MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Arts & Culture Stories from NPR

• A new 'Great British Bake Off' episode stereotypes Mexican culture, viewers say
  While 'The Great British Bake Off' is beloved by many, their latest "Mexican Week" episode has left a sour taste in many viewer's mouths.
• Alec Baldwin reaches a settlement in the 'Rust' wrongful death lawsuit
  The family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer killed on the "Rust" movie set last year, and Alec Baldwin have reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit.
• Hans Niemann is accused of cheating in more than 100 chess games. He's playing today
  Niemann, a grandmaster, is slated to compete in the U.S. Chess Championships tournament that began Wednesday in St. Louis.
• Halyna Hutchins' family settles with Alec Baldwin over cinematographer's death
  Under the settlement, which is subject to court approval, the filming of Rust will continue with the "original principal players on board" and Hutchins' husband will serve as executive producer.
• Brad Pitt choked and hit his children, Angelina Jolie says in a court filing
  Jolie alleges that on a 2016 flight, Pitt hit and poured alcohol on both her and their children. She filed for divorce soon after, and the couple is still battling over assets and custody of the kids.
• Working in theater is a grind. But it doesn't have to be
  The hours are long and the pay isn't great. But one theater in Baltimore is trying to rethink its labor practices to make theater a better workplace.
• Fans cheer as Velma is shown crushing on a woman in the new Scooby-Doo movie
  Fans have been theorizing for years, but now clips from the new movie Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! appear to confirm it — Velma Dinkley is attracted to women.
• Celeste Ng's powerful new dystopian novel reflects our headlines back to us
  Our Missing Hearts imagines a world of governmental cruelty — and the armies of citizens who both facilitate and resist. It's a masterful work that epitomizes the possibilities of storytelling.
• Rachel Bloom looks back on 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,' and moves ahead on 'Reboot'
  Bloom talks about writing songs for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and losing her musical collaborator Adam Schlesinger, who died from COVID-19 complications in March 2020. She stars in the Hulu series Reboot.
• Iconic Goodwill gets serious with a national online shop for thrifters
  Goodwillfinds launched Tuesday with roughly 100,000 items available online. The venture will help fund its community-based programs across the U.S. and increase donations and its customer base.