Mufasa: The Lion King And What's Making Us Happy

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour: "Mufasa: The Lion King And What's Making Us Happy" – Detailed Summary

Released on December 20, 2024, NPR's "Pop Culture Happy Hour" delves into the latest addition to the beloved Lion King franchise—"Mufasa: The Lion King". Hosted by Stephen Thompson, Aisha Harris, and Aisha Harris, the episode features insightful discussions with guests Trevel Anderson and Shamira Ibrahim. This summary encapsulates the key points, discussions, and reflections shared during the episode.

---

1. Introduction to "Mufasa: The Lion King"

Stephen Thompson opens the conversation by providing a comprehensive overview of the Lion King legacy. He traces the journey from the original 1994 animated classic to the 2019 photorealistic remake and introduces the new prequel, "Mufasa: The Lion King".

• Stephen Thompson [02:33]:
  "The Lion King tells the story... Simba, who gets caught in a power struggle between his father, Mufasa, and his conniving uncle, Scar."

He highlights the changes in the voice cast for the prequel, noting replacements for key characters:

• Mufasa: Aaron Pierre
• Scar: Kelvin Harrison Jr.
• Zazu: Preston Nyman
• Timon and Pumbaa: Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen reprise their roles.

Barry Jenkins, renowned for "Moonlight" and "If Beale Street Could Talk," directs the prequel, aiming to enrich the Lion King universe.

---

2. Voice Casting and Animation

The hosts and guests delve into the significant changes in voice casting and the film's animation quality.

• Trevel Anderson [03:55]:
  "I think the bar was pretty low compared to the first one, which... I felt like he infused to the story."
  [04:10]

Despite initial skepticism about the 2019 remake being "soulless and lifeless," Anderson praises the new prequel for its emotional depth and musical integration, especially citing Lin Manuel Miranda's contributions.

• Shamira Ibrahim [05:18]:
  "I was pleasantly surprised by the work they put in... one of the things I struggled with in 2019 is that the humor and the emotion could not really be captured in the animals' faces quite well."
  [05:28]

Ibrahim acknowledges improvements in animation but critiques the film's excessive reliance on nostalgia, which might alienate newer audiences.

• Aisha Harris [07:05]:
  "I always wanted a brother... I was really glad Lin Manuel... this movie... really soared because of the music."
  [07:53]

Her appreciation extends to the enhanced visual elements, particularly nighttime and underwater scenes, though she echoes frustrations with aspects like Rafiki's backstory.

---

3. Themes and Narrative Depth

The discussion shifts to the thematic undertones of the film, exploring its exploration of masculinity, trauma, and Pan-Africanism.

• Shamira Ibrahim [18:13]:
  "It's black masculinity. The trauma that's passed down multi-generationally between black men... I think those were themes that they intentionally chose."
  [22:42]

Anderson emphasizes the film as a narrative about black fatherhood and the pressures of adhering to prescribed roles:

• Trevel Anderson [21:06]:
  "This is a story about black men... how evil men are formed."
  [22:42]

However, there are critiques regarding character development and the handling of complex themes within the plot's progression.

---

4. Reception and Critical Analysis

The panel shares their personal reactions and critical assessments of the film's execution.

• Stephen Thompson [10:07]:
  "I think the bar was low and the ceiling is low. ...it is a gorgeous film to look at."
  [10:07]

He acknowledges the film's visual prowess but expresses disappointment with certain narrative choices, such as the motivation behind Scar's transformation driven by jealousy over a love interest.

• Shamira Ibrahim [17:53]:
  "Barry Jenkins... chose the best path forward... it works for the most part."
  [23:48]

Ibrahim appreciates Jenkins' directorial approach but notes shortcomings in plot development, especially in the third act.

---

5. Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Trevel Anderson [04:02]:
  "The bar was pretty low compared to the first one, which... the 2019 version was soulless and lifeless."
  [04:02]

• Shamira Ibrahim [05:27]:
  "I think I'm watching Planet Earth... Very National Geographic."
  [05:27]

• Aisha Harris [07:05]:
  "I love that song... I wasn't mad that I watched the movie. I just wasn't elated."
  [07:05]

• Stephen Thompson [10:53]:
  "Lin Manuel... so talented... tap into the mood and feel of the film in really effective ways."
  [10:53]

• Trevel Anderson [21:12]:
  "This is a story about black men... how evil men are formed."
  [21:12]

---

6. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In wrapping up, the hosts and guests reflect on the prequel's place within the broader Lion King narrative and its impact on the original film's legacy.

• Trevel Anderson [25:00]:
  "We ain't never gonna see no other version of the Lion King like this."
  [25:00]

• Aisha Harris [24:34]:
  "I admire what Barry Jenkins is trying to do... it doesn't make the 1994 version any feel any better. In fact... I don't need to know."
  [24:34]

Stephen Thompson encourages listeners to share their thoughts on "Mufasa: The Lion King," fostering a community dialogue around the film's reception.

---

7. Additional Segments

Following the main discussion, the episode transitions to the beloved segment "What's Making Us Happy This Week." Guests share personal recommendations and uplifting content, including:

• Trevel Anderson:
  Recommends Sade's song "Young Lion," an apology to her trans son, highlighting its significance in trans awareness.

• Shamira Ibrahim:
  Shares enthusiasm for a TikTok account by a Compton-based screenwriter, James Earl333, who narrates complex black family dynamics.

• Aisha Harris:
  Celebrates Dick Van Dyke's 99th birthday and his appearance in a Coldplay video, inspiring a rewatch of "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

---

"Pop Culture Happy Hour" successfully navigates the intricate layers of "Mufasa: The Lion King," offering listeners a nuanced understanding of its artistic and cultural dimensions. The episode balances critical analysis with personal reflections, making it a valuable listen for fans and newcomers alike.

---

For more discussions and insights, tune into future episodes of "Pop Culture Happy Hour" on NPR.

Transcript

[Pedro Almodovar]

This message comes from Sony Pictures Classics with the Room Next Door, the new film by Pedro Almodovar starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. After years go by, two friends meet again in an extreme but sweet situation, now playing in select theaters.

[Stephen Thompson]

Hey, it's Stephen Thompson. Before we start the show, we are closing in on the end of another year and our team is looking back at all the great conversations we've been able to bring you in 2024 because of your support. We dove into the sleeper hits the shows shouldn't sleep on, the sequels, the prequels, our favorite binge watches. We stayed up all night to catch you up on the Oscars and the Emmys and debated the best fictional bands and the pop culture hills will die on. And it's all because listeners like you step up to support our work, either by giving to your local station or by joining npr. NPR has grown a lot this year and we want to say an extra special thank you to those supporters right now. You know who you are if you don't know what I'm talking about. NPR is a sweet way to support the independent public media you rely on from npr. When you sign up for a simple recurring donation, you support our mission of creating a more informed public and get special perks for more than 25 NPR podcasts like sponsor free listening, bonus episodes, even exclusive and discounted items from the NPR Shop and the NPR Wine Club. By donating now, you'll fund not only NPR's award winning journalism across the country and around the world, but also the stories that make you laugh out loud, the ones that might make you cry because they resonate so deeply, and the quirky ones that can only come from the wonderful world of public radio. Join us on the plus side [e-mail] thank you. It's been five years since Disney remade its animated classic the Lion King as a photorealistic blockbuster complete with Beyonce songs.

[Aisha Harris]

Now led by director Barry Jenkins, the Lion King has a photorealistic prequel complete with Lin Manuel Miranda songs. I'm Aisha Harris.

[Stephen Thompson]

And I'm Stephen Thompson. Today we are talking about Mufasa the Lion King on Pop Culture Happy hour from npr. Joining us today is journalist and author of We See each A Black Trans Journey Through TV and Film, Trevel Anderson. Hey, Trevel.

[Trevel Anderson]

Hi.

[Aisha Harris]

Hi.

[Trevel Anderson]

Hi.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is a pleasure to have you here. Also with us is culture writer and critic Shamira Ibrahim. Hi, Shamira.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Hello everyone. Always glad to be with you guys.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is great to have everyone here. So the first Lion King came out in 1994 to colossal success. It won two Oscars, spawned a hit production on Broadway, even launched a pair of TV series. The film tells the story, in case you are unfamiliar, with the Lion King, of a young lion named Simba, who gets caught in a power struggle between his father, Mufasa, and his conniving uncle, Scar. Five years ago, Disney released a remake of the Lion King, this time using digital animation so photorealistic it's hard to even call it animated. The film was a massive worldwide hit, which leads us to Mufasa the Lion King. That's a new prequel in which several Lion King characters gather to hear the story of Mufasa's rise, as well as the origins of his rivalry with Scar. The voice cast is turned over quite a bit in just five years. Aaron Pierre takes over the role of Mufasa. Scar is now played by Kelvin Harrison Jr. And even Zazu has a new voice as John Oliver gives way to Preston Nyman. But a few familiar faces and voices return from the 2019 film Most Loudly in the form of Timon and Pumbaa, who are still voiced by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, respectively. Mufasa the Lion King was directed by Barry Jenkins, whose previous film work includes moonlight and if Beale Street Could Talk. Mufasa is in theaters now. Trevel, I'm gonna start with you. What did you think of Mufasa the Lion King?

[Trevel Anderson]

Well, we should first say that I think the bar was pretty low there.

[Aisha Harris]

Let's set the table here.

[Trevel Anderson]

Let's be clear. Okay. The bar was pretty low compared to the first one, which.

[Stephen Thompson]

The 2019 first one, not the 1994.

[Trevel Anderson]

Correct. Not the fabulously animated version that we all love from our childhoods on VHS, but the 2019 version. Many of the takes on that one was that it was soulless and lifeless. And for me, Mufasa the Lion King actually really worked. Okay. I loved Barry Jenkins's, you know, little razzle dazzle that I feel like he infused to the story. Lin Manuel knows what he's doing with a song. Okay.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

If you wanna go far, we go together so good. So far we go together.

[Trevel Anderson]

And I should note, I saw it in IMAX 3D. Oh, okay.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

So you were in the safari.

[Trevel Anderson]

I was. I was one of the characters. I was a lioness myself. And so that might have also influenced. I really enjoyed it. I left it, you know, humming some of the songs. I cried twice.

[Stephen Thompson]

Wow.

[Trevel Anderson]

I really enjoyed it, Steven.

[Stephen Thompson]

All right. How about you, Shamira?

[Shamira Ibrahim]

So similar in the sense that the bar Was definitely low. Right. I remember watching it in 2019 and feeling like I think I'm watching Planet Earth.

[Trevel Anderson]

Very National Geographic.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

I will say I was pleasantly surprised by the work they put in in five years to make that sort of animation work look a bit more realistic. And when I say realistic, I mean one of the that I struggled with in 2019 is that the humor and the emotion could not really be captured in the animals faces quite well.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Yeah, I think that's a real flaw.

[Stephen Thompson]

With the first one.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Yeah. I think that they really worked to find ways to bring character in the animations, which is a testament to the work they did. And Lin Manuel could write the hell out of a song. But for me, I found that there were too many references to the 1994 film to a point that I was a little bit distracting. Oh, here's this callback. Here is this shot for shot recreation of something that we saw in the 90s. But it's supposed to be a prequel. So I guess this is supposed to be foreshadowing that I'm watching in 2024. Right. You know, and it's like, okay, how many ways can we integrate the chords of Circle of Life right into a song? Right. They call me Lele. We even open it with the Disney montage of the opening title screen with pride rock around it. It's like, okay, I get what we're doing here. I think the new things that they added were interesting. I think that the excessive reliance on nostalgia was a little frustrating because I don't know how younger people will resonate with that. But I did generally enjoy myself. I wasn't mad that I watched the movie. I just wasn't elated.

[Stephen Thompson]

Shamir, were are you just so glad to know how Rafiki got his stick, you know? Cause this movie will tell you as.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Someone who is highly committed to weird niche pieces of lore that did not bother me. You know, sometimes you don't find a walking to period.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay, how did this rock formation get exactly this way?

[Shamira Ibrahim]

And I will say this, I do think you can see Barry Jenkins touch on it. It's like multi generational story of trauma and healing and Pan Africanism all wrapped into a Disney bow. I get what they were going for it. I just wish that certain ways that they developed the plot would help sink those points a little better.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

How about you, Aisha?

[Aisha Harris]

I always wanted a brother. Stephen, will you be my brother? I always wanted a brother. I always wanted a brother. I always wanted a brother just like you that has been stuck in my Head for the last, like, 18 hours. I don't. However long it's been since I saw this movie. I love that song. Look, I am a Disney person. I have been very disappointed in the last several years after having this sort of return to form that we briefly had between Moana, Frozen, Coco. Like, those are good times for Disney and music. And I'm so glad Lin Manuel. I mean, granted, that means he wasn't involved with Moana too, which we've already talked about on the show, and that movie suffered for it. But I'm glad he was involved here, because this movie, I think, really soared because of the music. For me, I agree with Shamira that the animation has definitely gotten better. I think especially the nighttime scenes looks really great, and there are a few underwater scenes that I just think are absolutely gorgeous. But, yeah, to your point, Steven, that, like, for the last 30 years, since I saw that 1994 version as a child in the theaters, have I ever wondered how Rafiki got his walking stick, how Scar got his scar, and how Pride Rock became Pride Rock? No, I haven't. And those were the things that had me rolling my eyes. But overall, the bar was low. I enjoyed this more than I thought. And I do think that the only reason why I had any hopes that this might be good is because Barry Jenkins was involved. And I feel the same way about this as I did about Barbie, where it's like, you have Greta Gureg, you have Barry Jenkins. Like, you know, they're gonna try and bring something more than what another director might do even when they are going big. Blockbuster, whatever. It's quite. It's qu. Quite interesting to see how this movie plays with an audience who may be less receptive to what it's trying to put down about, you know, fighting for each other and the Pan Africanism that I feel is happening. But When We Were Lions.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Okay.

[Aisha Harris]

When We Were Lions. It's fun, but again, mixed feelings. And, Steven, I'm so curious to hear how this played for you.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think the bar was low and the ceiling is low. The ceiling for how much? I could fully embrace a prequel to an unnecessary remake, but technically, they're showing off, and bless them for it, it is a gorgeous film to look at. There are so many Barry Jenkinsian close ups of the lion's wet eyes, you know, that are just really beautifully rendered. I agree. As much as I have dunked on Lion, Lin Manuel Miranda, and kind of the omnipresence of Lin manuel Miranda, the 12 of Moana 2 having lesser songs and this movie having more vibrant songs. I take back every moment in which I've made fun of Lin Manuel Miranda's tropes.

[Aisha Harris]

You don't know what you've got till it's gone. That's how it goes.

[Stephen Thompson]

You don't know what you've got till it's gone. He's such a talented songwriter, and there are several songs here that are not only catchy, but tap into the mood and feel of the film in really effective ways. Everywhere that I rol, I remind myself not to overstay. Every time I find home, something happens.

[Pedro Almodovar]

To take that home away.

[Stephen Thompson]

I will say one thing that hasn't come up yet. I had a conversation with our producer Jessica, earlier today, and she referred to having, quote, CGI lion face blindness. And I cannot co sign that point hard enough. I could not tell these freaking lions apart.

[Aisha Harris]

Well, they're the white lions. And then there were the not white walkers.

[Trevel Anderson]

The white walker lions.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Okay.

[Stephen Thompson]

You could at least tell the good guy lions and bad guy lions apart because of the kind of silvery white fur of the bad guys. But you have scenes where it is really necessary for the one lion to be like, yes, Mufasa. Because then I'm like, okay, that one's Mufasa. And I think that not only speaks to a little bit of a design flaw for as technically gorgeous as this film is, but it speaks to one of my central issues with this film, which is the voice.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

I was waiting for us to get into that.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. We are now a couple of generations removed from the 1994 film. And obviously James Earl Jones, who played Mufasa in both the 1994 film and the 2019 film, James Earl Jones has died, was not available for this film. Robert Guillaume, who played rafiki in the 1994 film, he has died, and he's been replaced. We're now on our third scar. You have Jeremy Irons in the first film. You have Chiwetel Ejiofor, who brings kind of more of a menacing approach to the character in the 2019. And now he's played by Kelvin Harrison Jr. You're getting to the point with some of these things where it is getting harder and harder to tell just based on voice, what character you're even listening to. And I kept getting pulled out of the film because of that.

[Trevel Anderson]

I wonder, though, if that is. I think it's important to note, right, that how folks will respond to this movie is based on what we're bringing to it. Right. Because I didn't have a problem differentiating the Voices. Maybe that's because I'm more familiar with those voices. Right. These are actors that I'm familiar with. I didn't have that issue of maybe this is also the IMAX 3D.

[Aisha Harris]

You were in it.

[Trevel Anderson]

When they're staring at me, I'm looking dead in their faces. Right. But I do think that that CGI lion face blind, that was very much present in the 2019 version. And so maybe everybody just needs to re see it again in 3D step 1 3D step.

[Stephen Thompson]

Would it kill them to use nametags?

[Aisha Harris]

The other thing I will say, I've said this before, but I try to go into movies, for the most part, as completely unknowing as possible. I had no idea Nico Noni Rose was in here playing Mufasa's mother. And then Calvin Harrison Jr. Who's American actor, is doing a British accent. And then Aaron Pierre, who is. Who is playing Mufasa, is a British actor doing an American accent. I'm familiar with these actors, your ability to discern, but, yeah, they didn't pop out for me.

[Trevel Anderson]

I mean, I know Anika Noni Rose outta nowhere. That's just me, though. That's very personal.

[Aisha Harris]

I am ashamed that I did not recognize that. Afterwards. I kept trying to be like, I know this voice. And then of course I was like, of course it's Tiana.

[Stephen Thompson]

Imagine kingdom the water flows the grass.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Is high Life, it's not a dream Someday we'll go calling me Le to your point, Aisha, about just the voice casting, I am so curious. The thought process behind Barry Jenkins casting because he essentially had accent swap right. Between Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. And. And I personally did find that despite the improvements in the film, like between 2019 and now, I thought that was a miscast. Like, Aaron has such a rich tenor to his voice and it really comes out. And I think that him trying to focus on playing that nondescript American accent really limited his ability to really play around with his inflections because he's trying to keep kind of the cadence of intonation. Similarly for Kelvin Harrison, who's trying to do like this British received pronunciation thing that kind of works, you know, but he's from New Orleans and you can. It definitely comes in and out sometimes.

[Aisha Harris]

He was giving Oliver sometimes. To me, I'm like, this is. Well, okay. I don't know.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

He's doing it best to do a posh accent, right? Like, you can kind of just hear the cracks in it.

[Aisha Harris]

Can we talk about the way this is framed?

[Stephen Thompson]

The Princess Bride Style. Gather Round and I Will Tell youl a Tale.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes, exactly. Princess Bride style. And as we've already mentioned, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen are back.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Simone, Puma, Albert, and Costello. Cause I wasn't sure.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, they're turning into Olaf from the Frozen movies.

[Aisha Harris]

Thank you, Olaf. You are supposed to be the side dish. Not that they're the entire thing, but their whole bits are very much. They are the commentary. They keep talking about, why are we not in this story.

[Stephen Thompson]

They're doing all this meta stuff.

[Aisha Harris]

All this meta stuff. And it felt like it was meant to be more for the children, which I guess is fine. But for me, I was just like, this is. I'm not enjoying this. This is too much. Like one or two scenes, maybe, but, like, we keep jumping in and out and in and out.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

I do wonder if it plays that well for people who don't know the original text. There's so much.

[Aisha Harris]

Who doesn't know the original text. Sorry, sorry.

[Stephen Thompson]

New people are born every day.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

I usually like. There's so many times they make references to things that happen in the 1994 movie, which I'm like, kids are watching this. They're probably not gonna pick up on that. Which is fine. I guess kids don't have to get everything right. And speaking to, like, me and my media group chat, I guess I'm just wondering what those moments are.

[Trevel Anderson]

I don't know. I feel I'm obviously the only one who really liked anything about this. That's okay. I don't mind being the lone wolf. It worked for me. I was like, oh, yeah, that's the same thing that happened in the original one where he grabbed his hands and let him go.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, that happens multiple times. Yeah.

[Trevel Anderson]

Those callbacks actually really worked for me as somebody who is. Right. Super familiar with the previous stories. And then I think we also have to know. I don't want to say this is a kids movie, but, you know, the idea, it's coming out during, you know, Christmas season for a reason. Right. It's meant to be something multi generational. Right. And I feel like that is the goal of a movie like this.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

I will say, on the point of the voice acting, as you pointed out, Steven, we have three different scars. It's like the evolution of the inflection. But also it does play around with kind of some of the culturally accepted canon of the character. Right. People tend to accept that, like the original Scar is someone who is relatively queer coded.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

You know, he's, you know, really saucy, really Preening, you know, really kind of condescending, but not in a. Well, yes, in a malicious way. He's literally evil in the movie, but like, in a very, very.

[Aisha Harris]

But also playful.

[Stephen Thompson]

But also playful, like, prepare for sensei show.

[Aisha Harris]

Exactly, exactly.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Really laconic. Not only did the way that they played Scar, just like in the voice inflections, totally change for this movie, but also they ultimately kind of reject culturally accepted connotations by making the core story a love triangle.

[Trevel Anderson]

What did you say to her?

[Stephen Thompson]

What did you do?

[Trevel Anderson]

I'm next in line. She should be mine. Are the ancestors laughing?

[Shamira Ibrahim]

I just find that curious because that's clearly an intentional choice. I don't think anybody who's over the age of 35 does not know the kind of commonly accepted view of, like, Scar as a queer person. Right. So I'm just wondering. I didn't feel any specifically strong way about it, but I think given the Disney of it all, given the hashtag in these times of it all, whether we should kind of sit with that a little bit about the choice to make this a triangle.

[Aisha Harris]

But I think what's so interesting about this is because we get so much more of his backstory here, and we learn that the reason he apparently became who he was is because his father, Obasi, who's played by Lenny James, is, like, basically a toxic male lion who's, like, emotionally abusive. He has an obsession with, like, eugenics. He keeps talking about the bloodline.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

The bloodline. He would definitely have a podcast in 2024.

[Aisha Harris]

So, like, he's pushing him to want to be king, to succeed him as king. But Taka is like, I'm not really that interested in this, Daddy. Why are you pushing me in this way? And I think it's interesting to trade the queer codedness for this other version of Scar. I guess maybe it doesn't have to necessarily be another version, but it does feel like the line doesn't track right in the way that you would expect it to because you have that which leads into the love triangle. I feel like there is a lot to unpack there with what I think Barry Jenkins and the entire movie is trying to say about, like, how evil men are formed. And it feels very much of a time of, like, 2024, as opposed to just, like, coding him as queer like we did in, like, 1994. I don't know if does that. Cause I'm still trying to unpack this.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think that's a generous take on what's going on. I don't expect them to necessarily Write the character as queer to kind of turn subtext into text. But I found having his heel turn be motivated by jealousy over a woman felt like kind of the least interesting possible origin story.

[Trevel Anderson]

Mm. To me, it was more than the turn being about jealousy over a woman.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Trevel Anderson]

To me, this is a story about black men. Okay. This is a story. This is a story about black men and black fatherhood. Okay. And you have a black father telling his black son, this is who you are supposed to be. That black son is like. But that other black boy over there who's getting to live with the women, who's getting the hunt, who's getting to learn all of these skills that I'm not getting to learn. I'm kind of more interested over there. But the black father's like, nah, you gotta do this. And over the course of the story, yes, there is this introduction of this love interest, but ultimately it's a realization. My father told me that I was supposed to be a certain kind of lion, and I'm actually not that kind of lion. We are seeing the character go through a number of realizations about, you know, how I've been using a reference from Latto on Netflix's Rhythm and Flow.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

I'm here for a lotto on.

[Trevel Anderson]

Okay. And she keeps. It's a competition show. Rapping competition show. And one of her ways of talking about authenticity, she says, it's not on you, it's in you. Okay? And for me, different men, right, are figuring out how to navigate and deal with masculinity and what they've been told. Like, the father spent the whole time lying on his back and he was happy with that. You know what I mean?

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Yeah. Especially. Cause that's Barry Jenkins. Like Urfa. Right? Like. Like, it's black masculinity. The trauma that's passed down multi generationally between black men. That is like, literally how we've come to know him as an artist and as a director. So I do think those were themes that they intentionally chose. Right. I think two things could be true. I think they made that very intentional directional choice, certainly. And I think it works for the most part. Although I think the core problem is that in the third act, at the point we get to the conflict, it doesn't really develop well. We kind of jump straight into the conflict after one quick scene. And I think that should have been explained more. But I also think that Disney intentionally shied away from Queer Topics because of two reasons. One, because we've seen Disney's issues in Florida. I think that's been kind of very widely discussed. And two, because of the known industry fear of just dealing with backlash from fans on talking about issues around queer people, trans women, race, blind casting, and so on and so forth. Right. So I think that is also a part of that conversation. But I do think Barry probably chose the best path forward to something that is true to him, and I think it works.

[Aisha Harris]

I think you all make great points, and I agree that it didn't come out of nowhere for me. I do feel like it was built up to when he ultimately does turn on Mufasa. But I guess it comes down to, for me, what are we supposed to do with all of this new information? Does it actually make the original LION KING, the 1994 version, a richer text now that we know all of this, does it have to? It's something I struggle with, just with the concept and the idea of a prequel. It's like I admire what Barry Jenkins is trying to do. Again, he is trying to elevate this and make this more complicated. It just doesn't for me make the 1994 version any feel any better. In fact, like, there's some things I just wish I didn't know. I don't need to know.

[Trevel Anderson]

You can act like you don't know. You can act like you ain't seen this movie and still, you know, love the original in the way it was. I don't. I agree with you, though. I don't think it adds anything to the original text, but I also don't think it takes away anything true. Right. I think it's another offering of, you know, this piece. We ain't never gonna see no other version of the Lion King like this. Okay?

[Shamira Ibrahim]

Yes.

[Trevel Anderson]

We ain't getting this ever again.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

All right, we wanna know what you think about Mufasa the Lion King. Find us on [e-mail] PCHH and on [e-mail] NPRpopculture we'll have a link in our episode description up next, what is making us happy this week?

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[Stephen Thompson]

Now it's time for our favorite segment of this week and every week. What's making us happy this week? Trey Val, what's making you happy this week?

[Trevel Anderson]

So I have a song recommendation. It's a song from Sade that she released recently. Oh, everybody knows it. I love this.

[Stephen Thompson]

Speaking of Young Lions, yes, the name.

[Trevel Anderson]

Of the song is Young Lion. It is a song that she released sort of as an apology to her trans son. Apologizing for not being the most affirming that she perhaps could have been as his parent is part of this compilation of songs that came out by an AIDS organization that wanted to bring attention to trans awareness. And so I think folks should check it out. The song is called Young lion by Sade and it's available to stream everywhere.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

You are hiding down where you almost drown Then a light like yours we can't put out.

[Stephen Thompson]

Thank you. Trevel Shamira Ibrahim what's making you happy this week?

[Shamira Ibrahim]

So I am taking my talents over to TikTok and there's this great account by this young screenwriter based out of Compton. I think his name is James, I'm assuming, because the TikTok account is James Earl333 and I see Trey Val already nodding. He already know what's up, right? And he has been slowly building out this universe of just really explaining like the nuances of having a complicated big black family and all the nuances that come with that. So it started with a viral story of two twin ends that were throwing a birthday party, broke up, and were throwing two competing birthday parties at the same day. One on a boat and one in the backyard of their family house. It has since expanded to this rich text of family lore. So enthralling. But it's also, it's entertaining, obviously. But what I really love about it, to be quite honest, is that I think sometimes we talk about black families. It's always this like really binary examination of like working class black families or upper class black families and like a very firm distinction. And what his storytelling really shows, that a lot of the average black families are like all of that at once. They all interact, they all connect, they all try to find things. So I recommend the TikTok account. It's James Earl 333.

[Trevel Anderson]

James is a great storyteller.

[Stephen Thompson]

Wonderful. Thank you. Shamira. Aisha Harris, what's making you happy this week?

[Aisha Harris]

Well, the legend Dick Van Dyke has been all over the place lately. He recently turned 99. He appeared in a Coldplay video for a song called All My Love. I never thought I would actually enjoy a Coldplay video, but here I was. That has led me to start a rewatch of the Dick Van Dyke Show. I love this show. It's one of those shows that I grew up watching and have since gone back several times to revisit. Although I don't know if I've ever actually seen it all the way through. It's a good show.

[Stephen Thompson]

News flash.

[Aisha Harris]

Newsflash. Of course, this is the show where he plays Rob Petrie, a TV show writer. His wife is Laura, played by Mary Tyler Moore. It's just fun. It reminds me that Dick Van Dyke was the most limber.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh my gosh.

[Aisha Harris]

Did he have phones? I don't know. You can't tell. So, yeah, the Dick Van Dyke show is what's making me happy this week. And you can find it streaming in a lot of places, including Peacock and Prime Video.

[Stephen Thompson]

Nice. Thank you. Aisha Harris vigorously co signed. I too grew up with that show and just love it. So in the last month or so, I've embarked on a mission to completely overhaul my experience with holiday music. And if you like me desperately want new new holiday music instead of the same cardboard garbage every year. One of my favorite new Christmas songs in ages just dropped a few weeks ago. It's by one of my favorite singers, Matty Diaz, and it's called Kid on Christmas.

[Shamira Ibrahim]

These days I don't err on optimistic. Something about the way this year when I I wish I could just feel like a kid on Christmas.

[Stephen Thompson]

Look, I will say this every year for the rest of my life. If your holiday song is telling me to be happy, I will be sad. If your holiday song leaves space for me to feel a little bummed out, I will feel better. I will wholeheartedly embrace the spirit of the season. This song to me does that perfectly. Again, that's Kid on Christmas by the great Matty Diaz. And that's what's making me happy this week. If you want to links for what we recommended, plus some more recommendations, sign up for our newsletter at npr.org popculturenewsletter that brings us to the end of our show. Shamira Ibrahim, Trayval Anderson, Aisha Harris, thanks so much for being here.

[Aisha Harris]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Stephen Thompson]

This episode was produced by Liz Metzger and Lennon Sherburne and edited by Jessica Reedy and Mike Katzen. Hello, Come in provides our theme music. Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Happen Happy Hour from npr. I'm Stephen Thompson and we will see you all next week.

[Pedro Almodovar]

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