The doll is quite popular.One bakery sells half-a-dozen Barbie cakes a week! But like Barbies everywhere, she is controversial because of skin tone and the fact that not every kid can afford her.
Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Barbie, Praise Petey, and the musical legacy of Sinéad O'Connor.
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with the Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, about their 1989 hit "Closer to Fine" being featured prominently in the new Barbie movie.
Maureen Corrigan recalls playing with the iconic doll on the sidewalk in Queens in the 1960s. She says Barbie didn't teach girls to be of service; she taught the giddy pleasures of a seeming autonomy.
Combined, the two films brought in the biggest revenue since the start of the pandemic, besting out the usual superhero franchises Hollywood has come to depend on.
"When nerds get together, we can do a lot of good things," says U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia who's assembling a Congressional caucus on popular arts like gaming, video and movies.
After months of inescapable marketing, viral memes and crossover merch, two of the year's most anticipated movies hit theaters on Friday. Here's why so many people want to see both — and how to prep.
Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the movie Earth Mama, a recent episode of Vibe Check and albums from Aqua and The Japanese House.
Based on one of America's most emblematic pieces of intellectual property, Greta Gerwig's Barbie was never going to be just a movie, because Barbie was never just a doll.
A decades-long investigation into the murder of the rapper appeared to take another turn this week after Las Vegas police searched a home in Henderson, Nev.
Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Flyana Boss, Project Runway All Stars, and new nonfiction about queer representation and media.
In August 1973, an 18-year-old DJ Kool Herc played his sister's back-to-school fundraiser in the rec room of their apartment building. But he and his friends sparked something much bigger.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors and performers, is on strike against major studios after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.