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It's Been a Minute

It's Been a Minute

NPR 1039 Episodes Oct 14, 2026

Brittany Luse explores the hidden forces that shape our tastes, behaviors, and identities, from politics and pop culture to technology and health. The show helps listeners understand and navigate a complex society, winning the Best Pop Culture Podcast award at the 2025 Signal Awards. New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Episodes

The high flying girls who desegregated America
The high flying girls who desegregated America Oct 14, 2026 1677 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, e
Nowadays, celebrity is a state of mind
Nowadays, celebrity is a state of mind Oct 13, 2026 2394 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 t
The proposal to know less about America
The proposal to know less about America Oct 12, 2026 1549 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
The Palestinians telling their own stories
The Palestinians telling their own stories Oct 9, 2026 1622 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 p
The secret pain of your high school bully
The secret pain of your high school bully Oct 7, 2026 1582 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
Is loving your mother worth the pain?
Is loving your mother worth the pain? Oct 6, 2026 2103 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 –
When did it become OK to blast TikToks in public?
When did it become OK to blast TikToks in public? Oct 5, 2026 1977 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 foun
So you wanna be a critic...
So you wanna be a critic... Oct 2, 2026 1552 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
Bacteria is taking over the food pyramid
Bacteria is taking over the food pyramid Sep 30, 2026 1628 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 Na
Help, America is in a sex drought!
Help, America is in a sex drought! Sep 29, 2026 2094 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 shy
Is the internet choosing your food?
Is the internet choosing your food? Sep 28, 2026 1752 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 ab
The power of giving & receiving advice
The power of giving & receiving advice Sep 25, 2026 1164 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

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