It's Been a Minute

Has it been a minute since you heard a thought-provoking conversation about culture? Brittany Luse wants to help. Each week, she takes the things everyone's talking about and, in conversation with her favorite creators, tastemakers, and experts, gives you new ways to think about them. Beyond the obvious takes. Because culture doesn't happen by accident.<br><br><em>If you can't get enough, try It's Been a Minute Plus. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/itsbeenaminute</em>

Make America Male Again? Fifteen years of aggrieved men

The boys are not alright. They are falling behind in education and employment, and many have responded by leaning into the politics of the aggrieved. For decades, these major cultural developments have laid the groundwork for Donald Trump's re-election. Today Brittany talks with Hanna Rosin. Fifteen years ago she started researching what was going on with men. Her groundbreaking book The End of Men was one of the first to note this societal shift for men. Over a decade later, her assessment is more accurate than ever.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

11-19
21:28

Why pop stars aren't having kids (and why you might not either)

Baby fever just isn't spreading like it used to. The United States fertility rate hit an all-time low last year, and some of our biggest musicians, like Charli XCX and Tyler the Creator, are working their parenting anxieties out in their club bangers. This week, host Brittany Luse invites Anastasia Berg, co-author of What are Children For?, to explore the unique way millennials are confronting the age old question of whether or not to have a child.Then, in the wake of media layoffs, there's still a hunger for food coverage. Enter TikTok star and former MMA fighter Keith Lee, whose reviews of local eats have gained him over 16 million followers. Critics of Lee say he's diluting the art of culinary criticism, but fans can't get enough of his casual style. Brittany turns to Detroit Free Press restaurant and dining critic Lyndsay C. Green, and New York Times food writer Korsha Wilson to grapple with the #KeithLee Effect.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

11-15
38:28

Mormon Moms: Unpacking a national obsession

From Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives to your favorite homemaking TikTok influencers, the women of the Church of Latter Day Saints have been gaining mass audiences via social media for over a decade. This week, Brittany is joined by Jana Riess, senior columnist at Religious News Service and author of The Next Mormons: How Millennials are Changing the LDS Church, to discuss how Mormon culture provides some of TikTok's most powerful influencers with heavenly tools for success.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

11-12
22:01

"Are you surprised?" Three Black women react to the election

What's surprising about Trump returning to the White House? For Brittany Luse, Pop Culture Happy Hour's Aisha Harris, and NPR's Alana Wise there isn't much to be surprised about. Three Black women and journalists mull over how this moment is business as usual from where they sit.Then, Brittany puts the spotlight on a word that's been in the shadows in this election cycle: feminism. Vox's Constance Grady and Paper Magazine's Joan Summers join the show to discuss the state of feminism in American politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

11-08
38:46

The hot mom rom-com phenomenon

It's Election Day, but instead of focusing on politics, we decided to do something a little lighter for the occasion: we're looking at this year's hot mom rom-com boom. Host Brittany Luse is joined by New York Magazine features writer Rachel Handler to get a little deeper into three movies from this genre: A Family Affair, The Idea of You, and Between the Temples. They discuss how hot moms on screen have changed, but why movies like these often still feel behind the times.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

11-05
21:44

America's Next Top Scapegoat; plus, Inside the Black Manosphere

The 2024 presidential candidates are making their closing arguments. While VP Harris is focused on the economy and abortion rights, Donald Trump has doubled down on anti-immigrant and anti-trans attack ads. This week, Brittany invites Translash's Imara Jones and NPR immigration correspondent Sergio Martínez-Beltrán to understand what deeper fears these attack ads are stoking. Then, Brittany is joined by Code Switch's Gene Demby to explore the roots of a corner of the conservative internet that may have surprising effects on the election: The Black Manosphere.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

11-01
43:59

Onscreen cannibalism and our hunger for love

For the third and final installment of our Trilogy of Terror series, host Brittany Luse turns her attention to the ultimate taboo: cannibalism. Cannibalism stories have gotten big recently: it's in The Last of Us, Society of the Snow and Yellowjackets. She's joined by NPR Arts Desk reporter Neda Ulaby to dig deeper into three cannibalism films. They break down how versatile the trope is, what it says about how we consume – and how we love.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10-29
23:16

The Billboard Hot 100's doom loop; Plus, a new kind of true crime story

The same songs are sitting at the top of the music charts longer than ever, and that has Brittany Luse wondering, are our listening habits stuck in a doom loop? Brittany chats with NPR music editor Stephen Thompson to get to the bottom of the top of the charts. Plus, when a daughter or sister disappears how does a family move on without closure? Host Brittany Luse is joined by Fresh Air co-host Tonya Mosley and and her nephew Antonio Wiley to talk about their new kind of true crime podcast, She Has A Name.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10-25
38:25

Kylie Minogue's tips for staying on top

Kylie Minogue is having a capital-M moment, and Brittany sits down in studio with the pop star to talk about how to keep reaching new heights in a career full of peaks. Hot off her Vegas Residency, Kylie just dropped her new album Tension II and is gearing up for a world tour. The legend shares her tips for staying on top for three decades, and Brittany asks what's the secret for turning underground dance music in pristine pop bangers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10-23
18:18

The false promise of climate havens; plus, the 'help' in horror

Extreme weather is becoming more frequent. Now some towns that were touted as "safe" are seeing hurricanes, floods or heat waves. This week, host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR climate solutions reporter Julia Simon and NPR culture reporter Chloe Veltman to understand misconceptions around "climate havens" and what it means to preserve culture in the face of the climate crisis.Then, Brittany continues her Trilogy of Terror series with an unexpected horror trope: scary service workers. She invites Bowdoin College English professor Aviva Briefel and Slate writer Joshua Rivera to break down how the maids, murderers, and motel workers in horror reveal different cultural anxieties about eating the rich.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10-18
44:47

Sasha Colby takes us to Drag college

Sasha Colby is your favorite drag queen's favorite drag queen. That's because she's one of the most decorated and influential drag queens working today - she's Chappell Roan's inspiration, a Miss Continental winner and a RuPaul's Drag Race winner.Sasha Colby joins Brittany following her 'STRIPPED' world tour to dish about her career, the mainstreaming of drag, and what it takes to persevere through drag's rhinestone trenches.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10-15
23:44

Is the free speech debate dead? Plus, the devil!

In anticipation of more pro-Palestinian protests, many college administrators rolled out new rules this fall that include getting pre-approval for posting flyers or hosting demonstrations. Brittany is joined by UC Irvine sociology professor David S. Meyer, who studies social movements and public policy, and Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Kate Hidalgo Bellows. They discuss the changes on campuses and how they tie into debates over free speech. Then, Brittany kicks off a new series exploring horror tropes. It's called The Trilogy of Terror. First up: Beelzebub. Brittany invites Travis Stevens and Klaus Yoder, historians and co-hosts of the podcast Seven Heads, Ten Horns: The History of the Devil, to talk about the symbology of the devil and how representations of him in horror movies have changed over time.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10-11
39:39

The SMACKDOWN: Techno vs. Aaliyah vs. Motown

Who will win today's cage match?For the past two months Brittany has been hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. Today, she ends her tour in her hometown. It's a homecoming of sorts. Beyoncé style. For the last episode in the series, Brittany lands in Detroit, Michigan, and debates with Tia Graham, co-host of WDET's CultureShift and Cary Junior II, producer for WDET's Created Equal. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be surprises.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10-09
35:16

The 'reddit bro' vs. the 'wife guy'; plus, Fat Bear Week!

Tuesday night, JD Vance and Tim Walz faced off in their first debate. Host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR's national race and identity correspondent Sandhya Dirks and political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben to discuss how the candidates display competing brands of white masculinity.Then, Fat Bear Week is back! The annual March Madness-style bracket of the fattest bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park is in full swing after a rocky start. In honor of Fat Bear Week, Brittany revisits a journey through time to unpack what bears mean to us — and why they're family, friend and foe all at once.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10-04
47:29

The SMACKDOWN: Rihanna's greatest hits vs. Black Wall Street vs. Route 66

Who will win today's cage match?Welcome to The Smackdown! For the last few weeks Brittany has been hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. This episode Brittany lands in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and debates with KOSU's Jacob Littlebear and Kuma Roberts, co-hosts of Focus: Black Oklahoma. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be surprises.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10-02
28:07

An identity crisis at the heart of the election; plus, disrupting biracial fantasies

Following the false allegations against the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, the city received over 30 bomb threats, saw school closures and even the cancellation of a celebration for diversity in arts and culture. Host Brittany Luse talks to NPR Immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd about what she's learned from her reporting in the region and how all this could tie into a larger Midwest identity crisis.Then, Brittany is joined by Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television, to talk about how she's seen biracial representation change over the last three decades, and what it means to be in the "Not Like Us" era. They dig into her latest novel and its perspective on racial profiteering.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

09-27
45:18

The SMACKDOWN: Serena Williams vs. Muhammad Ali vs. Trina

Who will win today's cage match?Welcome to The Smackdown! For the next several weeks Brittany is hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. This episode Brittany lands in Miami, Florida, and debates with WLRN reporter Wilkine Brutus and The Miami Herald's C. Isaiah Smalls II. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be surprises.This discussion features excerpts from the NPR Music's Louder Than A Riot. Hear more from Sidney Madden's interview with Trina here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

09-24
33:05

Is Diddy hip-hop's Weinstein? Plus, Brittany gets rejected

On Monday, the embattled rap mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. He's been denied bail twice, and is facing a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR Music editor Sidney Madden and legal affairs reporter Meghann Cuniff to understand what this indictment means for Combs and if this could be the beginning of a #MeToo movement in hip-hop.Then, Brittany is joined by Tony Tulathimutte, author of Rejection, to talk about a rising culture around rejection, his book and why online life can enable rejections to curdle inside us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

09-20
40:56

The SMACKDOWN: Brunch vs. Twerking vs. Louis Armstrong

Who will win today's cage match?Welcome to The Smackdown! For the next several weeks Brittany is hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. This episode Brittany lands in New Orleans, Louisiana, and debates with Gulf States Newsroom health equity reporter Drew Hawkins and writer & editor Ko Bragg. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be surprises.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

09-17
34:50

Trump goes podcasting and Harris turns a look

Podcast and social media influencers have become important campaign stops for political hopefuls. But what kind of voters are the candidates courting? And what does the popularity of these interviews say about the growing political power of the influencer? Brittany is joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie and NBC News tech and culture reporter Kat Tenbarge to find out. But first, what can we learn about the political candidates through their clothes? After the presidential debate, Brittany sat down with Washington Post fashion writer Rachel Tashjian and New York Times chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman to talk about the fashion choices of the front runners and how power dressing has changed. They also play a Taylor Swift trivia game.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

09-13
43:47

Jejj

I really enjoy these geographic specific "smackdowns", I learn a lot about fascinating people and historic events. All the guests have been great sports, so very little smackdown attitude is present.

09-11 Reply

Joe A. Finley II

Political memes are merely the evolution of political cartoons, which have existed... for more than 200 years.

09-03 Reply

Jejj

We've gotten some bangers this summer, and there is also a wide range of themes and vibes. I'm here for it. 🎶

08-09 Reply

Mona Peterson

I’ve been a dedicated listener of “It’s Been a Minute” for a while now, and I’m consistently impressed by how insightful and thought-provoking each episode is. The way the host delves into current events and cultural trends with such depth and clarity is truly commendable. https://castbox.fm/episode/Choosing-the-Right-Parchment-Paper-for-Home-Cooking-id6230173-id721293509?country=us

08-03 Reply

Joe A. Finley II

Way to gloss over the fact that automobile manufacturers are ALSO marketing bigger and bigger SUVs to suburban women, dubbed the "suburban arms race." If you actually pay attention to male US car culture, you'd find most family men would rather drive sport wagons that are only available in Europe because "all big dumb men want big dumb pickups."

07-31 Reply

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