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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

Hasan Minhaj and the limits of representation

Stephanie Mills in The Wiz, and Hasan Minhaj on stage. Hulton Archive/Kevin Winter hide caption

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Hulton Archive/Kevin Winter

Hasan Minhaj and the limits of representation

A recent New Yorker piece on Hasan Minhaj found that some crucial bits of his stand-up act didn't stand up to fact-checking. Stretching the truth in comedy is par for the course, but how does that work for a figure like Minhaj, who'd previously doubled down on these stories in interviews and is known for his political satire shows? Brittany is joined by writer Imran Siddiquee and journalist Allana Akhtar to make sense of an entertainment industry that created the conditions for his fame.

Hasan Minhaj and the limits of representation

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How Bethann Hardison changed the face of fashion - and why that matters

Bethann Hardison's Invisible Beauty. Magnolia Pictures/Bruce Weber courtesy of Magnolia Pictures/Magnolia Pictures hide caption

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Magnolia Pictures/Bruce Weber courtesy of Magnolia Pictures/Magnolia Pictures

How Bethann Hardison changed the face of fashion - and why that matters

Bethann Hardison is the fashion icon behind so many fashion icons: she worked as a modeling agent in the era of the supermodel – brokering the careers of stars like Kimora Lee Simmons and Tyson Beckford. And when models of color all but vanished from view at the turn of the millennium – she forced designers to bring them back. Host Brittany Luse sits down with Bethann to discuss the new documentary about Bethann's life, Invisible Beauty, and why fashion imagery, while fraught, is still powerful in our culture.

How Bethann Hardison changed the face of fashion - and why that matters

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The WNBA's coming out story; plus, the dangers of sports betting

Brittney Griner, Sheryl Swoopes, Kierstan Bell and Layshia Clarendon. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images, Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images, Ethan Miller/Getty Images hide caption

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Ronald Martinez/Getty Images, Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images, Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The WNBA's coming out story; plus, the dangers of sports betting

This year, the WNBA had its most-watched regular season in 21 years, but what went into creating this new moment of visibility for the league? Host Brittany Luse is joined by Katie Barnes, author of Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates to unpack the league's initial 'Barbie girl' image, the trailblazers who pushed the WNBA to become the first professional sports league to celebrate Pride, and what it means for an athlete to 'authentically' express themselves.

The WNBA's coming out story; plus, the dangers of sports betting

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The year concert etiquette went to trash and why

Ashes were thrown at Pink, Bebe Rexha was hit by a cellphone and many fans watch concerts through screens. YouTuber Tiffany Ferguson theorizes what's behind all the bad concert behavior. Jacques Demarthon/ AFP; Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Jacques Demarthon/ AFP; Screenshot by NPR

The year concert etiquette went to trash and why

Every couple of weeks there's a new story of a fan at a concert misbehaving. One fan threw ashes at Pink, another hit Drake with a cellphone, Miranda Lambert stopped her show when fans took selfies with flash photography. Extreme instances have landed performers in the hospital, but more often attendees have noticed the audience has gotten louder and more distracting than ever. Where is all of this coming from?

The year concert etiquette went to trash and why

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Is capitalism in its flop era?

Americans have capitalism on the brain — here's why. Frederic J Brown/AFP via Getty Images; Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images; Stephen Voss/Vox hide caption

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Frederic J Brown/AFP via Getty Images; Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images; Stephen Voss/Vox

Is capitalism in its flop era?

In 2017, Today, Explained co-host Noel King says she started getting a vibe: young people were discussing and dissecting capitalism. She began noticing the word in pop culture and cultural reporting — but found her own tribe of economics reporters were missing from the conversation. Flash forward to 2023, and the word capitalism is all over politics and culture: it's on the stage at the Republican debates, it's on the picket lines and the language of union strikes from Hollywood to New York City, it's even in the new Indiana Jones movie. How did we get here — and has talking about capitalism made us more divided? Noel King joins host Brittany Luse to discuss her new multi-part series exploring how a new generation of Americans are coming to terms with capitalism.

Is capitalism in its flop era?

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Rock and roll's pioneer is a queer, Southern Black man

Left: Lisa Cortés, Photographer: Paul Morejon. Right: Little Richard, Source: Magnolia Pictures. Paul Morejon/Magnolia Pictures hide caption

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Paul Morejon/Magnolia Pictures

Rock and roll's pioneer is a queer, Southern Black man

When you think of rockstar royalty, a queer, Southern Black man normally doesn't come to mind. But director Lisa Cortés wants us all to reconsider that thought. Her documentary, Little Richard: I Am Everything, takes viewers through the life and legacy of one of the most influential men in music - Little Richard.

Rock and roll's pioneer is a queer, Southern Black man

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The Photo of the Year; plus, whose RICO is it anyway?
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The Photo of the Year; plus, whose RICO is it anyway?

When former President Donald Trump's mugshot was released, pundits immediately searched for meaning. Was it defiant? Was it embarrassing? Turns out what we see in that image could change over time. Brittany Luse is joined by Vanessa Friedman, senior fashion critic for the New York Times, to talk about the cultural meaning of infamous mugshots and their resounding impact on us.

The Photo of the Year; plus, whose RICO is it anyway?

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20 years of pumpkin spice power
Christina Tkacik/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

20 years of pumpkin spice power

It's been 20 years since Starbucks debuted the first pumpkin spice latte in 2003. Since then, it's become a cultural phenomenon greater than itself: it's shorthand for fall, for basicness, for femininity, and even for white culture. Why did the PSL become so powerful — and how do food trends garner so much meaning? Host Brittany Luse chats with Suzy Badaracco, food trend forecaster and founder of Culinary Tides, to discuss the $500 million dollar industry, and how little miss pumpkin spice has held on to her cultural power.

20 years of pumpkin spice power

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Luther Vandross and Samara Joy sing across generations
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Hector Mata/AFP

Luther Vandross and Samara Joy sing across generations

Music is all about pushing the envelope, and no one knew that more than Luther Vandross. His rendition of "A House is Not a Home" is so beloved, many fans don't even know it's a cover. His sound also laid the groundwork for many popular artists today, from Jazmine Sullivan to Beyoncé. Host Brittany Luse is joined by Craig Seymour, author of "Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross" to discuss Luther's impact and why his name isn't often in conversation with other greats - even though it should be.

Luther Vandross and Samara Joy sing across generations

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'All The Things She Said': queer anthem or problematic queerbait?
Robert Mora/Getty Images

'All The Things She Said': queer anthem or problematic queerbait?

In September 2002, the Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. released their smash single "All The Things She Said." The song is a grungy euro-dance track, and the video features the lead singers Lena Katina and Julia Volkova dressed in schoolgirl uniforms and making out in the rain. The video was banned from UK television for being "not really suitable for children."

'All The Things She Said': queer anthem or problematic queerbait?

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