It's Been a Minute
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Want in on a secret? Your likes and dislikes didn't develop by accident. There are subtle and not-so-subtle forces around you, shaping what you think, how you act, and even who you think you are. Brittany Luse is here to break the spell and help you feel wiser in a society that makes things blurry.THE BEST POP CULTURE PODCAST AWARD WINNER AT THE 2025 SIGNAL AWARDSIt’s Been A Minute with Brittany Luse is the best podcast for understanding what’s going on in culture right now, and helps you consume it smarter. From how politics influences pop culture to how identity influences tech or health, Brittany makes the picture clearer for you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.It’s Been A Minute reaches millions of people every week. Join the community and conversation today.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
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 31, 2017 • 30min
Author Daniel Alarcón On His New Book And The Immigrant Experience
Daniel Alarcón's (@DanielGAlarcon) new book of short stories, "The King Is Always Above The People," deals closely with immigration and the Latino experience. Alarcón talks to Sam about his own life immigrating from Peru to the U.S. at a young age, the Latino diaspora, and reinventing oneself in a new place. Though Alarcón didn't intend for it to be political, his book gets at what it means to be an immigrant in today's political climate. Alarcón is also host of NPR's Spanish-language podcast, Radio Ambulante. E-mail the It's Been A Minute team at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback. Follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders and producers Brent Baughman @brentbaughman and Anjuli Sastry @AnjuliSastry.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Oct 27, 2017 • 46min
Weekly Wrap: "Just Say No."
NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) and All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro (@arishapiro) join Sam to talk through the week that was: President Trump's speech on opioid addiction, the internal politics of the GOP, the surprise return of James Comey on Twitter — plus a check-in with a listener in Houston and our usual game of 'Who Said That.' It's all capped off with the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback. Follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders and producers Brent Baughman @brentbaughman and Anjuli Sastry @AnjuliSastry.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Oct 24, 2017 • 35min
Ashley Nicole Black From "Full Frontal" On Comedy, Improv, and Bridging Political Divides
Ashley Nicole Black (@ashleyn1cole) gave up pursuing a PHD to make it in comedy. This year she won an Emmy for her work on "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee." She talked to Sam about Savage Garden, why the Chicago comedy scene is great for aspiring comics and tough for people of color, developing her own comedy style, landing a job on "Full Frontal" and making the transition from writer to correspondent, and why she says improv could help people bridge political divides. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback. Follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders and producers Brent Baughman @brentbaughman and Anjuli Sastry @AnjuliSastry.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Oct 20, 2017 • 44min
Weekly Wrap: "All Of Us."
New York Magazine's Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) and The Atlantic's McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) join Sam to talk through the week that was: the healthcare subsidy battle in Congress, the fallen soldiers in Niger, the social media outpouring over #MeToo — plus a call to a listener at the University of Florida where white nationalist Richard Spencer spoke this week. That's all capped off with the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback. Follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders and producers Brent Baughman @brentbaughman and Anjuli Sastry @AnjuliSastry.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Oct 17, 2017 • 45min
Taran Killam On His New Film, Leaving SNL, And That Time Trump Hosted
SNL alum Taran Killam talks to Sam about his new action-comedy mockumentary Killing Gunther, which he directed and stars in alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. They also discuss Wild 'N Out, Taran's role in Hamilton, the challenges of being a first-time director, why and how he left SNL a year earlier than he expected, what made Drake one of his favorite hosts, and the week in November 2015 when then-candidate Donald Trump controversially hosted the show. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Oct 13, 2017 • 39min
Weekly Wrap: "Not Functioning Legislatively"
Washington Post blogger and columnist Alexandra Petri and Mike Pesca from Slate's The Gist podcast join Sam to talk through the week that was: the Harvey Weinstein scandal in Hollywood, the Trump administration's actions without Congress's help, and the Environmental Protection Agency's handling of the Clean Power Plan — plus a call to a listener in Northern California about wildfires that have ravaged the state, and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Oct 10, 2017 • 29min
Facebook, Fake News, and Democracy
Sam talks to journalist Max Read about his recent New York Magazine cover story, "Does Mark Zuckerberg Know What Facebook Is?" Max writes about Facebook's role in the 2016 election as the company grapples how to handle fake news, free speech, and political advertising. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Oct 6, 2017 • 38min
Weekly Wrap: "Politics Over Empathy."
New York Times reporter Katie Rogers and Stephen Thompson from NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour join Sam to talk through the week that was: the Las Vegas shooting and its aftermath, the continued recovery in Puerto Rico, and President Trump's response to Puerto Rico amid the usual palace intrigue at the White House — plus a call to a listener in Barcelona and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Oct 3, 2017 • 50min
Actor/Director John Carroll Lynch
Google him. You know his face. John Carroll Lynch is one of the most recognizable character actors in Hollywood, and he's just directed his first film, "Lucky," starring the late, legendary Harry Dean Stanton. John talks to Sam about the film, and about being a character actor (and what that even means), getting recognized in public, what made Harry Dean Stanton so special, how he got into acting as a teenager in high school, playing evil characters, and a lesson about acting from Tropic Thunder. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Sep 29, 2017 • 44min
Weekly Wrap: "Back At It."
NPR newscaster Korva Coleman and NPR sports correspondent Tom "Yes, we do sports" Goldman join Sam to talk through the week that was: Puerto Rico, the NFL and Donald Trump, a dashed Republican health bill and a new Republican tax proposal — plus a call to a listener with family in Puerto Rico and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
