How do romantic tropes and fantasies impact how you understand politics? You might be a fan of Romantic Fantasy, or as the internet calls it: Romantasy. Even if you're not, you would recognize the tradwives or fascism. Romantasies combine supernatural characters and plotlines with the rush of a whirlwind romance novel, and, in this episode, we're exploring how the politics of some of these books have an effect on politics in the real world. Brittany is joined by Netta Baker , Advanced Instructor...
Jan 28, 2026•21 min
Job seekers are sending out hundreds of applications. Here’s why they’re not hearing back. The unemployment rate has been climbing over the past few years, but historically, it isn’t that high… Even so, some people have been talking about having a really, really rough time finding work. Brittany is joined by Wailin Wong , co-host of NPR’s Indicator podcast, and Nitish Pahwa , staff writer for business and tech at Slate, to get into why the decent macroeconomic numbers aren’t adding up for job se...
Jan 26, 2026•20 min
He's mysterious and aspirational, but is he even real? Or is he just a reflection of all of our society? The ‘finance bro’ has become a pretty ubiquitous figure in the American zeitgeist. From American Psycho and Mad Men to the tech bros of Silicon Valley, he’s taken many forms. And these days he has flipped genders in the hit HBO series Industry . But what makes the finance bro mythology so compelling? And why do we sign up to watch him again and again? To find out, Brittany is joined by chief ...
Jan 23, 2026•16 min
What does it mean to feel safe during sex these days? From feeling comfortable with your partner to access to public health and medication, "safety" comes up a lot in sex. But, having the tools you need to feel confident in your own sexual health is an essential part of the pursuit of pleasure. Today, Brittany is joined by Dr. Leisha McKinley-Beach , founder and CEO of the Black Public Health Academy, and Dr. Jasmine Abrams , a research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, to give us a...
Jan 21, 2026•24 min
We're taking a trip back to the 90s and exploring the lives of single Black women and how their stories still show up in media 30 years later. This episode comes from NPR's Books We've Loved podcast series. Brittany joined hosts Andrew Limbong and B.A. Parker to revisit Terry McMillan's classic novel, Waiting to Exhale . The three get into how the book was a blueprint for Sex & The City and how it depicts the complexity of Black women's lives - and echoes the lives of Black women today. Supp...
Jan 19, 2026•29 min
What are we missing something in the conversation around obesity and GLP-1s? Oprah Winfrey’s new book, Enough, co-authored by endocrinologist Dr. Ania Jastreboff is one of many new narratives attempting to reframe how we think about obesity and diet culture. But host Brittany Luse thinks we’re just scratching the surface. She’s joined by Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, Chair of the Africana Studies Department at Wellesley College and co-host of the podcast This Day, and Dr. Mara Gordon, family physic...
Jan 16, 2026•17 min
There's a new sound of protest going viral on TikTok. What is being said, and how much impact could it have? We're just two weeks into January, but this year has already been eventful. There's Trump's incursion into Venezuela, and last week’s ICE shooting in Minneapolis, which led to protests all across the country over the weekend. And these protests on the street are connected to some of the music we’re hearing online: artists like Jensen McRae and Jesse Welles are responding to current events...
Jan 14, 2026•20 min
Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minnesotan mother, is just one of several victims of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violence in recent months. But her death marks a turning point in the discourse around state violence. How will her name and story be used by politicians and protestors? And how does her story line up with other moments of government violence throughout American history? Brittany is joined by Abené Clayton , the lead reporter for the Guns and Lies in America series at The Guar...
Jan 12, 2026•23 min
Ozempic and other GLP-1s have changed how we think of our bodies. Now, some are searching for other quick fixes for their body - far beyond weight loss. In some Silicon Valley circles, ' Chinese peptides ' are taking so-called biohacking to the next level. These unregulated injectables promise to help people who struggle with sleep, losing weight, or even making eye contact. One person even said they were searching for the "Ozempic for autism." Sound ethically dubious? Brittany thought so, too. ...
Jan 09, 2026•21 min
Young women, more than any other group, say they would leave America. Their list of reasons is long and plentiful. Have you ever thought about leaving the US, and starting over somewhere else? Maybe living the hygge lifestyle in Denmark, or soaking up the sun in Costa Rica? According to Gallup – a surprising number of women are considering it. In a poll released in November, 40% of women between the ages of 18 and 44 said they’d move to another country permanently if they had the chance. That’s ...
Jan 07, 2026•17 min
Is the lack of sunlight in the winter months really getting to you? Do you find yourself fighting tooth and nail to keep up with life's demands every winter? You may be dealing with seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Brittany has developed her own morning routine to combat this type of depression. Today, she's joined by Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal , psychiatrist and scientist who first described seasonal affective disorder in the 1980s, to get feedback on her SAD routine, and learn about how we al...
Jan 05, 2026•20 min
What's in and what's out in 2026? Let's set the stage for what to watch out for in the new year. As you fill out your own bingo card for what will or will not happen in 2026, join Brittany, NPR's tech correspondent Bobby Allyn , and NPR's political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben . They are laying out the puzzle pieces of 2026 - from the politics of masculinity to the bubble of artificial intelligence to the end of Queen Bee - and piecing them together, so you know what to set your sights on f...
Jan 02, 2026•23 min
From CBD leggings to Soulcycle, wellness is reshaping our relationships to our bodies and souls. But what even is "wellness?" Well, for one, it's a global industry worth 6 trillion dollars. And it encompasses all kinds of things – including spirituality: from the spirituality of wellness practices like yoga and reiki, to treating wellness itself like a religion. As spirituality, self-care, and capitalism swirl together, what is missing from the story? Brittany is joined by Alyssa Bereznak , GQ's...
Dec 31, 2025•18 min
If society privileges "thin" people, should you aspire to conform? And at what cost? Last year, online influencer Slim Kim went viral for a TikTok where she said she loves "being skinny." It sparked a debate that continued throughout 2025: how do we talk about bodies without falling into "body fascism." And with drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy flooding the market, how are the ways we talk about bodies shifting and changing? Brittany is joined by authors Emma Specter and Kate Manne to find out: wha...
Dec 29, 2025•15 min
If you want something badly enough, should you have it? Today, Brittany is investigating so-called "manifestation." It's this popular belief that if you want something badly enough, it'll come to you. But here's the thing: our relationship to the internet and algorithms is creating a feedback loop that actually makes our own dreams seem more...possible? But where's the line between dreams, reality, and the internet? Brittany calls on Tara Isabella Burton , an author and journalist, and New York ...
Dec 26, 2025•21 min
Christianity showed up in the mainstream in unexpected ways this year. Are we in a revival? Take a look at this year's Billboard charts. For the first time, multiple Christian musicians charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time — and stayed there for weeks. And some of the biggest hits of the year - like Alex Warren's "Ordinary" - pull from Contemporary Christian Music sounds. Plus, Trump says he wants to defend Christians. In the episode, Brittany talks with Christianity Today reporter ...
Dec 24, 2025•19 min
Why are Mormons so popular, you ask? Because it's part of their faith. 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 massive audiences for over a decade. 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 ...
Dec 22, 2025•20 min
What's it like to date a man? Ask pop stars or your friends, and you might hear it's a struggle. From Sabrina Carpenter to Summer Walker, some of the biggest female artists on the charts today…are absolutely through with men. It’s a sentiment that has a name: heteropessimism. Coined in 2019 by the writer Asa Seresin, the term encapsulates the embarrassment, disaffection and fatigue that comes from being heterosexual. “Men are trash” music that reflects these feelings isn’t new, but NPR Music edi...
Dec 19, 2025•15 min
There’s been a lot of discourse about what “6 7” means, but what actually makes it meaningful ? The “6 7" meme was everywhere this year, online and off. Scrolling through TikTok? You probably encountered it. Sitting in math class? Your teacher probably dreaded everyone shouting out the numbers when they came up in class. NPR intern Sanidhya Sharma investigated the phenomenon by going to schools and sitting down with experts. He's here now to report back to Brittany and get into why some memes ar...
Dec 17, 2025•21 min
Welcome to the third annual IBAMMYs Culture Awards Show, where we reflect and honor the best and worst cultural moments of the year. Brittany is joined by Sam Sanders , host of KCRW's The Sam Sanders Show, and Tre'vell Anderson , host of The Seated podcast. All three nominated a person or moment for each of the four categories. NPR's Culture Committee then voted on a winner. Today, we reveal the winners and losers of 2025 and run through the moments we want to remember or forget. This year's cat...
Dec 15, 2025•29 min
Heated Rivalry - the hit HBO Max series - has it all: scintillating romance, hot guys, sports (kind of), and, most importantly, portrayals of gay love and sex that don’t hold back. Steamy, sensual TV shows aren’t new, but the Canadian series has captured the public's attention in a way that a show hasn’t in a while. So, what’s behind its cultural resonance? What does it mean that this gay romance was written by a woman? And why are straight women and gay men equally into the sex scenes? Michel G...
Dec 12, 2025•20 min
Are we spending too much on other people’s weddings? Going to a friend's weddings can be so fun and meaningful… but it can also really hurt your wallet. A survey by LendingTree found that 31% of people who had been to a wedding in the past five years had accrued debt to attend. So what’s driving up the cost of weddings for guests? And what makes it so hard to say no to these expenses? Brittany breaks it down with Allyson Rees , senior analyst at trend forecasting firm WGSN, and Annie Joy William...
Dec 10, 2025•19 min
More women than ever are choosing to raise their children by their self. Is it time to hit reset on what we mean by "family" in America? America has some deeply held prejudices toward single moms, but some studies show that 40% of babies in the U.S. are born to unmarried women. In this episode Brittany looks into the joy and challenges these women face - from freedom and agency to affordability and loneliness. Brittany is joined by Pallavi Gogoi , NPR's Chief Business Editor, and Danielle Elliot...
Dec 08, 2025•21 min
Some say we're entering the Woke 2.0 era. Is that real or imagined? From declining Target sales to Mamdani's election, some folks online are feeling a vibe shift. Is that feeling...woke? And if so, does that mean woke is back in style? To answer those questions - and to dissect whether or not woke ever left - Brittany is joined by Constance Grady , senior correspondent at Vox, and Tyler Austin Harper , staff writer at The Atlantic and co-host of the podcast, Time to Say Goodbye . Vote for It's B...
Dec 05, 2025•18 min
Is location tracking building relationships? Or ruining them? Four in ten U.S. adults share their locations with at least one person. But while it’s convenient – is it a violation of privacy? And who really needs to know where you are? We're getting into how location sharing became a norm, the pros and cons, and how to turn it off without making things weird. Brittany breaks it all down with Gina Cherelus , New York Times styles reporter and writer of their Third Wheel dating column, and Tatum H...
Dec 03, 2025•20 min
What does it mean to be an independent adult? More young adults live with their parents than in the past, and are also delaying the traditional markers of independent adulthood like marriage and childbirth. Roughly nine-in-ten parents say it’s extremely or very important to them that their children be financially independent when they are adults, but are our cultural notions of financial independence changing? And are today’s young adults prepared to handle the emotional challenges of adult life...
Dec 01, 2025•17 min
It's an incredibly painful thing to do, so why are some kids cutting their parents out of their lives? 27% of Americans are estranged from at least one family member, and the term "no contact" is increasingly being used to describe estrangement between adult children and their parents. But is estrangement happening more often, or are we just more open to talking about it? And is our culture around family shifting? Brittany sits down with journalist Kui Mwai and Whitney Goodman , licensed marriag...
Nov 28, 2025•20 min
Fighting with your family doesn’t have to be a holiday tradition. The majority of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow. And while it’s meant to be a time of family togetherness… sometimes, this holiday can make you never want to see your family again. To go or not to go? To fight or not to fight? Well, our friends at NPR’s Life Kit have tips for how to answer these questions. Marielle Segarra , host of Life Kit , speaks with experts and identifies 12 strategies to keep your family dinn...
Nov 26, 2025•18 min
Can you afford to pay two rents? Families across the country are asking that same question when it comes to childcare, as the yearly costs for daycare are becoming comparable to a year's rent in many places. How did childcare become so expensive, and how might everyone benefit if the government provided more support to parents? Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Jessica Calarco , and Senior Fellow at the Think Tank Capita Elliot Haspel are here to help Brittany find ou...
Nov 24, 2025•19 min
When the dream of buying a home seems unattainable, is it time to find a new dream? Or is there another option on the table? Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or the FHFA, said the administration is “working on” a plan to introduce 50 year mortgage terms for homebuyers. But some Americans have already been working on their own plans towards homeownership… and it’s not the ‘nuclear family’ route. Brittany is joined by NPR chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley a...
Nov 21, 2025•19 min
