It's Been a Minute

Writer and actor Michaela Coel wrote, created and starred in HBO series I May Destroy You , which is up for nine Emmy nominations . Her new book , Misfits: A Personal Manifesto , is out this week. She talks to Sam about why she champions misfits like herself, I May Destroy You' s basis on her trauma, and how her spirituality has shifted over time. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and e...

Sam talks to Novena Carmél and Anthony Valadez , hosts of KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic , about their end of summer song picks and the best albums of the year so far. They talk about how listening to music changed during the pandemic and why any floor can be a dance floor. Want to hear more of this year's best music? Check out all the songs from the episode in this playlist. You can follow us on...

In this special episode from our friends at the Code Switch podcast, we feature author Ashley C. Ford. For much of her childhood, Ford's father was incarcerated, and her mother struggled to raise her while grappling with her own upended life plans. In her recent memoir, Somebody's Daughter, Ford explores how these formative conditions shaped her understanding of childhood, authority, forgiveness a...

For the last 20 years, the U.S. has been wrapped up in a costly war in Afghanistan, initially in response to the attacks on September 11. But America's chaotic withdrawal this year, in just a short amount of time, has left the country back in Taliban control, with troops scrambling to get U.S. citizens and Afghan allies out before the deadline of August 31. So how do we make sense of it all? And w...

Jonathan Van Ness stepped into the spotlight in 2018 as a walking, talking bundle of energy, optimism and positivity as the grooming expert on Queer Eye . Queer Eye is now in production for its sixth season, and Jonathan— along with the rest of the Fab 5— have been nominated for an Emmy for their work as hosts this year. In this conversation from 2019, Sam chats with JVN about his book, Over the T...

Maya Rudolph has had a successful career, spanning decades as a Saturday Night Live cast member and well-loved actor and entertainer. She chats with Sam about her recent Emmy nominations, her approach to comedy, and the importance of having strong role models. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...

Kathryn Hahn dazzled audiences in one of the biggest streaming hits of the year, WandaVision— and she just earned an Emmy nom for her performance. In this conversation with her from 2019, she and Sam talk about her film 'Private Life,' balancing politics in her work, and the nature of birth. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for in...

#ShowerGate. Sam talks to Carl Zimring , professor of sustainability studies at Pratt Institute and author of Clean and White , about the online debate over celebrities showering habits and how it taps into a long history linking hygiene and race. Then, we hear from Yessenia Funes , climate editor for Atmos Magazine , about this week's report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPC...

Tracee Ellis Ross won a Golden Globe in 2017 for her role on ABC's Black-ish . She's also been nominated five times for that role at the Emmys. In this chat from July 2020 , she and Sam discuss her Black-ish role, sharing her singing from The High Note with mom Diana Ross, and portraying Black joy on screen. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org . See pcm....

Sam is joined by LA Times television editor Matt Brennan to understand why ratings for this year's Olympics are not just dismal, but symbolic of changes in our culture. Then, culture writers Hunter Harris and Alessa Dominguez join the show to talk all things Bennifer. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our col...

Prince's posthumous album, Welcome 2 America , came out last weekend. In honor of the release, Sam revisits his 2020 conversation with Prince's photographer, Randee St. Nicholas . She shares intimate stories about the legendary artist: from spontaneous photo shoots in burned out buildings to late nights after sold-out concerts. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsander...

Disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines abounds on social media, but there's more to it than meets the eye. Sam talks to Max Fisher , international reporter for the New York Times, about " disinformation for hire " and what social media platforms are doing to combat it. Plus, Sam talks to actress Hannah Waddingham, one of the stars of Ted Lasso. They're also joined by fellow cast member Jeremy Swif...

The "Mother of Dragons" is out with a new comic book, Mother of Madness . Actress Emilia Clarke talks with guest host Ayesha Rascoe about superpowers in real life and fantasy, her career-launching role in Game of Thrones and how Hollywood has changed since her first season as Daenerys. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for informa...

The Black Hair Experience is a pop-up visual exhibit dedicated to the beauty, history and nostalgia of Black hair. Guest host Ayesha Rascoe takes a trip there and chats with its co-founder, Alisha Brooks. Then, Ayesha is joined by NPR's Susan Davis and Asma Khalid about the two huge economic priorities for the Biden administration. — Read Ayesha's essay: " The Black Hair Experience Is About The Jo...

Actress Sonequa Martin-Green has made a career of otherworldly roles. She survived a zombie apocalypse in The Walking Dead , she explores space — the final frontier — in Star Trek: Discovery , and she's the wife of NBA star LeBron James in Space Jam: A New Legacy . She talks to guest host Ayesha Rascoe about her career, her hair and identity, and why she felt called to speak up about her internali...

Americans are quitting their jobs in record numbers. Guest host Ayesha Rascoe brings on CBS MoneyWatch editor Irina Ivanova to break down some of the reasons why. Then, The New Republic staff writer Jo Livingstone joins Ayesha to discuss the current state of horror movies and why nothing's better than a good scare. Author and Big Mood, Little Mood podcast host Daniel Lavery joins them to play Who...

The Cruelty Is The Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump's America , is journalist Adam Serwer's new book, based on a popular essay he wrote for The Atlantic . Serwer talks with guest host Ayesha Rascoe and lays out the ways in which Donald Trump came to power, the historical roots of his vision of law and order, and how he managed to build a loyal political following on the basis of cruel...

With Sha'Carri Richardson's recent disqualification, and the controversy surrounding the banning of natural hair swimming caps, there's a lot to talk about the treatment of Black women in the Olympics and across the sports world. Guest host Ayesha Rascoe brings on ESPN producer and podcast host Terrika Foster-Brasby and The Athletic's Kavitha A. Davidson to discuss. Then, she talks to We Are Lady...

Tiffany Haddish has had a busy year. From starring in prank film Bad Trip , to hosting Kids Say the Darndest Things , to voicing a self-confident toucan in animated series Tuca & Bertie , it seems like she's everywhere. Sam talks to Tiffany about her many projects, her hopes and dreams for the entertainment industry, and she tells a wild story about Nicolas Cage. — Watch the full extended version...

Sam sits in the guest seat at Pop Culture Happy Hour to discuss the glue that holds this nation together — The Fast and the Furious franchise. Alongside NPR White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe , as well as PCHH hosts Linda Holmes and Aisha Harris , the group talks about the legacy of the decades-spanning series, why we love to hate it, and how action films of this caliber could be considered "...

This week, the Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer were charged with fraud and tax related crimes by the Manhattan District Attorney as a result of a years-long investigation. In light of these new charges, Sam revisits his conversation from last fall with Andrea Bernstein , co-host of the WNYC & ProPublica podcast Trump, Inc. They talk about Trump's business operations, debts, and...

Sam interviews Riley Keough , one of the stars of Zola — a new movie adapted from a viral 148-tweet thread story full of sex work, guns and plot twists. They talk about how Riley prepared her character's "blaccent," why she tends to play unlikeable characters, and how she became a death doula. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for...

The furor over critical race theory fits into a longer history of culture wars in schools. Sam talks to Adam Laats, a professor of history and education at Binghamton University, about what the past can teach us about today's fight. Plus, Sam talks to Lucia Aniello , Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky , writers and creators of the HBO Max series Hacks . They discuss what inspired them to write the show...

Where do you come from? It's a question that immigrant communities of color get asked constantly. But the answer is often not simply about a place on a map. It can be tied to identity, immigration, career, family... and even food. In this episode from NPR's audio and video series Where We Come From , New York Times food writer Priya Krishna tackles this question with her mother, Ritu . They explor...

Forty years ago this month, the CDC reported on patients with HIV/AIDS in the United States for the very first time. The disease was understudied, under-reported and deeply stigmatized. ACT UP united a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis. In her new book, Let The Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993 , Sarah Schulman...