It's Been a Minute

Broadway has a labor issue 19.08.2026 22m

It seems like no one on Broadway is happy.Actors are buckling under the weight of the eight-show week, producers aren't making their money back, and audiences are getting tired of paying astronomical ticket prices to see celebrities on stage. Is Broadway in danger of taking its final bow? To find out, Brittany is joined by Broadway sensitivity specialist Ann James, and entertainment lawyer and business journalist Marc Hershberg.Want more about the intersection of Broadway and culture? Check out these episodes:'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' gets 10s across the boardTony nominee Jocelyn Bioh puts braiders centerstageSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

Are influencers in their flop era? 18.08.2026 30m

The cultural supremacy of the influencer seems to be waning. For nearly a decade, they’ve become a fount of cultural commerce, affecting how to live, what to buy, and who to follow for advice. But a backlash – against everything from expensive shopping hauls to the very persona that built an influencer's brand – is leaving many questioning their cultural relevance. So what’s going on with influencers – or better yet – who’s going to replace them? To understand this cultural shift, we’re chatting with Ira Madison III, host of The Feedback with Ira Madison, to figure out what happens when the influencers lose influence.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

Don't be THAT person at the music festival. Here's how 17.08.2026 18m

Have some people forgotten how to behave at music festivals?Summer is peak music festival season, and that means many of us are braving huge crowds and sweltering heat to see a bunch of artists we love in one place. But is there a decline in social decorum in these concert settings? From using phones to being in the front row to navigating crowds, our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour are sharing personal and passionate takes about music festival etiquette.For more episodes on culture and social etiquette, check out:How should we behave online?The social etiquette of sharing locationIs your neighborhood riddled with dog poop?Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

People are struggling financially. Even on TV. 14.08.2026 23m

Welcome to the age of ‘Broke TV.’It seems like the days of prestige TV shows about the wealthy elite have been replaced by the vocal majority: the downwardly mobile.New Yorker TV critic, Inkoo Kang, noticed that her favorite shows so far this year all focused - in some respect - on the people whose lives have been financially squeezed beyond recognition by the very elite we used to enjoy watching.Building resentment about the shrinking middle class, a hopeless job market, and few political pathways towards change has made our entertainment reflect a devastating reality back to us. Inkoo joins the show to break down how we got to this point and the fine line between entertainment and catharsis on screen.You can read Inkoo’s article, ‘Welcome to the Age of Broke TV’, here. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

What's with all the testosterone talk? 12.08.2026 22m

Do you have what it takes to be "High-T?"Service members are about to find out, as Defense secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the military will be screening men for low testosterone, a hormone found in both women and men that supports bone mass development, red blood cell production, energy levels, and more. It's an important marker of overall health in men, but will it push the United States military to the 'leading edge of lethality' as promised by Hegseth? To get into the facts and fictions around testosterone, Brittany is joined by NPR health correspondent Will Stone, and Dr. Helen Bernie, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Medicine and associate professor of urology at Indiana University.Want more on gender and health? Check out these episodes:Boundaries, bodies, and better sexThe key to thriving later in life: menopauseSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

Who really counts as ‘working class’? 11.08.2026 40m

What does it mean to be ‘working class’? It’s a term that we hear often (especially around election time), but more specifically, who are we actually talking about? According to labor economist Kathryn Anne Edwards, host of the Optimist Economy podcast (@optimist_economy), the working class is a group of people who have the least amount of pay, benefits, and protections in the labor market. In this week’s episode of It’s Been a Minute, host Brittany Luse chats with Kathryn about what economists, politicians, and everyday people get wrong about the working class.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

Is your city shaped by yuppie taste? 10.08.2026 31m

You might be more influenced by yuppie taste than you’d think.Back in the eighties – when pop music drowned in synths, the volume of everyone's hair was set to loud, and neon was in vogue – a new age dawned: the era of the yuppie. “Yuppie” comes from the acronym “YUP” – which stands for young, urban professional. Think Patrick Bateman from American Psycho or even Miranda Hobbes from Sex and the City. Nowadays, cities are full of young urban professionals, but this wasn't always the case. In his new book, Yuppies: the Bankers, Lawyers, Joggers and Gourmands Who Conquered New York, author Dylan Gottlieb argues that New York City was the first city to reorganize itself to cater to yuppies. And it's not just cities that have changed. Yuppies have transformed our country's economy, politics, and culture, too.Brittany is joined by Dylan, assistant professor of history at Bentley University, to break down how yuppies catapulted us into our current moment.For more episodes on the history that explains our culture today, check out:How often do you think about the American Empire?Americans want a royal family. Now they have twoWere Americans actually healthier in the past?(00:00) What exactly is a yuppie?(05:37) The economics that created yuppies and their "meritocracy"(13:12) The violent cost of city revival(19:35) How yuppies created foodie culture(23:16) The politics of marathon-running(25:14) How yuppies remade the Democratic party(29:36) Should we bring back the term "yuppie"?Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

What's a pathway to freedom? Reading. 07.08.2026 23m

How has literature changed your life?For poet and lawyer, Reginald Dwaye Betts, books meant freedom. After getting sentenced to 9 years in adult prison at 16, Dwayne felt a sense of hope and possibility whenever he was reading. Upon his release he founded Freedom Reads, an organization that builds libraries within prisons across the country to provide a physical space where those incarcerated can read and dream together.Today on the show, Dwayne joins Brittany to discuss how books and language can help us transform our reality. You can learn more about Dwayne's journey in his documentary, March Forth. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

The questionable new ways to surveil your friends 05.08.2026 26m

Would you pay for an app that might encourage your worst impulses?Some users are asking themselves the same question as Meta rolls out Instagram Plus, a new suite of features that promises users the opportunity to 'deepen your relationships.' But what do these features say about the way we interact with each other online, and how might they reflect our deepest anxieties back at us? To find out, Brittany is joined by Tatum Hunter, writer and journalist covering digital privacy and internet culture.Want more on tech and social media?The hidden money financing your favorite songsWho needs to know where you are?Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.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

Abortion access is limited. Is Hollywood to blame? 04.08.2026 35m

Have our favorite shows and movies shaped the way we think about abortion?Hollywood has a huge impact of how we understand abortion. It can drive a plot, like in Dirty Dancing, or inspire conversations about who gets abortions, like in the television series Maude. It can also be dramatized – turning a common medical procedure into something good, bad, or anything in between, depending on who is telling the story and how. Brittany Luse chats with Janet Goldwater, a director of the documentary Hollywood Does Abortion, and Steph Herold at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) to understand how Hollywood handles, or mishandles the topic of abortion.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

Are you "just a girl" ... or are you a baby woman? 03.08.2026 22m

“Baby woman” is the girlboss’s Wario. “Baby woman” is a term coined by Shannon Keating in a piece for The Cut to describe a particular kind of affect some women have: it’s not just girlishness, but also some abdication of adult responsibility. And Shannon’s seen some baby women behavior out in the culture, from Lena Dunham to Amanda Batula. But what drives some women to be baby? And what do they get out of it? To find out, Brittany is joined by Shannon Keating, freelance writer, and Ashley Reese, writer, culture critic, and author of the Bad Brain Substack. For more episodes on the women’s relationships to themselves and culture, check out:The price women pay for being onlineNumb girls & the humiliation of caring too much"Girl Math" does not add up to financial freedomSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseSee 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

This summer's hottest trend? Monoculture. 31.07.2026 18m

Monoculture is so back…in more ways than one. From record breaking blockbusters, to nail-biting sports wins, to the chaos that is Love Island - there has been something for everyone this summer. But while we were in the streets rooting for the Knicks, following the World Cup, or waiting for IMAX tickets… heatwaves, wildfire smog, and explosive diarrhea also made notable appearances. Apparently, monoculture can be good, bad, and everything in between. Friend of the show and senior correspondent at Vox.com, Alex Abad-Santos, joins It’s Been a Minute to unpack the highs and lows of our deep desire for monoculture. Read Alex’s article, Welcome to America’s post-World Cup hangover, on Vox.com right now. Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. 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

Feeling stuck? Take a side quest. 29.07.2026 22m

Feeling stuck? In a rut? Family or work driving you up a wall? Maybe it's time to take a side quest.Much like the optional, lore-building journeys in video games that enrich the main mission, real-life side quests bring a sense of whimsy to your daily routine. In real life, that could look like learning to sew, picking up kickball, or anything else that adds a little whimsy into your routine. To rediscover the childlike joy of taking a side quest, Brittany is joined by Marielle Segarra, host of NPR's Life Kit; Dr. Kyra Gaunt, associate professor of ethnomusicology at the University at Albany; and Sahara Moné, curator and owner of community activities collective Let's Play NYC.Want more on improving your quality of life? Check out these episodes:How to make friends & get good gossipThis is your summer of self-love Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.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

The heavy weight of diet culture 28.07.2026 39m

Thin, is unfortunately in. The defining mantra of the 90s and early aughts, has reappeared as celebrities, influencers and everyday women shrink in size. But as people get smaller, others are talking. Online and in person, imperfect, candid and concern conversations are happening about the the thinner frames we see online and in person. But what’s the best way to have these conversations? To learn how Brittany spoke with Angelina Chapman, features writer at The Cut and Vanessa Scaringi, PhD, licensed psychologist, to learn how to express concern, without pointing fingers.Want more about body image? Check out these IBAM episodes: GLP-1s & eating disorders have a complicated relationshipThe difference between losing weight & being "healthy"Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse 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

The hidden money financing your favorite songs 27.07.2026 25m

There are influencers taking money to promote music – and not telling you about it.It's great when you find people who put you on to hot new music that matches your taste. But online tastemakers might be getting secretly paid to shill for labels. This is not a conspiracy theory – it's a real practice. NPR music reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento spoke to several online content creators who told her about how labels approached them – and who they’re being asked to promote. By the way – this is potentially illegal. But what does it mean for regular music enjoyers that music discovery is so weighed down by dollars? And can we ever disentangle money from the Internet – and from culture?Brittany is joined by Isabella to get into the juicy details and the broader implications of this practice.(00:00) Whose music recommendations do you trust?(02:21) The influencers secretly paid to boost musicians(04:31) The tea on which artists are getting promoted(05:43) Is this secret money ethical - and legal?(12:39) Why music fans are so wary of "industry plants"(15:51) Do musicians need these secret campaigns to be successful?(18:12) Is the internet kind of dead?For more episodes on the state of music in culture, check out:The shelf life of a pop starThe D-List pop star purgatoryCan TikTok spark a new era of protests?Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseSee 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

Feeling aggrieved? You're not alone. 24.07.2026 19m

Are you feeling the heat? While this summer has been a nonstop ride of historic and unprecedented wins for the culture at large, Brittany has noticed a little bit of sour in all this sweetness: what’s up with everyone having a chip on their shoulder? From sports to reality TV to music - some real grievances are showing up in pop culture and Brittany wants to know why. Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix, hosts of Lemme Say This, join the show to give this summer a much needed vibe check. Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.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

Are we fueling violence against women? 22.07.2026 22m

The United States is home to a silent epidemic - do you know about it?We're referring to what researchers are calling femicide, or the gender-based killing of women and girls. And while some countries like Italy and Mexico have femicide or intimate partner homicide in their penal code, most countries, including the United States, do not. Today, Brittany is joined by Abené Clayton, lead reporter for the Guns and Lies in America Project for the Guardian, and Cheryl L. Neely, sociology professor at Oakland Community College in Royal Oak, Michigan to understand the pipeline from everyday and online misogyny to gender-based killings.If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline via phone, text, or online chat. Their website is thehotline.org.Want more deep dives into the social science of womanhood?It only takes 30 minutes to be a good momYoung women are struggling, too. Why can't we see it?The women leaving the 'New Right'Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.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

When does a husband become a liability? 21.07.2026 30m

It shouldn’t be that hard to be a nepo-husband. Right? Nepo- husbands, the spouses of celebrity women come in many shapes and forms, but what unites them all is their proximity to the wealth, power and prestige of their famous partners. And while that proximity can be great for building a business, it can also lead to scrutiny... especially when things go wrong. Matt Kaplan, who’s married to Alex Cooper, the host of the popular Call Her Daddy podcast, recently faced a Vanity Fair expose which alleged a toxic work environment of their media company, Unwell. So, what does it take to be a nepo-husband? Brittany chats with Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton, hosts of the Good Noticings podcast, to discuss the benefits, and expectations of nepo-husbands. Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. 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

The DSA vs. establishment Democrats 20.07.2026 24m

Who owns the future of the Democratic party?The Democratic Socialists of America – also known as the DSA – are having a solid year. DSA candidates won House primaries in New York, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. Part of why this is kind of a big deal is that some of these candidates were going up against pretty powerful Democratic incumbents...and not just in races for federal seats. DSA candidates won down-ballot primaries for state legislature in New York, Oregon, Georgia, and Kentucky – and for mayor of DC. In the weeks since, there have been many stories of establishment Democrats frustrated by this, with different narratives coming from Democrats about why this is happening and why the DSA is a problem. But what public sentiment are Democratic voters expressing here? And if this is actually a Tea Party moment for Democrats, what does that change for everyday people?Brittany gets into it with Akela Lacy, senior politics reporter at The Intercept and host of the “Intercept Briefing” podcast, and Michael Lange, New York political analyst, DSA member, and writer of “The Narrative Wars” on Substack.(00:00) The Democratic Socialists of America are having a great year(02:46) Are the DSA primary wins surprising, or to be expected?(04:50) The strange racial narratives around voters of DSA candidates(09:35) Do Black voters actually dislike socialism?(14:18) How electable are DSA candidates outside of cities?(17:14) Why Establishment Democrats fear the DSA's rise(21:02) The impact of outside spending on electionsFor more episodes on politics and culture, check out:The women leaving the 'New Right'Progressive women have 'had it!' And they're fighting back.Christians are having a Trump-sized reckoningSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseSee 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

Fashion isn't art. It's something more. 17.07.2026 26m

What we wear and how we wear it is more important than its artistic value.When some people think of fashion, the Met Gala or maybe even luxury designers may come to mind. But what about the old college sweatshirt that gets you through the cold or even the brightly colored gym set that pushes you to go that extra mile? Is that not fashion? Perhaps the concept of fashion has been framed as an external commodity to be sought after, rather than an authentic expression cultivated through the rhythm of a well-lived life.Brittany Luse sits down with CNN Senior Style Reporter and author of CNN’s Big Style newsletter, Rachel Tashjian Wise, to answer all those questions and more.Want more on fashion? Was that the worst MET Gala ever?American fashion isn't as liberal as you thinkSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. 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

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