Is social media giving you analysis paralysis? You’re not alone.

In his new book, ‘Minor Black Figures,’ novelist Brandon Taylor explores this vicious cycle and what it does to our self-worth. His characters are artists hyperaware of how social media can make or break their careers - and how it affects the art they make too.

In this episode, Brandon joins Brittany to talk through what it means to make art in a world of critics - online and off - and the beauty of giving yourself grace.

This episode originally aired on October 15, 2025.


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Political podcasting is said to be a men's game (and predominantly conservative). But two women stood up and said "I've had it!" Now they are revolutionizing political commentary in America.

The hosts of the ‘I’ve Had It’ podcast: Jennifer Welch, a lifelong atheist, and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan, a former evangelical conservative, started their podcast to air petty grievances. But, as American politics got heated so did their podcast. Wine jokes became unfiltered takedowns of both Democrats and Republicans. In the process, they gained millions of followers and changed how the progressive media system works. And there's no slowing them down. 

Host Brittany Luse sits down with Jennifer and Angie to talk about the power women have for shaping politics, why women just can't let go of Trump, and how Democrats can actually listen to progressive women.

(00:00) IHIP's success as an indictment of the Democratic party
(03:16) Jennifer and Angie's personal political journey
(10:30) White women leaving the right
(15:11) Jennifer's journey to progressivism
(20:45) Why IHIP's unfiltered approach resonates
(25:00) Why Democrats like Jack Schlossberg seek out IHIP's platform
(30:28) The importance of women's voices ahead of the midterms
(35:03) Why we should pay attention to how women do their politics

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Can AI really do everything by itself?

AI has impressed a lot of people with its output. But even though it’s sold as an autonomous, inhuman tool, there’s a lot of human work that goes into it. While that work does happen in the US, many AI laborers also live overseas – and get paid less to do it. Everything that goes into making AI function – from the data it feeds on to the labor that trains it – smacks of colonialism, according to some scholars and researchers. This has led to the emergence of the term "data colonialism." Is this comparison a fitting one, and what are the broader implications of data colonialism for society at large?

Brittany gets into it with Regine Cabato, a freelance journalist based in the Philippines who’s written about AI laborers there for The Washington Post, and Ulises Mejias, professor at SUNY Oswego and co-author of the book Data Grab the New Colonialism of Big Tech and How to Fight Back.

(00:00) Does AI really do everything by itself?
(04:20) The human labor behind AI
(06:46) The work conditions of overseas AI laborers
(09:43) Why AI companies recruit some workers from the Global South
(14:56) The narrative of AI's magic
(18:04) Is AI shaped by colonialism?
(24:53) Is an ethical generative AI possible?

For more episodes about AI and modern life, check out:
You might be suffering from AI brain fry
Me and my partner don't see eye-to-eye about AI. Now what?
The hard work of having "good taste"

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The Kennedys are the first family that comes to mind when Americans consider homegrown, pseudo-royal dynasties. From Joe to John and Jackie, they have been elevated to a mythical cultural status. But is it possible that they share more in common with another prominent American family, the Kardashians? Today, Brittany is joined by MJ Corey, author of Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto, to find out how these two American 'royal' families share a cultural Krown.

Want more about famous families and the narratives they spin? Check out these episodes:

Inside the Michael Jackson legacy industrial complex
Melania Trump’s multi-million dollar “infomercial”

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Many millennials either are already in their 40s or are staring them down. Are they having a midlife crisis?

As this generation enters midlife, their lives look really different from their parents' lives: Millennials are more educated and have a higher median net worth, but the generation is also more unequal than previous generations, has higher debt and has lower rates of homeownership and marriage. How does that all shape what millennial midlife crises are starting to look like?

Brittany finds out with Vox senior correspondent Alex Abad-Santos, who recently wrote an article about the millennial midlife crisis, and Sara Srygley, research associate at the Population Reference Bureau.

This episode originally aired on June 20, 2025.

For more episodes about the forces shaping Millennials’ lives, check out:

You're not broken - the job market is.

Enough is enough. Is it time to leave America?

The ugly truth of America's expensive homes

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The MET Gala 2026 was eclipsed by its own sponsors, making the event feel out of touch and out of fashion.

Beyoncé made her first MET Gala appearance in ten years. Rihanna showed up (very late). And there were many incredible fashion moments: from Emma Chamberlain to Nicole Kidman to Lena Dunham. But the whole affair was overshadowed by the sponsorship of Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Plus, other tech billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin, made their MET Gala debuts. All calling into question...what is this event (and art) really for?

To get into it, NPR Music's Anamaria Sayre is joined by culture critic Marjon Carlos and culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith. Together they rate the best and worst of fashion's biggest night and explain why the MET Gala feels like it's in decline.

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The MET Gala 2026 is already off to a controversial start, and no one has even shown up yet.

That's because Anna Wintour has been buddying up with a certain billionaire, Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos. The couple are the lead sponsors of this year's gala. To be clear, the wealthiest people have always been involved with fashion's biggest night, but this year some folks feels its more in the spotlight - at a time when many Americans feel like life is getting more and more unaffordable. 

Brittany is joined by culture critic Marjon Carlos and culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith to lay out the stakes of this year's MET Gala - from the billionaires to the best dressed.

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The Jackson family and estate have joined forces to give us another biopic of Michael Jackson's life. Michael doesn't tell us anything new about the King of Pop, but it has had the biggest opening weekend of a music biopic ever. From Whitney Houston to Freddie Mercury, why do these posthumous biopics always seem to fall flat, and what do decades of Jackson family drama say about how we reckon with the complicated figures in pop culture and our own lives? Brittany talks with Aisha Harris, critic and co-host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, to find out.

Want more deep dives on the legacies of pop culture icons? Check out these episodes:
Jesse Jackson & the end of the civil rights superhero
Marilyn Monroe was more than just 'Blonde'

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The slur disappeared but is once again popular to use on and offline. What's up with that?

Over the past few years, the R-word — a term for disabled people that otherwise left the cultural lexicon — has been popping up more and more. It is the rare slur that goes out of vogue and makes a resurgence, particularly among young men. Its return may also have larger implications that affect policy, culture and how we treat each other.

Disability advocate Imani Barbarin joins the show to break down how ableism can take root in casual conversation, and why words matter.

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Is the American fashion industry making a conservative turn?

Despite her modeling past, fashion-obsessed First Lady Melania Trump has not graced the cover of Vogue during President Trump’s tenure. And that’s not necessarily surprising– Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of American Vogue, is a longtime advocate for the Democrats.

But there’s definitely been a shift. That’s why it’s been so curious to see Trump associate Lauren Sánchez Bezos on the digital cover of Vogue. And it was definitely peculiar to see longevity-obsessed venture capitalist Bryan Johnson and looksmaxxing influencer Clavicular walking the runway. Is the American fashion industry making a conservative turn? Or is this just business as usual?

To answer this question, Brittany is joined by Pulitzer Prize winning critic, Robin Givhan. From fashionable First Ladies to President Trump’s favorite shoes - Robin gets into how fashion, politics, and our desire for relatability collide in the court of public opinion. 

Want more about fashion? Check out these episodes:
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
The MET Gala is tonight, and it's already historic. Here's why.

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Is polyamory about more than just how many partners you have?

According to a YouGov survey from 2023, on a scale of zero being completely monogamous and six being completely non-monogamous, one third of Americans put their answer somewhere above zero. And there are a lot of different types of non-monogamy, but one of those types – polyamory – has been in the discourse as of late. The polyamory that writer Lindy West describes in her new book, Adult Braces, has spawned a thousand takes: her path to polyamory was admittedly kind of dicey, and it spawned discussion about what polyamory means. Polyamory can stand in for a set of political beliefs, class associations and other signifiers that have nothing to do with how many partners one has. But why does a choice about relationship structures feel so weighty, and why can't anyone be normal about it?

To discuss, Brittany is joined by Christopher M. Gleason, lecturer of American history at Georgia State University and the author of American Poly, a book about the history of polyamory in America.

(00:00) Lindy West and polyamory panic
(02:41) Polyamory's surprising political origins
(07:02) Can polyamory "fix" relationships?
(12:41) Misconceptions about polyamory (and why it has so many haters)


For more episodes about relationships, check out:
What really counts as "cheating?"
The joy of breaking up with dating apps
Me and my partner don't see eye-to-eye about AI. Now what?

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