Back in 2013, KQED Pop was born. A healthy little Aquarius with a purpose: to carve out an intersectional space in public media for Millennials and other pop-culture obsessives; to prove that there's a way to write about music, television, movies and the zeitgeist at large in a smart, fun and personal way; and to smash the elitist myth of "high art" and "low art" (a breakup song by Ariana Grande is just as worthy of discussion as a Virginia Woolf novel!).
Over the years, we've covered a lot of bases.
Do you remember when we reinvestigated Nipplegate and discovered that, geez, we really owe Janet Jackson a huge apology?
Nipplegate Revisited: Why America Owes Janet Jackson a Huge Apology
Fast forward 11 years, and it was Janet's turn to carry on the family legacy of slaying at America's most popular sporting event. She pretty much did that -- although we forget -- with live renditions of hits like "Rhythm Nation" and "All for You."
Or when we defended Kim Kardashian against very angry NPR fans?
Kim Kardashian Appears on 'Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me,' NPR Fans Go Postal
NPR and the Kardashians don't usually find themselves in the same sentence, but it happens. This blog has done its best to prove that one can talk about pop culture and "low art" in a smart, interesting way. And the producers behind the news quiz show Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!