It's the first Monday in May. AKA it's time for the annual MET Gala. Or as some call it, "fashion's biggest night." Celebrities will walk the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art hoping their looks live up to the annual theme of the gala. This year's theme is a special one. It's called "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," and it's the very first Black fashion tradition to be selected for the theme of the Costume Institute's fundraiser. Brittany and her guests, culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griff...
May 05, 2025•17 min
Have you been feeling a little Conclave-pilled lately? Well, you're not alone. In the aftermath of of Pope Francis' passing, the world is buzzing at the eligible bachelors who could lead the Catholic Church. So what should we expect for the real-life Conclave? And why does it matter even if you're not Catholic? Brittany is joined by Jason DeRose , NPR's Religion Correspondent, Antonia Cereijido , host of the LAist's Imperfect Paradise podcast. Together they discuss how the Conclave works and wha...
May 02, 2025•19 min
Pencil skirt. Kitten heels. Tiny glasses. And a little dark edge. These are just some of the elements of one of the most enduring fashion trends of the past couple of years: the office siren. But we're not just seeing this twist on office norms in fashion: we're also seeing it in TV shows like Severance and Industry , and with musicians like The Dare and FKA Twigs. So what are people expressing by reimagining office fashions? Brittany is joined by NPR's Life Kit producer Margaret Cirino to discu...
Apr 30, 2025•18 min
Body modifiers like Ozempic and other weight loss drugs have gotten attention for how skinny they can make you. But what if you're a boy who wants to get BIGGER? For young men, there's another drug getting more and more popular: steroids. Fit and muscular bodies get celebrated on social media, and many men turn to steroids to match what they see. But with that comes the rise of " muscle dysmorphia ," a kind of body dysmorphia where a person feels that their muscles aren't big enough. Brittany si...
Apr 28, 2025•19 min
Have you seen ADHD content pop up in your feeds? Are you getting a lot of it ? In the past few years, there's been a surge in the number of adults diagnosed with ADHD, and at the same time more and more people online are going viral with "signs" that you might have it too. Whether with our doctors or friends, we're all talking a lot more about adult ADHD. Is this a perfect storm of online content leading to more diagnoses? Or is there more to the story? Brittany is joined by culture journalist K...
Apr 25, 2025•18 min
Have you heard of Bryan Johnson – tech centimillionaire turned longevity evangelist? He made headlines when he started getting infusions of his own son's blood as a part of his quest to live forever. And he turned that quest into "Don't Die," a movement he's calling a religion. Johnson is pretty intent on longevity – but he's not the only one. Other tech magnates are bought in, too. But in the words of Freddie Mercury, who wants to live forever, and why? What does all of this have to do with the...
Apr 23, 2025•22 min
Have you or someone you love been confused by the push to 'Make America Healthy Again'? Then you, my friend, are in dire need of our series: The Road to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). For the next few weeks, we're delving into some of the origins, conspiracy theories, and power grabs that have led us to this moment, and what it could mean for our health. For the final episode in the series, Brittany puts the spotlight on the Queen of Talk: Oprah Winfrey. The Oprah Winfrey Show made Oprah one...
Apr 21, 2025•20 min
Have you turned on ESPN recently? You might be surprised to find that the sports bros are abandoning GOAT debates and getting political. No one is more an example of this than ESPN personality and perhaps Presidential candidate, Stephen A. Smith. So what's going on here? And what does the Fox Newsification of sports media tell us about our current political culture and future? Brittany is joined by co-host of NPR's Code Switch podcast, Gene Demby , and Senior Staff Writer at the Ringer, Joel And...
Apr 18, 2025•17 min
Can the shape of your skull or the look of your face say something deeper about you? Like – if you're a good parent? Or if you're smart? Or if you're more likely to be a criminal? Well – the answer is no, absolutely not. But in the past, some scientists used the pseudosciences of phrenology, which studied the skull, and physiognomy, which studied the face, to try to prove that how you look says something about who you are on the inside. Again, it's junk science. But something peculiar is happeni...
Apr 16, 2025•18 min
Have you or someone you love been confused by the push to 'Make America Healthy Again'? Then you, my friend, are in dire need of our new series: The Road to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). For the next few weeks, we're delving into some of the origins, conspiracy theories, and power grabs that have led us to this moment, and what it could mean for our health. After visiting the families of measles victims in Texas, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated on X , "Th...
Apr 14, 2025•20 min
Global markets got a case of the jitters this week in the wake of President Trump's global tariff policy. Everyone from hedge fund managers to online content creators have been starting to question the stability of America's economic trajectory. We're now seeing increased fear that a recession is just around the corner. Brittany is joined by co-host of NPR's Indicator podcast, Wailin Wong , and co-host of NPR's Planet Money podcast, Jeff Guo . Together, they discuss how this moment connects to t...
Apr 11, 2025•20 min
Andrea Long Chu was once one of Brittany's favorite Sex and the City bloggers, and she's now a Pulitzer-winning critic. Andrea lends her critical eye to everything from the TV show Yellowstone to the work of Sally Rooney to pro-Palestinian protests and free speech. And she does it with wit, style, and fearlessness. Brittany chats with Andrea about her new book, Authority - a collection of some of Andrea's best work, along with two new essays. They discuss why art is a "fossil record" of desire, ...
Apr 09, 2025•18 min
Have you or someone you love been confused by the push to 'Make America Healthy Again'? Side effects may include: - Being inundated by uncredentialed wellness influencers and crunchy mommy bloggers selling supplements - Feeling perplexed by how RFK Jr. went from an 'environmental champion' to an anti-vax conspiracy theorist - Or maybe seeing the names Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz more and more in your feeds? Then you, my friend, are in dire need of our new series - The ROAD to Make America Healthy Again ...
Apr 07, 2025•17 min
Baby names tell a story - about a family's unique history, about a specific moment in time, and even about politics. A survey tracking the top 500 names in states that went red or blue in the 2020 election recently went viral, highlighting popular names like Oakleigh and Stetson in red states, and Santino and Liana in blue states. Brittany is joined by Neda Ulaby , NPR Culture Correspondent, and Naftali Bendavid , Senior National Political Correspondent for the Washington Post to reflect on what...
Apr 04, 2025•18 min
At the beginning of the year, Brittany spoke to ELLE Fashion Features Director and author , Véronique Hyland , about the growing trend of underconsumption content online . No-Buy January, buying secondhand, and mending old clothes seemed to be taking hold amongst some of the most popular influencers - even though the guiding principle of underconsumption is something we've been doing for a long time. Then, Trump started implementing tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada - and now even the Europea...
Apr 02, 2025•22 min
America is a deeply spiritual nation. Over 70% of us say that we feel spiritual in some way. But – at the same time – we're getting less religious. So for people who are spiritual-but-not-religious – what's replacing organized religion? What do they believe – and where does that show up in their day-to-day lives? In Brittany's series called Losing My Religion, It's Been a Minute is going to find out. In her final episode of the series, Brittany is investigating so-called manifestation. It's this...
Mar 31, 2025•21 min
It's hard out there for single women who date men. You've maybe heard friends complaining about the dating pool, or perhaps you yourself are navigating its murky waters. According to economics reporter Rachel Wolfe at The Wall Street Journal, American women are giving up on marriage , with only 34% of single women looking for romance, versus 54% of single men. Brittany is joined by Rachel, alongside Minda Honey , author of her memoir, The Heartbreak Years . Together they talk about the key reaso...
Mar 28, 2025•17 min
There are a lot of big subjects that our culture has trouble talking about: wealth, death, addiction, religion. But one of the toughest has to be sexual assault and rape. For how common sexual violence is – it affects over half of women and almost one in three men – it can be extremely painful and even stigmatizing to discuss. But in Jamie Hood's new book Trauma Plot , which contextualizes rape in her own life and in our culture, Jamie looks for new ways to speak the "unspeakable." It tells her ...
Mar 26, 2025•21 min
America is a deeply spiritual nation. Over 70% of us say that we feel spiritual in some way. But – at the same time – we're getting less religious. So for people who are spiritual-but-not-religious – what's replacing organized religion? What do they believe – and where does that show up in their day-to-day lives? In our new series called Losing My Religion, It's Been a Minute is going to find out. This week, we're getting into psychedelics. That's an umbrella that includes the drugs LSD, magic m...
Mar 24, 2025•21 min
Poppers, a party substance long popular with gay men, were thrust into the national spotlight last week when one producer, Double Scorpio, claimed that they halted operations due to a search and seizure by the FDA. There's been no official statement from the FDA saying this raid took place, but the suggestion of a raid — against producers of a substance disproportionately popular with the queer community — certainly raised some eyebrows. Brittany is joined by Selena Simmons-Duffin , NPR's health...
Mar 21, 2025•19 min
After the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in higher education, there was legitimate worry that Black and Hispanic students would be overlooked or otherwise shut out of college admissions. But the enrollment numbers are showing something different. In some cases, even without the aid of race-based decision making, Black and Hispanic enrollment either stayed the same or increased. What does the data tell about the decisions admissions offices are making when thinking about demographics of ...
Mar 19, 2025•18 min
America is a deeply spiritual nation. Over 70% of us say that we feel spiritual in some way. But – at the same time – we're getting less religious. So for people who are spiritual-but-not-religious – what's replacing organized religion? What do they believe – and where does that show up in their day-to-day lives? In our new series called Losing My Religion, It's Been a Minute is going to find out. This week, we're getting into wellness. It's a global industry worth 6 trillion dollars that's star...
Mar 17, 2025•19 min
Last weekend, former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil was arrested by federal immigration authorities. The move was an escalation in the Trump administration's crackdown on dissent, and it has people wondering: isn't this against the constitution? Brittany is joined by Chenjerai Kumanyika , a journalism professor at NYU, and Rick Perlstein , a historian of conservatism. Together, they talk about America's love/hate relationship with the First Amendment, and what ICE's arrest of a lawfu...
Mar 14, 2025•17 min
What does it even mean to be trans? That's the first question Torrey Peters asks readers in her new book, Stag Dance , and it's the question that everyone should be asking themselves right now. Stag Dance is a collection of four novellas that poke into the dark corners of gender, delving into taboo topics and investigating the line between trans and cis. Brittany sits down with Torrey to discuss Stag Dance, what makes a transition, and the raised stakes for trans people in the current political ...
Mar 12, 2025•24 min
When twitch streamers can sway elections and viral videos can turn fifteen seconds of fame into hundreds of millions of dollars, it kind of makes you wonder: who's a real "celebrity" these days? And do they matter like they used to? With fans fed up over ticket prices and endless product pushing, capital-C "celebrity" seems to be in its flop era. But is it gone for good? And, do we even want it back? Brittany gets into all of it in front of a live audience at the annual On-Air Fest in Brooklyn w...
Mar 10, 2025•18 min
Last weekend, the Academy Award for Best Documentary went to a film that still lacks a U.S. distribution deal. 'No Other Land' is a powerful look at Palestine's southern West Bank, and has received widespread acclaim. So what's holding it back from being seen in theaters across America? Brittany is joined by B.A. Parker , co-host of NPR's Code Switch, and professor and television producer Dr. Maytha Alhassen . Together they look at why one of the most critically-praised movies of the year seems ...
Mar 07, 2025•18 min
Over the past few years, Brittany has noticed the resurgence of the R-word - a word that otherwise left the cultural lexicon. And while that's troubling in and of itself, its return may also have larger implications that affect policy, culture, and how we treat each other. Disability advocate Imani Barbarin joins the show to break down how ableism can take root in casual conversation, and why words matter. Support public media and receive ad-free listening & bonus content. Join NPR+ today . ...
Mar 05, 2025•13 min
We're back with a bonus episode of "All the Lonely People," a series diving deep into how loneliness shows up in our lives. This week: how do we get out of loneliness? Brittany hears from listeners about what worked for them. Then, we head over to our friends at NPR's Life Kit to get even more practical steps for connection: NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey speaks with Dr. Jeremy Nobel about his book, Project UnLonely: Healing Our Crisis Of Disconnection, and they came up with concrete ti...
Mar 03, 2025•19 min
President Trump is calling for the end of the U.S. Department of Education , but so have other Republicans since the day it was formed in 1979. So why do Republicans hate it enough to lambast it, but love it enough to keep it around? Brittany is joined by NPR's education correspondent Cory Turner and author Josephine Riesman to talk about Trump's pick for education secretary, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon. And how Trump and McMahon are using the WWE playbook to reshape the American public educati...
Feb 28, 2025•20 min
What do The Substance , Nosferatu , and Babygirl have in common? They externalize the characters' inner feelings - self-loathing, guilt, shame - in the most grotesque ways possible. Ahead of the Academy Awards, Brittany Luse sits down with IBAM producer Alexis Williams and Pop Culture Happy Hour co-host Aisha Harris , to get into how these trending films bring women's internal monsters to life. Support public media and receive ad-free listening & bonus content. Join NPR+ today . See pcm.adsw...
Feb 26, 2025•23 min
