Podcast
It's Been a Minute
Hosted by NPR · EN
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 AWARDS
It’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
THE BEST POP CULTURE PODCAST AWARD WINNER AT THE 2025 SIGNAL AWARDS
It’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
106episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Generative AI's race problem
1w ago00:35:20Tap to summarizeGenerative AI has been creating race-based content, and the results are...uncomfortable.Brittany’s been getting served a lot of AI generated videos of older Asian men, who seem to be feng shui experts of some kind, espousing the benefits of having a “lazy wife” in your household. But it doesn’t stop there. Today’s guest, Bridget Todd, host of There Are No Girls on the Internet and author of the audiobook, Love at First Prompt: AI and the Future of Intimacy, has been ringing the alarm about AI generated videos featuring Black women. Some are AI slop, while others perpetuate harmful stereotypes about Black women -- and there’s a market for it.Bridget joins the show to get into how generative AI has skewed perceptions around race, gender, and privilege online.Bridget's first audiobook, Love at First Prompt: AI and the Future of Intimacy, is available for pre-order now from LoveAtFirstPrompt.AI and comes out July 14th from Simon & Schuster. 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
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Why Gen Z is movie-maxxing
1w ago00:23:18Tap to summarizeWhat’s bringing Gen Z to the theaters?Backrooms and Obsession are two recent horror films that have done massive numbers – and their success has been driven, in large part, by Gen Z. Even beyond these films, Gen Z is now the largest moviegoing audience, according to a couple of recent surveys. But what’s bringing the short-form video generation to theaters? And what makes a movie… a Gen Z movie?To get into it, Brittany is joined by Sam Adams, staff writer at Slate, and Reanna Cruz, entertainment journalist and critic.(00:00) The Gen Z movie moment(03:47) Obsession vs. Backrooms(11:06) What's bringing Gen Z to movie theaters(15:04) Doomer vibes and digital worlds: what makes a movie a Gen Z movie(21:40) Will we see more Gen Z movies after Obsession and Backrooms?For more episodes about where film or Gen Z culture, check out:Gen Z is afraid of sex — and for good reasonWomen deserve revenge. Do they get to have it?Onscreen cannibalism and our hunger for loveSupport 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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Who needs to know where you are?
2w ago00:19:24Tap to summarizeIs location tracking building relationships? Or ruining them?Four in 10 U.S. adults share their locations with at least one person. But while it's convenient, is it also a violation of privacy? And who really needs to know where you are? We're getting into how location sharing became a norm, the pros and cons, and how to turn it off without making things weird.Brittany breaks it all down with Gina Cherelus, New York Times styles reporter and writer of their Third Wheel dating column, and Tatum Hunter, internet culture reporter at The Washington Post.This episode first aired on December 3, 2025.For more episodes about where culture, tech, and relationships meet, check out:The Coldplay kiss cam & moral surveillanceMe and my partner don't see eye-to-eye about AI. Now what?The joy of breaking up with dating appsSupport 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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What makes a song a ‘millennial song’
2w ago00:30:05Tap to summarizeWhat song best defines the millennial generation?On this episode from our friends at All Songs Considered, NPR Music editors Hazel Cills and Sheldon Pearce join host Robin Hilton to weigh the options and attempt to pick the one song that best captures the Millennial experience, from the dizzying highs of the dot-com boom, when anything seemed possible, to the post-9-11 bust, the "hope and change" of the Obama years, and prolonged period of generational disillusionment.Want more on the culture of pop music?The D-List pop star purgatoryBad Bunny redefined what "America" meansSupport 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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How do you heal from 'Church Hurt?’
2w ago00:54:28Tap to summarizeThe church has long been a site of healing and hurt. Is that changing?While some have found community, joy, support, and love in their church home, others have faced isolation, shame, abandonment, and even deep traumatic wounds. But if you don’t necessarily want to give up your religion or leave the church - what does repair look like? What does spirituality look like for those who have ‘church hurt?’ To get into it, Brittany is joined by Candice Marie Benbow, theologian and author of Red Lip Theology: For Church Girls Who’ve Considered Tithing to the Beauty Supply Store When Sunday Morning Isn’t Enough, and Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez, author of Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Queer Story of Faith and Belonging.Candice and Timothy show Brittany how ‘church hurt’ stretches out from the pulpit and into cultural norms around gender, sexuality, acceptance. And they teach Brittany what it means to create a spiritual relationship on your own terms.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
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What to expect when you're expecting racism
2w ago00:34:20Tap to summarizeWho gets to have a safe pregnancy?Across the internet, women are sharing their experiences with the physical and emotional difficulties of pregnancy. But for Black women, the complications, negative health outcomes, and even death are more common. Today, Brittany is joined by Dr. Khiara Bridges, Earl Warren professor of public law at UC Berkeley School of Law and author of Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black Americans to talk through why wealth and status can't outrun racism at the doctor's office.Want more on women's health and wellness? Check out these episodes:Sex is pleasurable. It should feel safe too.It only takes 30 minutes to be a good mom.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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Who gets to 'do' revenge?
3w ago00:25:03Tap to summarizeWho gets to Kill Bill? As in, who’s allowed to seek revenge when they've been wronged by a man? That was the question at the top of Brittany’s mind after seeing Alesha Harris’ Is God Is, a film following twin sisters on a quest to kill their abusive father. The film has been a surprise hit, but there’s a subsection of men who felt this portrayal of a ‘bad’ Black man was in poor taste. That made Brittany wonder: in the pantheon of vengeance films featuring female protagonists, what does it mean to seek justice? And what does catharsis look like when the villain is sometimes patriarchy itself? To help answer those questions and more, Brittany is joined by film critic and programmer Jourdain Searles and staff culture writer at Slate, Nadira Goffe.Want more about women in film? What women want: to embrace their inner monstersThe new "final girl" in horror; plus, who's afraid of a horny hag?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
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The power of falling in love with yourself this summer
3w ago00:21:51Tap to summarizeAre you ready for a whirlwind summer romance?Making plans to capitalize on summer can get overwhelming - from finding the right spot to hang or feeling comfortable in your clothes in the sweltering summer heat. So what does it mean to approach summer with a romantic joie de vivre? Brittany is joined by Carly Olson, freelance journalist covering architecture and business, and Garrett Schlichte, writer and chef, to walk us through how to have a rom-com summer where you're the star.Want more on how to be the best version of yourself? Check out these episodes:How to make friends & get good gossipIt only takes 30 minutes to be a good momSupport 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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This is what you want to read this summer
3w ago00:49:22Tap to summarizeIt's hot, school’s out, put your PTO in - summer’s here! That means Brittany’s back for It’s Been a Minute’s annual summer books episode! This time around authors Sasha Bonét (The Waterbearers) and Cindy Pham (The Secret World of Briar Rose) join the show to give their summer reading recommendations. From wanderlust to first time love - there’s something for everyone. Want more summer book recommendations?Sexy & Spiteful: the best books to read this summerSimmering over summer booksSupport 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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Why don't your neighbors pick up their dog’s poop?
3w ago00:29:31Tap to summarizeLeft-behind dog poop is annoying. But it’s also a sign of anti-sociality.Spotting unidentified poop outside is an unfortunate and unavoidable part of being alive, but in some cities, there’s a scourge being left behind by some people’s four-legged friends. Manuela López-Restrepo, writer and producer at All Things Considered, couldn’t stop noticing it – and she wondered if it might be a sign of something deeper going on. Paired with dogs popping up in places they maybe shouldn’t be – she wondered: can dogs be a vector for anti-social behavior? And what would it look like for people – and their pets – to share space more harmoniously? Manuela shares her reporting with Brittany and they get deeper into the story of the dookie. (00:00) Genuinely, why do people leave dog poop on the street?(02:59) Dog poop as a symbol of urban entitlement(05:38) When dogs show up at restaurants(07:27) How the pandemic created a 'dog's rights movement'(10:58) Dogs, race, and surveillance(18:13) Is dog poop a policy issue?(26:32) Investing in cleanliness and a more compassionate publicFor more episodes about culture and how we share public space, check out:The Coldplay kiss cam & moral surveillanceCrime is down. Why don't people feel safe?In search of a safe place to cry...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
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