A Complete Unknown and What's Making Us Happy

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour: "A Complete Unknown and What's Making Us Happy"

Release Date: December 27, 2024
Hosts: Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris
Guests: Bidatri D. Chaudhary (Philadelphia Inquirer's Arts and Entertainment Editor and Film Critic) and Chris Klimek (Writer)

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Introduction

In this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour, host Stephen Thompson delves into the recently released film "A Complete Unknown," a biopic that explores a pivotal moment in Bob Dylan's early career. The discussion is enriched by insights from Bidatri D. Chaudhary and writer Chris Klimek, who share their perspectives on the film's portrayal of Dylan, its adherence to biopic conventions, and its overall impact.

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Exploring "A Complete Unknown"

Stephen Thompson begins by setting the stage for the conversation, describing "A Complete Unknown" as a non-traditional biopic that focuses on Bob Dylan's emergence in the New York City folk scene and his transformative performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Timothée Chalamet stars as Dylan, delivering all of his own vocals, while Monica Barbaro portrays Joan Baez, and Edward Norton takes on the role of Pete Seeger.

Chris Klimek admits initial skepticism about the film's necessity, noting, "What cultural object of the 20th century has been more covered than Bob Dylan?" (05:11). However, after viewing the movie twice, Klimek praises it for subverting typical biopic tropes and maintaining a "very kinetic pace" that keeps the audience engaged (05:35).

Bidatri D. Chaudhary echoes Klimek's sentiments, highlighting the film's strong musical performances and Chalamet's compelling portrayal of Dylan. She remarks, "The music is great, so you don't feel the almost two and a half hour runtime" (06:12), appreciating the authenticity Chalamet brings to the role.

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Performance Highlights

The conversation shifts to the standout performances within the film:

• Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez: Both guests commend Barbaro's portrayal, with Thompson emphasizing her role as a "big breakthrough performance" that serves as a crucial counterbalance to Dylan's character (08:23). Klimek adds, "That was just a jaw-dropping performance" (08:34), underscoring Barbaro's impact.

• Edward Norton as Pete Seeger: Norton's transformation into Seeger is lauded for capturing the essence of the folk legend. Chaudhary shares a memorable scene featuring Norton's character attempting to move his car, blending humor with character depth (09:14).

• Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan: Chalamet's nuanced performance is praised for avoiding mere imitation. Thompson asserts, "This is a depiction that doesn't feel like an impersonation" (14:05), appreciating Chalamet's ability to embody Dylan's complexity without resorting to caricature.

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Biopic Analysis

Despite its strengths, the film isn't without its critiques:

• Biopic Clichés: Thompson acknowledges that while the film excels in many areas, it doesn't entirely escape the familiar biopic formula. He mentions, "There are certainly moments in this film where I rolled my eyes the way I would... see them in the Amy Winehouse movie or the Bob Marley movie" (10:27). Instances such as exaggerated emotional exchanges add to this sentiment.

• Fictionalization and Historical Accuracy: The guests discuss the film's creative liberties, noting that certain events, like the depiction of Pete Seeger and Albert Grossman "throwing hands at the soundboard at Newport," feel more dramatized than factual (11:01). This approach, while enhancing entertainment value, may detract from historical authenticity.

• Depth of Political Context: Chaudhary critiques the film for glossing over the political influences that shaped Dylan's music and persona. She expresses a desire for a more profound exploration of Dylan's political awakening and the significant roles played by figures like Joan Baez and Sylvie Russo (16:23). Thompson concurs, wishing for a stronger emphasis on the political aspects that informed Dylan's artistry (14:53).

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Conclusion on "A Complete Unknown"

Overall, Pop Culture Happy Hour hosts and guests agree that "A Complete Unknown" is a well-crafted biopic that offers a fresh perspective on Bob Dylan's rise to fame. While it magnificently captures the energy of live performances and features standout acting, particularly from Chalamet and Barbaro, it also falls into some familiar biopic traps and misses opportunities to delve deeper into Dylan's political influences.

Stephen Thompson recommends the film despite its minor shortcomings, stating, "I come down recommending it" (18:41), and encourages listeners to share their thoughts via Facebook and Letterboxd.

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What's Making Us Happy This Week

Transitioning from the film discussion, the podcast shifts to the beloved segment "What's Making Us Happy," where each participant shares personal sources of joy.

• Bidatri D. Chaudhary: Excited about Joan Baez's latest poetry collection, When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance. Chaudhary highlights how the book reflects Baez's journey through mental illness and healing, appreciating the emotional depth and beauty of the poems (21:04).

• Chris Klimek: Recommends Pete Seeger's Traditional Christmas Carols (1967), praising its heartfelt and earnest renditions of holiday classics. Klimek shares his tradition of creating mixtapes and finds Seeger's collection a fitting and sincere addition to his seasonal playlist (22:27).

• Stephen Thompson: Celebrates the arrival of Defector's holiday tradition, Drew McGarry's The Hater's Guide to the Williams Sonoma Catalog. Thompson describes McGarry's humorous and critical take on the catalog's offerings, finding it a perfect antidote to a challenging year (23:30).

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Closing Remarks

The episode wraps up with heartfelt thanks to the guests and a nod to upcoming content. Listeners are encouraged to engage with the hosts on social media and subscribe to the newsletter for more recommendations and insights.

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Notable Quotes:

• Chris Klimek (05:11): "What cultural object of the 20th century has been more covered than Bob Dylan?"

• Stephen Thompson (08:23): "She [Monica Barbaro] is an absolute revelation for me."

• Christine Klimek (14:05): "This is a depiction that doesn't feel like an impersonation."

• Bidatri D. Chaudhary (06:12): "The music is great, so you don't feel the almost two and a half hour runtime."

• Stephen Thompson (18:41): "I come down recommending it."

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This comprehensive discussion not only provides an in-depth analysis of "A Complete Unknown" but also highlights the enduring legacy of Bob Dylan and the influential figures around him. Additionally, the "What's Making Us Happy" segment offers a personal glimpse into the hosts' lives, celebrating the cultural artifacts and creations that bring them joy.

Transcript

[Stephen Thompson]

Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection hotels with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else, Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the [e-mail] hey, it's Stephen Thompson.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

It is almost the end of the year and this is the season when NPR comes to you as a nonprofit news organization to to ask for your support. Maybe you're already an NPR supporter and if so, thank you so much. But if you've never given to public media before or not in a while, please consider it now because supporting public radio is a great way to express your values. You want to stay informed about what's going on in your community and around the world. You want to know where to turn for information you can trust and to hear perspectives that challenge your opinions. And believe me, I get it. Sometimes you want to tune out from the news and just hear a really cool story. NPR gives you that space to experience a little more joy, too. Our team here at Pop Culture Happy Hour has loved bringing you conversations about everything from our favorite YouTube rabbit holes to pop culture pumpkin spice lattes in 2024. And together we can do even more in 2025. The easiest way to support Pop Culture Happy Hour and NPR network stations across the country is to sign up for npr. It's a recurring donation that gets you special perks from more than 25 NPR podcasts like sponsor free listening, bonus episodes, behind the scenes content, and even exclusive and discounted items from the NPR Shop and the NPR Wine Club. It only takes a few minutes to sign up and you can do it right [e-mail] we love keeping you company with smart, fun and, yes, sometimes deeply silly conversations about all corners of the pop culture universe. And we simply could not do it without you. Thank you again for being a critical part of the public media community. Join [e-mail].

[Stephen Thompson]

A complete unknown isn't a traditional biopic. Instead of covering Bob Dylan's life story from birth to old age, it covers the period shortly after his arrival in New York City as he first begins to fall in with the city's folk music scene. Timothee Chalamet plays Dylan and does all of his own singing. We see Dylan become a superstar, as well as his famous set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. That's the one where he and his band plugged in for an electrified set that's often viewed as a cultural turning point in America. I'm Stephen Thompson, and today we are talking about A Complete Unknown on Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr. Joining me today is the Philadelphia Inquirer's arts and entertainment editor and film critic, Badatri D. Chaudhary.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Hey, Vedatri.

Hey, Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

Also with us is writer Chris Klimek. Hey, Chris.

[Chris Klimek]

Hey, Stephen. You know, to do this podcast, I have to put myself in another place, but I'm a stranger there.

[Stephen Thompson]

That's right. We're not gonna do our Dylan impressions.

[Chris Klimek]

No.

All right.

[Stephen Thompson]

We'll get there. First, a little backstory. Timothee Chalamet does all his own singing in a complete unknown. How does it feel.

[Chris Klimek]

To be on your own with no direct?

[Stephen Thompson]

So do several of the film's other stars. Monica Barbaro plays Joan Baez. All men are fools Says my mother they'll tell you wicked loving lies While Edward Norton plays Pete Seeger.

[Chris Klimek]

Owee my way Owee my way Owee.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

My way A whim away A whim away A whim away A whim away Try it.

[Stephen Thompson]

A whim away A whim away A whim away Both Seger and Baez helped launch Dylan's career while also serving as idealistic foils to Dylan's more mercurial and ever shifting Persona. And we meet several of the women who inspired and dated Dylan, including Sylvie Russo. She's a fictionalized version of a woman Dylan dated shortly after arriving in New York City. She's played by Elle Fanning. A Complete Unknown was directed and co written by James Mangold, who made Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash biopic, as well as other movies like Logan and Ford v Ferrari. It's in theaters now. Chris, I'm going to. What did you think of A Complete Unknown?

[Chris Klimek]

I rolled my eyes when this film was announced even because, you know, what cultural object of the 20th century has been more covered than Bob Dylan? You know, in a universe where we have Inside Llewyn Davis, the wonderful Coen Brothers movie from 2013, looking at the same era and the same scene. And we have multiple great Dylan documentaries, Don't Look Back and the Scorsese one, no Direction Home. I mean, from, you know, a lyric just preceding the lyric that's used as the title of this movie. I was like, and it's the guy who made Walk the Line, which is, you know, which is a good movie, but.

[Stephen Thompson]

But definitely checks a lot of biopic boxes.

[Chris Klimek]

Yeah. So I was delighted to be wrong about this. I have seen this film twice. It surprisingly captivated me. I thought the way that it sort of hopscotched around the biopic tropes, which I suspect is something that James Mangold is particularly sensitive to because Walk Hard arrived so soon after Walk the Line and I think has kind of subsumed.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

And is so clearly drawing from it.

[Chris Klimek]

Yeah, I think it's a little unfair the way that Walk Hard has sort of like subsumed the cultural memory of Walk the Line. Thank you, Datri. To the point that I only remember the title of the parody and not the title of the real thing, you know, this film runs 2 hours and 20 minutes at a very kinetic pace. And even the first time I saw it, I found myself thinking that anytime we cut away from a musical performance in this film, I'm like, I would happily watch the three hour cut of this where we get to see each of these songs performed in full. I really, really liked it.

[Stephen Thompson]

Wonderful. How about you, Bedatre?

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

I think it was fine. Like Chris said, the music is great, so you don't feel the almost two and a half hour runtime. And Timothee Chalamet does his and I'm sure we'll talk about it. He does this, his big Oscar, big acting, big star acting. And so yeah, I think it was fine. I stuck through it. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the music a lot, which I don't know if it's this to the credit of this film or to the credit of Bob Dylan or to the credit of my parents who brought me up on good Music. But yeah, I think he's great. The film is fine. The music is obviously great, but I did not walk away from the film learning anything or wouldn't have known about Bob Dylan. But Monica Barbero, who plays Joan Baez, is an absolute revelation for me. I loved her so much.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, I mean, I'm probably hewing a little closer to Bidatri's take than Chris. I really liked this movie. I didn't fall in love with it. I agree very strongly that this is a very, very well acted movie and overall a very well made movie. The ability to shoot scenes with live music in ways that capture how kinetic and exciting live music can be, that is not something just any director can do. If you compare the skill that goes into shooting the live performances here to some of the live performances we've seen in movies this year like Trap or the Idea of youf, if you remember that one about the sort of Harry Styles ish singer. I've seen movies where live music gets flattened in ways that really suck the joy out of it. It involves A lot of technical sk and a lot of just directorial skill to make live music come across on the movie screen. And I think this movie does that really well. And I think the performances at this film center not only Timothee Chalamet as Dylan, but Edward Norton as Pete Seeger. And you mentioned Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez Bedatry. I think that performance, if that performance doesn't soar as much as it does, this film really starts to fall apart.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Absolutely.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think she deserves so much credit. This feels like a big breakthrough performance and Baez is such an important counterweight to Dylan.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Absolutely.

[Chris Klimek]

It's so strange. I did not clock Monica Barbaro the first time I saw this movie, you know, and I have seen Top Maverick more than once, you know, and it seems strange to say to someone, oh, this woman who was in a movie that grossed a billion and a half dollars or whatever it was and saved cinema, but she's destined for bigger things. I think this shows us that she really, really is like, that was just a jaw dropping performance. And the other one, again, like Boyd.

[Stephen Thompson]

Holbrooke, he plays Johnny Cash.

[Chris Klimek]

He plays Johnny Cash. You know, it's impossible not to contrast him with the Joaquin Phoenix Johnny Cash from Walk the Line. But he was another guy where I've seen him in 10 or 12 movies and got to the end credits, I was like, oh, that's who that was. I thought he was great too.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Yeah, that scene where he wakes up from an all night bender and tries moving his car out of Bob Dylan's way. I still think about that scene a lot. And I don't think about too many scenes in that film, but that's when I couldn't sleep, just took a drive, saw the ocean.

[Chris Klimek]

There's the slapstick moment there where Johnny like just puts his beer bottle on the fender of the car and it just slides off and breaks. And I mean, that could be in Walk Hard, right? That is just a purely slapsticky moment that it doesn't derail the scene. But it got a big laugh both times I saw this movie.

[Stephen Thompson]

I just listed off a bunch of things that I loved about this movie. I don't want to completely gloss over areas that I didn't think worked as I don't think it completely avoids biopic cliches. There are certainly moments in this film where I rolled my eyes the way I would roll my eyes if I saw them in the Amy Winehouse movie or the Bob Marley movie or any number of less well made, well crafted music biopics. You don't want a drinking game where you take a sip every time someone, particularly a woman, sort of gazes wet eyed at Bob Dylan as a woman.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Or Pete Seeger.

[Stephen Thompson]

A woman or Pete Seeger or Woody.

[Chris Klimek]

Guthrie, you know, Woody Guthrie, who is. Who cannot speak in this film. But yeah, certainly gazes with sort of curiosity and then awe and then unabashed love at Dylan.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, there's a lot of that. It also does, as you know, basically any biopic does. It does a fair bit of fictionalizing. It does a lot of kind of smashing together components of different elements of his story. There are certainly a certain number of things that are pretty apocryphal kind of make their way into this film.

[Chris Klimek]

Wait, you don't think that Albert Grossman and Pete Seeger were like throwing hands at the soundboard at Newport?

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, I don't think that. The whole depiction of plugging in at Newport feels very biopicy. Very. Like they've got Alan Lomax kind of stomping around like he's the disobeyed police captain in a cop movie.

[Chris Klimek]

And Norbert Leo Butts has played cops. That's another chameleon, by the way. Where I got to the end of the movie, I'm like, oh, you know, another person I've seen in 15 things who I did not clock until the movie was over.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. It is certainly not reinventing the biopic form. It is not as experimental a take on Bob Dylan as you would get from a movie like I'm not there. To me, it is like an extremely well made version of what it is, which is a kind of format of storytelling that brings with it certain inherent limitations.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Yeah. And I think it also, and as is true of more other biopics or the biopic school of filmmaking, is it kind of smooths over the gnarly bits of the story. Like Bob Dylan, love him or hate him, was a political figure. Right. This film starts with Pete Seeger's McCarthy trials. And then you have this passing reference to Bob Dylan singing during the March on Washington. At no other point in the film do you even know what is going on politically and how Dylan is reacting to each of those things. And Joan Baez as well. And I just think I really miss that because there's so much teeth in that. And like Dylan, his songs, they are political acts and it was all very political art. So to just. It's almost like automatic writing in this film. He just wakes up and writes a song while Joan Baez is making him coffee or something like that. But it was the thought behind it, or even the thought behind, why did he choose to go electric? It wasn't a whimsical choice. And especially because this film focuses on that. That is the pivot of the film. I really wish there was a little more depth to, you know, this depiction. Yeah. And Stephen, thank you for, you know, talking about I'm not there. I don't think as amazing as Timothee Chalamet is, I don't think anyone can beat Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan.

[Chris Klimek]

So I wanna talk about Timothee Chalamet, who reportedly prepped for years to perform as Bob Dylan. 1. He has that look anytime the camera leans on him. And he's like smug and mischievous and petulant and, you know, holding his cigarette at that little angle, like watching, you know, whomever is on stage preceding him, whether it's Johnny Cash or Joan Baez and stuff. And it's like this combination of, yeah, I respect these people, I'm their peer, but I'm also about to get out on that stage and smoke them.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Klimek]

I don't think he's doing a Dylan impression. If you watch, Don't Look Back where there's plenty of scenes of Dylan, you know, talking, that's not how Chalamet does it.

[Stephen Thompson]

I agree. I think that's one of the things I really like about this performance. I often rail every Oscar season about that they should group acting categories by original and adapted performance because so many Oscar nominated performances are simply celebrity impersonation. And this is a depiction that doesn't feel like an impersonation. I did want to respond to something that Bidatri said about where we do and don't see Dylan kind of politicized, where we see him find his politics and where Dylan finds a lot of his politics. And the movie kind of only hints at this is from the women he was dating and the character of Sylvie, who's played by Elle Fanning, who was.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Based on a real life woman that Dylan dated. Her name was Susie Rodolo and she.

[Stephen Thompson]

Was a lifelong activist. She was an activist at the time that Dylan met her and she was an activist for the entire duration of her life. She was a huge influence on him. Not only like as a muse in the traditional this kind of loaded way that we talk about muses, but she actually, like, informed him. I have to say, I kind of wanted the film to show a little bit more of that. I think if there's one performance here or one characterization here that I don't think really fully coheres. It's this Elle Fanning performance as Sylvie. And it is not Elle Fanning's fault. I think it is the film's fault. I think the film eventually just uses her as kind of a typical, sad, jealous girlfriend and kind of shows her kind of showing up at things and feeling left behind, it seems to me. And obviously Dylan is famously unknowable, but it seems to me that she not only inspired him in that she was and he was sleeping with her, but, like, she was directing him in a way that, like, resulted in him being seen as the voice of a generation. And I kind of wanted, kind of the way that the Joan Baez character carries all this kind of moral weight, as does the Pete Seeger character. I kind of wanted Sylvie to carry some of that weight too, even though, obviously, because she's not a musician, we don't get to see her perform.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Yeah, no, I agree with that. But I will also push back and say that the Joan Baez character definitely needed more of, you know, what you're saying that, like, not just the moral baggage. And like you said, it's not just about being amused. Right. These two women contributed to Dylan's education as a political being, as a musician. We don't know if the song would have been as big if Joan Baez actually didn't sing it on I'm talking about Blowing in the Wind. I mean, we can all go into hypothesis after hypothesis. Right. But, like, there is a lack of that acknowledging of just how grave these women and their influences were on what he was writing, singing, and just the political person he went on to become. I think there's definitely. That could have definitely had more weight with both Susie and Joan Baez.

[Stephen Thompson]

I just found her so interesting throughout this film. And it kind of often when I see a biopic, one of the first things I do, I almost have, like, a system in place now where I see. I come home and I immediately go to Wikipedia.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

And sometimes what you see is a point by point breakdown of what you've seen to where you're like, well, I just watched a filmed Wikipedia page, but I didn't go directly to Dylan. I went directly to Baez. And I think that that's something that this film does. I almost. I could have almost stood for them to underline it a little bit more than they did. I almost wanted a little more of Baez's story. What it left me wanting more of was more about her and her own music and own cultural legacy. And she is mercurial in her own way and uncompromising in her own way. And I just think Monica Barbaro did her right. And same goes for Edward Norton as Pete Seeger. I thought that was a lovely kind of transformation and kind of the way that that character and that performance kind of captures what Seeger brought to this conversation and kind of what some of the limitations were to his worldview, you know, while at the same time you just, you come away admiring him just as much as I admired him going into this film. All right, well, I think we can agree a complete unknown certainly gives us, if nothing else, a lot to talk about. Yes, I come down recommending it.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Yeah. And like I said, the music is great. You won't even feel the two and a half hearts.

[Stephen Thompson]

All right, well, we want to know what you think about our complete unknown. Find us on [e-mail] PCHH and on [e-mail] NPRpopculture we'll have a link in our episode description. Up next, what's making us happy this week?

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[Chris Klimek]

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[Stephen Thompson]

It'S time for our favorite segment of this week and every week. What's making us happy this week? BHADATRI D. Chaudhary what's making you happy this week?

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

What is making me very happy is Joan Baez's recent book of poetry. It's called when youn See My Mother Ask her to Dance. You know, again, I sometime a couple of months back, I was in Newark, New Jersey, for her book talk, and she talked about how she was diagnosed with a kind of dissociative mental illness. A chunk of these poems actually got written when she was under treatment. And she said us every time she talked about the author and the poet because she said there were like many people living inside her head because of this disorder. And this book, you know, some poems are like four lines long, some poems are a page or two. And it's absolutely beautiful. And I know I spoke about her growth as an artist and this book and the poems in this book are just so beautiful. And you can actually see the arc of how she keeps growing through illness. And she also had some, you know, childhood trauma, which she works through. And the poems are all indicative of that, but also indicative of how beautifully she healed through all of that. So the book is called when youn See My Mother, Ask her to Dance, and you can get them wherever you get your books from.

[Stephen Thompson]

Wonderful. More Joan Baez. That's the theme of this episode. All right, thank you, Bhadatri. How about you, Chris? What's making you happy this week?

[Chris Klimek]

Well, Stephen, I don't know if I've told you about this before, but I have this mixtape project that I like to do every Christmas, and generally the focus is on yuletunes that have been correctly, naturally selected for extinction. But I do like to wrap it up with something that's sincere and earnest because I do love Christmas. You know, I'm not trying to troll Christmas. So for a thematically apt pairing with a complete unknown, my big finale this year comes from Pete Seeger's wonderful 1967 collection, Traditional Christmas Carols, which is available listeners on all of the big music streamers. I checked. I, of course, used my Smithsonian Folkways LP pressing because I am insufferable. But yeah, Pete Seeger's Traditional Christmas Carols. Go find it. It's only 32 minutes long, much, much briefer than my mixtape and it's lovely. So happy holidays, everyone.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Yeah, we are being very topical today. I like that.

[Stephen Thompson]

I was gonna say I'm sitting here like, man, I should have brought something about Johnny Cash.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Steven, no pressure.

[Stephen Thompson]

So I'm gonna completely pivot elsewhere. I've talked on this show before about how much I love the website Defector, which is a sports and commentary site that sprung from the ashes. Defector is employee owned independent media. It's wonderfully esoteric and weird and mean when necessary. It's far and away my number one source of sports commentary these days. But what's making me happy this week is the arrival of Defector's greatest holiday tradition, the writer Drew McGarry's the Hater's Guide to the Williams Sonoma Catalog.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Oh my God, I love that name already. Okay.

[Stephen Thompson]

The Hater's Guide to the Williams Sonoma Catalog has been an annual tradition for ages now. Drew McGarry is one of my favorite favorite writers, even though he is a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. He goes through a catalog full of tacky and overpriced luxury items and basically just goes to town. You got your $60 peppermint bark, your $1,400 drink carts, your artisanal handcrafted wine sabers. He goes through and kind of pulls them kind of piece by piece and then offers his own commentary. It's all great fun. The writing is very mean. It is just what my cold dead heart has required after a very long and strange year. So that's Drew McGarry's the 2024 Hater's Guide to the Williams Sonoma Catalog, which you can [e-mail] that is what is making me happy this week. We got your Joan Baez. We got the last lingering threads of the holiday season. Christmas is over. It's still Hanukkah. Anyway, if you want links for what we recommended plus some more recommendations, sign up for our [e-mail] popculture news that brings us to the end of our show. Chris Klimick, Bhadatri D. Chaudhary, thanks so much for being here.

[Chris Klimek]

Thank you, Stephen.

[Bidatri D. Chaudhary]

Thank you so much, Stephen. And just because you mentioned the Vikings and I lose my job if I don't say this, Go birds, go.

[Stephen Thompson]

Pack, go. This episode was produced by Hafsa Fathoma and Lennon Sherburne and edited by Jessica Reedy and Mike Katsiff. Hello. Come in. Provides our theme music. Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR are. I'm Stephen Thompson and we will see you all next week.

[Chris Klimek]

This message comes from GiveWell. GiveWell provides rigorous, transparent research about the best giving opportunities so that donors can make informed decisions about high impact giving. To learn more, go to givewell.org and pick podcast and enter NPR at checkout.

[Stephen Thompson]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Shopify, the global commerce platform that helps you sell and show up exactly the way you want to customize your online store to your style. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com NPR this message.

[Chris Klimek]

Comes from NPR sponsor Rosetta Stone, an expert in language learning for 30 years. Right now, NPR listeners can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership to 25 different languages for 50% off. Learn [e-mail] NPR.