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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour

NPR

Get obsessed with us. Four days a week, Pop Culture Happy Hour serves you recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, books, videogames and more. Join arts journalists Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris - plus a rotating cast of guest pop culture aficionados. The Happy Hour team leaves room at the table for exploring a range of reactions and opinions on every bit of the pop universe. From lowbrow to highbrow to the stuff in between, they take it all with a shot of cheer.

Make your happy hour even happier with Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus! Your subscription supports the podcast and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/happyhour

  • 22 minutes 19 seconds
    Moana and What’s Making Us Happy
    Moana is back in Disney’s new sort-of-live-action remake, but how far does it go from the original? Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui, appearing in the flesh this time around. Catherine Laga'aia plays Moana, who sets out to save her island, along with her chicken. The film features a new song from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also wrote songs for the original animated film. 

    Craving more live action Disney remakes? Check out these episodes:

    'Lilo & Stitch' brings its fuzzy agent of chaos to the real world

    'The Little Mermaid' takes the uncanny valley under the sea

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    10 July 2026, 7:00 am
  • 26 minutes 45 seconds
    2026 Emmy Nominations
    The 2026 Emmy nominations are here. We’re unpacking the record-breaking nominations for Hacks, plus a big day for Widow’s Bay, The Pitt, and The Bear. We’ll also talk about the snubs and make some early predictions of who will win. 

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    8 July 2026, 9:39 pm
  • 20 minutes 50 seconds
    Gen Z and the movies
    Two big horror films, Obsession and Backrooms, just smashed all box office expectations. So much of their success has been driven by Gen Z, which is now the biggest moviegoing demographic. But what makes a movie a Gen Z movie? Today we’re bringing you an episode of NPR’s It’s Been a Minute. Host Brittany Luse talks about this trend with Sam Adams and Reanna Cruz. 

    If you want to hear more about these movies, check out these episodes: 
    In ‘Obsession,’ love hurts. It really, really, really hurts.
    'Backrooms' brings YouTube horror to the big screen
    Zendaya brings 'The Drama,' we bring the spoilers

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    7 July 2026, 7:00 am
  • 21 minutes 28 seconds
    A wacky merchandise quiz
    Everywhere you look, movies and TV shows are teaming up with all kinds of companies to make odd product tie-ins. Green Shrek ketchup. The Handmaid’s Tale wine. Grogu serving boards. Today on the show, we’re playing a game about some very strange brand collaborations.

    If you like want more episodes like this one, check out:

    We fantasy cast 'The Traitors'

    Our 15th Anniversary Time Capsule

    A Cameo Quiz

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    6 July 2026, 7:00 am
  • 22 minutes
    Minions & Monsters and What’s Making Us Happy
    Minions & Monsters is the newest addition to the Despicable Me franchise, but this prequel set the minions loose in 1920s Hollywood. They naturally become superstars in the age of silent film. But, as talkies take over, they struggle to stay relevant — until one of them ends up conjuring some cute but deadly monsters using a dead wizard’s old spell book. After many films featuring the hijinks of the yellow pill-shaped oddballs, does this minions feature give off any old Hollywood charm? 

    If you need more animated hijinks, check out these episodes: 
    In 'Toy Story 5,' playtime's over and screentime's in
    'The Wild Robot' is grand and gorgeous, with big feelings
    Is 'Kung Fu Panda 4' a worthy entry in the fun and thoughtful franchise?

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    3 July 2026, 7:00 am
  • 22 minutes 45 seconds
    The Bear
    Did the final season of FX’s The Bear serve up the perfect last bite or are diners and viewers alike left wishing for more? Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Syd (Ayo Edebiri), and the rest of the kitchen staff are back in action as they face down their final day of service. It’s now streaming on Hulu.

    If you like seriously funny dramas, check out these episodes:  

    ‘Widow’s Bay’ is an island in the scream

    We are united in our love of ‘Pluribus’


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    1 July 2026, 7:00 am
  • 33 minutes 24 seconds
    The best depictions of the American dream
    America turns 250 this year. So for this special birthday, we discuss our picks for what pieces of pop culture best depict the American dream, including The Wire, Apollo 13, Grey Gardens, and the spiritual successor to Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”

    If you like want more episodes like this one, check out:
    How we handle spoilers
    Our 15th anniversary time capsule
    We rewatch the movies we loved as teens
    Pop culture that changed our minds

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    30 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 21 minutes 31 seconds
    Jackass: Best and Last
    In Jackass: Best and Last, Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and the rest of the crew are back for a final round of stunts, pranks, and laughs. The film features new laugh-out-loud bits as well as footage from the franchise’s best clips over its long history. But did Jackass: Best and Last stick the landing or fall just short of a big bang?

    Need more gut-busting laughs? Check out these episodes: 
    ‘Stop! That! Train!’ goes off the rails in a good way
    In 'Dicks: The Musical', broad jokes, narrow audience

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    29 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 22 minutes 33 seconds
    Supergirl and What’s Making Us Happy
    Hollywood’s newest Supergirl is kind of a dirtbag — in the good way. Fearless and grumpy, Supergirl (Milly Alcock) sets out on a quest to support a new pal’s revenge journey and to make a point that should be clear by now: Never mess with a lady’s dog. Also featuring David Corenswet and Jason Momoa, is Supergirl a worthy follow up to Superman?

    If you want more DC superhero action, check out these episodes: 
    'Superman' takes off and nails the landing
    'The Batman' puts the emo in emote

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    26 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 20 minutes 49 seconds
    Great movies we missed
    There have been some fantastic movies released this year, and we know you can’t see them all. So we’re recommending four recent movies we missed that you should add to your watchlist: The Furious, Tuner, She’s The He, and Heresy.

    If you need a few more fun film recommendations, check out these episodes: 

    Fun movies you may have missed
    Our favorite movies on Tubi
    We debate the best movies to watch on an airplane

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    25 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 16 minutes 27 seconds
    Leviticus
    You should see the new horror movie Leviticus. Set in a small Australian religious community, it’s about two queer teens that start having feelings for each other. Their relationship touches off a chain of increasingly violent events. It’s both a queer coming-of-age romance and a blistering indictment of gay conversion therapy. Mostly, though, it’s a seriously creepy movie about a demonic entity that knows exactly how to get to you. 

    If you like spine-tingling queer dramas, check out these episodes: 
    'I Saw the TV Glow' is weird and transfixing
    'Love Lies Bleeding' is the queer erotic thriller Kristen Stewart fans have wanted

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    NPR Privacy Policy
    23 June 2026, 7:00 am
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