All upcoming Popular Culture programs

Jazz has consistently defied efforts to capture its essence, milieu, dynamics, and quicksilver magic effectively in the mainstream medium of movies. Although cinema and jazz were born at roughly the same time, they have often appeared to be two art forms at odds with one another. In his exploration of jazz on screen, Tim A. Ryan, a professor at Northern Illinois University, surveys the genre’s film history and examines the inherent challenges filmmakers face when trying to dramatize the world of jazz.

Writer Virginia Woolf dismissed clothes as “vain trifles” but acknowledged that “they wear us and not we them.” The way we dress reflects our times, our sense of self, and our aspirations, says author Debra N. Mancoff. Mancoff reveals how clothing and fashion tell stories over time and across cultures.

Today, the popular 1989 Disney film ensures that most people think of “The Little Mermaid” as a tale of triumph. But in Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” fairy tale, which loosely inspired the movie, the mermaid fails to meet the terms of the sea witch’s bargain and dies. Folklorists Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman do a deep dive into “The Little Mermaid” fairy tale to discuss folkloric and literary tales that inspired it. They also explore how the story has been retold in contemporary times.

Walt Disney built a cultural empire rooted in imagination, optimism, and storytelling. Guided by this outlook, he and his Imagineers conceived something special: an architecture of reassurance in Disney theme parks. Former urban planner Sam Gennawey, author of Walt Disney and the Promise of Progress City, decodes Disney’s design DNA and reveals the techniques his team employed at Disneyland: eight design principles that usher guests on a journey through places that delight. Take a peek behind the curtain.

Bob Dylan arrived in New York City one winter morning in 1961. His music and spirit would go on to have a huge impact on popular music for decades. What hardly anyone knew then was that—like so many before him—Dylan was concealing his Jewish origins. He had been born Robert Allen Zimmerman to Jewish parents in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1941. Dylan’s instincts for escape and reinvention have helped shape his long career, says author Harry Freedman, who explores how Dylan’s musical decisions, genius for reinvention, and Jewish roots go hand in hand.

In addition to engaging drama, the popular TV series “Downton Abbey” offered a window into the social, political, and cultural life of a period that spans from the Edwardian era to the 1920s. Historian Julie Taddeo explores the show’s appeal—which goes deeper than its period fashions and lavish sets—to examine its historical accuracy and what it says about the 21st century, from the 2008 economic crash to Brexit to America's fascination with British royalty.

Fred Astaire was one of the 20th century’s greatest magicians: His sorcery depended on making some of the most complex dancing ever seen on the screen seem as effortless as breathing. Whether partnering with Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, or a hat rack—or dancing on the ceiling or on roller skates—he made it appear easy and elegant. Media historian Brian Rose surveys the sweep of Astaire’s remarkable career in a program illustrated with video clips.

A mere century ago, Martians were thought to be real, not fictional, creatures. Journalist David Baron draws on his new book, The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America, to examine this strange case of mass delusion. Although the Martians never were real, says Baron, the excitement about them was genuine and world-changing, since it sparked a new genre called science fiction and helped launch us into space—toward Mars.

Host of “The Great British Baking Show” Paul Hollywood comes from a long line of bakers, started baking as a teenager, and now can be seen on screens around the world, judging amateur bakers’ creations. Drawing on his new book, Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round, and decades of baking experience, Hollywood talks with Washington Post food and dining editor Joe Yonan about his career and recipes for every holiday and occasion.