Linda Holmes

Credit Chris Hartlove
for NPR

Linda Holmes writes and edits NPR's entertainment and pop-culture blog, Monkey See. She has several elaborate theories involving pop culture and monkeys, all of which are available on request.

Holmes began her professional life as an attorney. In time, however, her affection for writing, popular culture and the online universe eclipsed her legal ambitions. She shoved her law degree in the back of the closet, gave its living-room space to DVD sets of The Wire and never looked back.

Holmes was a writer and editor at Television Without Pity, where she recapped several hundred hours of programming — including both High School Musical movies, for which she did not receive hazard pay. Since 2003, she has been a contributor to MSNBC.com, where she has written about books, movies, television and pop-culture miscellany.

Holmes' work has also appeared on Vulture (New York magazine's entertainment blog), in TV Guide and in many, many legal documents.

Pages

Monkey See
9:47 am
Mon July 23, 2012

The Emmy Nominations: Broadcast Still Struggles, While We Are Wrong As Usual

Credit PBS
The cast of Downton Abbey, which cleaned up in the Emmy nominations this morning.

Originally published on Thu July 19, 2012 7:47 am

The Emmy nominations are in, and the topline news is as unsurprising as could be: Mad Men still huge! Modern Family still huge! Downton Abbey prestigious! Not exactly a bolt from the blue.

But on to what's really important: as usual, my Emmy predictions were horrible. So, in fairness, were a lot of other people's. But hey, the best we can do is look at our mistakes, so here are the biggest things I got wrong.

Read more
Monkey See
9:03 pm
Sat July 14, 2012

The Id, The Ego And The Superhero: What Makes Batman Tick?

Credit Ron Phillips / Warner Brothers Pictures
Christian Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight Rises.

Originally published on Sun July 15, 2012 8:11 am

When you look at Batman with a coldly analytical eye — and he's hard to avoid these days, with The Dark Knight Rises set to come out Friday — a few things stand out as potential red flags: the secrecy, the lair, the attraction to danger, the blithe self-sacrifice, the ... cape.

It's unusual, all of it, you have to admit. Sure, he's handy to have around in an emergency, and you can't beat a fella who can be summoned with a giant light in the sky in the event you've got no cellphone reception.

But is he entirely ... well?

Read more
Monkey See
10:03 pm
Sat June 16, 2012

Can Men And Women Be Friends?

Credit iStockphoto.com

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 6:41 am

It's a question that kicks around endlessly without resolution: Can men and women really be just friends? On Weekend Edition Sunday, NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Faith Salie and Mario Correa, hosts of WNYC's RelationShow, about this very topic.

Read more
Monkey See
3:08 am
Sat June 16, 2012

Explaining Muppet Theory: Are You An Ernie Or A Bert?

Credit Matthew Simmons / Getty Images
Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie in the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade. They even look like a clash between Order and Chaos, don't they?

Originally published on Sat June 16, 2012 11:22 am

Most of the time, Slate's Dahlia Lithwick covers the Supreme Court. She's been doing that for the last 13 years. But recently, you may have seen her name floating around in connection with the piece she recently wrote that she discusses with Scott Simon on Saturday's Weekend Edition.

Read more
Monkey See
1:11 am
Fri June 15, 2012

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Investigates The Space Science Of Summer Movies

Originally published on Fri June 15, 2012 7:56 am

If you make movies that have anything to do with science, please note: Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, pays attention.

Read more
Monkey See
3:43 am
Sat June 2, 2012

For Impressionist Jim Meskimen, The Voice Is 'A Sample Of Who We Are'

Credit Vince Bucci / Getty Images
Jim Meskimen arrives at the premiere of Frost/Nixon in November 2008.

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 8:50 pm

Monkey See
10:44 am
Fri June 1, 2012

John Edwards: Once More With (Or Without) Feeling, He Takes Full Responsibility

Credit Sara D. Davis / Getty Images
Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards addresses the media alongside his daughter Cate Edwards and his parents Wallace and Bobbie Edwards yesterday after the conclusion of his trial on campaign finance charges.

Yesterday, after being acquitted of one of six campaign finance fraud charges against him and seeing the jury deadlock on the other five, John Edwards held a brief press conference in which he said this:

Read more
Monkey See
5:58 am
Thu May 31, 2012

It's The Day Of The National Spelling Bee Finals, A.K.A. Know-Nothing Thursday!

Credit Mark Wilson / Getty Images
Kitty Shortt spells a word correctly during the third round of the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee yesterday.

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 8:39 am

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is down to the 50 semifinalists. Today at 10:00 Eastern, they'll compete in the semifinals (broadcast on ESPN2), and then tonight at 8:00, they'll hold the finals (broadcast on ESPN). You can also follow an online streaming version at ESPN online, but to be honest, it's an extremely cumbersome process that I haven't yet gotten to work for me.

Read more
Monkey See
1:03 pm
Fri May 25, 2012

'Route 66': A Country-Crisscrossing Series Comes To Home Video

Originally published on Fri May 25, 2012 2:24 pm

When you've seen a lot of movies where Toronto plays the part of New York, you come to appreciate location shooting. And on today's All Things Considered, you'll hear from the star of one of television's more ambitious series when it comes to location shooting: Route 66, which followed two guys around the country in a cool Corvette as they looked for a place to settle.

Read more
Monkey See
1:54 pm
Mon April 30, 2012

Can The Networks Ever Create Another Night Of 'Must-See TV'?

Originally published on Mon April 30, 2012 2:34 pm

Pages