Pop Culture | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/pop-culture/RSS feed for Pop CultureenFri, 15 May 2026 21:32:11 +0000Music From Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, Plus Dozens of Other 'Audio Treasures,' Added to National Recording Registryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/music-from-taylor-swift-and-beyonce-plus-dozens-of-other-audio-treasures-added-to-national-recording-registry-180988754/The 25 newest additions to the national playlist at the Library of Congress have been deemed "worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage"Fri, 15 May 2026 21:32:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/music-from-taylor-swift-and-beyonce-plus-dozens-of-other-audio-treasures-added-to-national-recording-registry-180988754/The Relaxation of Regularly Listening to Songs or Drawing Pictures May Actually Slow Cellular Aging, New Research Showshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-relaxation-of-listening-to-a-song-or-drawing-a-picture-may-actually-slow-cellular-aging-new-research-show-180988734/According to a new study, people who are exposed to art on a weekly basis are about a year younger "biologically" than those exposed only once or twice per yearWed, 13 May 2026 20:39:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-relaxation-of-listening-to-a-song-or-drawing-a-picture-may-actually-slow-cellular-aging-new-research-show-180988734/Jack Kirby Was a Kid From the Lower East Side Who Became the ‘King of Comics’ and Made Superhero Mythology. Now, New York City Has Named a Street After Himhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/jack-kirby-was-a-kid-from-the-lower-east-side-who-became-the-king-of-comics-and-made-superhero-mythology-now-new-york-city-has-named-a-street-after-him-180988700/The artist who co-created Captain America and other iconic characters is being honored in the neighborhood where he grew upThu, 07 May 2026 19:31:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/jack-kirby-was-a-kid-from-the-lower-east-side-who-became-the-king-of-comics-and-made-superhero-mythology-now-new-york-city-has-named-a-street-after-him-180988700/'Lord of the Flies' Comes to Television for the First Time in a New Miniseries. In the 1950s, the Now-Famous Novel Almost Never Got Publishedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-miniseries-brings-lord-of-the-flies-to-television-for-the-first-time-in-the-1950s-the-now-famous-novel-almost-never-got-published-180988684/Publishers rejected the original manuscript for "Lord of the Flies" many times, yet the story still sparks a buzz today. Author William Golding later won the Nobel Prize in LiteratureWed, 06 May 2026 14:07:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-miniseries-brings-lord-of-the-flies-to-television-for-the-first-time-in-the-1950s-the-now-famous-novel-almost-never-got-published-180988684/Walt Disney Visited a Ford Factory in 1948. What He Witnessed There Laid the Groundwork for What Would Become Disneylandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/walt-disney-visited-a-ford-factory-in-1948-what-he-witnessed-there-laid-the-groundwork-for-what-would-become-disneyland-180988551/A new book argues that the film producer's trip to the River Rouge plant in Michigan inspired him to embrace the power of automation when designing the first Disney theme parkMon, 27 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/walt-disney-visited-a-ford-factory-in-1948-what-he-witnessed-there-laid-the-groundwork-for-what-would-become-disneyland-180988551/Bob Dylan's Original Typewritten Draft Lyrics for 'I'm Not There' Have Been Rediscovered After More Than Half a Centuryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bob-dylans-original-typewritten-draft-lyrics-for-im-not-there-have-been-rediscovered-after-more-than-half-a-century-180988592/For decades, eager fans could only hear the obscure song on bootleg vinyl recordings. The draft lyrics, which were found inside a first-edition copy of Allen Ginsberg poetry, just sold at auction for $6,800Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bob-dylans-original-typewritten-draft-lyrics-for-im-not-there-have-been-rediscovered-after-more-than-half-a-century-180988592/The Spice Girls Changed Pop Forever in 1996. Thirty Years Later, Their Iconic Outfits Are on Display in a New Exhibition in Londonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spice-girls-changed-pop-forever-in-1996-thirty-years-later-their-iconic-outfits-are-on-display-in-a-new-exhibition-in-london-180988569/The Barbican Music Library is celebrating British pop culture with a show that features Mel B's leopard catsuit, Emma Bunton's blue dress and Geri Halliwell's Union Jack bootsMon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spice-girls-changed-pop-forever-in-1996-thirty-years-later-their-iconic-outfits-are-on-display-in-a-new-exhibition-in-london-180988569/The First LSD Trip Was a Literal Bicycle Ride 83 Years Ago. Fans of the Psychedelic Celebrate the Occasion Every April 19https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-lsd-trip-was-a-literal-bicycle-ride-83-years-ago-fans-of-the-psychedelic-celebrate-the-occasion-every-april-19-180988564/In 1943, a chemist in Switzerland synthesized a drug that alters consciousness. His discovery changed the study of medicine, psychiatry and biology—and became a central component of the counterculture movementFri, 17 Apr 2026 17:56:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-lsd-trip-was-a-literal-bicycle-ride-83-years-ago-fans-of-the-psychedelic-celebrate-the-occasion-every-april-19-180988564/In the 1990s, a Dog Taught Kids About Shakespeare and Homer. A New Documentary Tells the Tale of 'Wishbone'—From His Backflips to His Historical Hatshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-the-1990s-a-dog-taught-kids-about-shakespeare-and-homer-a-new-documentary-tells-the-tale-of-wishbone-from-his-backflips-to-his-historical-hats-180988552/The film reunites the human cast and crew who saw the potential of a Jack Russell terrier to bring classic literature to life on PBSThu, 16 Apr 2026 15:31:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-the-1990s-a-dog-taught-kids-about-shakespeare-and-homer-a-new-documentary-tells-the-tale-of-wishbone-from-his-backflips-to-his-historical-hats-180988552/On Major Music Release Days, Stay Extra Vigilant While Driving. Car Crash Deaths Seem to Spike When Top Artists Drop New Albumshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/on-major-music-release-days-stay-extra-vigilant-while-driving-car-crash-deaths-seem-to-spike-when-top-artists-drop-new-albums-180988541/A new study found a correlation between big album release days and traffic fatalities. While the research can't prove the new music caused the accidents, the work hints at a major distractor while drivingTue, 14 Apr 2026 14:37:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/on-major-music-release-days-stay-extra-vigilant-while-driving-car-crash-deaths-seem-to-spike-when-top-artists-drop-new-albums-180988541/This Fashion Designer Collaborated With Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau to Imagine Fabulous Surrealist Ensembleshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-surrealism-inspired-fashions-of-elsa-schiaparelli-take-the-spotlight-in-london-180988503/A new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum lays out the history and legacy of the House of Schiaparelli, focusing on its founder’s unique creative processesFri, 10 Apr 2026 13:33:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-surrealism-inspired-fashions-of-elsa-schiaparelli-take-the-spotlight-in-london-180988503/What's Inside America's Lost Luggage? These Travelers Abandoned a Samurai Sword, a Meteorite and a Robot With a Mysterious Purposehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-inside-americas-lost-luggage-these-travelers-abandoned-a-samurai-sword-a-meteorite-and-a-robot-with-a-mysterious-purpose-180988507/Unclaimed Baggage sells lost belongings at a 50,000-square-foot store in Alabama. An annual report explores how objects packed in 2025 reflect cultural trendsThu, 09 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-inside-americas-lost-luggage-these-travelers-abandoned-a-samurai-sword-a-meteorite-and-a-robot-with-a-mysterious-purpose-180988507/This C-3PO Head From 'The Empire Strikes Back' Just Sold for More Than $1 Million at Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-c-3po-head-from-the-empire-strikes-back-just-sold-for-more-than-1-million-at-auction-180988460/The 'Star Wars' prop was likely the only C-3PO head from the 1980 film to appear on the collector market. It features working light-up eyes, including one with the original wiringTue, 31 Mar 2026 20:23:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-c-3po-head-from-the-empire-strikes-back-just-sold-for-more-than-1-million-at-auction-180988460/'The Sopranos' Changed How Television Told Stories. These Scripts, Sketches and Set Designs Reveal What Made the Mob Drama So Thrillinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-sopranos-changed-how-television-told-stories-these-scripts-sketches-and-set-designs-reveal-what-made-the-mob-drama-so-thrilling-180988432/An exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York provides visitors with a behind-the-scenes look at the award-winning HBO showFri, 27 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-sopranos-changed-how-television-told-stories-these-scripts-sketches-and-set-designs-reveal-what-made-the-mob-drama-so-thrilling-180988432/A New Book of Toni Morrison's University Lectures, Now Collected for the First Time, Shares Some of the Legendary Novelist's Most Important Lessonshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/a-new-book-of-toni-morrisons-university-lectures-now-collected-for-the-first-time-shares-some-of-the-legendary-novelists-most-important-lessons-180988398/At Princeton, the author analyzed the depictions of Blackness in the works of canonical American authorsMon, 23 Mar 2026 16:45:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/a-new-book-of-toni-morrisons-university-lectures-now-collected-for-the-first-time-shares-some-of-the-legendary-novelists-most-important-lessons-180988398/Popular Lore Claims That William Howard Taft Got Stuck in a Bathtub. New Research Sheds Light on the Legend's Forgotten Originshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/popular-lore-claims-that-william-howard-taft-got-stuck-in-a-bathtub-new-research-sheds-light-on-the-legends-forgotten-origins-180988386/A long-overlooked 1929 account contains the earliest known reference to the anecdote, suggesting that the 27th president found himself trapped in a tub during a Mississippi River voyageMon, 23 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/popular-lore-claims-that-william-howard-taft-got-stuck-in-a-bathtub-new-research-sheds-light-on-the-legends-forgotten-origins-180988386/