WMOT - Site Search

In A Fragmented Cultureverse, Can Pop References Still Pop?

In film and TV, pop culture references are meant to give a knowing nod to those in the audience who understand the joke. But in an increasingly segmented and diverse country, those jokes may be pulling in fewer laughs.

At 24, Silas Hansen left his birth name, Lindsay, behind.

The Prickly Process Of Changing Your Name

Names are possessions that we carry with us all our lives. But we seldom think about what goes into choosing the right one. At 24, Silas Hansen decided to change his birth name — Lindsay — as he told his family and friends that he's transgender.

<em>Parrotfishe</em> is one of James Prosek's "hybrid paintings." Created in 2005, the image is a "commentary on how we name nature. This creature, a parrotfish, became its name in protest of being named."

A Young Artist Finds Solace In Creatures Of The Sea And Sky

Long before James Prosek became a world-famous artist and naturalist, he was a kid who used art as a way to work through the ups and downs of childhood. "When I went into the woods, it was the first time that I felt like something was mine," he says.

Hanukkah Lights 2012

Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz bring four generation-spanning Hanukkah stories to life.

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele cooperate to impersonate President Obama in Comedy Central's <em>Key and Peele</em>.

Impersonating The President: From Will Rogers To Obama's 'Anger Translator'

Elizabeth Blair finds that presidential impersonations came and went and then came back again, but it's not always easy to find just the right angle on a sitting president — or a challenger.

Four U.S. soldiers, runners for the 315th Infantry, pose in France in November 1918. The troops reportedly carried official orders to Lt. Col. Bunt near Etraye, France, shortly before noon, Nov. 11, 1918, announcing that the armistice had been signed, thereby ending World War I.

WWI Poetry: On Veterans Day, The Words Of War

Veterans Day — originally Armistice Day — was renamed in 1954 to include veterans who had fought in all wars. But the day of remembrance has its roots in World War I — Nov. 11, 1918 was the day the guns fell silent at the end of the Great War.

Rep. Paul Ryan has made changes to social safety net programs like Medicare and Social Security — often called "entitlements" — a key part of his political agenda.

With Ryan's Ascent, A Few Thoughts On 'Entitlement'

The Republican vice presidential pick wants to take another look at programs like Medicare and Social Security. Fresh Air's resident linguist parses the word "entitlement" in its political and nonpolitical contexts.

Five years after suing <em>Newsweek,</em> Lynn Povich became the magazine's first female senior editor. Povich writes that her then-colleague Oz Elliott (right) was one of the first to say, "God, weren't we awful?"

Tina Brown's Must Reads: The Modern Woman

The Daily Beast and Newsweek editor explores the changing role of women with recommendations that cover a groundbreaking gender discrimination lawsuit against Newsweek, a stay-at-home wife's rise through the professional ranks and the meaning behind a mother's profile picture.

Author and Spokane Indian Sherman Alexie won the American Book Award in 1996 for <em>Reservation Blues</em>.

Watch This: Native American Author Sherman Alexie

The author and poet is known for his perspective on being a Native American in contemporary culture. Alexie shares his recommendations for YouTube videos, movies and TV shows, including iconic Olympic moments, raunchy British teens and an Eastwood Western.

The Olympic Flame is lit during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium.

The Opening Ceremonies In London: From The Industrial Revolution To Voldemort

The London Olympics opened Friday with a ceremony that was full of spectacle and pride and, unfortunately, some not-so-good television commentary.

Search results for