Snow White And What's Making Us Happy

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour: "Snow White And What's Making Us Happy"

Release Date: March 21, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, hosts Stephen Thompson, Aisha Harris, Candice Lim, and guest Shar Josel delve into the latest live-action reimagining of Disney's classic animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Released on March 21, 2025, the episode provides an in-depth discussion of the film's reception, thematic elements, and its place within the broader trend of Disney's live-action remakes.

Overview of the New Snow White Movie

Stephen Thompson opens the conversation by setting the stage for the discussion:

Stephen Thompson [01:19]: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Disney's first fully animated feature film all the way back in 1937. Now it's getting a high-tech reimagining, complete with new songs set, seven CGI-rendered dwarfs, and live-action leads. Rachel Zegler stars as Snow White while Gal Gadot plays the evil queen with a magic mirror and terrible intentions."

The new adaptation situates itself between animation and photorealism, introducing contemporary elements such as CGI dwarfs and a modern soundtrack, while retaining the core narrative of the original fairy tale.

Hosts' Reviews and Opinions

Candice Lim's Perspective

Candice Lim shares her initial skepticism but ultimately finds comfort and charm in the film:

Candice Lim [03:11]: "I walked in with really low expectations for this movie. I'm sorry, guys, but I found this movie quite comforting and charming."

She appreciates the lighter tone compared to the 1937 version, highlighting Rachel Zegler's portrayal of Snow White as a strong character reminiscent of Mandy Moore's vocal style in Tangled. Candice also notes the addition of backstory for Snow White, providing more depth to her character.

Shar Josel's Insights

Shar Josel expresses a mixed reaction, enjoying certain aspects while criticizing others:

Shar Josel [04:13]: "I was on the fence about this film. I thought Rachel did a great job as Snow White... Dopey was the star of this film. He really tugged at my heartstrings."

However, Shar critiques the film's visual quality, describing it as feeling "cheap" with subpar lighting and CGI effects that fall into the uncanny valley. She also voices disappointment in Gal Gadot's portrayal of the Evil Queen, feeling that the character remains one-dimensional.

Aisha Harris's Analysis

Aisha Harris offers a nuanced critique, focusing on production design and musical choices:

Aisha Harris [06:03]: "The scene where Snow White vanishes into the forest echoed the original animation but introduced a cool, elevated aesthetic with red neon lights, giving it a 'Hot Topic' vibe."

She criticizes the new songs composed by Pasek and Paul for their contemporary musical theater feel, which she feels doesn't blend well with the classic Disney tunes. Aisha also discusses the film's missed opportunities in character development and thematic depth, particularly regarding the portrayal of beauty and the Evil Queen's motivations.

Stephen Thompson's Commentary

Stephen Thompson highlights the technical aspects and overall feel of the remake:

Stephen Thompson [08:03]: "Interestingly, the strongest element of this film were the new songs."

He points out the dissonance between the CGI dwarfs and live-action leads, making the visual experience distracting. Stephen also reflects on the film's adherence to the original plot without substantial character development or emotional depth, describing it as a technically proficient yet heartless remake.

Discussion on Themes and Adaptation Choices

The panel delves into the thematic elements of the film, particularly the portrayal of beauty and envy:

Aisha Harris [16:00]: "It would have been really interesting to see them really lean into that and do something a little bit more observational. A 'Mean Girls' type of thing where this is a real thing."

They critique the simplistic association of beauty with malice, arguing that the film perpetuates outdated tropes without offering a fresh perspective. Additionally, the hosts discuss the lack of backstory for the Evil Queen, making her motivations seem shallow and unconvincing.

Critiques on Representation and Messages

The discussion touches on representation issues, notably the casting of Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot:

Shar Josel [15:39]: "Beautiful women can be haters as well. There is a way that could have been written and translated for the babies watching the film that wouldn't have been so obtuse."

Candice Lim raises concerns about the film's message regarding beauty standards:

Candice Lim [12:38]: "I'm like, okay, what do we really mean by 'fairest of them all'? Let's get into it."

The panel argues that the film fails to modernize its themes effectively, instead reinforcing superficial ideals without meaningful critique or evolution.

The Panel's Consensus and Final Thoughts

While acknowledging certain positive elements, such as Rachel Zegler's performance and the nostalgic homage to the original animation, the panel largely criticizes the film for lacking depth, innovative storytelling, and cohesive visual execution. They conclude that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs feels like a technically accomplished but emotionally disengaged remake that doesn't elevate the source material.

What's Making Us Happy This Week

Shifting gears, the hosts share the things that brought joy to their week:

Candice Lim

Candice celebrates the release of Haim's new song:

Candice Lim [21:47]: "What's making me happy is 'Relationships' by Haim. It's a perfect summer vibe with driving beats and catchy choruses."

Shar Josel

Shar shares her newfound enjoyment of the soap opera Beyond the Gates and praises The Weeknd View for its engaging pop culture discussions on Saturday mornings:

Shar Josel [23:07]: "I'm enjoying 'Beyond the Gates' and 'The Weeknd View.' They're so camp and ridiculous that I can't look away."

Aisha Harris

Aisha highlights the rediscovery of the 1998 film Naked Acts, praising its exploration of Black female sexuality and artistic integrity:

Aisha Harris [24:06]: "I highly recommend 'Naked Acts.' It's a special and different film that explores Black female sexuality, friendship, and more."

Stephen Thompson

Stephen promotes Annie DeRusso's new album Super Pedestrian, lauding its blend of big guitars, catchy hooks, and relatable themes:

Stephen Thompson [25:17]: "Annie DeRusso's Super Pedestrian is perfect for spring and summer. 'Back in Town' is an anthem you’ll want to crank up your windows for."

Conclusion

Pop Culture Happy Hour provides a comprehensive and engaging analysis of Disney's latest Snow White remake, balancing critical perspectives with personal insights from each host. The episode not only scrutinizes the film's artistic and thematic choices but also celebrates diverse elements of pop culture that bring happiness to the hosts' lives.

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Notable Quotes:

• Candice Lim [03:11]: "I walked in with really low expectations for this movie. I'm sorry, guys, but I found this movie quite comforting and charming."
• Shar Josel [04:13]: "Dopey was the star of this film. He really tugged at my heartstrings."
• Aisha Harris [06:03]: "The scene where Snow White vanishes into the forest echoed the original animation but introduced a cool, elevated aesthetic with red neon lights."
• Stephen Thompson [08:03]: "Interestingly, the strongest element of this film were the new songs."

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For more discussions and recommendations, visit NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour.

Transcript

[Steve Coogan]

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[Stephen Thompson]

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Disney's first fully animated feature film all the way back in 1937. Now it's getting a high tech reimagining, complete with new songs set, seven CGI rendered dwarfs and live action leads. Rachel Zegler stars as Snow White while Gal Gadot plays the evil queen with a magic mirror and terrible intentions. I'm Stephen Thompson. Joining me today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour is my co host Aisha Harris. Hey Aisha.

[Aisha Harris]

Hello Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

Also with us is co host of Slate's icymi podcast and former Pop Culture Happy Hour producer Candice Lim. Hey Candice.

[Candice Lim]

Hello.

[Stephen Thompson]

And rounding out the panel is entertainment journalist and contributor Shar Josel. Welcome back, Char.

[Shar Josel]

Hi Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is a pleasure to have you all here. So for those who've somehow missed the boat on Snow White until now, it's the story of a virtuous princess whose life is upended when her mother dies and her father, the king, marries a wicked stepmother. Soon enough, jealousy compels the evil queen to order a hit on Snow White, who flees and finds assistance from seven conical dwarfs. You've got your magic mirror, you've got your hi ho. You've got your flopsy haired Disney rogue who may just double as a love interest for our princess, who may just be the fairest of them all. All in the spirit of so many Disney remakes, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Dumbo and others. This new Snow White resides in an uncanny valley between animation and photo realism. But the story remains much the same, albeit with a generous assortment of new songs.

[Candice Lim]

Is she a part of me? I've had to hide, wondering will she appear or will I spend another year waiting on a wish?

[Stephen Thompson]

The new Snow White is in theaters now. Candace Lim, I'm gonna start with you. What did you think of this new iteration of Snow White?

[Candice Lim]

Yeah, so I walked in. Really low expectations for this movie. I'm sorry, guys, but I found this movie quite comforting and charming. I know.

[Stephen Thompson]

I apologize for enjoying myself.

[Candice Lim]

I know. So here's my thing. I love the 1937 film. I remember as a kid watching it all the time, but I always found it very scary. Like the mirror and the branches when they're grabbing at Snow White, I just always found it very dark. And this one, I felt was very light in contrast. And I like that we get some backstory on what Snow White's life looked like before the Evil Queen came into her life. I thought that Rachel Zegler was good. I kind of think she brings, like, a strength to Snow White that I don't remember from the 1937 film. And I think this film reminded me a lot of Tangled just because it was bright. And Rachel has, like, a Mandy Moreness to her voice in some of her songs. And then Jonathan, who's kind of her love interest, played by Andrew Burnap, you know, Flynn Rider coated leather vest Duets. And so I was kind of into it. But I'm curious to hear what you guys think.

[Shar Josel]

I was on the fence about this film. I also walked in. I didn't really have much expectation, but I have to remind myself throughout watching this that this is a children's film. Okay. This is not made for me. I thought that Rachel did a great job as Snow White. I would consider this a musical, and I enjoy musicals. There was literally the 30 seconds of dialogue and then yet another song. I thought that Dopey was the star of this film. He really tugged at my heartstrings. When he cried, I cried. When he was happy, I was happy. Other than that, this seemed like one of the cheaper Disney films. It just seemed just the background and the way things were illustrated. It felt cheap to me, like some of the lighting cues, just even watching this on the screen. And so I wasn't necessarily a fan of the film as a whole. And I thought that Gal's performance as the Evil Queen was not good. I wasn't buying it. She sounded great when she was singing.

[Steve Coogan]

All is Fair when you wear the.

[Shar Josel]

Crown to be the queen means you do as you please. But I did not enjoy her performance as the Evil Queen. I think it might not be fair to her because I was walking in kind of like anticipating like an Angelina Jolie maleficent type performance, but that's just not in Gal's wheelhouse to bring out that type of performance. So, yeah, I think the kids will love it. The best part was Snow White going to the forest, like, you know, being banished from the kingdom. I loved those effects when. When she was like going into the forest and going to the seven Dwarfs house. But other than that, the five year olds will love it.

[Aisha Harris]

Char, I'm trying not to repeat too much of what you said because I am actually on board with pretty much everything you said.

[Stephen Thompson]

I will say Candace, on the other.

[Candice Lim]

Hand, I know I have to be the supporter here. It's crazy. But please continue.

[Aisha Harris]

Look, I love that we have a range of views. Sure. If I had one good thing to say about this movie, it is that scene where Snow White is vanished into the forest. That one seemed like it was echoing the original animation of the scene from the 1937 version. But it also looked kind of cool. And I wish that the production design had been more like that. Like, it was very dark and kind of black, but then you have like these red neon lights and it gives this very kind of like, I don't know, Hot Topic, but like elevated Hot Topic, like, you know, aesthetic to it.

[Shar Josel]

The store.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes, like the store, like, it had that sort of like artistic.

[Candice Lim]

It was a little Alice in Wonderland to me. When she falls through the hole, hits the water.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes, that too. That too. I wanted a little bit more of that. And the rest of the movie is so kind of like weirdly washed out in these sort of like gray, harsh tones. And so it takes away from that. But besides that, like, I did think overall that like the music was lacking. This is one of the live action. They're calling it a reimagining. So it's. It's not. I. I will say it is not like a shot for shot, nearly shot for shot remake, where it's like you're not doing anything completely different with this film. They did add several new songs, but my problem with these new songs, which were done by the songwriting duo Pasek and Paul, who have also done Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land Shows and movies, I'm not a fan of either EGOT winners. Okay, but like, the problem with these new songs, as we heard at the top, is that they all kind of have this, like, very contemporary musical theater vibe that we are so used to now. And that does not add anything new to the canon. And when you put those up against, like, hi Ho and Whistle While youe Work, I wanted them to at least try to make the song sound a little bit like more period, like, of a different era than of the contemporary. The blending was not working for me. That's all I'll say for now. Steven, I wanna hear what you think about this.

[Stephen Thompson]

I mean, interestingly, the element of this film I felt was the strongest were the new songs.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, I love this. We're all over the place. It's great.

[Stephen Thompson]

We are all over the place. Because, honestly, part of it is like, I'm not a big Snow White guy.

[Candice Lim]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

When I go back and watch that 1937 film and the first song is that I'm wishing for the one I love.

[Candice Lim]

I know.

[Aisha Harris]

Classic, classic.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's so quaint and twee and slow. I don't necessarily feel like a deep connection to it. It is also part of Disney's bizarre campaign against step parents, which I have never been down with, even before I came to rely on one. But I felt like Pasek and Paul. I mean, they're definitely bringing musical theater vibes. If you want somebody who's going to be able to emulate kind of that classic Disney vibe, I think they do it well. And what I like about their songs, honestly, is that most of them do not involve the seven dwarfs. Before the film came out, actor Peter Dinklage criticized Disney for revisiting this story because of the backwards portrayal of dwarfs in the original source material. And Disney said that they consulted with members of the dwarfism community as part of its production process. And the dwarfs here are cgi. And I found this presentation in this film to just be so off putting that cruddy Uncanny Valley. Polar Express. CGI slop animation.

[Shar Josel]

Polar Express.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is so distracting. Even dopey, as Char said, like, dopey is giving you so much emotion. There's so much in the eyes. And that character is just like a Precious Moments figurine come to life.

[Aisha Harris]

Oh, my God. I was thinking more of the MAD magazine kid. That's what he kind of looked like to me.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, definitely some Alfred E. Newman.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

If Alfred E. Newman was trying to make you cry, that's dopey. But I found that animation and the weird kind of Uncanny Valley, whenever they are appearing on the same screen as, like, Rachel Zegler, it. It all just clanks. It didn't work. For me at all. And I think in general, these Disney reimaginings always feel like they are cover versions that are made with great technical skill and no heart. They're never horrible, but they're never elevated. They never do more than just kind of remix existing properties. And so for me, this film falls right in the middle on that. I think Rachel Zegler is fine in it. I think Gal Gadot kind of works within her limitations a little bit. The Evil Queen is such a one dimensional character. Like, the Evil Queen comes in as.

[Shar Josel]

Like, too evil, but she has to be believable.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, right.

[Aisha Harris]

I walked away from it saying, like, Gaga would have killed this.

[Candice Lim]

Like Gaga with the song.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes. Gaga would have made that song like an actually, like, memorable song. She would have brought the menace, the flair, the dramatique. Gal Gadot does not bring any of that. And frankly, she's never brought any of that to any role. So I was kind of shocked that she was even cast in this.

[Shar Josel]

You know, her performance was my least favorite. And I should also mention now embracing that this is a reimagining. I felt like Disney missed an opportunity to really lean into Snow White's mom and get away from the trope. You know, how everyone is just all about dad. And because we saw her backstory and mom was so heavily involved within the first part of the movie, I thought it was interesting that the new songs focus so much on the father. And I get that the Evil Queen comes in and sends the father off and he never comes back home. And, you know, the emphasis on the necklace and et cetera, et cetera. But that was a missed opportunity to kind of reimagine and really lean into the strengths and the example that the mother set. Yeah, but that wouldn't be Disney if they did, right?

[Candice Lim]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm kind of in the same page with you guys of, like, I did find things I wish they had updated. The first one being the fairest of them all. Okay. As a concept, we are almost 90 years after the 1937 film. I still do not know what they mean by that.

[Shar Josel]

Well, I thought they meant complexion.

[Aisha Harris]

It used to mean complexion, but now, as we know, they've changed the origin of Snow White here.

[Candice Lim]

Yes, exactly. And so for Rachel Zegler to not only get so much criticism for the fact that she identifies as Columbia and the fact that she's cast in this, I was like, okay, what do we really mean by fairest of them all? Let's get into it. But the second thing is that I'm a Little surprised that they kind of kept this idea that the evil queen is weaponizing beauty as a symbol of evil. I feel like if I was a child watching this, I would just kind of immediately go like, okay, so beauty is equal to fairness, which is equal to maliciousness. And I just don't know if that's really the message that we needed to see in this film. In terms of things that I remember from this film, if we're talking about music, the one song I did like was Princess Problems, which I thought was kind of cute and fun.

[Shar Josel]

That one was cute.

[Stephen Thompson]

Now we got a classic case of princess problems. The cast is cozy, but it's cold outside.

[Candice Lim]

Sure. Just write them off as princess problems and saying selfish is justified.

[NPR Sponsor]

That was harsh.

[Candice Lim]

I mean, also, like, we haven't even talked about the fact that in the original film it is the prince who's her love interest. And this guy, not a nuppo baby. He is indeed a bandit. And he just kind of like, scrub. Yeah, yeah. And he just like comes out of nowhere and he's like, hey, I have nothing to offer but, like hair. And I'm discount KJ Apa. And I'm like, okay, sure, yeah. Woo.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, I mean, he's more Aladdin coded. He's a little more like the lovable rogue.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I guess, like, what I bump up against with the idea of like, updating the story and this is a problem I've seen with a lot of the live action remakes, is that each one is trying to sort of like, correct for mistakes that the past movies made that they're being remade for. So with the Aladdin remake. Oof. The awful remake. Aladdin remake.

[Shar Josel]

No, that was terrible.

[Aisha Harris]

Unforgivable.

[Shar Josel]

I was looking forward to seeing Will is the Genie. And it was just terrible. It was terrible.

[Aisha Harris]

It was terrible. It was worse than this. And in that movie, they tried to give Jasmine, like, a song called Speechless, which is basically the I Want song in this movie. Just like very generic, like, I'm gonna build to this crescendo. I'm the princess, blah, blah, blah. But they're trying to make it so that, like, Jasmine has more beyond. It's like a female empowerment song. It's supposed to be. And my problem with all of these reimaginings is that they put on the most bland, generic version of this. We're gonna make sure the audience knows and we signal that this is a girl who has power, she's fierce, she does all these things. But then, like, there's nothing interesting about the character beyond the fact that she's supposed to be strong and kind and courageous. And I want her to have just, like, a weird quirk or something, like, something more. And this Snow White, just like the Jasmine. Like, even Belle at least was, like, into books. Like, at least she had like, something.

[Candice Lim]

She had hobbies.

[Shar Josel]

And Ariel had more dimension to her.

[Aisha Harris]

As well, a little bit. Like, there was more going on. But, like, if you're gonna give me a less quote, unquote, problematic version of this character than what we grew up seeing, give her a little bit more personality, give her a little bit more sass.

[Shar Josel]

And I'd also say really quickly to Candace's earlier point around the politics of beauty. It's so subjective, because Gal's a very beautiful woman.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Shar Josel]

Rachel is as well. But to have Gal positioned in a way who's a very beautiful woman, to be envious of Snow White, optically, it's not gonna make sense to some people because she's a very stunning woman.

[Aisha Harris]

It would have been really interesting to see them really lean into that and do something a little bit more observational. A Mean girls type of thing where it's like, this is a real thing. Like, we can't pretend that there isn't. Like, the patriarchy hasn't set us up for women hating each other just because of what they look like, even though they themselves like. So that's an interesting concept. Is it a dated concept? Maybe. But there's a way to update it that this movie just doesn't want to touch.

[Shar Josel]

There is a way to update it. Absolutely. There would been a clever way. Because I also should clarify that beautiful women can be haters as well. You know, like, you know, I'm not saying that just because you're beautiful that you're just a bu. No, beautiful women can absolutely be haters out to get you as well. And there is a way that that could have been written and translated for the babies watching the film that wouldn't have been so obtuse as we saw unfold on screen.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, I mean, I think one thing we're kind of ultimately talking about here is that they're trying to build out this movie on top of a pretty rickety frame. I'm not, like, here to say, like, Snow White sucks, But, like, the 1937 film is a pretty slight plot.

[Aisha Harris]

It's very short.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's a very short film. There's no meat on the bones of the romance involved. The I Want song in the original Snow White is I'm wishing for the one I love. And then it's like a man shows up and I'm like, it's him.

[Shar Josel]

If only it were that easy.

[Stephen Thompson]

Exactly. And the Evil Queen has no particular arc or backstory. And in this film as well, like, we are just told, like, she is motivated by the fact that she is evil. So the film doesn't really get any more complex than the original. It adds quite a bit to the runtime. But it's adding that in the form of songs and not necessarily in terms of character development.

[Shar Josel]

I wish that we would have gotten just a little bit more backstory to the Evil Queen. Why is she the only one in the land with magic powers?

[Candice Lim]

Yeah.

[Shar Josel]

If that exists in this realm, why is she the only one? And then on top of that, why is she sending someone to kill Snow White when she could snap her fingers and do it herself?

[Candice Lim]

I have to say, guys, I really feel like this film, you kind of have to walk into it expecting nothing, and maybe you'll get something out of it. But I will say I personally walked out thinking about how this film I felt was anti PTO because it was about what happens when you, a king, leave your job for a day. Not good. And then I also felt like it was very pro Airbnb because there's a part where, like, I think it's Grumpy. He's kind of like, I can't believe Snow White is staying here longer than her checkout date or whatever. And she's like, oh, it's fine, I'll clean. And I was like, ah, ah, no, we're not. This whole, like, idea of, like, clean will fix my problems with housing. No, that's what I've been thinking about since.

[Aisha Harris]

Okay, to be fair, she does enlist the help of the rest of the dwarfs. It's not like she's doing it all by herself.

[Candice Lim]

She's teaching them, and they created the mess. And we haven't even talked about Dopey.

[Aisha Harris]

What?

[Candice Lim]

His real asset is pretty privilege. Uh oh, we're not having that conversation.

[Aisha Harris]

The rest of them are all like, they look, they're 200, and however old.

[Candice Lim]

They'Re supposed to be, they are like 200 plus years old.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But then he's like. He's looking like he's the Mad magazine kid.

[Shar Josel]

And they don't get pts because they were high hoeing to work every day.

[Candice Lim]

I mean, we didn't even talk about the fact that their alleged job is that they. What? Mine? Jewels in the mine.

[Shar Josel]

Why?

[Candice Lim]

Who is their boss?

[Shar Josel]

The Queen Obviously, you saw how she was decked out in all her regalia and her jewelry.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, they're, they're gathering jewels for the.

[Candice Lim]

Queen, which, by the way, Char, when you mentioned cheap, the first thing I thought about is I did think the evil queen's outfits were very Claire's coded to me. I heard every plastic jewel hit against Claire's Hot Topic.

[Aisha Harris]

We're hitting all the mall stories in this.

[Stephen Thompson]

All right, well, we want to know what you think about Snow White. 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?

[NPR Sponsor]

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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? Candace lim, I'm gonna start with you, buddy.

[Candice Lim]

Yeah. So what's Making me happy is the new song from Haim. It's called Relationships. This Song is so driving down the pch, windows down, iced latte in one hand, coated. And I feel like a lot of the pop culture I'm very attracted to right now is like. Like, summer Coded. I'm watching Summer House. I'm binging the summer. I turn pretty. It's really obvious. I am yearning for the sun. And this kind of completes the trifecta. And I think, like, if there are recession indicators, okay. I think time coming out with new music is a vibe. Decatur, because we're so back, you know, apparently they've been working on this song for, like, seven years. And I think every time I listen to this song, it takes me back to the last time I listened to Summer Girl, one of my favorite songs from them. And this song is kind of like, letting you know of, like, this is an indicator of what's to come on their next album. Therefore, I am now motivated to get through this year. And so what's making me happy is Relationships by Haim. Let's hear a little bit of it.

[Aisha Harris]

Love it. So good.

[Stephen Thompson]

Nice. Great pick. Thank you so much. Candace Lim. Char Josel, what's making you happy this week?

[Shar Josel]

So I'm gonna be really, really quick because I do have two that I struggled wrestling with, the first of which is beyond the Gates on cbs. I have never been a soap opera girl. That's just not been my steez. But I started watching this one, I guess, because when I was little and watching soap operas, you know, at the babysitter's house, I never saw it from its inception. It didn't relate to me. But this is so camp, it is so ridiculous that I'm like, I can't look away. It's so good. So beyond the Gates. And I'll also say the Weeknd View, which is a Saturday installation of the View on abc. And they're talking all pop culture, and I kind of miss that. And so it's this panel of women, as we know, you know, Joy, Sarah, Sunny, et cetera, et cetera. Alyssa. They're talking pop culture. They're talking sex. They're talking. And I'm like, I'm enjoying this on Saturday morning. So the Weekend View and Beyond the Gates.

[Stephen Thompson]

Nice.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

I love it. Thank you, Char. Aisha Harris, what's making you happy this week?

[Aisha Harris]

A film that is quite the opposite of the movie we were just talking about. Naked Acts, which was written and directed by Bridget M. Davis. This is a 1998 film, and it stars Jake Ann Jones as a black aspiring actress who's cast in this indie art film, but she's upset when she learns that it requires a nude scene. And this is a movie that explores Black female sexuality, artistic integrity, friendship, mother daughter relationships. It had a very limited and short release in 1998. It was still critically acclaimed, but it kind of just like fell off. And it's recently had a resurgence in the last year thanks to Maya S. Cade, who is the creator and curator of the Black Film Archive and is also currently a scholar in residence at the Library of Congress. She's been a champion of this film and it got a release in like lim and it also got a release on Kino Lorber as a dvd. And you can now rent it wherever you can rent your stuff. So I highly recommend checking it out. Also features a great performance by the late Ron Cephas Jones. It's just very special and different and unlike any movie I've ever seen before. And that is Naked Axe, directed and written by Bridget M. Davis.

[Stephen Thompson]

Nice. Thank you. Aisha Harris. Well, I'm gonna take us back to what Candace was talking about. I'm talking about spring and summer jams and I have 2025's first album of perfect spring and summer jams. It is called Super Pedestrian and it's by a wonderful Nashville singer songwriter named Annie DeRusso. This album has everything I love. Big guitars, catchy choruses, songs about boredom and terrible love, hooks piled on top of hooks. AISHA Harris, I think you're gonna like this record. It's joyous, it's funny, it's catchy, it's strange. If you are in a position to throw open a window and just crank st something, I highly encourage you to make it super pedestrian, perhaps beginning with this perfect anthem called Back in Town.

[Candice Lim]

Just Waiting Around.

[NPR Sponsor]

But give me a call when you're back in town.

[Aisha Harris]

Is it 1995? Is it? I love, I love it. I love it. I love it.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is an amalgamation of so many things that I think you, Aisha, particularly love.

[Aisha Harris]

That sounds right up my alley.

[Stephen Thompson]

The whole record is fantastic. That's Annie Derusso and her new album, Super Pedestrian. That is what is making me happy this week. If you want links for what we recommended plus some more recommendations, sign up for our [e-mail] pop culture newsletter that brings us to the end of our show. Candice Lim. Char Jacel Aisha Harris, thanks so much for being here.

[Candice Lim]

Thank you. Thank you.

[NPR Sponsor]

Thank you.

[Stephen Thompson]

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

[Steve Coogan]

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