Because of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ drag has exploded. But what is often lost with all this drag we’re seeing on our televisions are the stories from small-town America, what’s really happening in cities that are sometimes overlooked and where, often, these “drag bans” are popping up. That’s where HBO Max’s ‘We’re Here’ comes in. ‘We’re Here’ shows drag superstars going to small cities to put on a drag show, but along the way stories are told that you rarely here. Stories about the struggles of being LGBT in America today, life in a small town, and how drag can be a force for good. Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott spoke with creators  Stephen Warren and Johnnie Ingram and director Peter LoGreco about the impact of ‘We’re Here,’ and two of the new hosts for this new season, Sasha Velour and Latrice Royale from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’  

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reality TV has changed the landscape of not only television, but also pop culture. Its impact can be felt in every aspect of our lives, and—as some would argue—its impact may have even led to the election of former President Donald Trump. That’s a huge impact. (Or should we say, ‘yuge.’) Considering this, what is the state of reality TV? Where are we at with shows like ‘Survivor,’ ‘The Real Housewives’ and ‘Traitors’? To discuss this, Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott invited reality TV expert Kate Casey on the latest episode. 

Listen to Kate’s podcast ‘Reality Life with Kate Casey’: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reality-life-with-kate-casey/id1154758766 

Subscribe to Kate’s ‘What to Watch’ newsletter: https://katecasey.substack.com/ 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’re a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, then this episode of the Parting Shot podcast is for you. Not only will Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott be chatting with the season 16 top three finalists Sapphira Cristál, Nymphia Wind and Plane Jane, he’ll also chat with Q and Tia Kofi, who was just recently crowned the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. the World. Sound off who you think will win RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 before the finale airs. 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

Sapphira Cristál - https://www.instagram.com/sapphiracristal 

Nymphia Wind - https://www.instagram.com/66wind99 

Plane Jane - https://www.instagram.com/the_planejane 

Q - https://www.instagram.com/living4q 

Tia Kofi - https://www.instagram.com/tiakofi 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Penn and Kim Holderness are widely celebrated for their entertaining viral parody videos (singing included!) on topics ranging from parenting and helping kids with homework and masking up for the pandemic (to the tune of the Hamilton soundtrack) to “stupid” healthy habits and everything in between. Now, Penn and Kim are tackling a serious subject close to their hearts in their new book, ‘ADHD IS AWESOME.’ It’s a lively but informative dive into what the ADHD brain is and systems and strategies that neurodiverse people and their loved ones can use to make the most of their unique brain chemistry. In addition to so many practical tips, the book is as humorous as the Holderness Family videos are and reads like a love letter between Penn and Kim, modeling a relationship in which the partners value one another and work hard to strengthen those bonds. 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans singing the praises of ABC’s ‘Abbott Elementary,’ fear not, they’ve heard you. “We love to hear it,” says Chris Perfetti, who plays Jacob Hill on the Emmy-winning sitcom about teachers at a Philadelphia public school. As for the show’s success, “it’s everything I’ve dreamt of as an actor.” For Perfetti, finding how to play Jacob didn’t start with studying teachers. “At the end of the day, they’re just human beings and teaching is their job.” Now in its third season, Perfetti says you will be seeing a new side of Jacob, but not to worry, he “will by no means stop putting his foot in his mouth or tripping over his words or over furniture for that matter.” The show is the definition of an ensemble. “I feel like those moments where we can just pingpong off of each other and make up something new and try and make each other laugh, those moments are sweet.” And yes, “there is a blooper reel,” but no matter how hard this reporter tried, Perfetti wasn’t giving up who among the cast breaks the most. “They would kill me if I told you.”  

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Jew accidentally stumbles upon a gathering of white nationalists. For most, this would be a cause for concern, but for Alex Edelman it’s an opportunity for a hit one-man comedy show. “I always wanted to be a stand-up. I always thought that stand-up was the most fun, cool, delightful thing.” Edelman’s new HBO comedy special Just for Us (April 6) follows his successful Broadway run, where the comedian shares the impact this accidental meeting had on him. “I’d never want to be famous, but I’ve always wanted—and this feels grosser—but I’ve always wanted the respect of my peers.” And he’s gotten it, with many celebrities attending his sold-out shows. Edelman says his show is for everyone. “Judaism is a huge part of who I am. I’m very proud of it generally. But I perform for non-Jewish audiences. So being a public Jew, it’s put me in a position to speak to young Jews in a way that I wish I had been spoken to.” After six years of doing the show, Edelman is looking forward to other creative pursuits. “My brain is going to have to start gathering again.” 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If there’s one thing that’s true about Gillian Anderson, it’s that she isn’t afraid of a challenge. And that’s exactly what she’s doing in her new film, tackling the role of journalist Emily Maitlis in Netflix’s ‘Scoop’ (April 5), which documents the team behind the bombshell 2019 BBC interview with Prince Andrew over his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. For Anderson, who won an Emmy for playing Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Crown,’ she didn’t see it as another project about the royal family. “It wasn’t until afterwards when people started asking me that and I was like, ‘Really? Well, I didn’t even think about it.’” [laughs] What stood out to Anderson was the various portrayals of women involved in making the interview happen. “They are all incredibly powerful forces in their own rights, but also completely unique and different characters.” Anderson, whose legions of fans date back to her days on ‘The X-Files,’ is using that popularity to talk about women’s sexual health with her new energy drink line G Spot, targeted for women, but made for everybody. 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Comedy legend Jane Lynch stops by to talk with Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott about hosting ‘The Weakest Link,’ and she looks back at some her iconic performances in ‘Glee,’ ‘Best in Show,’ and ‘Only Murders in the Building.’ Honestly, the story she shares about Jennifer Coolidge is just everything.  

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Describing Ramy Youssef’s work isn’t easy, because the multi-hyphenated talent refuses to settle on just one thing. “I feel really inspired to connect in the way that it makes sense.” That started out with stand-up, but has since morphed into acting, writing, directing and producing. The New Jersey native’s next endeavor, right on the heels of his appearance in the Oscar-winning film ‘Poor Things,’ is a new stand-up special called ‘More Feelings.’ “I'm definitely living on a prayer, and that's probably the magic piece in this special, where it kind of feels like everything's just hanging by this really thin string.” The key to his material “taking time off” and “always looking for what allows it to feel like almost a weird, linear thought, but going into a lot of different things, but somehow it's kind of all one thought.” But when working on material, for Youssef, it doesn’t matter if it’s for stand-up, his Hulu series ‘Ramy,’ or Netflix’s ‘Mo’—which Youssef co-created—the process is what dictates his creativity. “Some ideas are just so good for stand-up and then some you want to put on TV. I've started to think of what ideas would really be best fit for film. I've been dabbling in how to take my first swing at that.” 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How much do we really know about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln? That’s a question Tobias Menzies hopes to answer in Apple TV+’s ‘Manhunt’ (March 15). “The thing that really struck me was the newness of the nation, that it wasn’t really all knitted together properly, it was still so raw.” Menzies plays Edwin Stanton, the U.S. Secretary of War under Lincoln, as he leads the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. As a Brit, Menzies says “it’s not without its trepidation to take on these important figures in your country’s history,” but that he hopes “to bring enough insight, and maybe some of that is about being an outsider.” The show, which leans “toward the conspiracy political, crime thriller sort of genre,” is also surprisingly timely. “The political and physical reality of the United States is a sort of a given now. It was interesting putting ourselves back into a world where that’s not a given ... and the danger is that the tide will significantly turn in a different direction if [Stanton] isn’t able to resist the forces that have committed that deed.” 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.