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Liam McBain Liam McBain is an associate producer on It's Been a Minute.
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Liam McBain

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Felipe D. Oropeza/Courtesy of Liam McBain
Liam McBain headshot
Felipe D. Oropeza/Courtesy of Liam McBain

Liam McBain

Associate Producer, It's Been A Minute

Liam McBain (he/him) is an associate producer on It's Been a Minute. He's interested in stories at the margins of culture.

He's produced episodes about enjoying "tacky" pop culture, the redemption of a flopped Mariah Carey album, how the concept of hygiene is raced and classed, and the way American capitalism functions like an MLM.

He first joined It's Been a Minute as an intern. In his free time, he volunteers for an oral history project as an interviewer. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner and his rabbit, Sesame.

Story Archive

Friday

Breaking down the Jennifer Lopez Wedding Industrial Complex Canon
United Archives GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo; Ana Carballosa/Lionsgate; Universal Pictures; RGR Collection/ Alamy Stock Photo

It's Been a Minute

Breaking down the Jennifer Lopez Wedding Industrial Complex Canon

It's basically spring - which means wedding season is starting to rev up. And no one does weddings quite like Jennifer Lopez - both on-screen and off. Host Brittany Luse is joined by New York Magazine features writer Rachel Handler to break down J.Lo's wedding planning movies (the Jennifer Lopez Wedding Industrial Complex Canon), how they add to J.Lo's brand, and what they say about our investment in the real-life wedding industrial complex.

Breaking down the Jennifer Lopez Wedding Industrial Complex Canon

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Tuesday

Surviving long COVID three years into the pandemic

Karla Monterroso and Fiona Lowenstein JJ Geiger; Katherine Sheehan; photo illustration by Jesse Brown hide caption

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JJ Geiger; Katherine Sheehan; photo illustration by Jesse Brown

It's Been a Minute

Surviving long COVID three years into the pandemic

It's been three years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. And according to the CDC, out of all the American adults who have had COVID — and that's a lot of us — one in five went on to develop long COVID symptoms. While so many are struggling with this new disease, it can be hard for people to know what to do to take care of themselves. The Long COVID Survival Guide aims to give people struggling with long COVID practical solutions and emotional support to manage their illness.

Surviving long COVID three years into the pandemic

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Friday

Silicon Valley Bank and the sordid history of 'Palo Alto'

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It's Been a Minute

Silicon Valley Bank and the sordid history of 'Palo Alto'

Even after Silicon Valley Bank crumbled and tech workers have been laid off in the thousands, Silicon Valley is still surrounded by a mythos of progress and futurity. Host Brittany Luse talks to author Malcolm Harris about his new book, Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World, to break down how that mythos was built, the dark underbelly underneath it, and why the tech industry is a microcosm of American capitalism.

Silicon Valley Bank and the sordid history of 'Palo Alto'

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Friday

How Hollywood squeezed out women directors; plus, what's with the rich jerks on TV?
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It's Been a Minute

How Hollywood squeezed out women directors; plus, what's with the rich jerks on TV?

In nearly 100 years, the Oscar award for Best Director has only gone to three women. The film industry as a whole has been heavily dominated by men, but it wasn't always this way. Ahead of Academy Awards, Brittany chops it up with Maya Montañez Smukler, author of Liberating Hollywood: Women Directors and the Feminist Reform of 1970s American Cinema, to discuss the state of women directors and how the industry systematically shifted them out of the spotlight.

How Hollywood squeezed out women directors; plus, what's with the rich jerks on TV?

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Friday

The molten center of 'The Real Housewives' multiverse
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It's Been a Minute

The molten center of 'The Real Housewives' multiverse

What makes The Real Housewives peak culture – as in the #1 topic in the group chat – for so many people? Host Brittany Luse and producer Liam McBain descend into the depths of Bravocon – the Bravo convention – to find out. They talk to fans, a producer, and the Housewives themselves to understand how the franchise became a cultural juggernaut.

The molten center of 'The Real Housewives' multiverse

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Friday

Fear, Florida, and The 1619 Project
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Perspective

It's Been a Minute

Fear, Florida, and The 1619 Project

How should U.S history be told, and who gets to tell it? Debate over these questions has raged for years – but nowhere is it more pronounced right now than in Florida. This week, Brittany Luse chats with NPR's Giulia Heyward to get the download on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' recent efforts to ban AP African American studies in his state. Then, Brittany sits down with Dorothy Roberts, a legal scholar and sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania, and Leslie Alexander, a historian at Rutgers University. In line with their work on The 1619 Project – now a Hulu documentary series –they make the case that slavery led to some of our biggest political fissures today, and discuss why it's important for all Americans to understand those connections.

Fear, Florida, and The 1619 Project

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Tuesday

Ross Gay on inciting joy while dining with sorrow
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It's Been a Minute

Ross Gay on inciting joy while dining with sorrow

Looking for joy? Then it might be worth exploring your sorrow, complications and mess. In his latest collection of essays, Inciting Joy, poet Ross Gay reconsiders the breadth of joy, arguing that it can be found – and even strengthened – in life's hardest moments, when we must rely on one another. This week, host Brittany Luse sits down with Gay to discuss the complexity of joy, the beauty of grace and creating meaning in life.

Ross Gay on inciting joy while dining with sorrow

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Friday

Kelela's guide for breaking up with men

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Joseph Okpako/Getty Images; Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post via Getty Images; Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images; Rich Fury/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Kelela's guide for breaking up with men

If you haven't stepped into an underground club in the last decade, you might be forgiven if you don't know Kelela. But the Washington, D.C. native has had a seismic impact on dance music since she broke into the scene in 2013. Now, after a six-year hiatus, Kelela is out with her fourth and latest record, 'Raven' – and with it, she's remaking the future of dance music. This week, host Brittany Luse sits down with Kelela to discuss Black queer liberation, and how she hopes this record helps folks find freedom on the dance floor.

Kelela's guide for breaking up with men

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Tuesday

Unlocking desire through smut; plus, the gospel of bell hooks
Kelvin Murray/Getty Images; Karjean Levine/Getty Images; Bria Celest; Gale Greenlee

It's Been a Minute

Unlocking desire through smut; plus, the gospel of bell hooks

This week, we're asking: do the fantasies we read in romance novels say anything about what we want in our real-life relationships? Devoted readers share how the genre has impacted their love lives. Host Brittany Luse also sits down with writer Rebekah Weatherspoon to learn how she builds a world of desire.

Unlocking desire through smut; plus, the gospel of bell hooks

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Friday

Hot and kinda bothered by 'Magic Mike'; plus Penn Badgley on bad boys
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It's Been a Minute

Hot and kinda bothered by 'Magic Mike'; plus Penn Badgley on bad boys

The scintillating strip sensation is back! 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' hits theaters this weekend – and to celebrate, we're talking about male dancers in the media and in the clubs. Our host Brittany Luse sits down with sociologist Dr. Katy Pilcher, to talk about female desire and what it means that a whole family can enjoy a male strip revue together.

Hot and kinda bothered by 'Magic Mike'; plus Penn Badgley on bad boys

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Friday

The loneliness and longing of Luther Vandross; plus Grammy winner Samara Joy
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It's Been a Minute

The loneliness and longing of Luther Vandross; plus Grammy winner Samara Joy

From "A House Is Not A Home" to "The Glow of Love," Luther Vandross' music has become a staple for weddings, family reunions and graduations. While Luther changed the sound of R&B, brought ballads to epic new heights and influenced countless musicians, he somehow doesn't have the same icon status as some of his collaborators and contemporaries like Whitney Houston or Aretha Franklin.

The loneliness and longing of Luther Vandross; plus Grammy winner Samara Joy

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Friday

Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever
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It's Been a Minute

Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever

It's the end of an era. After more than 25 years, The Pokémon Company is closing the book on the adventures of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu. To celebrate the cultural impact of this dynamic duo – and of the Pokémon franchise – Brittany Luse sits down with actor Sarah Natochenny, who's voiced Ash since 2006. Sarah talks about growing up with a character who stays 10 years old, and how fans have been the lifeblood of the show. Then, Brittany sits down with Dexter Thomas, VICE News correspondent and Japanese culture critic, and Daniel Dockery, author of Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All. They explore how Pokémon transformed gaming and children's TV in the U.S. and became one of the biggest media franchises in the world.

Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever

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Friday

One of Grindr's favorite podcasts; plus, art versus AI
Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images, Karla Ortiz, Tuck Woodstock

It's Been a Minute

One of Grindr's favorite podcasts; plus, art versus AI

It's in our homes and in our pockets, and now artificial intelligence is in our art. The runaway rise of AI generator apps has sparked hot debate around the technology's impact on creative industries. Brittany Luse talks to Karla Ortiz, an artist who's part of a new lawsuit against a group of companies that use AI to generate images. Ortiz gives her take on why it's important to regulate this technology, and why everyone – not just artists – has a stake in the issue. Then, Brittany talks to Tuck Woodstock, host of the 'Gender Reveal' podcast, about the show's five-year mark and how we can all talk about gender in more informed ways.

One of Grindr's favorite podcasts; plus, art versus AI

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Friday

Curls and courage with Michaela Angela Davis and Rep. Cori Bush
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It's Been a Minute

Curls and courage with Michaela Angela Davis and Rep. Cori Bush

For Black women, hair is about so much more than beauty. It can affect how they're treated and what opportunities are available to them. It's tied to history, identity and politics. And though many Black women and girls now embrace their natural curls, Black hair is still a site of discrimination. In this episode, Brittany Luse talks to two women fighting to change that: Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who has been pushing for a federal law against race-based hair discrimination, and Michaela Angela Davis, whose docuseries "The Hair Tales" is meant to inspire Black women to celebrate their crowning glories.

Curls and courage with Michaela Angela Davis and Rep. Cori Bush

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Tuesday

'Bad Sex' and how the sexual revolution left women's desires behind
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It's Been a Minute

'Bad Sex' and how the sexual revolution left women's desires behind

For women who date men, bad sex might feel like a personal problem, but Nona Willis Aronowitz says it's political too. In Bad Sex: Truth, Pleasure, and an Unfinished Revolution, Aronowitz tackles the historic and systemic causes of unsatisfying sex. With wisdom from both her reading and romps, Aronowitz sits down with host Brittany Luse to talk about pleasure and the paths to building better relationships with men.

'Bad Sex' and how the sexual revolution left women's desires behind

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Tuesday

Danyel Smith gives Black women in pop their flowers in 'Shine Bright'
Frederic Reglain/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images; CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images; Drew Allyn; Gladys Knight

It's Been a Minute

Danyel Smith gives Black women in pop their flowers in 'Shine Bright'

In this conversation from April 2022, former guest host Juana Summers sits down with author Danyel Smith to chat about her book, Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. They talk all about Black women in music — like Gladys Knight, Mahalia Jackson and Whitney Houston — whose true genius and contributions have not yet been fully recognized.

Danyel Smith gives Black women in pop their flowers in 'Shine Bright'

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Friday

Tory Lanez is guilty, so why was Megan Thee Stallion's strength on trial?
Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Tory Lanez is guilty, so why was Megan Thee Stallion's strength on trial?

For the last two weeks, rapper Tory Lanez has been on trial for allegedly shooting Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion. Since Megan went public with the allegations in August 2020, she's faced significant backlash – on social media, on popular gossip blogs and also from her peers in the hip-hop community. Megan was shot, and yet it somehow feels like she's been the one on trial. This week, NPR's 'Louder Than A Riot' senior producer Gabby Bulgarelli joins host Brittany Luse to talk about her reporting inside the courtroom, how social media has impacted the trial and the ripple effect this verdict might have for Black women across the country.

Tory Lanez is guilty, so why was Megan Thee Stallion's strength on trial?

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Friday

Dark academia's deadly allure and the timeless appeal of prep style
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It's Been a Minute

Dark academia's deadly allure and the timeless appeal of prep style

Donna Tartt's The Secret History turned 30 this year. Since the book's release, the novel has sold millions of copies and become a classic - the blueprint for a cluster of aesthetic and literary works under the label "dark academia." Host Brittany Luse and culture writer Alice Vincent examine the novel's long shelf life and why it's still relevent to young people today. Then she sits down with author Olivie Blake, who shares how authors are bringing new perspectives to the genre.

Dark academia's deadly allure and the timeless appeal of prep style

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Friday

'Framing Agnes' questions the ways trans stories are told
NPR

It's Been a Minute

'Framing Agnes' questions the ways trans stories are told

When the world never stops questioning you, do you refuse to answer... or do you play along to get what you want? These questions are at the heart of Framing Agnes, an award-winning documentary about the legacy of a young trans woman in the 1950s who was forced to choose between access and honesty. The film uses the format of a talk show to re-enact interviews with the eponymous Agnes and five other trans people – taken from case files from a decades-old gender identity clinic at UCLA. Brittany Luse chats with the film's director, Chase Joynt, and historian Jules Gill-Peterson about the ways our society tells trans stories. They also dive into the limits of representation, the power dynamics of interviews and the nature of truth itself.

'Framing Agnes' questions the ways trans stories are told

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Tuesday

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'The Godfather' and the limits of on-screen representation

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It's Been a Minute

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'The Godfather' and the limits of on-screen representation

From our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour, a deep dive on The Godfather – and why the classic film was not universally loved by the Italian-American community that it portrayed. This episode is part one of the new three-part podcast series Screening Ourselves, which is all about the complicated relationships between on-screen characters and the people they aim to represent.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'The Godfather' and the limits of on-screen representation

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Friday

Sibling rivalry takes the stage on Broadway; plus Randall Park's latest 'Blockbuster'
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images; Bruce Glikas/Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/Getty Images; Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix; Photo Illustration by Kaz Fantone/NPR

It's Been a Minute

Sibling rivalry takes the stage on Broadway; plus Randall Park's latest 'Blockbuster'

There's nothing like the holidays for family drama. And in today's episode, Brittany Luse sits down with two actors who portray a classic brother-against-brother dynamic in the Pulitzer-winning play Topdog/Underdog, which recently returned to Broadway. Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II talk sibling rivalries, the American dream and why their two-man show is not just an exploration of race.

Sibling rivalry takes the stage on Broadway; plus Randall Park's latest 'Blockbuster'

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Tuesday

'The Long COVID Survival Guide' to finding care and community
DrAfter123/Getty Images; Katherine Sheehan; JJ Geiger; Photo Illustration by Kaz Fantone/NPR

It's Been a Minute

'The Long COVID Survival Guide' to finding care and community

According to the CDC, out of all the American adults who have had COVID — and that's a lot of us — one in five went on to develop long COVID symptoms. While so many are struggling with this new disease, it can be hard for people to know how to take care of themselves.

'The Long COVID Survival Guide' to finding care and community

Listen · 20:45
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Friday

Lionel Messi's last World Cup? Plus, a 'Diasporican' Thanksgiving
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It's Been a Minute

Lionel Messi's last World Cup? Plus, a 'Diasporican' Thanksgiving

They call him a 21st-century god of soccer. One of the all time greats. A king. But Lionel Messi's crown is still missing one big jewel: a World Cup trophy for his home country, Argentina.

Lionel Messi's last World Cup? Plus, a 'Diasporican' Thanksgiving

Listen · 36:58
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Friday

Black films that changed the game
Hannah Kozak/Netflix; Michael Moriatis/IFC; Netflix; Jean Whiteside/HBO Max; Photo Illustration by Kaz Fantone/NPR

It's Been a Minute

Black films that changed the game

It's a big week in Black cinema as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hit theaters Friday. But on the same day, another film dropped that may be just as powerful in its message about Black moviemaking. Is This Black Enough For You? pays homage to the decades of creativity that made the celebrated Marvel movie possible – and deeply influenced cinema as we know it.

Black films that changed the game

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