Pop Culture: Whats the Buzz from National Public Radio

Comedian Garry Shandling Dies At 66
Garry Shandling, the comedian and actor who starred in The Larry Sanders Show, died on Thursday at age 66.

Actor And Comedian Garry Shandling Dies At 66
Best known for his work on the pioneering cable television comedy series, The Larry Sanders Show, Shandling died following a “medical emergency,” the Los Angeles Police Department said.

In ‘Navel Gazing,’ Michael Ian Black Lays It All Out, Insecurities And All
“When I’m acting, I always imagine myself as looking totally different than the person that appears onscreen,” Black says. The comic writes about family, masculinity and vanity in his new memoir.

The Many Masks Of Batman In ‘Caped Crusade’
Glen Weldon’s book The Caped Crusade traces the evolution of Batman, and argues that his anger and obsession are only part of the character; his childhood anti-crime oath makes him a hopeful figure.

For Actress Regina King, A Childhood Gig Launched A Career In Hollywood
King began acting professionally as a teen on the TV show 227. Now she co-stars in ABC’s American Crime and HBO’s The Leftovers. She also directs for television, but says “I absolutely love acting.”

‘Hollywood Hoofbeats’ Chronicles The Horses That Captured Moviegoers’ Hearts
Author Petrine Day Mitchum tells Fresh Air’s Dave Davies that show business horses have been known to develop an actor’s affection for the camera, often coming to life when the director says “action.”

‘Gaycation’: Ellen Page Explores LGBT Lives Globally On Travel Show
Page’s new TV show on Viceland is called Gaycation. The actress and co-host Ian Daniel speak to NPR’s Michel Martin about the show, in which they explore LGBT culture around the world.

Gay Gone Global: Ellen Page And Her LGBT Travel Show
Page’s new TV show on Viceland is called Gaycation. The actress and her friend Ian Daniel speak to NPR’s Michel Martin about the show, in which they explore LGBT culture around the world.

‘The West Wing Weekly’ Podcast Promises To Break Down Every Episode
Joshua Malina, who played Will Bailey on the show, and Hrishikesh Hirway plan to take a deep dive into the critically acclaimed series.

Here’s A Revelation: ‘The Passion’ Is Seal’s First Acting Gig
The singer plays Pontius Pilot in Fox’s live TV musical event. He says he never thought to try acting before, but the songs — including “Mad World” by Tears for Fears — drew him to the part.

‘The Simpsons’ 2000 Trump Presidency Prediction: ‘A Warning To America’
“The Simpsons” likes to poke fun at everything, and sometimes the show makes a few predictions. We look back at an episode from 2000 that imagines what would happen under a Donald Trump presidency.

Hulk Hogan Awarded $115 Million In Sex Tape Lawsuit Against Gawker
A jury has decided the news and gossip site Gawker should pay $115 million and punitive damages to Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan. Gawker had posted excerpts of a video showing him having sex with a friend’s wife.

Ta-Nehisi Coates On The Fight Over ‘Nina Simone’s Face’
Many people have decried the casting of Zoe Saldana in upcoming biopic Nina, but Ta-Nehisi Coates digs deep into why this choice struck a nerve.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: ‘Hamilton’
It’s Broadway’s current phenomenon, so we went to see it and report back on what it is, how it works, and whether we loved it as much as we wanted to. It’s our Hamilton show.

Italian Romance Icon Fabio Becomes U.S. Citizen
The Italian-born romance novel cover model joined nearly 6,000 others from 140 countries at LA Convention Center this week to take the Oath of Allegiance to become an American citizen.

Snoop Dogg Makes Romanian Village Famous With Instagram Mistake
The rapper presumably meant to tag his location as Bogotá, Colombia, but instead checked in at Bogata, Romania, a small village which had some fun with the mistake.

‘The People vs. O.J. Simpson’ Gets To The Gloves
The FX series has been surprisingly compassionate to most of its subjects, and Christopher Darden on the day he forces a courtroom demonstration he will regret is no exception.

A B-Side With Your Bacon? Waffle House Has Its Own Music Label
The yellow-roofed chain diners, ubiquitous in the South, don’t just serve up comfort food. Jukeboxes inside play tunes like “There Are Raisins In My Toast” – courtesy of Waffle Records. No joke.

‘Love’, Maybe: Netflix Explores The Cringe-Worthy Beginnings Of A Relationship
Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust play two people on the brink of becoming a couple in Love, the new comedy series co-created by Judd Apatow, Rust and Rust’s wife, Lesley Arfin.

K.A.A.N. Is The Answer To All Of Your Rap Desires
If you enjoy rap, allow Brandon Perry, aka K.A.A.N., to make your day.

In Tackling Bias In Policing, ‘Zootopia’ Veers Into The Uncanny Valley
The hit animated Disney movie is an ambitious look at racial profiling and policing. It’s also evidence that these issues don’t neatly lend themselves to pop culture.

This Jacket Will Last 30 Years — Guaranteed
British designer Tom Cridland is out to make sustainable clothing that will last a lifetime — he says his jacket will last 30 years. But can he compete with a global addiction to cheap clothing?

Getting The Best Fashion, Secondhand
Arun Gupta says he was never much of a fashionista — just a guy who likes to dress sharp without going broke. That’s how he came up with the idea of Grailed.com, a high-end consignment website.

What Would It Mean To Have A ‘Hapa’ Bachelorette?
ABC is set to announce a new lead for The Bachelorette Monday night. But would choosing Caila Quinn, who is Asian and white, be a sign of progress in casting diversity or something else?

Spoiler Alert: ‘Reality Steve’ Calls ‘The Bachelor’ Winner
The finale of “The Bachelor” premieres Monday night. Bachelor Ben has told two women he loves him, but who will he choose? Steve Carbone of the website RealitySteve.com knows and he spoils it for us.

Canine Or Cuisine? This Photo Meme Is Fetching
Chihuahua or muffin? Labradoodle or fried chicken? These are the gnawing questions raised by the latest food images dogging the Internet. So we bit.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: ‘Hamilton,’ Kanye And ‘Gilmore Girls’
With the panel on pause this week, we bring you three great conversations about theater, music and TV.

Sarah Paulson Strives To ‘Get It Right’ As O.J. Simpson Prosecutor
The actress set out to portray Marcia Clark in a “truthful way” in FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson. “I read, watched and listened to any and everything I could get my hands on,” Paulson says.

New Set Of TV Shows Tackle Complexities Of Religion
NPR reviews the set of new TV shows that all have religious faith as a central theme. Just how does TV deal with that in 2016? The shows are Of Kings and Prophets and The Real O’Neals on ABC, The Path on Hulu and The Passion on Fox.

New TV Drama Recounts Heroic Escapes On The Underground Railroad
The multi-layered thriller follows a group of enslaved people as they escape a Georgia plantation. Co-creator Joe Pokaski says the Underground Railroad may be America’s “most heroic story never told.”

James Corden Conquers YouTube With ‘Carpool Karaoke’
The British comedian and Late Late Show host hit big with his star-studded carpool singalong videos. NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks to Corden about how it all started — and singing with Justin Bieber.

Watching A Brown ‘Hamilton’ With A White Audience
The hit musical recasts the Founding Fathers as people of color engaged in rap battles. But on a recent night, ticket buyers largely look the way Broadway audiences have always looked. What gives?

In Honor Of #InternationalWomensDay, A Playlist Of Ladies Who Rock
Check out the songs (and back stories) of women musicians from around the world.

PBS Turns The Lights Out At ‘Downton Abbey’
After six seasons, the period drama Downton Abbey aired its last new episode on Sunday night. The show was the most popular drama in PBS history.

As ‘Downton’ Draws To A Close, A Look Back On What Made The Show Great
When Downton Abbey airs its finale in the U.S. on Sunday, it will bring to a close one of TV’s most popular soap operas. With the end near, NPR’s Eric Deggans takes stock of the show’s greatest gifts.

Modern Love: What It’s Like To Fall, Quite Literally, In Love
Most people remember the first time they fall in love. In this excerpt from “Modern Love: The Podcast,” the author writes about the actual fall that marked her first love.

Something Old, Something New: How To Plan A Wedding If It’s Not Your First
Rupert Murdoch took his fourth trip down the aisle this weekend to marry Jerry Hall. Rachel Martin asks wedding planner Bryan Rafanelli how to plan your wedding for the second — or seventh — time.

‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Challenges Stereotypes One Song At A Time
The show follows a woman who dreams of getting back together with her summer camp boyfriend. Co-creator Rachel Bloom says it’s about “deconstructing people and finding the truth beneath tropes.”

Pop Culture Happy Hour: A Fond Farewell To ‘Downton Abbey’
Barrie Hardymon and Audie Cornish sit in for a chat about saying farewell to the Crawleys, and about the general pleasures and challenges of entertainment that lives in the past.

Trump: The Reality TV Years
Before Donald Trump was a presidential candidate, he spent many, many seasons headlining the show The Apprentice, where he was presented as the embodiment of success and an enemy of weakness.

A Collector’s Dream: 7 Rare Ty Cobb Baseball Cards Discovered
The identical cards found in a crumpled brown paper bag in a rural southern town are some of the rarest baseball cards. Before this find, only 15 such cards were known to exist.

Comic Louie Anderson Modeled His ‘Baskets’ Role After His Own Mom
Anderson delivers a standout comic performance as the mother of an embittered rodeo clown. He says, “I really loved playing this part for a big reason that my mom gets to come to life.”

For Better Or Worse, Chris Rock Made The Oscars As Black As He Possibly Could
Despite the fact that no black actors were nominated in any high-profile categories, Academy Awards host Chris Rock kept race at the center of the event.

A Big Night For ‘Spotlight,’ DiCaprio And Earned Discomfort
Sunday night’s Oscars gave best picture to Spotlight, best actor to Leonardo DiCaprio and a lot of opportunities to host Chris Rock.

Oscars 2016: Follow Along With NPR’s Live-Blog
The stars have taken the stage at the Academy Awards, and NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour crew is tweeting all the action. Check here throughout the night for their reactions and news on the winners.

Russell Simmons Has Your Oscars Alternative
Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons talks about his new awards ceremony, the All Def Movie Awards, created in response to the lack of diversity in Hollywood.

Emojis Are Becoming A Bigger Part Of Conversation 😉
With Facebook unveiling additional emoji options, linguist Tyler Schnoebelen talks about how emojis are changing the way we communicate.