The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

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1. There was a box office stalemate between The Smurfs and Cowboys & Aliens over the weekend, with both films debuting at an estimated $36.2 million. The problem with this (at least for the producers)? Smurfs is meant to be the worst movie of all time, and Cowboys, which was supposed to be a big ol’ blockbuster, was a lot more expensive to make. [via Variety]

2. We’re not sure how to feel about this: PBS plans to air an animated spin-off of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in the fall of 2012. The new series will be called Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and will feature characters from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, all grownup with kids of their own. [via THR]

3. If you’ve been hoping for a new Janelle Monae album, it looks like you’re going to have to wait a little bit longer. “I am releasing an instrumental album of The ArchAndroid,” she tweeted over the weekend. “More details to follow. And yes, new music is/has been done…” [via NME]

4. Here’s the first promo for Season 7 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which features the debut of “Fat Mac.” The show returns to FX on September 15. [via Vulture]

5. If you wish that you’d made it out to the Newport Folk Festival, you can console yourself with NPR’s live recordings of sets from Wanda Jackson and Gillian Welch . [via Pop Candy]

Bonus Buzz: The Portable Taco