This Week in Pop Culture: March 2 - 8, 2019

We've scoured this week's entertainment news and rounded up our favorite vocab words from the stories that everyone's buzzing about.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. analogue
    something similar or equivalent to something else
    She needs to open herself up to a bold new mode, and the film uses that transition as an analogue of her existence as a female superhero.
    - Variety (Mar 5, 2019)
    Captain Marvel opens at the movies this weekend, and early reviews are very positive. In this film, set in 1995, the layers of Captain Marvel’s origin story are slowly revealed to the audience as the character herself discovers the details.
  2. clamor
    loud and persistent outcry from many people
    Fans have been waiting nearly two years for the final season of the Emmy-winning HBO drama — which returns next month — and anticipation for the trailer has been through the roof with viewers clamoring on social media for the video in response to every drop of news about the upcoming season.
    - Entertainment Weekly (Mar 5, 2019)
    The trailer for the final season of Game of Thrones was released this week, giving fans a glimpse of their favorite characters, plus hordes of dragons. The producers also revealed a few specifics about the new season, including an epic battle sequence that lasts an entire episode. Game of Thrones Season 8 begins on April 14 on HBO.
  3. dire
    fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
    “He never regained consciousness,” the source explains. “Things were so dire that they put him under heavy sedation. He was gone, basically, by the time he got to the hospital.”
    - People (Mar 4, 2019)
    Luke Perry, the actor best known for his role as bad boy Dylan McKay on the 90s teen drama Beverly Hills 90210, died of a stroke at the age of 52. Younger audiences got to know the actor for his role as Archie’s father in the TV series Riverdale.
  4. guru
    a recognized leader in some field or of some movement
    At age 21, the reality TV star and makeup guru Kylie Jenner is the world's youngest billionaire, according to Forbes.
    - NBC News (Mar 5, 2019)
    Forbes Magazine announced that Kylie Jenner is the youngest ever self-made billionaire. Yup, that’s with a b. Kylie was launched into the spotlight as a young girl when her family’s show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, made all of Kris Jenner’s daughters super famous. But Kylie really started to earn the big bucks when she became a makeup mogul, capitalizing on her social media persona as a beauty guru.
  5. harness
    control and direct with or as if by reins
    “For the first time, we are harnessing that energy, bringing the great minds of our time and the biggest brands in the world to this great place, and letting the inspiration flow and well deserved opportunities unfold.
    - Billboard (Mar 4, 2019)
    Pharrell made a splash this week, announcing that a huge new festival called Something in the Water will be held in his hometown, Virginia Beach. The lineup includes Missy Elliot, Migos, Janelle Monae and Travis Scott. The festival’s many events will include live concerts, movie screenings, and a showcase for local small businesses.
  6. luxurious
    furnishing gratification to the senses
    "To create the Cloud Macchiato, Starbucks in-house product development team created a special recipe for Cloud powder, using egg whites a key ingredient that is added to the Cold Foam to create a fluffy texture that tastes luxurious," the company said.
    - USA Today (Mar 5, 2019)
    Ariana Grande is the spokeswoman for Starbuck’s new Cloud Machiatto, which has a layer of special foam and is available in caramel or cinnamon flavors, hot or iced. We’re not sure if the only size you can get is a grande.
  7. moot
    of no legal significance, as having been previously decided
    A further discount, to $2.99, was moot as far as the chart was concerned; according to Billboard’s rules, only sales made at $3.49 or more count toward an album’s chart position.
    - The New York Times (Mar 4, 2019)
    The soundtrack to A Star is Born was back at the top of Billboard’s album chart this week. Last week, Lady Gaga took home an Academy Award for co-writing the song Shallow, which she sang with Bradley Cooper during the show. The performance, which went viral, boosted sales. Amazon also discounted the download price. Something that is moot doesn’t matter and isn’t taken into consideration.
  8. synergy
    the working together of two or more things to produce an effect
    Since Meghan officially joined the royal family with her wedding last year to Harry, there has been a shake up in its synergy.
    - People (Mar 5, 2019)
    Meghan, Harry, Kate, and William were seen together in public for the first time since Christmas. All four young royals attended a party for Prince Charles, celebrating the 50th anniversary of his becoming Prince of Wales. Tabloid journalists have noted a lack of synergy in the palace recently, gossiping that the family dynamic is not has happy now that Meghan Markle has joined the clan.
  9. tepid
    feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm
    Directed by Neil Jordan, “Greta” bowed in seventh place with a tepid $4.5 million from 2,411 venues.
    - Variety (Mar 3, 2019)
    How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was number one again at the box office this week, making $30 million dollars. Other films, including the thriller Greta, did poorly in their first week of release. Tepid is a good word to use when things are not very exciting, or lukewarm.
  10. woe
    misery resulting from affliction
    She later lost her memories and powers, and alien experiments transformed her to Binary, who gets in a spectacular revenge punch against the woman behind her earlier woes.
    - The New York Times (Mar 5, 2019)
    Captain Marvel has a long history of identity-shifting. For the first few decades, Captain Marvel was portrayed as a man, also known as Shazam! Then in 1967, the female character Carol Danvers was introduced, with Danvers eventually morphing into Captain Marvel. While the new movie, starring Brie Larson, doesn't exactly follow the original comic’s version of the Carol Danvers storyline, it clearly owes a debt to this concept of the superhero.
Created on Thu Mar 07 14:17:15 EST 2019 (updated Thu Mar 07 15:09:13 EST 2019)

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