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Each week, It's Been a Minute features people in the culture who deserve your attention. Plus weekly wraps of the news with journalists in the know. Join us to make sense of the world through conversation.

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

George Santos and the great American tradition of "self-making"

George Santos Elizabeth Frantz/For The Washington Post via Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Elizabeth Frantz/For The Washington Post via Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Win McNamee/Getty Images

George Santos and the great American tradition of "self-making"

New York Congressman George Santos has been embroiled in controversy since the day he stepped into office in November. The New York Times and other publications have reported that much of the Republican lawmaker's alleged resume – from where he went to college to his supposed time at Goldman Sachs – cannot be backed up with evidence. In this episode, rather than dig into what is true or false, host Brittany Luse asks why someone would embellish their resume in the first place. Author Tara Isabella Burton says it all goes back to the uniquely American obsession with being "self-made."

George Santos and the great American tradition of "self-making"

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Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever
NPR

Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever

It's the end of an era. After more than 25 years, The Pokémon Company is closing the book on the adventures of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu. To celebrate the cultural impact of this dynamic duo – and of the Pokémon franchise – Brittany Luse sits down with actor Sarah Natochenny, who's voiced Ash since 2006. Sarah talks about growing up with a character who stays 10 years old, and how fans have been the lifeblood of the show. Then, Brittany sits down with Dexter Thomas, VICE News correspondent and Japanese culture critic, and Daniel Dockery, author of Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All. They explore how Pokémon transformed gaming and children's TV in the U.S. and became one of the biggest media franchises in the world.

Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever

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Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu is everywhere, all at once
Allyson Riggs/A24

Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu is everywhere, all at once

Everything Everywhere All at Once is the critical darling of the 2023 awards season. The film is up for 11 Oscars, including a Supporting Actress nomination for breakout star, Stephanie Hsu. Hsu, who played Joy Wang AKA Jobu Tupaki in the film, started her career in experimental theater, which eventually led her to meet the directors of Everything Everywhere All at Once. Stephanie joined host Brittany Luse to chat about her comedic roots, the freedom of nihilism, and how the film has brought intergenerational healing to the stars.

Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu is everywhere, all at once

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One of Grindr's favorite podcasts; plus, art versus AI
Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images, Karla Ortiz, Tuck Woodstock

One of Grindr's favorite podcasts; plus, art versus AI

It's in our homes and in our pockets, and now artificial intelligence is in our art. The runaway rise of AI generator apps has sparked hot debate around the technology's impact on creative industries. Brittany Luse talks to Karla Ortiz, an artist who's part of a new lawsuit against a group of companies that use AI to generate images. Ortiz gives her take on why it's important to regulate this technology, and why everyone – not just artists – has a stake in the issue. Then, Brittany talks to Tuck Woodstock, host of the 'Gender Reveal' podcast, about the show's five-year mark and how we can all talk about gender in more informed ways.

One of Grindr's favorite podcasts; plus, art versus AI

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M3GAN, murder, and mass queer appeal
Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures

M3GAN, murder, and mass queer appeal

At first blush, M3GAN seems like your standard murder doll horror film. Uncanny appearance, eerily close relationship with a young child, and of course, murder. But it's become way more than that. She's got a viral dance, powerful side eye, wig fittings, and songs - all of this led M3GAN to become a camp queer icon overnight. Host Brittany Luse and writer Alex Abad-Santos talk M3GAN's queer appeal, our skepticism of Silicon Valley life hacks and how the movie inverts some classic horror tropes.

M3GAN, murder, and mass queer appeal

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Curls and courage with Michaela Angela Davis and Rep. Cori Bush
Mike Harrington/Getty Images; Hulu; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Curls and courage with Michaela Angela Davis and Rep. Cori Bush

For Black women, hair is about so much more than beauty. It can affect how they're treated and what opportunities are available to them. It's tied to history, identity and politics. And though many Black women and girls now embrace their natural curls, Black hair is still a site of discrimination. In this episode, Brittany Luse talks to two women fighting to change that: Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who has been pushing for a federal law against race-based hair discrimination, and Michaela Angela Davis, whose docuseries "The Hair Tales" is meant to inspire Black women to celebrate their crowning glories.

Curls and courage with Michaela Angela Davis and Rep. Cori Bush

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'Bad Sex' and how the sexual revolution left women's desires behind
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'Bad Sex' and how the sexual revolution left women's desires behind

For women who date men, bad sex might feel like a personal problem, but Nona Willis Aronowitz says it's political too. In Bad Sex: Truth, Pleasure, and an Unfinished Revolution, Aronowitz tackles the historic and systemic causes of unsatisfying sex. With wisdom from both her reading and romps, Aronowitz sits down with host Brittany Luse to talk about pleasure and the paths to building better relationships with men.

'Bad Sex' and how the sexual revolution left women's desires behind

Listen · 20:36
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Rep. Maxwell Frost on Gen-Z politics and the price tag of power
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images; Craig Barritt/Getty Images for The Meteor; Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Rep. Maxwell Frost on Gen-Z politics and the price tag of power

It's a new year, and with it comes a new Congress. This week, Brittany Luse sits down with the first Gen Z member to be raised to its ranks, Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida. They talk about his vision for the future, the literal costs of entering the halls of power and getting a shoutout from his favorite band after winning his election. Then, what could Congress do better in 2023? NPR congressional correspondent Susan Davis gives Brittany her thoughts on new year's resolutions for lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.

Rep. Maxwell Frost on Gen-Z politics and the price tag of power

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Millennials in Hollywood are making parents apologize on-screen
Allyson Riggs/A24; Disney; Pixar; Daniel McFadden/Marvel Studios/Allyson Riggs/A24; Disney; Pixar; Daniel McFadden/Marvel Studios; Grace Widyatmadja/NPR

Millennials in Hollywood are making parents apologize on-screen

In this episode from June 2022, guest host B.A. Parker and Vox entertainment critic Emily St. James dive into a trend that was all over Hollywood: parents apologizing on-screen. From miniseries like 'Ms. Marvel' to the indie darling 'Everything Everywhere All At Once,' St. James calls the subgenre the 'millennial parent apology fantasy.' They get into how stories about parents and children confronting gaps in culture, generation and identity could pave the way for new perspectives about trauma and family.

Millennials in Hollywood are making parents apologize on-screen

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Serving house music history with Honey Dijon
NPR

Serving house music history with Honey Dijon

2022 was a banner year for Honey Dijon. She co-produced two of the fiercest tracks on Beyoncé's latest record, 'Renaissance,' and she released her own studio album this fall, called 'Black Girl Magic.' But Honey – one of the only Black trans DJs playing the biggest clubs in the world – has been a mainstay on dance floors for decades. And she's become a historian, and champion, of the Black musical traditions that house music draws from. In this episode, Honey talks to host Brittany Luse about using music to create spaces of liberation and paving the way for future generations to do the same.

Serving house music history with Honey Dijon

Listen · 22:44
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