Podcast · Society & Culture

It's Been a Minute

Want in on a secret? Your likes and dislikes didn't develop by accident. There are subtle and not-so-subtle forces around you, shaping what you think, how you act, and even who you think you are. Brittany Luse is here to break the spell and help you feel wiser in a society that makes things blurry.

New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 28 min
Latest: 14 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026 · 28 minNew

The high flying girls who desegregated America

She's America's sweetheart, but she just might be America's superhero as well. The American cheerleader has become one of the nation's most cemented symbols of femininity, girlhood, and youthful power. But how does paying attention to the real life experiences of cheerleaders tell a different story about America's history of education, race, and gender? Brittany is joined by Dr. Natalie G. Adams, editor of The Cheer Reader, and contributor Dr. Amira Rose Davis to find out. Interested in more conversations on sports and gender? Check out these episodes: Would you let your kids play football?…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

13 Oct 2026 · 40 minNew
Nowadays, celebrity is a state of mind
We’re in an era where everyone can be a celebrity. And that’s okay! For the past ten years, Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, hosts of the podcast Who? Weekly , have dissected the celebrity landscape. From the declining power of A-List celebrities to the rising power of influencers, the duo have investigated how fame and power have shifted over the last decade. They’ve asked the question: ‘Who gets to be famous?’ And discovered, ‘ well, nowadays, anyone.’ I Want to Be Famous: When Everybody and Nobody Is a Celebrity is their new book where they explore what they've learned about the ephemeral…
12 Oct 2026 · 26 minNew
The proposal to know less about America
Census data about race can be incredibly important – but we might lose it. The Trump administration has proposed to stop asking people in the U.S. about their race and ethnicity in the upcoming 2030 census. But what's the point of getting rid of these questions? And what makes the narratives around our nation's demographics so fraught? To get into it, Brittany is joined by Russell Contreras , senior race and justice reporter at Axios, and Hansi Lo Wang , a correspondent at NPR who covers voting rights and the census. For more episodes about policy and culture, check out: Bacteria is taking…
9 Oct 2026 · 27 min
The Palestinians telling their own stories
Palestinians are challenging the narrative one story at a time. Editor-in-Chief of The Key , Sara Yasin , wants us to rethink what she calls ‘it’s complicated' journalism . As more young people are exposed to the destruction in Gaza -- outside of traditional media outlets -- Sara wanted to provide a space where Palestinians can speak freely about what’s going on around them. Enter: The Key, an online publication that focuses on “analysis, interviews, essays, reviews and reportage about Palestine.” Sara joins the show to get into The Key, what ‘fairness’ looks like for mainstream media in…
7 Oct 2026 · 26 min
The secret pain of your high school bully
Some of life's hardest lessons are learned in high school. In Jocelyn Bioh's Broadway play, School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play , the ladies of Aburi Girls' Boarding School live these hard lessons through their friendships, feuds, and the upcoming Miss Ghana 1986 beauty pageant. But what does a play about teenagers in the 80s have to tell us about gossip, girlhood, and how it feels to not be chosen for reasons out of your control? Brittany is joined by playwright Jocelyn Bioh and director Whitney White to find out. Want more conversations on theater and culture? Check out these…
6 Oct 2026 · 35 min
Is loving your mother worth the pain?
Author Mary H.K. Choi is obsessed with her mom. New York Times bestselling author, Mary H.K Choi , is known for her young adult novels Emergency Contact and Yolk . But her latest novel, Pool House , is for adults, and details the relationship between a Korean-American D-list actress in her 40s and her 20-year old daughter, who’s always lived in her mother’s shadow. Today’s chat is all about families – how they change, how they don’t, and why we keep on loving the ones who hurt us the most. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks…
5 Oct 2026 · 33 min
When did it become OK to blast TikToks in public?
There are deep roots behind the latest entry into public noise. It’s a now-common scenario: you’re using public transit, or waiting at the airport, or dining in a restaurant, when you hear the tinny music and computerized voice-overs of someone scrolling TikTok – no headphones. This aggravated All Things Considered producer and writer Manuela López Restrepo enough to look into it. And what she found was a rich history of how public noise works in our culture: who is allowed to make (or avoid it), who gets punished – and the companies that seem to get off scot-free. Manuela shares her…
2 Oct 2026 · 26 min
So you wanna be a critic...
Social media has made it easy for everyone to give their opinion...so why do people hate critics? To answer that question Brittany is joined by Lovia Gyarkye , culture editor at Hammer and Hope , a magazine dedicated to Black culture and politics. Lovia’s spent the bulk of her career researching, reflecting, and writing about the films, artists, and celebrities we’ve come to love. And in that process, she’s found ways to embrace curiosity and skepticism, two essential parts of being a critic. Today on the show, Lovia defines what being a critic means for her, the ‘thinking’ problem so many…
30 Sep 2026 · 27 min
Bacteria is taking over the food pyramid
How do you know what's safe to eat? You don't. And after a summer full of food recalls from lettuce to blueberries and even jalapeños, a regular trip to the grocery store can start to feel like a dangerous game. But how are the flaws in our food safety system creating issues beyond what we choose to grab in the produce aisle? To find out, Brittany is joined by Eric Schlosser , author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Want more episodes on food, access, and power? Check these out: The politics of hunger Think the Medicaid cuts don't affect you? Think again. You can…
29 Sep 2026 · 35 min
Help, America is in a sex drought!
Who's afraid of a horny movie? According to Bobbi Miller, culture critic and host of Culture Kitsch, horny movies pique our carnal curiosities. Sometimes there's an overall horny show like Heated Rivalry or movie like Wicker. Other times, you have elements of horniness present, in movies like Sinners , The Handmaiden , and In the Mood for Love . But it seems like on the whole, Hollywood is still shying away from horny-forward art, even though romance adaptations are exploding in popularity. So what’s going on here? And why it is hard to find these horny depictions onscreen? Support public…
28 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Is the internet choosing your food?
Recipes online seem to have all become… kind of the same. They're described in lots of words that end in y – creamy, jammy, lemony – and they tend to use lots of globally sourced pastes like miso, gochujang and harissa. The luscious photos and videos that accompany them border on erotic. But how did this become the norm? What has the internet done to our palates – and what do today's tastes say about us? To find out, Brittany is joined by Ruby Tandoh , cookbook writer and the author of All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now . (00:00) Why online recipes all seem the same (01:59) What…
25 Sep 2026 · 19 min
The power of giving & receiving advice
Got first date jitters? Maybe your siblings are already starting drama ahead of the holidays? Or perhaps you need tips on supporting a friend through a hard time? You’re in good hands, because starting on Monday, September 28th to Wednesday September 30th, from 1pm-2pm ET, Brittany will be hosting a pop-up show called Please Advise, where she'll be giving advice LIVE on WNYC. But first, Brittany’s getting advice on how to give advice. NPR Embedded producer and author of The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center , Rhaina Cohen joins the show to share her…
23 Sep 2026 · 24 min
Carla Hall on cooking, courage, and curiosity
For nearly twenty years, chef, author, and actor Carla Hall has taught us to cook from the heart across both screen and stage. Beyond culinary arts, her career path has spanned diverse fields such as accounting and modeling. Today, Carla joins the show to discuss how to navigate your next move with confidence, whether in your career or in the kitchen. Carla's cookbook, Carla Bakes: Sweet, Savory, and from the Hear t, is available now. Want more conversations about food and culture? Check out these episodes: A taste of Black Appalachia Your Dinner Party toolkit Support public media with NPR+…
22 Sep 2026 · 41 min
'Anxious attachment' is popular. But is it real?
Attachment theory is having a moment online. It’s the concept that the relationship we have with our parents directly impacts how we relate to and interact with others, especially people we’re in relationships with. Are we anxious? Are we avoidant? Can this be the reason we keep getting our hearts broken? We’re joined by friend of the podcast and our guide to the modern dating world, NPR producer Manuela Lopez Restrepo ; Dr. Marisa G. Franco , author of Worth: The New Science of Self Esteem and Secure Attachment ; and Tatum Hunter , journalist and content creator, to understand the science…
21 Sep 2026 · 25 min
Are we in a 'color recession'?
Are neutrals dominating your color palette? Our world is looking kind of gray. Not the trees, the grass or the sky – but the cars, the buildings, the houses, and the decor and appliances in them. Neutrals dominate – like the famous “Millennial gray.” There are a lot of reasons, both structural and cultural, why color is leaching out of some of our most important and most expensive possessions – but what do we think our colors say about us? And what role does color play in our lives today? To get into it, Brittany is joined by Amogh Dimri , assistant editor at The Atlantic and the writer of a…
18 Sep 2026 · 34 min
The report that changed public education
In 1966, the federal government commissioned a massive survey aimed at solving educational inequality. Instead, the explosive Coleman Report unleashed a 60-year debate over race, resources, and what education in America is actually for. This is the story of how the report came together… and the policy whirlwind that followed. Guests: Victoria Cain, Associate Professor of History, Northeastern University Thomas Kane, Walter H. Gale Professor of Education and Economics, Harvard University Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks…
16 Sep 2026 · 25 min
The Good, the Baddies, and the Ugly
Are we living in a Baddies Revolution? We just might be. Over the past few years, the Zeus Network franchise Baddies has steadily grown in virality, capturing dozens of young people on camera as they party, promote clubs, and most of all, fight each other. But where do shows like Joseline's Cabaret and Baddies USA sit in the long history of Reality TV, and what can they tell us about what young people feel is possible for themselves? To find out, Brittany is joined by Dr. Donnetrice C. Allison , professor and chair of the department of Africana studies at Stockton University. Want more…
15 Sep 2026 · 38 min
Your summer (Sponsored by prediction markets)
The summer of 2026 turned into the summer of predictive markets. Polymarket and Kalshi, two of the largest betting platforms in the US, expanded their marketing to reach users everywhere. And they seem to be actively pursuing women customers — highlighting bets on who'd win Love Island USA to who'd attend the Taylor Swift Travis Kelce wedding. To discuss this phenomenon, we’re talking with Nancy Walecki , staff writer at The Atlantic and Lauren McCarthy , business reporter at The New York Times, to understand how predictive markets are catering to women, and what it all means. Support public…
14 Sep 2026 · 35 min
The rising power of American Muslims
Is this a new era for American Muslims? American Muslims are building their own cultural institutions – New York Magazine and The Guardian have reported on flourishing ecosystems of cafes, magazines, dance nights, meetups and readings for Muslims and/or people with heritage from the SWANA region. And on a political level, Muslims like Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani have become prominent faces of the left. On the one hand, this swell of Muslims coming up in politics and building cultural institutions is not surprising – there are over 4 million Muslims…
11 Sep 2026 · 28 min
The manosphere is coming for R&B
The genre made for lovers doesn't seem to respect the very fanbase it’s engineered to woo. When Mankaprr Conteh interviewed R&B artist Isaia Huron, she imagined a thoughtful if not a bit complicated conversation about the difficult woman at the center of his latest album, Mr. Lovebomb . What she got was something else entirely. Huron went on to tell Mankaprr that he has no empathy for women and that it's problematic that women believe they deserve everything. This conversation was later turned into Mankaprr’s piece for Hammer & Hope magazine: “Is This What R&B Sounds Like When You Don’t…
9 Sep 2026 · 27 min
Would you let your kids play football?
Is the fantasy of football worth the potential price? That's what football athletes, fans and doctors are asking after a new study published in late August revealed that from a sample of athletes who played at least one NFL game in their careers and who died between 2016 and 2021, a minimum of around 25% -- that's one in every four of those players -- had a brain condition called CTE upon their death. But what do these findings really mean for one of the world's most lucrative sports leagues, and how might our cultural ideas about football be creating blind spots for us when we consider the…
8 Sep 2026 · 42 min
We've reached peak 'optimization.' What comes next?
Has the era of optimization finally reached a fever pitch? Veneers, perfect minimalist home decor, and even eye whitening drops are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many ways we can ‘optimize’ our lives. But at what cost? And how did we even get to this point? To understand this trend we’re talking with Bloomberg Business Week Senior Writer Amanda Mull , who wrote The Optimization Backlash Has Begun , to understand how optimization has become the name of the game online and why it’s starting to wear thin. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts…
7 Sep 2026 · 45 min
Why you shouldn't bring your full self to work
"Be vulnerable." "We love your authenticity." "Bring your full self to work." Sound familiar? In this episode from our friends at Code Switch, B.A. Parker chats with Jodi-Ann Burey, author of Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work, about why you should absolutely NOT do those things at work — especially if you're a Black woman. For more episodes on how we work, check out: Who really counts as ‘working class’? You might be suffering from AI brain fry How the grindset broke your brain Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s…
4 Sep 2026 · 23 min
In America, are you what you wear?
You are what you wear… or are you? In her new podcast, Philosophy Club , host Avery Trufelman -- who also hosts the fashion podcast Articles of Interest -- tries to answer that question and more by getting back to basics. Each week, she and her co-host, Derek Guy -- fashion critic who many know as "The Menswear Guy" -- read philosophers, theorists, and writers who have built the foundation for our modern-day discourse about fashion, consumption, and more. Avery joins the show to define what fashion philosophy is and how it impacts the way we present ourselves in everyday life. Support public…
2 Sep 2026 · 26 min
Where did all the 'masculine men' go?
Has there been a decline in "masculine" men? Some women on Tiktok seem to believe so. The phrase, "Who's gonna be the boys?" has been used online to refer to all the mundane things men are doing that could be described as feminine: wearing earrings, having a skin care routine, and even eating a banana, to name a few. But what does this online question about the alleged absence of masculine men say about our society’s expectations of men? And how might these expectations be causing problems for us all? To explore these questions, Brittany talks with Shar Jossell , entertainment journalist and…
1 Sep 2026 · 37 min
It's healthy to eat your feelings. Here's why.
Carla Lalli’s latest cookbook wants you to eat your feelings. After the end of her decades-long marriage, Lalli -- the former Bon Appétit editor whose cooking videos and cookbooks made her one of the internet's favorite chefs -- knew she had to do one thing: write about it. What emerged is Food is a Feeling , a collection of stories and recipes processing this moment in her life. From figuring out a meal for two to deconstructing the ‘guilt’ behind ‘guilty pleasures,’ Carla joins the show to get into the pleasure of making, eating, and enjoying one of life’s most delicious necessities.…
31 Aug 2026 · 27 min
The rise of 'intentional living'
Does everyone need their own lawnmower? For a lot of people, living with your spouse and kids in a standalone house with a white picket fence is, more or less, the American dream. But people aren’t as likely to get married and have kids as they used to – and buying a house is more unattainable than ever. But even for those who don't share this particular American dream, alternatives -- like living alone or with roommates you don't really talk to -- can sometimes feel alienating, or like a last resort. But the proponents of communal living say things can be different. Communal living can look…
28 Aug 2026 · 24 min
Hitting the open road can lead to new beginnings
What would it look like to have all of your needs met? That’s the question filmmaker Shatara Michelle Ford’s asks in their film, Dreams in Nightmares . As three Black queer friends take to the road to search for the fourth member of their group, they navigate the ups and downs of love, identity, and what it means to truly feel seen. Shatara joins the show to break down how Dreams in Nightmares went from an idea about the Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas to a journey of self-discovery. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include…
26 Aug 2026 · 19 min
The influencer era is dead. What's next?
Would you go back to college? What if it looked less like four years of textbooks and cram sessions, and more like five days of non-stop streaming and content creation? That's the vision that Twitch megastreamer Kai Cenat had for his second annual Streamer University, where budding content creators descended on a liberal arts campus to learn how to be the best streamers they can be. But what does the success of Streamer University say about the creator economy and where our attention is headed? To find out, Brittany is joined by Rebecca Jennings , features writer for New York Magazine and…
25 Aug 2026 · 37 min
Books can teach you to love yourself. If you let them.
How do you convince people to read more novels? You could ask author Jason Reynolds for a start. The acclaimed author of young adult novels, Look Both Ways , Long Way Down , and Ghost joins host Brittany Luse to discuss the lessons in empathy, friendship and hope that novels can inspire in all readers. He says, “In one book, everybody can change. In 300 pages, every character that you've met has become a new character by the end, and so what might you do in thirty days, let alone thirty years? ” What's the last book that changed you? Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25…

About It's Been a Minute

It's Been a Minute is a English society & culture podcast from NPR. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: NPR
Language: English
Category: Society & Culture
New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 28 min
Latest episode: 14 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1250180134

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