#FreeBritney movement resurges after star's hotel fight sparks conservatorship fears
Britney Spears endured highs, lows, and legal conservatorship, now striving for freedom and authenticity amidst new concerns about her well-being. [ more ]
RPGs are influential across pop culture with various subgenres and spin-offs. Ranking 25 best RPGs for 2024 without duplicates from the same franchise. [ more ]
How Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Connects to Dead Poets
The announcement of Taylor Swift's album title led to a surge in interest in the movie Dead Poets Society, showcasing the influence and culture surrounding major pop culture events. [ more ]
Make ads more like Saltburn, the public will lap them up
Viral cultural moments like scenes from movies or music videos have a unique ability to capture people's attention and become widely discussed.
Some of these viral moments are strategically designed to go viral and generate buzz, even if the overall project or campaign doesn't receive awards or critical recognition. [ more ]
On this Bloomsday, it's time to marinate in Mariners hate, as the Sox slump into Seattle licking their wounds like Bloom on the beach.There is nothing Joycean about this season, no epic of the single day, even though each game seems to spread out into a stream-of-consciousness flow of frustration, lingering and unspooling unto loss after loss after loss.
Looking back on the trends that defined each decade comes with its own unique view of a ten-year span.The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently released the top baby names of the decade.The three most popular baby boy names of the decade were Noah, Liam, and Jacob; the most popular baby girl names were Emma, Olivia, and Sophia.
Seeing Yourself Onscreen Is Good, but Not Good Enough
WANNABE: Reckonings With the Pop Culture That Shapes Me, by Aisha Harris Being a Black critic in a time of exceptional art made by Black people has immense rewards and myriad risks.Wannabe, the debut essay collection from Aisha Harris, a co-host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, is at its best when engaging with those risks and the thorny questions of her profession.
37 Years Later, One Weird Rock Opera Album Made An Animated Sci-Fi Movie Into A Classic
Those robots in disguise, the Transformers, have returned to movie theaters.And, if you're a child of the eighties or nineties, the latest live-action epic, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, will remind you of your childhood in one specific way.Not only does Optimus Prime look boxy and trucky the way he should, but the movie also features the live-action debut of the planet-destroying Transformer, Unicron.
4 new books by Filipino authors to read this spring
1. This spring is the perfect time to explore Filipino culture and literature through four new books written by Filipino authors.
2. These four books provide a unique window into the Filipino identity and the universal themes of culture, family, and identity.
3. By reading these books, you can become more aware
The best Taylor Swift needle drops in pop culture can transform emotions, emphasize pivotal scenes, and even seem unconventional but work seamlessly. [ more ]
'Wait Wait' for May 18, 2024: With Not My Job guest Maya Hawke
The show was recorded at Studebaker Theater in Chicago with guest host Alzo Slade, judge Bill Kurtis, guest Maya Hawke, and panelists Negin Farsad, Adam Burke, and Faith Salie. [ more ]
Want Johnny Carson's desk? A trove of TV memorabilia is up for auction
Johnny Carson's Tonight Show set.Heritage Auctions Are you interested in taking home the bar from Cheers?How about Johnny Carson's desk from The Tonight Show set?Or the prop rifle that made Jed Clampett a millionaire in the Beverly Hillbillies?It's all up for auction, as Hollywood memorabilia collector James Comisar looks to relinquish a trove of treasures from scripts to costumes and even fake mustaches that have taken decades to amass.
Why's every movie suddenly trying to look like Dune 2?
The release of Dune 2 has sparked a pop culture trend with other movie studios creating Dune-inspired content.
The recent emergence of Dune-themed anthropomorphised CGI animals like in Kung Fu Panda 4 and Garfield is a result of the popularity of the Dune franchise. [ more ]
Fortnite's Next Big Musical Guest Is Billie Eilish
Fortnite collaborates with top pop stars like Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and Billie Eilish, adding skins, cosmetics, and songs based on the artists. [ more ]
Wyrmspan is basically Wingspan with dragons, and that's perfectly fine
Aviary-themed games with broad appeal like Wingspan are paving the way for new nature-inspired tabletop designs.
Wyrmspan by Stonemaier Games introduces dragons in a familiar gameplay format, benefiting from a renowned game designer and a strong theme.
The success of Wyrmspan is attributed to its shift to a more pop culture-friendly setting with mythical creatures, contrasting traditional bird-themed games. [ more ]
Taylor Swift and Beyonce Avoided a Collision on the Charts. (Again.)
Taylor Swift strategically announced the release date of her new album at the Grammy Awards, advising others to avoid releasing on April 19, 26, or May 3. [ more ]
One of the Greatest Westerns Ever Made Is Now Streaming After Decades in the Wilderness
The Western genre was considered dead in the 1980s, with exceptions like 'Silverado' and 'Pale Rider.' Science fiction and urban cop films temporarily filled the void. 'Young Guns' was an anomaly in the decade.
In the early '90s, the Western genre experienced a resurgence with successful films like 'Dances With Wolves' and 'Unforgiven.' This revival brought a diverse range of Western films, creating a commercially viable space for filmmakers. [ more ]
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran': Shakira's latest album is a monument to current pop culture
Shakira reinvented herself, staying relevant in the current music scene through her new album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran.
The album reflects pop culture's focus on trends like TikTok, celebrity drama, and highly produced music, while also showcasing female solidarity and fortitude. [ more ]
Timberlake's success was greatly influenced by collaborating with Timbaland and using rejected Michael Jackson songs for his debut.
Timberlake's sixth album, 'Everything I Thought It Was,' aims to rehabilitate his image amidst controversy and features emotional vulnerability. [ more ]
Justin Timberlake: Everything I Thought It Was review | Laura Snapes' album of the week
Justin Timberlake faced backlash and stigma following controversial events. Britney Spears' 2023 memoir portrayed him negatively. Timberlake is attempting a comeback amidst cultural scrutiny.
Timberlake's new album 'Everything I Thought It Was' may reflect his personal struggles and narrative amid public perception and controversies. [ more ]
Eric Carmen, Hungry Eyes and All By Myself singer, dies aged 74
Eric Carmen, the frontman of Raspberries and a successful solo artist, has passed away at 74 with no cause of death disclosed. His music, known for hits like 'All By Myself' and 'Hungry Eyes,' has left a lasting legacy. [ more ]
Romance genre is experiencing growth and popularity, leading to the emergence of niche bookstores dedicated to selling romance novels.
The growth of the romance genre is driven by factors like TV adaptations and social media platforms like #BookTok, attracting new and younger readers. [ more ]
Books gift guide 2023: The best reads for everyone on your list
Art historian Katy Hessel seeks to answer the question of why there have been no great women artists in her book, The Story of Art Without Men.
Librorum Ridiculorum by Brian Lake explores the fascinating oddities and humorous titles found in antiquarian bookshops.
Matt Baume's book, Hi Honey, I'm Homo!, examines the cycles of progress and backlash in pop culture through the lens of TV shows like Cheers and Modern Family. [ more ]
The Surprising Sweetness of the Ayn Rand Fangirl Novel
Ayn Rand's novels have both admirers and detractors, with some claiming she celebrates self-interest and others arguing she glamorizes rapacity and violence.
Ayn Rand has been embraced by tech billionaires and free-market politicians, but has also become a pop-cultural bogeyman.
The presence of Ayn Rand's books is often seen as a red flag for latent sociopathy. [ more ]
Elizabeth Joseph became the resident miniaturist for The Museum of the Home in London after developing a passion for creating miniature furniture and accessories during the Covid lockdown.
Joseph finds inspiration in fashion trends, pop-culture, and her North African and Ghanaian heritage.
Tamarind brownies, sambal prawns and tempeh ramen: Lara Lee's sweet and spicy recipes for winter
I first tasted tantanmen, Japan's take on Sichuan dandan noodles, during a dreamy, food-fuelled visit to Tokyo.As an avid lover of spicy foods, a friend had told me to seek out Gomaryu, a restaurant famous for its catchphrase, tantanmen from hell, with spice levels that catered for both the meek and the wildly insane.
The books are piling up again.The physical ones on the bedside table; the library queue; the e-bookshelves on which reside the novels impulse-purchased from bed, begun and then forgotten in one insomniac night.My eyes, always, bigger than my attention span.I'm contemplating the year's midway point, my book-a-week commitment, the number of pages between here and 26.
How to Watch the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee
For nearly 100 years, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has showcased the biggest words from the youngest lexicologists.The inaugural champion, 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser of Louisville, correctly spelled gladiolus to claim a prize of $500 at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.The words have only gotten harder, the pressure greater and the national spotlight larger.
In the Barry' Finale, Hollywood Gets Away with Murder
This article includes spoilers for the Barry series finale.When Barry premiered, the dark HBO comedy seemed like a classic two-track TV series: There was the crime story, and there was the showbiz story.Its oddball premise followed Barry Berkman (the star, co-creator and director Bill Hader), a traumatized ex-Marine turned hit man who took up acting as a respite from his deadly day job.