Pop Culture Happy Hour Hosts Share the Joy : NPR

this week, House of the Dragon Blowing up streaming, the Independent Spirit Awards moved to gender-neutral acting categories, and Girl Scouts chose their next new cookie flavor.

Here’s what NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour crew had their eye on, and what to check out this weekend.

Void Diary

Either this or me you’re talking about Ocbut I’m working on a piece about a book called Void Diary Written by Emi Yagi. A Japanese book recently translated into English about this woman who works in her office. And to get out of all the menial, unpaid work women are often expected to do in the office, like cleaning up after meetings or making coffee, she pretends to be pregnant. increase.

Since she went on maternity leave (the book can’t be filmed in America), she’s had time to think about her life, delving into this strange mental illness. It’s a fascinating book that’s really fun to dig into. — Andrew Limbong

People dancing in Peppa Pig costumes

An Indian friend posted this video of people dressed as Peppa Pig dancing at a North Indian wedding to the tune of this Punjabi Bollywood song.

Now, this is postcolonial and this is the right of the colonies themselves. There was a British pig dancing to this Punjabi Bollywood song and I was thinking about it more than I should. — Vedatori D. Chowdhury

lost olly

A new series is coming to Netflix called lost olly This is a mix of live action and stunning animation. It’s about a lost toy. I think the story sounds a little familiar. Jonathan Groff plays the voice of Ollie, Mary J. Blige is among them, and Tim Blake Nelson plays this kind of Elvis-like toy character.

It’s dark, so it’s not for young children, but I love all these dark odysseys traversing the wastelands of America with toys. I’m in love with people. A very heartwarming 4 story. — Walter Chow

Apostle

I’ve been trying to end summer early and early fall by taking on folk horror as a genre.i recently checked the movie Apostleis a Netflix movie released in 2018 starring Dan Stevens and Michael Sheen.

A period piece set in 1905, Sheen and his brothers establish their own cult, and Stevens goes undercover to save his sister from them. And then it becomes something else entirely.

I don’t know if it will work, but I’m sick of summer and want to start layering again, so it works. — Glen Weldon

More recommendations from the Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter

Linda Holmes

I’ve been listening to audiobooks all week Gangsters in Retail: The Insane, Real-Life Story of Mad EddieIt follows the story of Eddie Antar, the man (and family) behind the New York electronics discount store whose television and radio ads of the 70’s and 80’s were both loved and hated. conspiracy. This is a very good and very interesting book and a reminder that the scammers we know today in the startup world have a history that can be called their own.

Luke MacFarlane Kind of a fascinating actor with a fascinating history (I loved watching him Brothers & Sisters As with so many Hallmark movies), and David Canfield spoke to him this week vanity fair.

This week wasn’t the first time I’ve seen it Sesame street classic “Put down the ducky” But it’s always nice to see you again, and it’s hard if you don’t sing all day long.

Friend of the Show’s Jesse Thorne makes a voice appearance in this week’s season 13 premiere. archerThis is what Jesse has dreamed of for a long time, so don’t miss it.

NPR’s Maison Tran has adopted the pop culture happy hour segment “What’s Making Us Happy” for its digital page.If you like these suggestions, please consider sign up for newsletter Get weekly recommendations. Listen to pop culture happy hour. Apple podcasts When Spotify.