It's Been a Minute

NPR

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 identity influences tech or health, Brittany makes the picture clearer for you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.It’s Been A Minute reaches millions of people every week. Join the community and conversation today.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

  1. Is this the end of reality TV?

    13 HR AGO

    Is this the end of reality TV?

    After dominating television screens for decades, has reality TV gone into decline? Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Taylor Frankie Paul has been a controversial figure for some time now, but the latest allegations surrounding the star - and the subsequent cancellation of her season of The Bachelorette - have caused viewers to ask: how far is too far for reality TV? With ratings on the decline and networks desperate to keep audiences coming back, reality TV has taken some drastic turns to remain relevant. To get into all this Rebecca Jennings, features writer for New York Magazine, joins the show to unpack the drama surrounding Taylor Frankie Paul and the state of reality TV at large. (0:00) Who's being exploited more on reality TV?(03:36) Unpacking Taylor Frankie Paul's controversial reality TV journey(09:27) ABC's risky bet on Taylor Frankie Paul as 'The Bachelorette'(18:29) Navigating the line between 'messy' and 'dark' on reality TV(21:25) How reality TV fandom has changed(25:37) Finding unexpected value in reality TV drama(29:23) The need for better vetting and ethics in reality TV casting(33:33) Official statements from Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen Want more about reality TV? Check out these IBAM episodes:Our love lives have gone full Love Island.Dating skills vs. dating gimmicks in 'Love on the Spectrum' Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

    36 min
  2. Me and my partner don't see eye-to-eye about AI. Now what?

    1 DAY AGO

    Me and my partner don't see eye-to-eye about AI. Now what?

    Do you and your loved ones see eye-to-eye... about AI? There’s been a lot of discourse about age gaps and wage gaps – but there’s a new kind of gap rocking relationships: AI gaps. For example, when a couple isn't on the same page about when and how to use it, or even how AI becomes an unwelcome third wheel in a relationship. And this is big for some couples – but this also can be an issue in some friendships and family dynamics, too. So what does AI usage say about what people value? And are conflicts around AI becoming proxies for deeper issues in relationships? Brittany chats with Jenny Singer, a freelance culture writer who wrote about this for The Washington Post, and Heather Kelly, a freelance reporter who focuses on how technology affects daily life. (00:00) Can using AI be an ick?(03:35) When AI becomes an unwelcome third in your relationship(07:41) Why Americans are pessimistic about AI - but might use it anyway(13:08) What AI usage might say about our values(18:06) Strategies for bridging the AI divide in relationships For more episodes about modern dating, check out:"Girl Math" does not add up to financial freedomThe unbearable fear of being cheated onThe joy of breaking up with dating apps Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

    24 min
  3. The best & worst of culture in 2026...so far

    4 DAYS AGO

    The best & worst of culture in 2026...so far

    We have officially wrapped Quarter 1 of 2026. That means it's time to gather the pop culture C-suite and take stock of the best and worst of culture this year...so far. Host Brittany Luse is your Pop Culture CEO, and she's joined by esteemed members of the C-suite, Joan Summers and Matthew Lawson, co-hosts of the Eating for Free podcast, to recap the last three months in an official Pop Culture Quarterly Review. What have been the major cultural achievements and setbacks so far this year? And in the Pop Culture Boardroom, who will emerge as the MVP? Want more bird's eye views of pop culture? Check out these episodes.The Best & Worst Moments of 20252026 Predictions: Beyoncé retires, AI busts, Democrats lift weights Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

    25 min
  4. Welcome to 'The Republic of Wasia'

    6 DAYS AGO

    Welcome to 'The Republic of Wasia'

    Does 2026 belong to "Wasians?" Actor Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry) and Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu recently became household names very quickly. And people are talking about the rising stars beyond just their talents: they’re talking about Liu’s and Williams’ race. Both are half-Asian, half-white, also known as “Wasian” – and some have dubbed this past season “Wasian winter.” But why are Wasians a topic of conversation now, and what does this discussion say about how attitudes around some mixed race identities have changed? Brittany is joined by Mika Ellison, intern for It’s Been a Minute and Life Kit, to get into the geopolitical and cultural forces around the “Wasian fixation.” (00:00) Unpacking the 'Wasian Fixation' (04:38) Geopolitical forces behind Wasians in culture(09:53) From 'Hapa' to 'Wasian'(13:38) What does a Wasian story look like?(19:53) The evolution of mixed discourse(23:04) Is 'Wasian' a good term? For more on Heated Rivalry, check out: What's so hot about Heated Rivalry?For more on identity and the internet, check out: Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes. Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

    28 min
  5. "Girl Math" does not add up to financial freedom

    31 MAR

    "Girl Math" does not add up to financial freedom

    Sorry but...the "Girl Math" is not adding up. And by "Girl Math" we mean the class fantasies of young women; the dream of achieving financial freedom by being frivolous with finances (because 'I'm just a girl!')... and rely entirely on their husband or partner (with no backup plan!). You see these fantasies peddled in romance novels, divorce memoirs, and, of course, tradwife content. According to Chelsea Fagan, author and CEO of The Financial Diet, these are all part of our culture's obsession with class fantasies. While we may believe much of our social and romantic desires are solely rooted in love, Chelsea wants to encourage women especially to interrogate their financial status and future. Brittany is joined by Chelsea to answer the question: is it really love if you don’t have the financial ability to come and go as you please? (0:00) Unpacking the infantilization of "girl math" and women's financial fantasies(1:58) Financial fantasy brain rot: relying on a wealthy man(05:18) How 'Just Getting Good' got started(08:55) How 'Just Getting Good' debunks financial myths(12:05) How romance novels peddle regressive class fantasies(17:28) How fictional fantasies bleed into real life(24:55) How voluntary financial ignorance harms women(30:32) Building relationships with financial clarity and equity Want more on financial fantasies or relationships? Check out these IBAM episodes: Money can make or break your relationshipThe embarrassing truth of dating men Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

    37 min
  6. The fanfic-ification of mainstream culture

    30 MAR

    The fanfic-ification of mainstream culture

    Is fanfiction mainstream now? If you are anywhere near fan spaces online, you’ve probably seen people talking about fanfiction. And it's also behind some of the biggest books of the last decade – some of the publishing industry's greatest hits are fanfic adaptations. But even as fanfic seeps into the mainstream, there’s a battle inside fanfic communities over whether it should be kept private – and a larger culture war brewing over what gets published and who’s reading it.  Brittany gets into the gendered, economic, and cultural forces pushing fanfiction to the fore with Ashley Reese, writer, cultural commentator and fanfic veteran, and Eli Cugini, culture writer, Ph.D. student and author of a Defector article called “Fanfiction’s Total Cultural Victory.” Want to hear more about the state of literacy? Check out these episodes: Have we lost the art of reading?Yes, romance & fantasy novels are political.Books vs. Brain Rot: why it's so hard to read Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

    31 min
  7. The hard work of having "good taste"

    27 MAR

    The hard work of having "good taste"

    Do you think you have good taste? Having a good sense of taste is something like a cultural badge of honor: the result of hard work understanding what you find beautiful and why it moves you. Silicon Valley tech bros are latching onto taste as a new buzzword, and some are even suggesting that their products can give you a fast track to refining your own taste. Brittany is joined by Kyle Chayka, staff writer at The New Yorker, and Kate Wagner, architecture critic at The Nation, to find out whether or not taste can be created from terabytes of AI data. You can read Kyle's piece, titled, 'Why Tech Bros Are Now Obsessed with Taste' in The New Yorker. Want more about Tech and Culture? Check out these episodes:The false promise of a tech job.Can you trust AI search results? Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

    18 min
  8. The morbid lifelessness of modern beauty

    25 MAR

    The morbid lifelessness of modern beauty

    There's a new beauty trend in town: why are women trying to look...lifeless? Today’s guest, Jessica DeFino - beauty reporter, critic, and author of the FLESH WORLD Substack - says contemporary glamorization of anti-aging products and long dead icons like Caroline Bessette Kennedy all fall within a macabre beauty trend, what she calls ‘the morgue gaze.’ Ageless, poreless, lifeless beauty inspiration keeps consumers coming back for more numb, frozen aesthetics - forever. Jessica joins host Brittany Luse to break down what the morgue gaze is and why we’re so fascinated with the beauty of lifelessness. (0:00) The Resurgence of Carolyn Bessette and the 'Morgue Gaze'(2:03) Aesthetic Immortality: Unpacking the Morgue Gaze's Appeal(5:49) From Mannequin Skin to Cadaver Fat: The Rise of Lifeless Beauty(9:41) Billionaire Longevity: Transhumanism, AI, and the Undead Future(12:59) The Dissociative Pout(17:58) The Inescapable Grip of Beauty Culture Want more about beauty? Check out these IBAM episodes: The beauty industry has an Epstein problemLooksmaxxing is teaching men that pretty hurts.Peptides & the pursuit of the "perfect" body Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

    21 min
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About

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 identity influences tech or health, Brittany makes the picture clearer for you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.It’s Been A Minute reaches millions of people every week. Join the community and conversation today.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

Information

  • Creator
    NPR
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.2k
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2015-2025 NPR - For Personal Use Only
  • Show Website
    It's Been a Minute

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