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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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 . Lear...
Mar 05, 2025•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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 . Learn more about...
Feb 26, 2025•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're back with "All the Lonely People," a series diving deep into how loneliness shows up in our lives. This week: can tech cure our loneliness? Companies like Meeno (an AI relationship coaching app), Peoplehood (a platform that organizes guided group conversations), Timeleft (an app which matches strangers for dinner), and Bumble for Friends all say they want to help people make more and better connections. But do we need tech solutions to what may partially be a tech problem? Brittany sits do...
Feb 24, 2025•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Several entertainers and artists have severed ties with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts since President Trump assumed chairmanship of the organization. This week, Brittany is joined by Paper Magazine writer Joan Summers and New York Times Magazine writer J Wortham to unpack the implications of a government-influenced national culture center, and the state of art in America today. Support public media and receive ad-free listening. Join NPR+ today . Learn more about sponsor mes...
Feb 21, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Keke Palmer and SZA play two down on their luck friends who run into a series of hilarious unfortunate events in One of Them Days . Host Brittany Luse and IBAM producer Corey Antonio Rose joined NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour to discuss how this raunchy affair pulls off a story about friendship, unreasonable landlords, and gentrification. Support public media and receive ad-free listening & bonus. Join NPR+ today . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy ...
Feb 19, 2025•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're back with "All the Lonely People," a series diving deep into how loneliness shows up in our lives. This week: is the men's loneliness epidemic overblown? There's been a lot more attention on loneliness in the past few years, with special attention on men's loneliness. And some men definitely are lonely: according to a recent Pew survey , 16% of men say they're lonely all or most of the time. But so are 15% of women. So why are we so concerned about men? What launched the narrative about me...
Feb 17, 2025•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast The price of eggs is skyrocketing due to avian flu, with no clear signs of slowing down. This week, Brittany is joined by NPR health correspondent Will Stone and public health nutritionist Marion Nestle to understand the precarities of our food safety system, and what we can do to stay safe. Support public media and receive ad-free listening. Join NPR+ today. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Feb 14, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast How do you adapt an "unadaptable" book? Today, host Brittany Luse finds out with RaMell Ross , director of the Oscar nominated adaptation of Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys . The story, set in the Jim Crow South, follows two Black boys doing everything they can to survive their tenure at the abusive Nickel Academy in Tallahassee, Florida. The film brings us a new perspective on Black life and complicates the discourse surrounding Black films. Support public media and receive ad-free listening...
Feb 12, 2025•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're launching a series called "All the Lonely People," diving deep into how loneliness shows up in our lives and how our culture shapes it. This week, why are moms so acutely lonely? Brittany hears from her listeners, and from the experts: Jessica Grose, New York Times opinion writer and author of the book Screaming on the Inside: the Unsustainability of American Motherhood , and parental burnout researcher at the Ohio State University, Kate Gawlik. They discuss what mom loneliness has to do w...
Feb 10, 2025•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you been dodging the news lately? Feeling a familiar sense of info fatigue creeping in? You're not alone. This week, Brittany is joined by NPR's White House reporter Danielle Kurtzleben and The Atlantic's Jonathan Lemire to unpack the Trump administration's "Flood the Zone" strategy - and how listeners can stay afloat. Support public media and receive ad-free listening. Join NPR+ today . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Feb 07, 2025•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Trump has signed numerous executive orders surrounding immigration, but one in particular put everyone on high alert - a move to end birthright citizenship. While the order is unlikely to stand, what does the pushback to this Constitutional right say about the state of our country, and who stands to benefit from its dissolution? Brittany sits down with NPR's immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd and Homeland Security Department and Immigration Policy Reporter Ximena Bustillo to find ...
Feb 05, 2025•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Data from Gallup and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Americans are reading fewer books and spending less time reading than ever. There's been reporting on college kids struggling to finish longer texts. And last month, in a viral post , one user lamented their loss of concentration for reading, which led to a larger online discourse about how to approach books again. Brittany is joined by Elaine Castillo, author of the book How to Read Now , and Abdullah Shihipar , Research Associate at...
Feb 03, 2025•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast The new Trump administration is using the language of civil rights but flipping it on its head. If 'diversity' is now being coded as discrimination, what does that mean for the future of civil rights? Brittany is joined by Columbia Law professor Olatunde Johnson and Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery to look at how the Trump administration is dismantling federal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and how private businesses are following suit. Support public media and recei...
Jan 31, 2025•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast How do you bring the African Diaspora to the Grammys? Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento's contrasting tones make a perfect team on Milton + esperanza, a collection of covers, duets, and original songs that have earned the pair a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Today, Brittany and Esperanza get into the years-long intergenerational friendship behind the music, and the Brazilian influences on the album. Support public media and receive ad-free listening & bonus. Join NPR+ today...
Jan 29, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast What good is a Humanities degree? According to two intellectuals, Dr. Ally Louks and Jason Stanley , the Humanities help us better connect to other humans. According to a lot of online haters, they're worthless. Dr. Louks recently posted her Cambridge University PhD thesis online and was piled on by a loud group of right-wing anti-intellectuals. Brittany, Dr. Louks, and Jason Stanley, a professor of Philosophy at Yale University investigate the backlash to Dr. Louks, higher education at large, a...
Jan 27, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Trump is no stranger to buddying up with the ultra rich, and that was on full display at his inauguration . Tech CEOs billionaires like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos were lined up at the proceeding. But beyond the optics, what policies are these CEOs and the new president working on together? Brittany is joined by NPR's tech correspondent Bobby Allyn and The Atlantic's Ashley Parker to answer the question: is America a "tech oligarchy?" And what examples from Trump's first...
Jan 24, 2025•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump has been re-sworn in as President of the United States. And for this re-ascendency, he owes a thank you to Latino voters, especially Latino evangelicals. They turned out for him in double digits in the last election. So what is it about Latinos, evangelicalism, and Trump's brand of Republicanism that helped tip the White House back in his favor? President and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, Robert P. Jones , and Axios Justice and Race reporter Russell Contreras jo...
Jan 22, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is beef tallow a good skincare moisturizer? According to Pew Research Center , 79% of New Year's resolutions are about one thing: health. It's Been a Minute is kicking off 2025 with a little series called "new year, new me." We're getting into some of the big questions and cultural confusion around our health and wellness. For our final installment, we're getting into a new skincare trend: using beef tallow as a moisturizer. That's right – beef fat rendered from suet is one of the trends du jour...
Jan 20, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will end their third-party fact checking program , loosen their hate speech restrictions, and move some of the company to Texas. What's all of that signal about what we will see on social platforms in the coming months and years? Brittany Luse is joined by NPR reporter Huo Jingnan and Washington Post tech reporter Naomi Nix to break down Meta's tangled relationship to misinformation and how these changes will impact users. Plus, Brittany, NPR Staff, a...
Jan 17, 2025•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bad Bunny's new album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS , has struck a chord with fans worldwide. He's always expressed a deep love for Puerto Rico, but his latest work takes it to new heights. In his fusion of old and new genres, he speaks to the shared experiences of the Puerto Rican diaspora and looks to their collective past as a way forward. Writer Carina del Valle Schorske and La Brega podcast host, Alana Casanova-Burgess join the show to break down the function of shared nostalgia and explain the bac...
Jan 15, 2025•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter-themed NFL halftime show performance showcased Black Americana, and drew in millions of viewers, but it left some viewers asking: Is she America's greatest propagandist? And which version of America is she promoting? Brittany Luse is joined by music and Black feminism scholar Daphne A. Brooks and mass communication historian Nick Cull , to unpack what is and isn't propaganda, and how we can sift through political messaging to be more savvy consumers of media. Support publ...
Jan 13, 2025•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast How much protein do you really need to consume? According to Pew Research Center , 79% of New Year's resolutions are about one thing: health. It's Been a Minute is kicking off 2025 with a little series called "new year, new me." We're getting into some of the big questions and cultural confusion around our health and wellness. Today – we're getting into the macronutrient du jour: protein. High protein recipes are all the rage on Instagram, and producers are putting it in everything from pancakes...
Jan 10, 2025•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Five years ago progressive Democrats seemed to be on the rise. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had just ousted a moderate Democrat, and Senator Bernie Sanders looked like he could win the party's nomination. Now, two members of the progressive group known as "The Squad" have lost their re-election bids. This week, Brittany sits down with one of them, former congressional representative, Cori Bush of Missouri. They get into what the progressive politics are in 2025 and what the future holds for Democrat...
Jan 08, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why is sobriety more popular than ever? According to Pew – 79% of New Year's resolutions are about one thing: health. It's Been a Minute is kicking off 2025 with a little series called "new year, new me." We're getting into some of the big questions and cultural confusion around our health and wellness. This week – many Americans are starting out the year by cutting out alcohol and going "dry." But overall, alcohol is getting less popular in general: according to Gallup , the amount of Americans...
Jan 06, 2025•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Brittany has some predictions for the big trends to watch for in 2025. First, social media is OUT. Not that people will stop using social platforms, but rather, Brittany thinks what they mean to us will continue shifting. Second, politicizing food is IN. Brittany thinks food will increasingly become a marker of political identity. You are what you eat? No, what you eat is a sign of what you believe. Plus, a lightning round of Ins & Outs Is the club in or out in 2025? How about wide-legged pants?...
Jan 03, 2025•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Happy New Year! Pop champagne, kiss a loved one, and turn on the rom-com that made New Year's Eve a backdrop of your fall inspo Pinterest board: When Harry Met Sally. But don't stop there. Ilana Kaplan , author of Nora Ephron at the Movies , joins the show to put a spotlight on the woman that helped usher in the golden era of rom-coms and influenced the return of rom-coms. Support public media and receive ad-free listening & bonus content by joining NPR+ today: https://plus.npr.org/ Learn more a...
Jan 01, 2025•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
