Is fanfiction mainstream now? If you are anywhere near fan spaces online, you’ve probably seen people talking about fanfiction. And it's also behind some of the biggest books of the last decade – some of the publishing industry's greatest hits are fanfic adaptations. But even as fanfic seeps into the mainstream, there’s a battle inside fanfic communities over whether it should be kept private – and a larger culture war brewing over what gets published and who’s reading it. Brittany gets into the...
Mar 30, 2026•31 min
Do you think you have good taste? Having a good sense of taste is something like a cultural badge of honor: the result of hard work understanding what you find beautiful and why it moves you. Silicon Valley tech bros are latching onto taste as a new buzzword, and some are even suggesting that their products can give you a fast track to refining your own taste. Brittany is joined by Kyle Chayka , staff writer at The New Yorker, and Kate Wagner , architecture critic at The Nation, to find out whet...
Mar 27, 2026•18 min
There's a new beauty trend in town: why are women trying to look...lifeless? Today’s guest, Jessica DeFino - beauty reporter, critic, and author of the FLESH WORLD Substack - says contemporary glamorization of anti-aging products and long dead icons like Caroline Bessette Kennedy all fall within a macabre beauty trend, what she calls ‘the morgue gaze.’ Ageless, poreless, lifeless beauty inspiration keeps consumers coming back for more numb, frozen aesthetics - forever. Jessica joins host Brittan...
Mar 25, 2026•21 min
Everyone has to make the decision to have or not have kids. There are good reasons for both. Are you sick of dating? Terrified of how expensive everything is? Frustrated with America's so-called social safety net? Horrified by the state of healthcare? If you answered yes to any of these, you might be one of the many people deciding to go childfree. Host Brittany Luse is joined by Sarah McCammon , Senior Fellow at Third Way, and Emma Gannon , author of the novel Olive, to explore the reasons peop...
Mar 24, 2026•36 min
Why is the government obsessed with whole milk? In January, the USDA account on X posted a picture , possibly AI generated, of President Trump with a milk mustache. The caption was, “Drink up America. #DrinkWholeMilk.” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted what seems to be an AI video that shows him being transported to a nightclub when he drinks milk. The caption is, “when you take that first sip of whole milk.” Whole milk is also at the top of the new food pyramid. B...
Mar 23, 2026•20 min
What happens when tech billionaires control the media you consume? With the help of his father, Paramount CEO David Ellison's purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery has gained him a roster of franchises and networks, from Looney Tunes to CNN. But the sale hasn't come without serious concerns, from data privacy to the rising costs of streaming services to what this means for workers in the entertainment industry. Brittany is joined by Mandalit Del Barco, NPR culture correspondent, and David Folkenfli...
Mar 20, 2026•21 min
It's easier than ever to cheat and to catch a cheater, but is that a good thing? For example, there are apps and social media groups dedicated to outing a cheater. But what if that paranoia about cheating is actually hurting our relationships? And on top of that, definitions of "cheating" vary widely. How do you decide for yourself what really counts as cheating? And what's really fueling our fear of being cheated on? Brittany is joined by Kathryn Jezer-Morton , writer of the Brooding column fro...
Mar 18, 2026•17 min
The Epstein Files have revealed social and financial relationships throughout the beauty industry - and a toxic veneration for youth. Is it time for the public to reckon with what the powerful tell us is and isn't "beautiful?" Host Brittany Luse wonders: can society let go of decades old obsession with youthfulness? Luckily, Jessica DeFino , reporter, critic, and author of the FLESH WORLD substack , joins the show to answer that question and unpack how we’ve made beauty our God. (0:00) How the b...
Mar 17, 2026•33 min
All this health tracking might not be actually very...healthy. There's a lot of evidence that health tracking can be good for us. Studies have shown that fitness trackers are effective at increasing physical activity, and can pretty accurately detect issues like arrhythmia. And now they're getting a promotional boost from some very influential people: Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and doctor and wellness influencer Casey Means – President Trump's nominee for surge...
Mar 16, 2026•20 min
Yes, young men are in crisis, but young women are too. Why aren't we talking about it? Over the past two years, statistics about men's mental health, educational advancement, and financial well-being have made headlines. And, in turn, sparked an industry of organizations, pundits, and others ringing the alarm about men, particularly young men, being in crisis. But, the data shows young women are struggling at the same rates in most categories. In this episode we're looking at broader data — acro...
Mar 13, 2026•16 min
The stakes feel especially high for this year's top Oscars prize. It feels like every few years there are two films that really set the tone for where American culture is headed. In 2017: it was Moonlight versus La La Land . In 2019: it was Green Book versus BlackKKlansman . And now, in 2026: it’s Sinners versus One Battle After Another . And there’s one question that host Brittany Luse has at the top of her mind: How do these films capture what it means to live in this moment? And how does the ...
Mar 11, 2026•28 min
A "pathetic man" is the guy who gets you to take care of him, because he's purposefully not taking care of himself. These are the men who lean into the hardships of modern manhood...and expect women to sooth their pain. They're popping up in our TV shows, social media feeds, and real lives. So much so that Tiktoker Josh Lora (aka tellthebeees ) has declared 2026 the year of pathetic men . Host Brittany Luse and Josh raise a toast to the men who lean into the ways patriarchy and masculinity have ...
Mar 10, 2026•32 min
Are Americans actually becoming less healthy? That’s an idea that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been repeating for a while now. While there are some nuggets of truth in that – on the whole, American life expectancy has gone up a lot in Kennedy’s lifetime. So why does a backward-looking narrative serve his agenda? And what would actually move the needle forward on improving Americans’ health? Brittany is joined by NPR health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duff...
Mar 09, 2026•23 min
As the old vanguard of civil rights leaders pass, who will fill the void? Last month, the world lost a titan in the struggle for civil rights: the Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. His style of leadership is deeply familiar: masculine, charismatic, and inspiring. But is that archetype of the modern Moses-style social justice leader still as salient as it once was? And if not, what would does that mean for civil rights organizing moving forward? We're getting into why it all starts with you and your com...
Mar 06, 2026•23 min
Politically "independent" used to mean you were moderate. Not anymore. It's no secret that Americans are politically divided, as faith in political parties erodes. In the past, so-called "independent" voters were likely shifting between Democrats and Republicans. But now, especially Gen-Z, are pushing in new directions, far from the center. In this episode, we explore how "independent" became a rallying cry for change on the left and the right. Danielle Kurtzleben guest hosts with Elena Moore , ...
Mar 04, 2026•19 min
Can you afford to get married? Or get a divorce? Nothing sets the internet on fire more than the fantasy of finding a partner (usually a man) to pay for your lifestyle. We’re here to put those fires out: dating across class is rare (we will explain why) and financial differences can hurt the partner who has less. Plus, with more women becoming the breadwinners, are women actually the new power partners? Brittany is joined by Wailin Wong , Business and Economics journalist and co-host of The Indi...
Mar 03, 2026•38 min
If the apps aren't working for you, don't stress – there’s a different way to date. Dating apps have quickly become a fixture of modern dating. They do work for a lot of people – but many are also dissatisfied with the endless swiping and paywalled features. With the apps so ubiquitous, is it still possible to date offline? Or have dating apps made some people too scared of face-to-face rejection? Brittany is joined by Manuela López-Restrepo , All Things Considered producer and writer, to get in...
Mar 02, 2026•26 min
Who gets to be "hot" in America? And, at what cost? Some young men are pushing beauty boundaries with guidance from an online trend that's been making headlines: looksmaxxing. Looksmaxxing celebrates intense fitness & skincare routines, extreme body modification, and notably Eurocentric features as the holy grail of modern beauty, but who gets locked out of looksmaxxing when "Chad" is the gold standard? And how painful is it to pursue perfection that's skin deep? Brittany is joined by Jason ...
Feb 27, 2026•19 min
Why is the culture so obsessed with men on the down low? To some, they're a secret, sexy symbol. To others, they're carriers of diseases and lies. What is the truth about men who live their sexual lives 'on the DL', and what does our culture's recurring fascination with them say about how society treats men whose sexualities don't fit into neat boxes? Brittany is joined by Dr. Jeffrey McCune , author of Sexual Discretion: Black Masculinity and the Politics of Passing , and Kai Wright - a journal...
Feb 25, 2026•23 min
Is it time to rethink our food delivery habits? According to data from the National Restaurant Association, around 60% of both millennials and Gen Z say food delivery is an essential part of their lifestyles. But are the steep prices — and occasional guilt — worth the convenience? Brittany is joined by NPR Life Kit producer Margaret Cirino , who recently scaled her food delivery habits way back, to discuss why so many have come to rely on it and what a different path could look like. Support Pub...
Feb 23, 2026•24 min
Social media could fundamentally shift our understanding of what is and isn't "addictive." Tech companies are back in court...and likely will be for a while. A wave of lawsuits allege that platforms - like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat - are addictive and harmful, especially to children. These cases could change platform regulations and this country's interpretation of what counts as "addiction." Brittany is joined by NPR correspondent Shannon Bond , and Dr. Carl Erik Fisher ...
Feb 20, 2026•24 min
Is veganism in its flop era? There was a time when veganism – or plant-based food – seemed to be in ascendency: from the early 2010s when Beyoncé adopted a plant-based diet to its height in 2020, when the retail market for plant-based meat made over a billion dollars in sales. And then… things started getting a little more… meaty. From protein-maxxing to the new food pyramid, the culture seems to have shifted. But what does the plant-based food flop era say about our culture, how we think about ...
Feb 18, 2026•17 min
Translation tech has improved a lot. So why learn a language? A lot of people around the world speak English. For those who don’t, AirPods offer live translation – and Google Translate can fill in gaps, too. So as English-speakers, why learn a second language? Well, it’s hard – but translation can miss a lot of cultural understanding. Brittany is joined by Emily Kwong , co-host of NPR’s science podcast Short Wave , to explore why putting your brain through learning a new language offers surprisi...
Feb 16, 2026•26 min
Is the far-right in its rainbow coalition era? We're seeing quite a few examples in the culture that may suggest so: from Nicki Minaj's recent pivot to the MAGA right, to the videos of DHS agents of color making violent arrests, it feels like the far-right is making more space for people of color to find platforms and power. But how does a multicultural right-wing movement square with the politics of the President? Brittany is joined by Axios senior race and justice reporter Russell Contreras to...
Feb 13, 2026•17 min
Learn to code, they said! And then the layoffs started happening... The tech industry is hemorrhaging jobs. According to one estimate, there have been over 700,000 tech workers laid off since 2022. But there was once a time when “learn to code” was the advice de rigueur for laid-off workers, and a lot of resources went into teaching kids computer science. So if a cushy position in tech isn’t a “good” job anymore… what is? Brittany discusses this with Rya Jetha , tech culture reporter for the San...
Feb 11, 2026•15 min
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance had a clear message for his fans and his haters. The pop star's show was a colorful and vibrant vision of Puerto Rican culture and heritage, from a real life wedding to boxing matches - and even a surprise cameo from Ricky Martin. Against a backdrop of widespread immigration crackdowns and targeted rhetoric, Bad Bunny centered joy as an act of resistance - and as a space for all people in North and South America to unite. Brittany is joined by Pop Culture Happy...
Feb 09, 2026•24 min
Is Melania Trump's new film a documentary? Fan service? Or propaganda? The Amazon funded $40 million-$75 million film, follows the first lady as she prepares for her husband's second inauguration. But, it's finely manicured editing and it's fabricated storylines obscure reality - much like the Trump administration's broader media strategy. So what's the point? Brittany sits down with NPR Senior Arts Critic Bob Mondello , and Vulture Movie Critic Alison Willmore . They examine the wardrobe change...
Feb 06, 2026•20 min
So-called "swoletariats" are exercising for the resistance. There’s a lot of fitness content in conservative manosphere circles – that’s not new – but now, there are also fitness influencers who call themselves the “swoletariat.” That’s a combination of the word “swole,” meaning buff, and “proletariat,” meaning the working class — the swoletariat are people whose fitness regimens connect to leftist politics. NPR's Life Kit producer Margaret Cirino shares her reporting with Brittany on the histor...
Feb 04, 2026•19 min
America’s workers are tired – here’s why. Do you feel like you can never get off the grind? From gig laborers to salaried workers, a lot of people are keeping their noses to the grindstone in order to remain afloat, avoid job loss, and stay one step ahead of market fluctuations. But this culture of overwork isn’t new – according to Erik Baker, Harvard lecturer and author of Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America, the grindset has been intentionally promoted and s...
Feb 02, 2026•20 min
One of the biggest lessons from the clash between ICE and the citizens of Minneapolis is that communities are prepared to stand up for their neighbors. When Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU Nurse, became the second person killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this month, citizens were there to document the killing. Today, we're exploring how Minnesotans trained for this moment and how, despite deep cultural divides between them, they stood together in the face of government aggression. Brittany ...
Jan 30, 2026•16 min
