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It's Been a Minute Has it been a minute since you heard a thought-provoking conversation about culture? Brittany Luse wants to help. Each week, she takes the things everyone's talking about and, in conversation with her favorite creators, tastemakers, and experts, gives you new ways to think about them. Beyond the obvious takes. Because culture doesn't happen by accident.

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
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Has it been a minute since you heard a thought-provoking conversation about culture? Brittany Luse wants to help. Each week, she takes the things everyone's talking about and, in conversation with her favorite creators, tastemakers, and experts, gives you new ways to think about them. Beyond the obvious takes. Because culture doesn't happen by accident.

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

Most Recent Episodes

Is DEI a slur now? Plus, control & basketball

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the Dartmouth men's basketball team. Adam Gray/Getty Images; Rob Carr/Getty Images/Getty Images hide caption

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Adam Gray/Getty Images; Rob Carr/Getty Images/Getty Images

Is DEI a slur now? Plus, control & basketball

Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last week, the city's 39 year old mayor, Brandon Scott, a Black man, stepped out to address the crisis. Hours later, a tweet went viral calling Scott a "DEI Mayor." To which Brittany and her guests, NPR's Gene Demby and Alana Wise, say "wait what?" The three dig into the racism lurking under the surface of this kind of rhetoric.

Is DEI a slur now? Plus, control & basketball

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The hidden costs of hair braiding
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images/MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP via Getty Images

The hidden costs of hair braiding

This week, we're revisiting an exploration of hair braiding gone wrong. Online, women looking to get box braids have gone viral with their complaints about confusing pricing structures, minimal care, and poor customer service. Brittany Luse chats with public historian and YouTuber Jouelzy to get an overview of the tension. Then, Jessica Poitras, legislative counsel for the Institute of Justice, joins the show to talk about the legal roadblocks many hair braiders face in setting up their businesses. And later, Brittany is joined by stylist Tyré Rimple to discuss the hidden costs behind braiding. This segment first aired last summer.

The hidden costs of hair braiding

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Harvard's TikTok strategy; plus, Shirley Chisholm, the coalition diva

A hand holding a phone displaying the Tik Tok logo; U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm Dan Kitwood/Getty Images/Ed Tilly/The State Media Company hide caption

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Dan Kitwood/Getty Images/Ed Tilly/The State Media Company

Harvard's TikTok strategy; plus, Shirley Chisholm, the coalition diva

TikTok has come under fire for its addictive algorithm and for being a place where misinformation spreads. But still, there is one institution that thinks TikTok actually has the potential to be a source of good in our world: Harvard. To be more specific, it's the Harvard Chan Center for Health Communication.

Harvard's TikTok strategy; plus, Shirley Chisholm, the coalition diva

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'Love Lies Bleeding' and the fear and allure of strong women

Katy O'Brian and Kristen Stewart star in Love Lies Bleeding. Zoey Kang/A24 hide caption

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Zoey Kang/A24

'Love Lies Bleeding' and the fear and allure of strong women

Erotic thrillers are meant to be sexy, bloody, and fun. The best of them also deal with shifts in culture that people are anxious about: Fatal Attraction was about the threat of working single women, and Basic Instinct got into bisexual panic. A hot new erotic thriller takes on women's strength and capacity for rage: Love Lies Bleeding is an 80's fantasia of big muscles and big hair with steamy sexy scenes and thrilling plot twists. It follows the story of a bodybuilder named Jackie, played by Katy O'Brian, who falls madly in love with gym manager Lou, played by Kristen Stewart. Host Brittany Luse sat down with Katy O'Brian to talk about strong women and the fantasy of wielding the rage that lurks just under the surface.

'Love Lies Bleeding' and the fear and allure of strong women

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The case for bad accents; plus, rectifying the ubiquity of bad sex
Three Lions/Getty Images/BFA/Alamy

The case for bad accents; plus, rectifying the ubiquity of bad sex

Dune: Part Two is a marvel of cinematic wonder. Amongst all the chatter around the cinematography and lore, Brittany also noticed that there was a particular fascination with Austin Butler's accent. Butler is no stranger to a distinctive voice - he was Elvis after all. But the discourse around what makes a good or bad accent made Brittany want to revisit a conversation with New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan. In this interview from last year, Kyle makes the case that bad accents make movies more fun.

The case for bad accents; plus, rectifying the ubiquity of bad sex

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The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'

Margot Robbie as Barbie, Tiktok Star Chrissy Chlapecka and TIktok star Nikita Redkar. Warner Bros. Pictures / via TikTok hide caption

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Warner Bros. Pictures / via TikTok

The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'

Awards season is finally over and even though Oppenheimer took home the top prize for best picture at the Oscars, Barbie still seemed to be a fan favorite. To celebrate the final close of the Barbie movie press run, we revisit an episode from last year about the spectacular femininity of Barbie girls.

The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'

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The déjà vu election; plus, losing faith in politics in "Great Expectations"

Left: Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden in 2020, Right: Former President Barack Obama Photo by Brendan Smialowski and JIM WATSON / AFP. ; by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption

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Photo by Brendan Smialowski and JIM WATSON / AFP. ; by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The déjà vu election; plus, losing faith in politics in "Great Expectations"

The 2024 presidential election will be a rematch between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden; and with that rematch comes political fanfare, some public apathy and déjà vu. To take a look at the public perception of this repeat race, host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben and NPR White House Correspondent Franco Ordoñez.

The déjà vu election; plus, losing faith in politics in "Great Expectations"

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Jennifer Lopez's love affair with love
United Archives GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo; Ana Carballosa/Lionsgate; Universal Pictures; RGR Collection/ Alamy Stock Photo

Jennifer Lopez's love affair with love

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 revisits her conversation with New York Magazine features writer Rachel Handler to break down J.Lo's wedding planning movies, how they add to J.Lo's brand, and what they say about our investment in the real-life wedding industrial complex.

Jennifer Lopez's love affair with love

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And the winner is... outrage? Plus, if the economy is good, why does it feel bad?

Oscar statue and an investor. Stefani Reynolds/AFP; Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Stefani Reynolds/AFP; Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images

And the winner is... outrage? Plus, if the economy is good, why does it feel bad?

This weekend's Oscars ceremony will mark the close of awards season. But what has been an exciting year in film seems to have turned into an opportunity for outrage over snubs, "firsts" and more. Host Brittany Luse wants to know: Is the discourse over awards season stifling our love of art? Brittany is joined by Aisha Harris, co-host of Pop Culture Happy Hour and author of the essay "Award shows have become outrage generators. Surely there's another way?"

And the winner is... outrage? Plus, if the economy is good, why does it feel bad?

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'The Harlem Renaissance' and what is Black art for?

Denise Murrell is the curator of The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism, featuring works like Archibald J. Motley Jr.'s Black Belt. Photos courtesy of The Met hide caption

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Photos courtesy of The Met

'The Harlem Renaissance' and what is Black art for?

It's Been a Minute host Brittany Luse and producer Liam McBain took a little field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York — and after having a Gossip Girl moment on the steps, they saw a brand-new exhibit: The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism. Brittany and Liam explored the exhibit's wide-ranging subject matter: paintings, photographs, explosive scenes of city life, and quiet portraits of deep knowing — but they also learned that the Harlem Renaissance started a lot of the cultural debates we're still having about Black art today. Like — what is Black art for? And how do Black artists want to represent themselves? After the show, Brittany sat down with the curator, Denise Murrell, to dig a little deeper into how the Harlem Renaissance laid the groundwork for Black modernity.

'The Harlem Renaissance' and what is Black art for?

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