It's Been a Minute
Has it been a minute since you heard a thought-provoking conversation about culture? Brittany Luse wants to help. Each week, she takes the things everyone's talking about and, in conversation with her favorite creators, tastemakers, and experts, gives you new ways to think about them. Beyond the obvious takes. Because culture doesn't happen by accident. If you can't get enough, try It's Been a Minute Plus. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/itsbeenaminute
Episodes
October 14, 2025 • 19 mins
NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour asked Brittany to go to the movies and bring them her thoughts on The Rock's new movie, The Smashing Machine. She fulfilled the assignment and more.
In this special bonus episode, Brittany, Pop Culture Happy Hour's Aisha Harris, Code Switch's Gene Demby, and NPR contributor Reanna Cruz get into The Rock's attempt at capital-A acting. Is Dwayne Johnson going to get an Oscar, or is the movie an a...
In this special bonus episode, Brittany, Pop Culture Happy Hour's Aisha Harris, Code Switch's Gene Demby, and NPR contributor Reanna Cruz get into The Rock's attempt at capital-A acting. Is Dwayne Johnson going to get an Oscar, or is the movie an a...
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October 13, 2025 • 21 mins
There's his trend on social media of using code words for different topics so you can trick the algorithm from categorizing your content in a certain way. What do you think? Is this a form of censorship?
Or...are algorithm categorizations a way of protecting users from seeing too much violent or aggressive content? Well, whatever side of the debate you fall on, Code Switch's B.A. Parker and Gene Demby are going to show yo...
Or...are algorithm categorizations a way of protecting users from seeing too much violent or aggressive content? Well, whatever side of the debate you fall on, Code Switch's B.A. Parker and Gene Demby are going to show yo...
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October 10, 2025 • 20 mins
Does a college degree get you anything these days? Some people say no, but the reality is far more complicated.
About 19 million people are going to college right now. But one recent poll from Gallup shows that the percentage of Americans who view college as very important is at an all time low, dropping from 75% in 2010 to 35% now. Those who say it's not very important increased from 4% to 24% in the same time period. Th...
About 19 million people are going to college right now. But one recent poll from Gallup shows that the percentage of Americans who view college as very important is at an all time low, dropping from 75% in 2010 to 35% now. Those who say it's not very important increased from 4% to 24% in the same time period. Th...
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October 8, 2025 • 19 mins
Black women’s unemployment rate is hovering at 6.7% — higher than the rate for white workers. Is it a sign the broader economy could sour? These economists say yes.
Black women are the 'canary in the economic coal mine,' says Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman. She's the author of The Double Tax: How Women of Color are Overcharged and Underpaid. Brittany speaks to Anna and Ofranama Biu, chief economist and senior research director ...
Black women are the 'canary in the economic coal mine,' says Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman. She's the author of The Double Tax: How Women of Color are Overcharged and Underpaid. Brittany speaks to Anna and Ofranama Biu, chief economist and senior research director ...
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October 6, 2025 • 18 mins
Hollywood isn't performing as well at home or abroad. Is it losing its cultural dominance to China's burgeoning film industry?
‘Survive until 2025’ was the mantra that got Hollywood through the past five years of lockdown, streaming wars, and franchise fatigue. And while summer films like Lilo & Stitch, Superman, and Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning made critical and box office impact… on the whole, it still doesn't co...
‘Survive until 2025’ was the mantra that got Hollywood through the past five years of lockdown, streaming wars, and franchise fatigue. And while summer films like Lilo & Stitch, Superman, and Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning made critical and box office impact… on the whole, it still doesn't co...
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October 3, 2025 • 19 mins
Recreational ketamine use is on the rise. But why are some people using it to dissociate in the club?
Ketamine – a dissociative anesthetic – is illegal without a prescription and can potentially be harmful. Yet, it has had a massive rise in recreational use over the past decade. One study found that use increased by 81.8% from 2015 to 2019 and rose another 40% from 2021 to 2022. What is driving the illicit drug's sudden p...
Ketamine – a dissociative anesthetic – is illegal without a prescription and can potentially be harmful. Yet, it has had a massive rise in recreational use over the past decade. One study found that use increased by 81.8% from 2015 to 2019 and rose another 40% from 2021 to 2022. What is driving the illicit drug's sudden p...
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October 1, 2025 • 22 mins
At what age did you have a fully formed political perspective? Did tens of thousands of people listen to you? Well, teens today are more influential than ever.
From Charlie Kirk to Greta Thunberg, teenagers and children have long had political influence. But what’s new is that teenagers are creating their own media ecosystem for teenagers, by teenagers. And they’re doing it through highly popular podcasts, like: MD Foodie ...
From Charlie Kirk to Greta Thunberg, teenagers and children have long had political influence. But what’s new is that teenagers are creating their own media ecosystem for teenagers, by teenagers. And they’re doing it through highly popular podcasts, like: MD Foodie ...
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September 29, 2025 • 20 mins
AI is the future, but how is its infrastructure impacting your air, water, and utilities bills today?
You asked, and Brittany delivered. Many of you wrote in asking about artificial intelligence’s environmental impact. Brittany and Evan Halper, a business and energy reporter for The Washington Post, answer your questions and so much more. Like, is AI causing your energy bills to go up? Are tech companies tricking communit...
You asked, and Brittany delivered. Many of you wrote in asking about artificial intelligence’s environmental impact. Brittany and Evan Halper, a business and energy reporter for The Washington Post, answer your questions and so much more. Like, is AI causing your energy bills to go up? Are tech companies tricking communit...
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September 26, 2025 • 18 mins
The Christian rapture didn't happen as predicted, but a lot of you still feel like we're living in end times. Why is that?
Right now - from religion to climate change to doomsday prepping - there's a lot of talk about the end of the world. And, yeah, there was a lot of joking (and some believing) this week that the rapture would happen, but this all points to a broader feeling a lot of us have: that something has to change...
Right now - from religion to climate change to doomsday prepping - there's a lot of talk about the end of the world. And, yeah, there was a lot of joking (and some believing) this week that the rapture would happen, but this all points to a broader feeling a lot of us have: that something has to change...
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September 24, 2025 • 19 mins
If more and more young people are dying of colorectal cancer, why aren't we talking about it? Is it because we're too ashamed of our bodies?
Rates of colorectal cancer are rising, especially for people under 50. But it's hard to raise awareness for a cancer that a lot of us find hard to talk about. In a recent essay for The Cut, writer Laurie Abraham described her experience of colon cancer, which included a lot of embarra...
Rates of colorectal cancer are rising, especially for people under 50. But it's hard to raise awareness for a cancer that a lot of us find hard to talk about. In a recent essay for The Cut, writer Laurie Abraham described her experience of colon cancer, which included a lot of embarra...
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September 22, 2025 • 19 mins
After Grok's MechaHitler gaffe this summer, and President Trump's executive order to, "strip AI models of ‘ideological agendas," Brittany wondered, "how much influence does AI already have on our minds?"
This is AI + U. Each Monday this month, Brittany explores how we’re already seeing the impacts of AI. Artificial Intelligence has become a constant in ways we can and can't see… and for the next few weeks we're zeroing in...
This is AI + U. Each Monday this month, Brittany explores how we’re already seeing the impacts of AI. Artificial Intelligence has become a constant in ways we can and can't see… and for the next few weeks we're zeroing in...
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September 19, 2025 • 19 mins
Why is Trump sending the National Guard to cities when crime is already falling?
Earlier this month, President Trump posted this: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR.” He seemed poised to send the National Guard to the city in an attempt to curb crime, after having deployed them in D.C. But this week, he turned his attention to Memphis, signing a...
Earlier this month, President Trump posted this: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR.” He seemed poised to send the National Guard to the city in an attempt to curb crime, after having deployed them in D.C. But this week, he turned his attention to Memphis, signing a...
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September 17, 2025 • 21 mins
There comes a time in every woman's life that we don't talk about enough: menopause. And reframing it may be the key to unlocking a more fulfilling life for women of all ages.
In this episode, Brittany teams up with WNYC's Radiolab to answer your questions about the ubiquitous and unknown. Brittany, Radiolab senior correspondent Molly Webster, and contributing editor Heather Radke answer your questions: why don't we talk a...
In this episode, Brittany teams up with WNYC's Radiolab to answer your questions about the ubiquitous and unknown. Brittany, Radiolab senior correspondent Molly Webster, and contributing editor Heather Radke answer your questions: why don't we talk a...
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September 15, 2025 • 19 mins
The AI digital afterlife industry is here. But can legal and ethical frameworks keep us safe from it?
Companies are already popping up to create artificial life-like renderings of your loved ones. So-called "deadbots" can mimic speech patterns and unique facialo gestures, and they can purportedly help people cope with grief. But they are also ripe for commercialization. What's stopping companies from using these so-called ...
Companies are already popping up to create artificial life-like renderings of your loved ones. So-called "deadbots" can mimic speech patterns and unique facialo gestures, and they can purportedly help people cope with grief. But they are also ripe for commercialization. What's stopping companies from using these so-called ...
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September 12, 2025 • 23 mins
How did you respond to the assassination of Charlie Kirk? Many mourned or called for revenge. Others pointed to Kirk's extreme, bigoted statements as justification. But how do those reactions impact how the American public will metabolize another instance of gun violence?
Brittany is joined by Abené Clayton, a gun violence reporter for The Guardian, to get into how Kirk's assassination fits into the broader narrative of p...
Brittany is joined by Abené Clayton, a gun violence reporter for The Guardian, to get into how Kirk's assassination fits into the broader narrative of p...
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September 10, 2025 • 16 mins
There's a new man in town: the "performative male." Is he trying to trick you into thinking he's open-minded, or does he really like reading books and drinking matcha? We're breaking down what's gender performance and what's gender manipulation.
In this episode, Brittany is joined by Manny Fidel, host of No Such Thing, and James Factora, staff writer for Them. They get into what makes a "performative male" and why criticis...
In this episode, Brittany is joined by Manny Fidel, host of No Such Thing, and James Factora, staff writer for Them. They get into what makes a "performative male" and why criticis...
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September 8, 2025 • 18 mins
Bizarre videos, uncanny photos, and Luigi Mangoine's likeness on Shein...? AI slop is taking over the web. It's putting money in people's pockets, and driving them offline, too.
This is AI + U. Each Monday this month, Brittany is exploring how you are already seeing the impacts of AI. Artificial Intelligence has become a constant in ways we can and can't see...and for the next few weeks we're zeroing in on how AI affects ...
This is AI + U. Each Monday this month, Brittany is exploring how you are already seeing the impacts of AI. Artificial Intelligence has become a constant in ways we can and can't see...and for the next few weeks we're zeroing in on how AI affects ...
Mark as Played
September 5, 2025 • 20 mins
KPop Demon Hunters, or as Brittany's mom keeps mistakenly calling it "Kidz Bop: It's the Devil," is dominating the music charts. And, thank god! These bombastic bangers are a welcome reprieve after a summer full of sad songs.
We need to talk about those bangers, but we also need to talk about the void KPop Demon Hunters is filling. This summer was lacking a true shiny, shimmering song of the summer. Where were the bops? W...
We need to talk about those bangers, but we also need to talk about the void KPop Demon Hunters is filling. This summer was lacking a true shiny, shimmering song of the summer. Where were the bops? W...
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September 3, 2025 • 19 mins
The Florida detention center, "Alligator Alcatraz," may close, but what can you learn from its short but impactful run?
First, the name echoes old Southern American racist tropes and adapts them for a modern audience. Second, its casually playful name is a blueprint for other detention centers popping up across the United States. But what does this all add up to?
In this episode, Brittany, freelance journalist Ash...
First, the name echoes old Southern American racist tropes and adapts them for a modern audience. Second, its casually playful name is a blueprint for other detention centers popping up across the United States. But what does this all add up to?
In this episode, Brittany, freelance journalist Ash...
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September 1, 2025 • 15 mins
It's official: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce posted one of the most liked Instagram photos of all time. Also, they're officially engaged.
Swift and Kelce are no strangers to the spotlight, but we still know very little about their relationship aside from what they are willing to share. And Molly McPherson, a public relations expert, says that's no accident.
In this episode, Brittany returns to a conversation she ...
Swift and Kelce are no strangers to the spotlight, but we still know very little about their relationship aside from what they are willing to share. And Molly McPherson, a public relations expert, says that's no accident.
In this episode, Brittany returns to a conversation she ...
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