It's Been a Minute
844 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 8.2K ratingsHas 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.
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Episodes
Is DEI a slur now? Plus, control & basketball
April 05, 2024 20:02 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBFollowing 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. Then, as March Madness reaches its final nail-biting stages, Brittany takes a look at the reality...
The hidden costs of hair braiding
April 03, 2024 00:12 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBThis 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 busin...
Harvard's TikTok strategy; plus, Shirley Chisholm, the coalition diva
March 29, 2024 21:25 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBTikTok 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. To hear more about how the center is working with TikTok influencers to share researched information with the public, host Brittany Luse is joined by Kate Speer. Kate started as a menta...
'Love Lies Bleeding' and the fear and allure of strong women
March 26, 2024 15:26 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBErotic 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 b...
Brittany talks bad accents and bad sex
March 22, 2024 07:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBDune: 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 movie...
The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'
March 19, 2024 22:56 - 20 minutes - 19 MBAwards 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. Host Brittany Luse sits down with Hannah McCann, a lecturer at the University of Melbourne who specializes in critical femininity studies. They discuss how both Barbie and real-life bimbos are ...
The déjà vu election; plus, losing faith in politics in "Great Expectations"
March 15, 2024 20:25 - 37 minutes - 34 MBThe 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. Then, Brittany is joined by Vinson Cunningham to discuss his debut novel, Great Expectations. It's a period piece...
Jennifer Lopez's love affair with love
March 12, 2024 19:38 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MBIt'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. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Po...
And the winner is... outrage? Plus, if the economy is good, why does it feel bad?
March 09, 2024 03:07 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBThis 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?" Then, politicians and economists are...
'The Harlem Renaissance' and what is Black art for?
March 05, 2024 16:44 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBIt'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 ...
Three ways to think about journalism layoffs; plus, Aaron Bushnell's self-immolation
March 01, 2024 22:49 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBThe American journalism industry is in crisis - layoffs, strikes, and site shutdowns have some people talking about the potential extinction of the the news industry as we know it. Just last week, VICE Media announced their plans to layoff hundreds of employees and halt website operations. Taylor Lorenz, the Washington Post online culture and technology columnist, joins the show to unpack what is at stake with the continued media closures and layoffs. Then, Brittany is joined by Deva Woodly...
Da'Vine Joy Randolph on 'The Holdovers' and becoming a matriarch
February 27, 2024 15:04 - 17 minutes - 16 MBDa'Vine Joy Randolph just keeps winning — she's won best supporting actress for her role in The Holdovers at the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes, and Critics Choice Awards, and now she's up for an Oscar. And her performance as Mary Lamb, the head cook at a boy's boarding school in 1970's Massachusetts, really is awards worthy. Mary is no-nonsense, but loving, and grieving a son who's been killed in the Vietnam War. It's a moving and subtle portrayal of grief. Da'Vine says part of the success of her...
Have we hit celebrity overload? Plus, Miyazaki's movie magic
February 23, 2024 22:09 - 37 minutes - 34 MBBrittany feels like we've entered a new phase of celebrity oligarchy; new celebrity business enterprises are popping up daily, and we can't seem to get away from it all. But is this new? Brittany invites culture journalists Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber to discuss how the notion of celebrity is changing, and what it means for us. Then, we turn to Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary animator-director whose latest film, The Boy and the Heron, is a frontrunner at this year's Academy Awards. Brittan...
Jada Pinkett Smith, the artist
February 20, 2024 22:35 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBJada Pinkett Smith is the kind of celebrity that makes headlines just by breathing. But looking at those headlines — mostly about her marriage to fellow actor, Will Smith — made host Brittany Luse think that most people have gotten Jada all wrong. A graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts, Jada's best known for her acting, but she's also a producer, musician, and painter. After reading her memoir, Worthy, Brittany noticed the way Jada's artistic mind and process had been overlooked. ...
Legendary choreographer Fatima Robinson on moving through changes in dance
February 16, 2024 18:28 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBChoreographer Fatima Robinson has had an incredibly prolific career: she gave us the iconic King Tut-style moves from Michael Jackson's 'Remember the Time' music video, she taught us how to 'Rock the Boat' with Aaliyah, and she was head choreographer on Beyoncé's Renaissance tour. And all through that time, she's moved through all kinds of changes in how we dance – including Tik Tok. Host Brittany Luse chats with Robinson about how she pulls rhythm out of stars – and what causes the dance mov...
A Super Bowl in 'new Vegas'; plus, the inverted purity of the Stanley Cup
February 10, 2024 00:34 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBThis weekend, Vegas hit the jackpot. For the first time ever, Sin City will host the Super Bowl; and the halftime headliner is the current Vegas residency darling - Usher. But, NPR Senior Editor Bilal Qureshi says this royal flush was years in the making. Bilal joins host Brittany Luse to share his experience covering the city's journey from 'Old Vegas' to 'New Vegas,' as new hotels, concert venues, and artist residencies bring Vegas to a new market - millennials. Then, Brittany turns her s...
Sam Reich on revamping the game show - and Dropout's success as a small streamer
February 06, 2024 19:13 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBIt seems like there are countless streamers these days – there's Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Max, Peacock, Roku, just to name a few. Still, success and profit remain elusive to even some of the biggest in the biz. However there is one smaller streamer that seems to have found a path to prosperity: Dropout. IBAM host Brittany Luse sat down with Dropout CEO Sam Reich to find out how his company is forging a path to success in a successful market, all while revamping the gameshow format. The pai...
Charlamagne tha Pundit?; plus, was Tony Soprano white?
February 02, 2024 22:12 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBCharlamagne tha God has been dominating hip-hop radio for years, and lately, his influence has extended far beyond the music industry; for better or worse, Charlamagne has become one of the go-to voices for political discourse in the Black community. And while his comments often resonate with The Breakfast Club audience, they've also been picked up by political operatives across party lines. This week, Brittany sits down with Democratic pollster Terrance Woodbury and POLITICO National Corresp...
Ayesha Rascoe on 'HBCU Made' — and some good old college memories
January 30, 2024 18:53 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBWe're taking it way back — all the way to college. This episode is a mini-reunion: host Brittany Luse and Ayesha Rascoe, host of NPR's Weekend Edition, are both alumnae of Howard University — they even attended during some of the same years. Howard is an HBCU: a historically Black college or university. There are around a hundred in the US, and they've had a big impact on both graduates and American culture writ large. Ayesha has edited a book of essays all about that impact, called HBCU Made...
South Africa's case for preventing genocide in Palestine; plus, why people love cults
January 26, 2024 22:23 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBThis morning, the International Court of Justice shared a decision on South Africa's genocide case against Israel. The courts found sufficient evidence that it's "plausible" that Israel has committed acts of genocide in Gaza and ruled that Israel must prevent genocidal attacks. Earlier this week, host Brittany Luse sat down with South African journalist Redi Tlhabi to look at the context of this story and lay out how the histories of Israel and South Africa factor into this moment. Then, B...
Benny Safdie on 'The Curse' — and performing goodness
January 23, 2024 17:06 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBDirector and actor Benny Safdie is probably best known for co-directing the film Uncut Gems, but he's also acted in Oppenheimer, Licorice Pizza, and one of host Brittany Luse's personal favorites: Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. In his latest project, Safdie co-created and acts in Showtime's The Curse. It's an intensely uncomfortable examination of the smoke and mirrors behind your favorite home improvement shows, but it's also a marriage drama – and it picks apart our desire to seem l...
The political power of white Evangelicals; plus, Biden and the Black church
January 19, 2024 22:01 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBFor decades, Evangelicals have propped up Republican presidents. And while church attendance has fallen across the board, Evangelicals are still making waves politically; they just helped deliver Trump a historic win in the Iowa caucus. But the political bent of Evangelicals begs for closer inspection because white Americans who align with Trump are more likely to start identifying as Evangelical, even if some of them no longer sit up in the pews. NPR Political Correspondent Sarah McCammon jo...
Anna Deavere Smith plays real Americans on stage - and she shares her lessons
January 16, 2024 15:30 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBAnna Deavere Smith is an acclaimed actress, journalist, and playwright. She's a pioneer of what's known as 'verbatim theater,' which is performance based on conversations and interviews with real people. But after decades of becoming thousands of Americans on stage, what has she learned about our nation? Host Brittany Luse sat down with Deavere Smith in studio to hear her unique perspective about who — and what — America is. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adcho...
The life lessons Fantasia brought to 'The Color Purple'; plus, Personal Style 101
January 12, 2024 20:49 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBFantasia Barrino-Taylor is picking up awards buzz for her portrayal of Celie in The Color Purple, and Brittany is sitting down with the former American Idol winner to look at the path she took from high school dropout to potential Oscar nominee. Brittany and Fantasia explore how her journey in life has made her come to love the character she plays, and even heal some old wounds along the way. Then, after living through the fast churn of microtrends, social media influencers are embracing the...
American Fiction is a rich story — but is it a successful satire?
January 09, 2024 23:13 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MBAmerican Fiction is a movie you can spend hours discussing. Based on Percival Everett's novel Erasure, the movie is a satire of what the publishing industry wants from Black authors. The film also belongs to a lineage of Black movies that look at selling out in the entertainment industry: from CB4 to Hollywood Shuffle. But does American Fiction say anything new? Host Brittany Luse chats with Aisha Harris, NPR culture critic and co-host of Pop Culture Happy Hour, about her essay on what Americ...
Looking ahead to the 2024 election; plus, getting "sober curious" for Dry January
January 05, 2024 21:48 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBThis week, host Brittany Luse is starting with the biggest story of the year - the upcoming presidential election. The economy, foreign policy, reproduction rights have all been top of mind lately - but how will these issues play out in the voting booth? NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben and Domenico Montanaro join the show to talk about what might sway voters in November. Next, Brittany tackles a popular New Year's tradition: Dry January. Last year, one out of every seven American adults participa...
'Oh Me Oh My': Finding grace after something hellified (a New Year's story)
December 29, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBTo close out the year, Brittany is sitting down with Lonnie Holley. He's a painter, sculptor, and musician who released his latest album, Oh Me Oh My, in early 2023. In it he sings of his difficult childhood growing up in Jim Crow Alabama where he was sold, beat, and effectively enslaved. But today he sings of hope. He's been on a journey to heal his pain, and the pain of the generations that came before and the ones that will follow. It's a story of gratitude. Learn more about sponsor messa...
Why grief sometimes looks like a hyphy party
December 26, 2023 08:00 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBOn August 11, 1973, hip-hop was born at a house party in the Bronx. 50 years later the genre has been reshaped in the image of cities and regions around the world. Brittany is joined by KQED's Pendarvis Harshaw to do a deep dive into one hip-hop scene from the Bay Area known as hyphy. They unpack how the loud, brash, hyperactive music helped a community grieve. To hear more of Pendarvis Harshaw's reporting on this Bay Area music scene, check out the Rightnowish series: Hyphy Kids Got Trauma...
Why does flying suck so much?
December 22, 2023 18:16 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBFlying can be a frustrating experience, but holiday travel tends to shift our stress levels into overdrive. Overbooking, delays, lost baggage, and long TSA lines are just the tip of the iceberg. Even pricey membership services can't promise a completely efficient or comfortable travel journey. With big price tags and the quality of service seemingly going down, host Brittany Luse wondered: How did we get here? To answer that question, aviation and travel journalist Benét J. Wilson joins the s...
2023: The year of the celebrity memoir
December 19, 2023 23:47 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MB2023 has been huge for the celebrity memoir game: Britney Spears, Prince Harry and Jada Pinkett Smith are just a few of the many A-listers who dropped bestsellers. But which memoirs should you actually read? To help parse through the pages, Brittany Luse is joined - once again - by Celebrity Memoir Book Club hosts Ashley Hamilton and Claire Parker. They each share their favorite memoirs of the year and discuss what these books reveal about the machinations of fame. Learn more about sponsor m...
The IBAMmys: The It's Been A Minute 2023 Culture Awards Show
December 15, 2023 23:51 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBWelcome to the first ever IBAMmys, the It's Been A Minute 2023 culture awards show! It's been a minute - a whole year - and we're looking back at the biggest cultural moments of the past 365 days. Host Brittany Luse, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe, and Vox's senior pop culture correspondent Alex Aband-Santos all made nominations for each category, and a select group of culture experts at NPR voted for who should take home the prize. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Music trends that took us by surprise in 2023
December 12, 2023 17:36 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBIt's been an eventful year for music; we saw the rise of Mexican Regional music on the charts, the emergence of AI artists, and the dominance of country music to boot. Host Brittany Luse chats with Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding, co-hosts of the podcast Switched on Pop, to break down what's behind the latest pop music trends — and to share some of their 2023 favorites. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Nicki Minaj's bars, Barbz and beefs; plus, why 2023 was the year of the cowboy
December 08, 2023 21:13 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBNicki Minaj just released her first album in half a decade, Pink Friday 2. The self-proclaimed 'Queen of Rap' has an unparalleled career, but the rap game - and women's position within it - has changed dramatically during her hiatus. While Nicki helped shape rap today, the artist has also faced a slew of controversies and an erratic album rollout that all have us asking: is Nicki still the verified 'Queen of Rap'? Host Brittany Luse sits down with NPR Music Editor and Louder Than A Riot host ...
The 'Renaissance' film and what we hear in Beyoncé's silence
December 05, 2023 21:43 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBIn the credits for 'Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé' the Queen Bee makes it clear who is in charge. Written by? Beyoncé. Directed by? Beyoncé. Produced by? Beyoncé. And of course, starring...Beyoncé. For someone who is so in control of their own image, what is spoken and what is unspoken are equally loud. In this episode, Brittany and B.A. Parker, co-host of NPR's Code Switch, get into key takeaways from the film and why people are calling on her to speak directly to today's politics. Learn...
McCarthyism and queerness in 'Fellow Travelers'; plus, IBAM unplugged with Olivia Dean
December 01, 2023 23:03 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBThis week, Brittany chats with New Yorker television critic Inkoo Kang about Showtime's historical romance, Fellow Travelers. The show follows the lives and love of two closeted men - Hawk and Tim. It starts in 1950s Washington DC, at the height of McCarthyism and the lavender scare and continues through the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Brittany and Inkoo discuss how the politics of the time shape the characters and how survival isn't always pretty. Then, we switch gears and meet an artist that...
All The Only Ones: I can't wait
November 28, 2023 22:32 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBThis week we're bringing you a special episode from the Embedded series 'All the Only Ones.' The series looks at the history of trans youth next to the realities experienced by trans youth today. In this episode, we meet Parker, a senior in high school in Columbus, Ohio. Parker is a top field hockey athlete, but as a trans person, he is faced with making a difficult decision: either pursuing his dreams as a D1 trans field hockey player in college next year, or pursuing his dreams of starting ...
Defending the Disney Adult; plus, what it takes to stand up for Black trans people
November 24, 2023 08:00 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBDisney recently celebrated its 100th birthday, so we're exploring a fandom that's kept the magic alive while also generating lots of online hate: Disney Adults. To break the phenomenon down, Brittany Luse chats with Rolling Stone senior writer and self-proclaimed Disney Adult, E.J. Dickson. Their conversation looks at the rise of Disney Adults, why they're so maligned and what the public may misunderstand about these superfans. Then, in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance, Brittany talks with ...
How gratitude improves your relationships and your future
November 21, 2023 08:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBFor the millions of Americans that celebrate Thanksgiving, it's a time when a lot of us reflect on the things and the people in our lives that we appreciate. But according to Dr. Laurie Santos, psychology professor at Yale and host of the podcast, The Happiness Lab, a practice of gratitude can improve our lives year-round. Host Brittany Luse chats with Dr. Santos about the surprising science of how gratitude can affect our brains — and how it leads us to be more generous with our future selv...
The return of Andre 3000; plus, 'Rap Sh!t' puts the music industry on blast
November 17, 2023 18:05 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBAs many male rappers seem to become more depressed or vindictive in their lyrics, the women of rap appear to be having all the fun. One show that captures this moment is Rap Sh!t on Max. Brittany sits down with the showrunner and writer, Syreeta Singleton. They discuss the complexities of navigating the rap game as a Black woman, the new social media landscape, and how rap and Rap Sh!t approach sexuality. Then, a conversation with Andre 3000. After 17 years, the rapper, producer, and instru...
Pressing pause on 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' and rethinking Scorsese's latest
November 14, 2023 23:21 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBMartin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon is everything an Oscar contender might be - long, epic, morally complicated and expensive. Yet, while many movie-goers left theaters moved, others called the film a problematic disaster. Today on the show, we hear what the movie got wrong and how it fits into a broader history of Native Americans on screen. To unpack this, Brittany Luse is joined by Robert Warrior, a literature and professor and an Osage Nation citizen, Liza Black, a Native America...
Barbra Streisand says she's not a diva - she's a director
November 10, 2023 21:29 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBThe season of the celebrity memoir is upon us. In just the past few months Britney Spears, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kerry Washington, and more have showered us with bombshells and revelations about their origin stories and private lives. Despite those heavy hitters and the crowded field they occupy, the celebrity memoir our host Brittany Luse coveted most is that of the singular Ms. Barbra Streisand. Brittany sits down with Barbra to talk about her new memoir, My Name is Barbra, her struggle to ...
What restaurant trends tell us about the economy and culture
November 07, 2023 23:29 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBThe restaurant industry has been making headlines lately. Fine dining heavyweights are shuttering: Noma announced it would be closing in 2024 and NYC staple Momofuku Ko closed this past weekend. Then, there's the unintentional chaos caused by a popular Tiktok food critic, whose visit to Atlanta was so profound that it drowned out the debut of the city's first ever Michelin Guide. After seeing all of this, host Brittany Luse wants to know: What's up with restaurants these days? To answer tha...
"The Gilded Age" and the trouble with American period pieces
November 03, 2023 20:03 - 21 minutes - 20 MBThe Gilded Age delighted audiences with its lavish sets, decadent costumes and social sniping when it debuted. Lucky for us, the period drama just returned to HBO Max with a second season. But if we look a little closer at the show, it reveals what we truly want out of period pieces: to remake the past with our modern sensibilities and values. As Brandon Taylor wrote in his essay called "morgan spector pls break me in half," The Gilded Age engenders "self-delusion" about our history – because...
What makes 'The Real Housewives' so addictive? (Classic)
October 31, 2023 10:53 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBIt's a big week for fans of reality TV - it's Bravocon 2023. This year it's in Las Vegas – and while we couldn't make it to Vegas, we're revisiting what we learned from last year's Bravocon in New York. Host Brittany Luse and producer Liam McBain talked to fans, a producer, an academic and the Housewives themselves to understand what makes The Real Housewives peak culture – as in the #1 topic in the group chat – for so many people. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com...
It's Britney, bestseller!
October 27, 2023 22:13 - 24 minutes - 22 MBBritney Spears just released one of the most hotly anticipated celebrity memoirs of the year, The Woman In Me. The book details her meteoric rise to fame, her family history, and her 13 year-long conservatorship. This week, host Britney Luse talks to the two best people to break it all down: Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton, comedians and co-hosts of the Celebrity Memoir Book Club podcast. Together they look at what the princess of pop is trying to tell us, how she contextualizes her own sto...
The new "final girl" in horror; plus, who's afraid of a horny hag?
October 24, 2023 19:30 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBHalloween is upon us — and it's the season for horror movies. Host Brittany Luse is a HUGE horror girlie, but loving horror also means critiquing it. Today, we're breaking down two major figures in horror: the final girl and the horny hag. First, Brittany chats with Dr. Kinitra Brooks, Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair of Literary Studies at Michigan State University, about what it means when the final girl is a Black woman. And later, Brittany is joined by horror author and film critic G...
Misinformation & uninformed comments are clogging war coverage; plus, Tupac's legacy
October 20, 2023 22:03 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBA warning: This episode contains explicit language and mentions of rape. For the past two weeks, social media has been flooded with coverage and commentary on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. And while the news updates have been devastating, not everything coming across our feeds has been true. We've seen footage pulled from a video game purporting to show a Hamas fighter shooting down a helicopter, and a fake memo from the White House that claimed to announce $8 billion in military ai...
Code Switch: Baltimore teens are fighting for environmental justice — and winning
October 17, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBFrom our friends at Code Switch, we present a story about one group of student activists in Baltimore and how their efforts to make their neighborhood healthier has them facing big coal — and actually making gains. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are 100% in a PR relationship. Here's how we know.
October 13, 2023 21:50 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBTaylor Swift and her maybe boyfriend, Kansas Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, have been inescapable the past few weeks. The pop superstar has been showing up at Chiefs games, and the NFL has been playing it up - all to the mutual benefit of each party involved. Regardless of if the three of them - Taylor, Travis, and the NFL - are in a romantic polycule, public relations expert Molly McPherson says they are for sure in a PR relationship. Brittany and Molly get into how PR relationships work for...
In defense of bad movie accents
October 10, 2023 07:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MBWe can all think of a bad movie accent. There's Lady Gaga in House of Gucci, Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black, or Emma Watson in The Bling Ring. A bad accent takes you out of a movie, right? Well, Brittany sits down with New York Times columnist Kyle Buchanan who thinks a bad accent actually pulls you into a movie. Brittany and Kyle breakdown his theory and play a special game of "Where IS she from?" Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy