Michael and What's Making Us Happy

Michael and What's Making Us Happy

From Pop Culture Happy Hour by NPR

April 24, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the new biopic about Michael Jackson, focusing on his rise to fame and live performances while avoiding controversies.

Michael Jackson was one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, so it’s only natural that he’s the subject of a glossy, big-budget biopic. In Michael , the singer’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson portrays him in his rise to fame. The film leans heavily on the depiction of live performances, but steers entirely clear of the controversies that dogged the singer. Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Hosts: Michael, Other Hosts

Guest: Jaafar Jackson

Topics covered

  • biopic
  • music
  • pop culture
  • Michael Jackson
  • film
  • performances

Keywords

  • Michael Jackson
  • biopic
  • Jaafar Jackson
  • pop star
  • live performances
  • film

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

Books & works: Michael

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