love? And what happens when people use the apps to swipe for content? We talk to Rolling Stone culture reporter Miles Klee about modern dating expectations and if the apps have changed them.

Viral dating screenshots and the absurdity of 'And Just Like That'

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Barbie in India: A skin color debate, a poignant poem, baked in a cake

Vichitra Rajasingh had 80 Barbies as a kid. Living in a small town at a time when there wasn't much entertainment, she says Barbie was a source of limitless imagination. At the bakery she now runs, she bakes about half-a-dozen Barbie cakes a week. She says the dolls remind her of her grandmother, who passed away at age 87 in January and who used to surprise her by sewing outfits for her dolls. Anushree Bhatter for NPR hide caption

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Anushree Bhatter for NPR

Goats and Soda

Barbie in India: A skin color debate, a poignant poem, baked in a cake

The doll is quite popular.One bakery sells half-a-dozen Barbie cakes a week! But like Barbies everywhere, she is controversial because of skin tone and the fact that not every kid can afford her.

'Haunted Mansion' is grave

Chase Dillon as Travis and Rosario Dawson as Gabbie in Haunted Mansion. Walt Disney Studios hide caption

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Walt Disney Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Haunted Mansion' is grave

In Disney's Haunted Mansion, a rag-tag group of paranormal experts attempt to get rid of ghosts that haunt a crumbling New Orleans mansion. Based on the beloved theme park experience, the film stars Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Tiffany Haddish — who band together to confront the dangers of the unseen world. But despite its star power, does the movie live up to its supernatural premise?

'Haunted Mansion' is grave

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Thursday

'They Cloned Tyrone' is a funky and fun sci-fi mystery

Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles and John Boyega as Fontaine in They Cloned Tyrone. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'They Cloned Tyrone' is a funky and fun sci-fi mystery

The Netflix movie They Cloned Tyrone is a thrilling, quirky sci-fi comedy about a drug dealer, a sex worker, and a pimp who uncover a vast government conspiracy against their community. It's got a great cast: starring John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and a very flamboyant Jamie Foxx.

'They Cloned Tyrone' is a funky and fun sci-fi mystery

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Wednesday

Summer reading: Let's keep it casual

The covers of recent Code Switch summer book picks, including Hijab Butch Blues, Alma y Como Obtuvo Su Nombre, I'm Not Done With You Yet, and The Late Americans. Dial Press/Penguin Random House/Riverhead Books hide caption

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Dial Press/Penguin Random House/Riverhead Books

Code Switch

Summer reading: Let's keep it casual

There are race books, and there are beach reads, and never the twain shall meet. You know that old truism, right? Well, this is Code Switch (the show about race and identity and romance and drama from NPR), and we weren't willing to accept that dichotomy. So on this episode, we're bringing you a bouquet of our favorite summer thrillers, love stories, memoirs and more — all of which have something to say about race.

Summer reading: Let's keep it casual

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Tuesday

Lil' Kim's fashion legacy is undeniable

Lil Kim Henny Ray Abrams/Getty Images hide caption

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Henny Ray Abrams/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Lil' Kim's fashion legacy is undeniable

Think of the top women rappers of our time: Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj. They all showcase signature styles that include multicolored wigs, skyscraping heels and designer logos on everything. But that blend of high fashion, femininity and attitude began before any of them joined the game. It was pioneered in the 1990s by the original queen bee: Lil' Kim. Ahead of her time, Kim's ingenuity – and her cementing of the relationship between fashion and hip-hop – has not always been recognized. Host Brittany Luse and fashion journalist Scarlett Newman make the case for why it's time Lil' Kim gets the credit she deserves.

Lil' Kim's fashion legacy is undeniable

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The secret to Barbie's enduring appeal? She can fend for herself

Barbie's original swimsuit featured a black-and-white chevron stripes. Craig Ruttle/Associated Press hide caption

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Craig Ruttle/Associated Press

The secret to Barbie's enduring appeal? She can fend for herself

Fresh Air

Maureen Corrigan recalls playing with the iconic doll on the sidewalk in Queens in the 1960s. She says Barbie didn't teach girls to be of service; she taught the giddy pleasures of a seeming autonomy.

The secret to Barbie's enduring appeal? She can fend for herself

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We spoil 'Barbie'

Ryan Gosling plays one of many Kens in Barbie. Warner Bros. Pictures hide caption

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Warner Bros. Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We spoil 'Barbie'

In Barbie, Margot Robbie plays the most stereotypically blonde-and-perky Barbie, who finds herself facing an existential crisis. But there are many more twists along the way. Today in this spoiler-packed episode, we discuss Barbie's weirder plot elements and gags that stood out, one perfectly selected song, and what the heck is going on with Ken (Ryan Gosling).

We spoil 'Barbie'

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Monday

'Oppenheimer' looks at the building of the bomb, and the lingering fallout

Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in the new Christopher Nolan film Oppenheimer. Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Oppenheimer' looks at the building of the bomb, and the lingering fallout

The new film Oppenheimer tells the story of the brilliant physicist who oversaw the construction of the first atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy plays J. Robert Oppenheimer at various stages in his career, and the film's strong supporting cast features Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, and Emily Blunt. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer is in theaters now.

'Oppenheimer' looks at the building of the bomb, and the lingering fallout

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Saturday

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Tia Nomore stars in Earth Mama as Gia, a single, pregnant mother of two, working to reclaim her children from foster care. A24 hide caption

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A24

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

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the movie Earth Mama, a recent episode of Vibe Check and albums from Aqua and The Japanese House.

Friday

The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'
Warner Bros. Pictures / via TikTok

Analysis

It's Been a Minute

The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'

The Barbie movie has arrived and we seem to be reaching peak Barbie-mania. But, Barbie's brand of hyperfeminine fun has been on the rise for years — especially online among left leaning femmes who call themselves bimbos and have been giving the term a new meaning.

The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'

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