693 episodes

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

It's Been a Minute It's Been A Minute

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.7 • 8.6K Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

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

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    McCarthyism and queerness in 'Fellow Travelers'; plus, IBAM unplugged with Olivia Dean

    McCarthyism and queerness in 'Fellow Travelers'; plus, IBAM unplugged with Olivia Dean

    This week, Brittany chats with New Yorker television critic Inkoo Kang about Showtime's historical romance, Fellow Travelers. The show follows the lives and love of two closeted men - Hawk and Tim. It starts in 1950s Washington DC, at the height of McCarthyism and the lavender scare and continues through the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Brittany and Inkoo discuss how the politics of the time shape the characters and how survival isn't always pretty.Then, we switch gears and meet an artist that's been bringing Brittany joy in the cold winter months. Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean joins the show to talk her debut album, Messy, and gives IBAM an unforgettable live performance from her catalog.

    • 49 min
    All The Only Ones: I can't wait

    All The Only Ones: I can't wait

    This week we're bringing you a special episode from the Embedded series 'All the Only Ones.' The series looks at the history of trans youth next to the realities experienced by trans youth today. In this episode, we meet Parker, a senior in high school in Columbus, Ohio. Parker is a top field hockey athlete, but as a trans person, he is faced with making a difficult decision: either pursuing his dreams as a D1 trans field hockey player in college next year, or pursuing his dreams of starting hormone replacement therapy, which could get him banned from playing. We also meet two historical trans youth of the 1960s, Vicky and Donna, both facing barriers to getting the care and treatment they need after repeatedly looking for help.

    • 45 min
    Defending the Disney Adult; plus, what it takes to stand up for Black trans people

    Defending the Disney Adult; plus, what it takes to stand up for Black trans people

    Disney recently celebrated its 100th birthday, so we're exploring a fandom that's kept the magic alive while also generating lots of online hate: Disney Adults. To break the phenomenon down, Brittany Luse chats with Rolling Stone senior writer and self-proclaimed Disney Adult, E.J. Dickson. Their conversation looks at the rise of Disney Adults, why they're so maligned and what the public may misunderstand about these superfans.Then, in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance, Brittany talks with influential Black trans activist Raquel Willis. They get into her new memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom, which looks at pivotal moments in her organizing journey alongside the movement for Black Lives and the rise of trans visibility in modern culture.

    • 38 min
    How gratitude improves your relationships and your future

    How gratitude improves your relationships and your future

    For the millions of Americans that celebrate Thanksgiving, it's a time when a lot of us reflect on the things and the people in our lives that we appreciate. But according to Dr. Laurie Santos, psychology professor at Yale and host of the podcast, The Happiness Lab, a practice of gratitude can improve our lives year-round. Host Brittany Luse chats with Dr. Santos about the surprising science of how gratitude can affect our brains — and how it leads us to be more generous with our future selves.

    • 15 min
    The return of Andre 3000; plus, 'Rap Sh!t' puts the music industry on blast

    The return of Andre 3000; plus, 'Rap Sh!t' puts the music industry on blast

    As many male rappers seem to become more depressed or vindictive in their lyrics, the women of rap appear to be having all the fun. One show that captures this moment is Rap Sh!t on Max. Brittany sits down with the showrunner and writer, Syreeta Singleton. They discuss the complexities of navigating the rap game as a Black woman, the new social media landscape, and how rap and Rap Sh!t approach sexuality. Then, a conversation with Andre 3000. After 17 years, the rapper, producer, and instrumentalist is back with a new album, New Blue Sun. Notably, this album has no rapping and focuses on the artists passion for the flute. In honor of the occasion, host Brittany Luse passes the mic to NPR colleague and host, Rodney Carmichael. In this excerpt of their hour long interview, Rodney and Andre retrace the artist's journey from rapper to flautist, the beauty of aging, and why there should be more celebration in death.

    • 36 min
    Pressing pause on 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' and rethinking Scorsese's latest

    Pressing pause on 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' and rethinking Scorsese's latest

    Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon is everything an Oscar contender might be - long, epic, morally complicated and expensive. Yet, while many movie-goers left theaters moved, others called the film a problematic disaster. Today on the show, we hear what the movie got wrong and how it fits into a broader history of Native Americans on screen. To unpack this, Brittany Luse is joined by Robert Warrior, a literature and professor and an Osage Nation citizen, Liza Black, a Native American and Indigenous Studies professor and Cherokee Nation citizen, and Nancy Marie Mithlo, a gender studies professor and Fort Sill Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache citizen.

    • 23 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
8.6K Ratings

8.6K Ratings

CJMcMac ,

Love this show!!

Brittney crushed the Barbra Streisand interview!!

LLMinBerlin ,

Stealthily brilliant

Brittany Luse is a gifted interviewer/moderator who brings out the very best in her conversation partners. She is as intelligent as she is sensitive - and somehow holds onto her sense of humour along the way. A joy to listen to. I learn something new every time.

Tyrell Allen ,

Great insights, incredible host

Huge fan of the topics this podcast explores, as well as the way Brittany facilitates conversation with the guests.

Top Podcasts In Society & Culture

CNN
iHeartPodcasts
Spotify Studios
USG Audio
iHeartPodcasts
iHeartPodcasts

You Might Also Like

NPR
Vulture & New York Magazine
Stitcher, & Saeed Jones, Zach Stafford, and Sam Sanders
NPR
NPR
NPR

More by NPR

NPR
NPR
NPR
NPR
NPR
NPR