Under the Radar with Callie Crossley

Rapper and business mogul Jay–Z has been booking the musical acts for the Super Bowl Halftime Show for 7 years. Next year, he’s booked himself to headline the pinnacle showcase of the NFL. How is this playing out with fans, especially after announcing the move during the 10-year anniversary of former NFL player and activist Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protest?

Plus, romantasy fans around the world celebrate the launch of Sarah J. Maas’ “A Court of Splintered Harmony,” artificial intelligence research company Anthropic is sued for allegedly using Elvis songs to train its AI agents, and British singer Raye wins a major award for her genre-bending album

It’s our pop culture news roundtable!

Guests

For four decades, Tom French climbed the proverbial career ladder, ascending to the top with great success. But as the 60-year-old faced his mandatory retirement, he realized he was ready to summit a different mountain by returning to the long-held dream of his youth: climbing Mt. Everest. How he made the decision and prepared for a journey few have dared to tackle is the riveting story of his new book that’s part adventure tale, part memoir and part outdoor travelogue. 

“The Gap Years: Climbing, Skiing, and the Journey Back” is our November selection for Bookmarked: the “Under the Radar” book club.

Guest

*This episode addresses the elements, practices and mechanics of sex both on- and off-screen, including details about intercourse, nonconsensual sex and sexual health.*

In last month's installment of "How We Love," we learn all about intimacy coordination with experts Lizzy Talbot ("Bridgerton," "Babygirl") and Robbie Taylor Hunt ("Red, White & Royal Blue," "Pillion.") For this special episode, we are joined by veteran intimacy coordinator Ita O'Brien, who has taught countless intimacy coordinators around the world and created the Intimacy On Set Guidelines. She is also the author of "Intimacy: A field guide to finding connection and feeling your deep desires." Ita tells us about her approach to intimacy coordination and the "body dance," her thoughts on how intimacy coordination has changed artistic performances for the better, and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the sex scenes on shows like "Normal People," "Sex Education" and "I May Destroy You."

Check out all the installments of "How We Love": https://www.wgbh.org/culture/series/how-we-love

This year marks one decade since Massachusetts voters made recreational cannabis for adults legal in the Commonwealth. In the last 10 years, the legal marijuana industry has taken off, with more than $10 billion in gross sales, about 18,000 jobs created, and nearly 3 million Bay State residents who reported using cannabis annually for a variety of reasons, including medicinally and recreationally. But there are also questions about the use and effects of cannabis on people like seniors — the fastest-growing population of marijuana users: Is there such a thing as cannabis overuse? How do we prevent potential harms to this particular age group and also its opposite: teens and young adults? With Question 8 on the November ballot, which would roll back legal cannabis in Massachusetts, we’re taking a closer look at cannabis use in youth and seniors with two local experts.

What’s scarier than no internet access? A time before the proliferation of cellphones, Wi-Fi and the magic of Google is at the heart of some of the buzziest media in recent years, including the critically acclaimed, “I Saw The TV Glow,” the experimental indie film “Skinamarink” and this year’s summer box-office hit “Backrooms,” alongside streaming shows like, “It: Welcome to Derry,” and reboots, remakes and sequels like “Scream 7.” They all fall into the category of nostalgia horror: a microgenre growing in popularity thanks to millennials and Gen Z.

The city of Chelsea may forgo its long-standing policy of guaranteed parking spots to boost new housing construction. A proposed update to the safe driving law would target motorists recording themselves while driving. And City Councilor John FitzGerald is leading a community fight to keep the Fields Corner Post Office open. It’s our local news roundtable!

Guests: Katie Lannan, editor at MASSterList; Mike Deehan, reporter at Axios; Jennifer Smith, senior reporter at Commonwealth Beacon and co-host of its weekly podcast, The Codcast. 

It’s the perpetual challenge: getting kids off their digital screens and out into the analog world. On its face, the nonprofit organization Girls on the Run is doing just that: encouraging girls to lace up their sneakers and get active while making new friends. But the program also includes lessons on empathy, setting goals, and building confidence in girls between the 3rd and 8th grades – essential topics for the age range when science has shown a sharp decline in girls’ belief in themselves. Coaches, participants and their parents tell us why they think Girls on the Runs is growing in popularity, what keeps them coming back year after year, and what its like to run a 5K in freezing rain!

Learn more about Girls on the Run of Greater Boston: girlsontherunboston.org

School policies around the country are zeroing in on trans students, a new report states that basic protections for queer people are now increasingly dependent on where the person lives, and it’s LGBTQ+ history month – a time to honor queer trailblazers! It's our LGBTQ+ news roundtable!

In her new book, poet, author and Mellon Foundation President Elizabeth Alexander invokes the power of poetry, history and truth to explore courage and love in these tumultuous times. We talk to her about what she says are “the questions poets ask.” Her latest book, “Signals Across Vast Distances: Essays and Tales,” is our October selection for Bookmarked: The "Under the Radar" Book Club. 

Asian American and Pacific Islanders – or AAPI – are the fastest-growing major racial and ethnic group in the United States. With more than 25 million Asian Americans living in the U.S. and the tremendous success of movies like “K-Pop Demon Hunters”; streaming shows like “The Summer I Turned Pretty”; the popularity of sports stars like Olympic skater Alyssa Liu and baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani; plus the worldwide fandom of bands like BTS, it’s surprising how little representation for Asian and AAPI stories there is on-screen. In a 2025 study by The Asian American Foundation, 37 percent of Americans said they couldn’t think of ONE film with an Asian American character. So what’s the status on Asian representation on the big and little screen?