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.THE BEST POP CULTURE PODCAST AWARD WINNER AT THE 2025 SIGNAL AWARDSIt’s Been A Minute with Brittany Luse is the best podcast for understanding what’s going on in culture right now, and helps you consume it smarter. From how politics influences pop culture to how...
Latest episodes
-
43 min
Our money dysmorphia is real
Are we in an economic crisis? It’s a question that prompted Pulitzer Prize-winning data journalist and illustrator Mona Chalabi to pitch her first book, Ten Lives: How What We Have…
-
18 min
There's nothing scarier than private equity in food
Does private equity turn restaurants into zombified husks of their former selves?From the Crumbl and Insomnia cookie empires, to some of our country's most enduring chains like Dun…
-
20 min
How will Gen Z independents shape the midterms?
Has Gen Z changed how we think about independents?It's no secret that Americans are politically divided, as faith in political parties erodes. In the past, so-called "independent"…
-
18 min
A chatbot a day keeps the doctor away
Who do you trust to help you make decisions about your sexual health?In the absence of widespread public health campaigns and high-profile narratives in TV and film about HIV preve…
-
33 min
How artists conquer Tiny Desk
What makes a great Tiny Desk concert? For NPR’s Tiny Desk Creative Director Bobby Carter, success means making space for an artist's creativity within the show’s strict technical p…
-
34 min
The sport of online harassment
Non-consensually posted intimate images can devastate women – and beget male bonding.The burner accounts on X loosely grouped into the “burnerverse” started by bonding over college…
-
28 min
Who gets to keep the lights on?
As our climate crisis continues to unfold, who gets to keep the lights on? On August 11th, a derecho hit northwest Indiana, and the predominantly Black city of Gary was left withou…
-
28 min
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,…
-
40 min
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 cel…
-
26 min
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…
-
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 you…
-
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…
-
35 min
Loving your mother is torture. Do it anyways.
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 nove…
-
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 y…
-
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 Hamm…
-
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…
-
35 min
Help, America is in a sex draught!
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 s…
-
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 p…
-
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 han…
-
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 div…