It's Been a Minute

The Barbie movie has arrived and we seem to be reaching peak Barbie-mania. But, Barbie's brand of hyperfeminine fun has been on the rise for years — especially online among left leaning femmes who call themselves bimbos and have been giving the term a new meaning. Host Brittany Luse and Hannah McCann , a lecturer at the University of Melbourne who specializes in critical femininity studies, explor...

In the wake of user dissatisfaction with Twitter, a crop of hungry new apps have sprung up to replace it. This week on It's Been A Minute, host Brittany Luse is joined by Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz to unravel Meta's newest app: Threads. They also discuss the latest changes in the the social media landscape, our power to shape it and why influencers could ultimately come out on top. You...

It's been 20 years since Beyoncé's single Crazy in Love poured out of every radio, car speaker and club for a whole summer — setting her up to be the solo star she is today. Host Brittany Luse revisits that moment and shares the surprising story behind the music with show producer Corey Antonio Rose . Then, she sits down with Beyoncé's longtime stylist Ty Hunter , who put together the iconic looks...

Joy Ride, the ensemble R-rated comedy of the summer, has burst onto the scene with raunchiness, heart, and an unapologetic attitude. The film follows Audrey, played by Ashley Park, who goes to China for a work trip and, along with her friends, gets into more than she bargained for as the trip goes off the rails. Host Brittany Luse talks to Ashley Park about the universality of raunchiness and how...

Years before their appointments to the highest court in the land, Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas both walked the hallowed halls of Yale Law School as beneficiaries of affirmative action policies. After handing down the ruling on affirmative action, both justices stood to deliver their different opinions about affirmative action: Sotomayor in support, Thomas against. To...

Bravo's hit reality show Vanderpump Rules has become infamous due to a much-discussed affair between two members of its cast. The whole thing has been nicknamed "Scandoval" and has led to record-breaking ratings, countless memes, and even a joke at the White House Correspondents Dinner. In a world were reality television is synonymous with secret affairs and drama, why is "Scandoval" such a big de...

HBO's 'The Idol' has been riddled with controversy, and with the show coming to an end, host Brittany Luse and NPR's Hazel Cills had a lot to say about the series portrayal of female pop stars, along with the more interesting stories they'd like to see Hollywood show us. Then, Brittany takes on fat discrimination with author, columnist and Maintenance Phase co-host Aubrey Gordon LIVE from the 2023...

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan has big dreams. The 21-year-old gained full celebrity status with her breakout role as Devi Vishwakumar in the Mindy Kaling-produced hit Never Have I Ever . The final season just dropped on Netflix so we're revisiting our 2022 conversation with the star where host Brittany Luse gets Ramakrishnan dishing on everything from cosplay to car chases. They also talk about Ramakrishn...

Today, we consider the himbo — sweet hotties who are maybe a little naive about the world, but are always having a good time. One of the greatest himbos of our age is Lance Arroyo on Max's comedy The Other Two . Host Brittany Luse sits down with actor Josh Segarra, who plays Lance, to talk about what makes an ideal himbo and why they're speaking to the greater culture and our hearts. You can follo...

Dominique Fishback is starring in one of the biggest summer movies, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts , but her star has long been on the rise through roles in Judas and the Black Messiah , Swarm , and The Deuce . This week, Dominique opens up to Brittany Luse about finding the vulnerability in her characters, portraying the rarified Black female serial killer, and what makes her the actress "with...

There's been a common theme swirling throughout the culture wars: from gun policy, to drag bans, to talking about race - the innocence of children is always at the center of discussion. This week, we're exploring the ideas and systems around childhood. We learn why we first drew the line between child and adult, why the line is so jagged and what implications this has on our lives today. We hear f...

Virginia Sole-Smith is an author, writer and host of the podcast Burnt Toast — and her work focuses on our relationship to food and fat. Her latest book, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture is based on one simple idea: it's okay and normal for kids to be fat. "What fat kids need is to know that we see them, we accept them, and we know they are worthy of respect, safety, and dignity," sh...

Grammy-nominated singer Emily King is a master architect of love songs: her dreamy pop-infused music has provided the soundtrack to many romances. This week, she's opening up about how she baked a fresh heartbreak into the sound of her latest album, Special Occasion . She's writing through her pain, shaking the shame around being honest and dealing with vulnerability hangovers. You can follow us o...

The prince of pranks, Eric André, changed the comedy landscape with his long running series on Adult Swim, The Eric Andre Show . After a 3-year hiatus, the show is back. Brittany Luse sits down with André to talk about the new season, his pranks on Amber Rose and Jaleel White, and why his humor seems to always flip the script of figures of authority and create heroes out of average joes. You can f...

It's finally summer! And what better way to celebrate than to pick up a juicy book on a nice day? Romance authors Bolu Babalola and Emily Henry join host Brittany Luse to give their recommendations for great summer reads. Plus, they play a dating game featuring literary hotties. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about ou...

This week, host Brittany Luse chats with author and culture critic Brandon Taylor about his latest novel, The Late Americans . The book is set in Iowa City and follows several characters pursuing love, art and the promise of prosperity. They discuss what's so American about The Late Americans , and how it's a departure from what's currently seen as fashionable in fiction. You can follow us on Twit...

This week, the world went into mourning after losing the Goddess of Rock n' Roll: Tina Turner. Veteran music journalist and Shine Bright author, Danyel Smith, joins Brittany Luse to unpack Tina's powerful performances and her role as an architect of rock. They also dig into the obstacles the star overcame, her smart strategies and the lessons she has for us on resilience, peace and happiness. You...

We're in a motorsports moment: Fast X just dropped, Rosalía is popularizing the motomami aesthetic and now it's time for the Monaco Grand Prix. This is the biggest weekend in Formula 1 racing, a sport that's seen an explosion of popularity in the United States. This episode, Brittany welcomes Vox deputy editor and F1 superfan Izzie Ramirez to talk about how new fans are revving up geopolitical con...

Author and one of NPR's beloved hosts, Elise Hu , joins Brittany Luse to talk about her new book: Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital. For Elise, what started as a professional move to Seoul turned into a long-term interest in beauty culture and the societal demand to look flawless. Elise and Brittany talk about the high price of South Korea's lookism, how the governme...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration could approve certain psychedelic drugs for treatment of PTSD within the next few years, but what does this mean for Black people who suffer from Racial Trauma? Host Brittany Luse talks with the host of Truth Be Told , Tonya Mosley , about the latest season of her podcast exploring the healing potential of psychedelics. They talk about the latest studies, the...

It has been one year since a white supremacist drove to a predominantly Black neighborhood with an AR-15 style rifle and murdered 10 people and injured 3 others. NPR's Embedded podcast has followed a cheerleading troop over the past year to understand how the mass shooting changed the community. This week, Brittany brings you the first episode in their multi-part series. You can follow us on Twitt...

Since releasing one of the most critically acclaimed albums in 2022, pop titan Beyoncé has withheld the visuals for almost a year. NPR Senior Culture editor Bilal Qureshi went to the first stop on the Renaissance World Tour and joins producer Corey Antonio Rose to reveal one of the most highly anticipated musical secrets. Then, journalist Tre'vell Anderson takes host Brittany Luse through a ground...

Host Brittany Luse revisits her 2022 conversation with the legendary DJ Honey Dijon . As one of the only Black trans DJs playing the biggest venues in the world, she's not only become an icon of the scene, but an arbiter of the culture. It's no surprise that Beyoncé tapped Honey for her biggest album yet, Renaissance . Brittany and Honey talk house music's Black roots, the evolution of the club sc...

Brittany Luse talks to Padma Lakshmi about the second season of her series Taste The Nation . They get into what is "American food" from apple pies (spoiler: nothing in an apple pie is from here) to daal and pancakes. Then Brittany sits down with the hosts of the new investigative podcast Think Twice . Jay Smooth and Leon Neyfakh dive into the history of Michael Jackson to show how he controlled h...

Yesterday was the first Monday in May, which meant we were inundated with pics of the Met Gala. The theme this year: Karl Lagerfeld, the late controversial fashion designer who led the house of Chanel for years. In this episode, host Brittany Luse sits down with fashion editor and journalist Marjon Carlos . They separate the winning looks from the losing ones, break down the Lagerfeld legacy and p...