It's Been a Minute

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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

  • 18 minutes 26 seconds
    How Latinos found Evangelicalism and Trump
    Donald Trump has been re-sworn in as President of the United States. And for this re-ascendency, he owes a thank you to Latino voters, especially Latino evangelicals. They turned out for him in double digits in the last election. So what is it about Latinos, evangelicalism, and Trump's brand of Republicanism that helped tip the White House back in his favor?

    President and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, Robert P. Jones, and Axios Justice and Race reporter Russell Contreras join Brittany to get at the root of this shift and what it means for our political future.

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    22 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 18 minutes 27 seconds
    Why are people smearing beef fat on their face?
    "New Year, New Me" Episode 3: beef tallow & natural skincare

    According to Pew Research Center, 79% of New Year's resolutions are about one thing: health. It's Been a Minute is kicking off 2025 with a little series called "new year, new me." We're getting into some of the big questions and cultural confusion around our health and wellness.

    For our final installment, we're getting into a new skincare trend: using beef tallow as a moisturizer. That's right – beef fat rendered from suet is one of the trends du jour. Brittany Luse sits down with Marie Claire senior beauty editor Samantha Holender and beauty journalist Jennifer Sullivan to understand why the beef tallow trend has taken off, what it says about what we value in our skin care, and whether we should be using beef tallow at all.

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    20 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 20 minutes 46 seconds
    Is fact-checking "censorship?" Why Meta's changes are a win for conservatives.
    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will end their third-party fact checking program, loosen their hate speech restrictions, and move some of the company to Texas. What's all of that signal about what we will see on social platforms in the coming months and years?

    Brittany Luse is joined by NPR reporter Huo Jingnan and Washington Post tech reporter Naomi Nix to break down Meta's tangled relationship to misinformation and how these changes will impact users.

    Plus, Brittany, NPR Staff, and NPR listeners share their memories of Los Angeles in a special "Love Letter to LA" amid the ongoing wildfires.

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    17 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 20 minutes 59 seconds
    Bad Bunny & the battle for Puerto Rico
    Bad Bunny's new album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, has struck a chord with fans worldwide. He's always expressed a deep love for Puerto Rico, but his latest work takes it to new heights. In his fusion of old and new genres, he speaks to the shared experiences of the Puerto Rican diaspora and looks to their collective past as a way forward. Writer Carina del Valle Schorske and La Brega podcast host, Alana Casanova-Burgess join the show to break down the function of shared nostalgia and explain the backstory to Puerto Rico's symbols of independence.

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    15 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 16 minutes 2 seconds
    Is your favorite pop star spreading propaganda?
    Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter-themed NFL halftime show performance showcased Black Americana, and drew in millions of viewers, but it left some viewers asking: Is she America's greatest propagandist? And which version of America is she promoting?

    Brittany Luse is joined by music and Black feminism scholar Daphne A. Brooks and mass communication historian Nick Cull, to unpack what is and isn't propaganda, and how we can sift through political messaging to be more savvy consumers of media.

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    13 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 18 minutes 50 seconds
    Bad news for protein bros: you might be getting scammed
    "New Year, New Me" Episode 2: the politics of protein powder

    According to Pew Research Center, 79% of New Year's resolutions are about one thing: health. It's Been a Minute is kicking off 2025 with a little series called "new year, new me." We're getting into some of the big questions and cultural confusion around our health and wellness.

    Today – we're getting into the macronutrient du jour: protein. High protein recipes are all the rage on Instagram, and producers are putting it in everything from pancakes to ice cream. We all need to eat protein, but how much is enough? Brittany Luse is joined by Vox senior reporter Kenny Torrella and freelance food writer Samantha Maxwell to discuss America's protein kick - and how protein is getting politicized by MAHA (Make America Healthy Again).

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    10 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 18 minutes 4 seconds
    Is The Squad dead? Cori Bush on the future of progressive politics
    Five years ago progressive Democrats seemed to be on the rise. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had just ousted a moderate Democrat, and Senator Bernie Sanders looked like he could win the party's nomination. Now, two members of the progressive group known as "The Squad" have lost their re-election bids.

    This week, Brittany sits down with one of them, former congressional representative, Cori Bush of Missouri. They get into what the progressive politics are in 2025 and what the future holds for Democrats and identity politics.

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    8 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 19 minutes 6 seconds
    Sober-curious? Why your friends (and maybe you) are going dry.
    "New Year, New Me" Episode 1: sobriety is on the rise

    According to Pew – 79% of New Year's resolutions are about one thing: health. It's Been a Minute is kicking off 2025 with a little series called "new year, new me." We're getting into some of the big questions and cultural confusion around our health and wellness.

    This week – many Americans are starting out the year by cutting out alcohol and going "dry." But overall, alcohol is getting less popular in general: according to Gallup, the amount of Americans that drink is down to 58% – the lowest number since 1996. And 41% of Americans who do drink say they want to drink less. Is alcohol on its way out? And what would it mean to live in a more sober culture? Brittany Luse is joined by writer and journalist Ana Marie Cox to get into how people are disentangling alcohol from their lives, and the lessons she's learned as a recovering alcoholic.

    Interested in trying out dry January? Our friends at NPR's Life Kit have a newsletter just for the sober-curious. Sign up here.

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    6 January 2025, 11:25 am
  • 20 minutes 29 seconds
    2025 Predictions: social media is OUT & food politics are IN
    Brittany has some predictions for the big trends to watch for in 2025. First, social media is OUT. Not that people will stop using social platforms, but rather, Brittany thinks what they mean to us will continue shifting. Second, politicizing food is IN. Brittany thinks food will increasingly become a marker of political identity. You are what you eat? No, what you eat is a sign of what you believe.

    Plus, a lightning round of Ins & Outs
    Is the club in or out in 2025?
    How about wide-legged pants?
    Let Brittany know your thoughts in the comments.

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    3 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 17 minutes 9 seconds
    All hail the queen of rom-coms
    Happy New Year! Pop champagne, kiss a loved one, and turn on the rom-com that made New Year's Eve a backdrop of your fall inspo Pinterest board: When Harry Met Sally. But don't stop there. Ilana Kaplan, author of Nora Ephron at the Movies, joins the show to put a spotlight on the woman that helped usher in the golden era of rom-coms and influenced the return of rom-coms.

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    1 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 17 minutes 40 seconds
    Kill your daddies? TV's obsession with patricide
    From HBO's Industry to FX's The Bear, 2024 was full of TV characters working out their "daddy issues" the tough way...by committing patricide. This week Brittany is joined by Vulture's TV critic Roxana Hadadi and The New Yorker's Inkoo Kang to compare and contrast a new generation of daddy killers. Why do we enjoy seeing screen dads offed? And what does that say about our own anxieties about patriarchy?

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    30 December 2024, 8:00 am
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