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On social media, Johnny Depp is winning public sympathy over Amber Heard

Actor Johnny Depp waves to the gallery as he leaves for a break Monday during his defamation trial in Fairfax, Va. against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Steve Helber/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Steve Helber/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Law

On social media, Johnny Depp is winning public sympathy over Amber Heard

On TikTok, #IStandWithAmberHeard has garnered about 8.2 million views, while #JusticeForJohnnyDepp has earned about 15 billion views. A sociologist offers her views on the reasons why.

Books We Love: Great books about identity and culture
Becky Harlan/NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Books We Love: Great books about identity and culture

The latest edition of NPR's Books We Love project rounded up hundreds of book recommendations from critics, writers and NPR journalists to try to give you just the read you're looking for. Today, we're giving recommendations for our favorite books about identity and culture.

Books We Love: Great books about identity and culture

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TikTok has changed music — and the industry is hustling to catch up

A lot of musicians are skipping the traditional path into the industry, and are going straight to their fans instead. Paul Taylor/Getty Images; Zayrha Rodriguez/NPR hide caption

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Paul Taylor/Getty Images; Zayrha Rodriguez/NPR

TikTok has changed music — and the industry is hustling to catch up

TikTok has flipped the script on the music industry, and everyone from artists to analysts and even marketing bosses at the top labels are trying to catch up.

TikTok has changed music — and the industry is hustling to catch up

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Spoken word and sonic rituals: East LA exhibit features Latinx artists using sound

Marcus Kuilan-Nazario's "Macho Stereo" is an homage to his late father, an audiophile. He says his father used to record on this reel-to-reel player. Mandalit del Barco/NPR News hide caption

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Mandalit del Barco/NPR News

Performing Arts

Spoken word and sonic rituals: East LA exhibit features Latinx artists using sound

The exhibition spans decades and includes spoken word performances, sound rituals and installations by Chicano and Puerto Rican artists.

Spoken word and sonic rituals: East LA exhibit features Latinx artists using sound

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Is there tea left in the kettle for 'Downton Abbey: A New Era'?

Harry Hadden-Paton, Laura Carmichael, Tuppence Middleton and Allen Leech star in Downton Abbey: A New Era. Ben Blackall/Focus Features hide caption

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Ben Blackall/Focus Features

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is there tea left in the kettle for 'Downton Abbey: A New Era'?

Downton Abbey is back again. Three years after the 2019 movie that extended the popular TV series, the Crawleys are once again dealing with the clash of the old ways and the new ways. This time, the interloper is early Hollywood. While a director, a crew, and a bunch of actors descend upon the estate for filming, the story also travels to the south of France for a story that might reveal secrets from the Dowager Countess' past.

Is there tea left in the kettle for 'Downton Abbey: A New Era'?

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Presenting 'Pop Culture Happy Hour': Beauty & pain of 'Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel'
HBO

Review

It's Been a Minute

Presenting 'Pop Culture Happy Hour': Beauty & pain of 'Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel'

In this special episode from our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour, guest host Aisha Harris talks with journalists Tre'vell Anderson and Jarrett Hill about stand-up comedian Jerrod Carmichael's new HBO special Rothaniel where Carmichael comes out publicly as gay for the first time and talks about secrets that have haunted his family for multiple generations.

Presenting 'Pop Culture Happy Hour': Beauty & pain of 'Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel'

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Kendrick Lamar looks inward on 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'

Kendrick Lamar returns with his latest album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Kendrick Lamar looks inward on 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'

It's been five years since Kendrick Lamar released his last album, DAMN. Since then, he's won a Pulitzer Prize, been nominated for an Oscar, and become a parent. His new double-length album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, is anything but a breezy victory lap. Lamar examines generational trauma, sexual politics, and his own attempts to grow amid high expectations and heavy introspection.

Kendrick Lamar looks inward on 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'

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Bart Simpson's American Dream
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Bart Simpson's American Dream

Last year, we analyzed whether or not the Simpson family's lifestyle was attainable for the middle class. A writer on the show listened to that Indicator, and decided to answer that question with an episode of their own. Today, we bring you a sneak preview of their take on America's shrinking middle class.

Bart Simpson's American dream

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Medieval people may have eaten more veggies than turkey legs
Ludger Paffrath/NPR/Getty Images

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Medieval people may have eaten more veggies than turkey legs

Comedian Adam Burke and Emma meet a knight in shining armor, get the latest gossip about the Medieval era and uncover a skeleton in the closet.

Medieval people may have eaten more veggies than turkey legs

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Secrets and lies and 'Conversations with Friends'

Alison Oliver and Joe Alwyn play Frances and Nick in Conversations with Friends. Enda Bowe/ Hulu hide caption

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Enda Bowe/ Hulu

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Secrets and lies and 'Conversations with Friends'

Irish writer Sally Rooney's book Normal People was adapted into a Hulu series in 2020. Now, her first novel Conversations with Friends gets its own Hulu adaptation. It tells the story of two college friends and exes (Alison Oliver and Sasha Lane) who meet a married couple (Joe Alwyn and Jemima Kirke) and get very deeply entangled with them, which makes everything very complicated.

Secrets and lies and 'Conversations with Friends'

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In South Korea, K-pop fans have something to cheer (and chant) about again

Kayla Balba at the Stray Kids concert at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul. Kayla Balba hide caption

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Kayla Balba

In South Korea, K-pop fans have something to cheer (and chant) about again

While concerts have been back in South Korea since the beginning of the year, cheering was prohibited. With COVID restrictions lifting, fans are finally allowed to cheer again.

In South Korea, K-pop fans have something to cheer (and chant) about again

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'The Flight Attendant' takes off once again

Kaley Cuoco in the first season of The Flight Attendant. Phil Caruso/HBO Max hide caption

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Phil Caruso/HBO Max

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Flight Attendant' takes off once again

A woman wakes up after a night of partying and realizes something is very, very wrong. That's the premise of the HBO Max series The Flight Attendant. It's a taut, darkly funny thriller starring Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory as a woman in search of some answers about the present that also might shed light on the past. In this encore episode, we're revisiting our conversation about The Flight Attendant, which recently returned for a second season.

'The Flight Attendant' takes off once again

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Eurovision serves up lavish spectacle — and a big win for Ukraine

Members of the band Kalush Orchestra perform on behalf of Ukraine during the final of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Eurovision serves up lavish spectacle — and a big win for Ukraine

The 66th Eurovision Song Contest took place in Italy over the weekend. Every year, dozens of countries face off in a competition full of pageantry, strobe lights, and sparkles. But Eurovision isn't just a talent search. It's also a lavish spectacle that attempts to unify the world in song. This year's winner was Kalush Orchestra, from Ukraine.

Eurovision serves up lavish spectacle — and a big win for Ukraine

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