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On 'Harley Quinn' love reigns, with a side of chaos

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HBO Max

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

On 'Harley Quinn' love reigns, with a side of chaos

The HBO Max animated series Harley Quinn is filled with characters from a version of the DC Universe where the violence is frequent, the language is explicitly salty, and the jokes come at you fast. In the show, Harley (Kaley Cuoco) has ditched the Joker and started making her own brand of mayhem alongside her best friend Poison Ivy (Lake Bell). And slowly, over the course of three seasons, she's found true, queer love.

On 'Harley Quinn' love reigns, with a side of chaos

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Three comedians share their thoughts on what makes a great joke about race

Comedians Ziwe, Joel Kim Booster and Anjelah Johnson-Reyes. Myles Loftin/SHOWTIME, Taylor Miller and East 2 West Collective hide caption

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Myles Loftin/SHOWTIME, Taylor Miller and East 2 West Collective

Code Switch

Three comedians share their thoughts on what makes a great joke about race

What makes a great joke about race? In the first of two episodes, Code Switch talks to comedians Ziwe, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes and Joel Kim Booster about their favorite race joke they tell: What's its origin story? Why is it so funny? And what does it say about race in America?

Three comedians share their thoughts on what makes a great joke about race

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After 30 years, is 'A League Of Their Own' still a home run?

Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Geena Davis star in A League Of Their Own. Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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Alamy Stock Photo

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

After 30 years, is 'A League Of Their Own' still a home run?

The 1992 film A League Of Their Own is a beloved sports movie classic – thanks to a memorable all-star cast led by Geena Davis and Tom Hanks, and repeat showings on cable TV. It's a fictionalized account of The Rockford Peaches, the real-life professional women's baseball team that was formed during World War II. With a new TV series adaptation on Amazon, now seems like the perfect time to revisit the original and reflect on its enduring legacy.

After 30 years, is 'A League Of Their Own' still a home run?

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A$AP Rocky pleads not guilty to assault charges

Rapper A$AP Rocky (right) appears in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm related to a shooting in Hollywood last November. Irfan Khan/AP hide caption

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Irfan Khan/AP

Music News

A$AP Rocky pleads not guilty to assault charges

The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm at a Los Angeles court Wednesday. He remains free on bond.

Nipsey Hussle gets Hollywood star on what would have been his 37th birthday

A star for late rapper Nipsey Hussle was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on Aug. 15. The ceremony included speeches and remarks from members of the late rapper's family, including his sister, Samantha Smith (third from right), and his grandmother Margaret Boutte (fourth from right), who accepted the star on behalf of the family. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption

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Damian Dovarganes/AP

Culture

Nipsey Hussle gets Hollywood star on what would have been his 37th birthday

The late rapper's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is the 2,729th placed to date.

Is it a hit? 'A League Of Their Own' comes back to the plate

Melanie Field, Abbi Jacobson and D'Arcy Carden star in the Amazon Prime series A League Of Their Own. Nicola Goode/Prime Video hide caption

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Nicola Goode/Prime Video

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is it a hit? 'A League Of Their Own' comes back to the plate

The professional women's baseball team the Rockford Peaches were immortalized in the 1992 box office hit A League Of Their Own. Thirty years later, they're back in a new Amazon Prime series of the same name. Co-created by and starring Broad City alum Abbi Jacobson, the series showcases a new set of fictionalized characters, played by Chanté Adams, D'Arcy Carden, and more. While exploring queer themes and racial segregation, the show is a fresh take that both pays homage and stands on its own.

Is it a hit? 'A League Of Their Own' comes back to the plate

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Joyful protests and funny rituals with Reservation Dogs' Dallas Goldtooth

Dallas Goldtooth as Spirit in Reservation Dogs Shane Brown/FX hide caption

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Shane Brown/FX

It's Been a Minute

Joyful protests and funny rituals with Reservation Dogs' Dallas Goldtooth

In FX's Reservation Dogs, Dallas Goldtooth plays the character "Spirit" — a Native American warrior in feathers and buckskin who curses and makes dirty jokes. Dallas also brings his irreverence to the frontlines of protests against oil pipelines. He talks to guest host Tracie Hunte about merging his passions for comedy and organizing, and how he's changing stereotypes with heaps of joy.

Joyful protests and funny rituals with Reservation Dogs' Dallas Goldtooth

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Make a second date with 'Indian Matchmaking'

Sima Taparia in the Netflix series Indian Matchmaking. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Make a second date with 'Indian Matchmaking'

There's marriage, and then there's love marriage. That's the philosophy of Sima, the matchmaker at the center of the Netflix reality series Indian Matchmaking. The show has gotten a lot of attention, but also some critiques. It recently returned for a second season, so in this encore episode, we thought we'd revisit our conversation about the show's first season.

Make a second date with 'Indian Matchmaking'

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Anne Heche legally dead at 53, a week after a fiery car crash

Anne Heche arrives at the 74th annual Directors Guild of America Awards, Saturday, March 12, 2022, at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Emmy Award-winning actress died following a car crash on Aug. 5 that left her in a coma. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP hide caption

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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Obituaries

Anne Heche legally dead at 53, a week after a fiery car crash

The actress, best known for her roles in 'Donnie Brasco' and the 1998 'Psycho' remake, leaves behind two sons.

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend listening and viewing

L-R Sydney Bell, Charity Holloway, Arianna Davis, Ashley Williams, Jayla Sullivan, Asia Banks, and Kiara Mooring: some of the hopeful women competing to join Lizzo's Big Grrrls James Clark/James Clark/Amazon Prime Video hide caption

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James Clark/James Clark/Amazon Prime Video

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

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend listening and viewing

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Voyeurs, FBoy Island, and more.

Horror and comedy collide in a pileup of 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'

Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Chase Sui Wonders, and Rachel Sennott in a scene from Bodies Bodies Bodies, directed by Halina Reijn. A24 hide caption

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A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Horror and comedy collide in a pileup of 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'

Bodies Bodies Bodies starts with a fairly standard horror-movie premise: A group of wealthy and attractive pleasure-seekers gather at a mansion to party and ride out an oncoming hurricane. But things get quickly messy when one of them turns up dead. With a cast that includes Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Chase Sui Wonders, Myha'la Herrold, Rachel Sennott, Pete Davidson, and Lee Pace, the movie mixes horror, comedy, Gen-Z satire, and a whodunit-style mystery that will keep you guessing.

Horror and comedy collide in a pileup of 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'

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New Peaches, new problems: 'A League of Their Own' makes a successful move to TV

Roberta Colindrez (Lupe), Kate Berlant (Shirley), Abbi Jacobson (Carson), D'Arcy Carden (Greta), Melanie Field (Jo) and Molly Ephraim (Maybelle) Anne Marie Fox/Anne Marie Fox/Prime Video hide caption

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Anne Marie Fox/Anne Marie Fox/Prime Video

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

New Peaches, new problems: 'A League of Their Own' makes a successful move to TV

The Amazon Prime series, co-created by Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham, is both a loving descendant of the 1992 film of the same name, and an ambitious effort to address its conspicuous gaps.

'Prey' is set in the past, but takes the 'Predator' franchise forward

Amber Midthunder as Naru in Prey. David Bukach/20th Century Studios hide caption

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David Bukach/20th Century Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Prey' is set in the past, but takes the 'Predator' franchise forward

The new film Prey isn't just another installment of the Predator franchise. For one thing, it's a prequel to the original 1987 movie — set more than 300 years ago. More important is who's telling the story this time: Amber Midthunder plays Naru, a tough, smart, young Comanche woman determined to prove herself, as well as to protect her people — and her dog — from a seemingly undefeatable enemy.

'Prey' is set in the past, but takes the 'Predator' franchise forward

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Into the glittering neon universe of 'P-Valley' with Katori Hall

The cast of the Starz TV series P-Valley. Pari Dukovic/Courtesy of Starz hide caption

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Pari Dukovic/Courtesy of Starz

Code Switch

Into the glittering neon universe of 'P-Valley' with Katori Hall

The Starz hit show P-Valley takes audiences to a strip club in a fictional town in the Mississippi Delta. Part soap opera, part Southern Gothic, the show focuses on the interior lives of the Black women who work at the club — and the complex social dynamics that shape their lives.

Into the glittering neon universe of 'P-Valley' with Katori Hall

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Our five favorite moments from Desus and Mero

Desus Nice, Denzel Washington and The Kid Mero on Showtime's Desus & Mero. Greg Endries/Showtime hide caption

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Greg Endries/Showtime

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our five favorite moments from Desus and Mero

For nearly a decade, Desus and Mero cultivated a unique space in media. With popular podcasts and late night talk shows, the comedy duo earned a devoted fanbase and became the destination for any celebrity looking to earn some cultural cache. But, alas, the brand is gone. Recently the pair announced they've parted ways. Today, we offer five favorite Desus and Mero moments, and look back on their legacy and influence.

Our five favorite moments from Desus and Mero

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A vision of 7 suns led a self-taught Ivoirian artist to draw the everyday and the holy

Vision divine du 11 Mars 1948, is a series of eight drawings by Ivoirian artist Frédéric Bruly Bouabré. They depict a vision that Bouabré said he experienced that year: "seven colored suns" creating a "circle of beauty around their 'mother-sun.' " This piece and other works from Bouabré are part of an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art. The Museum of Modern Art hide caption

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The Museum of Modern Art

Goats and Soda

A vision of 7 suns led a self-taught Ivoirian artist to draw the everyday and the holy

The Museum of Modern Art shows the colorful works of Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, a prolific artist from the Ivory Coast who documented his Bété culture — and even created a pictograph language.

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