Brittany Luce
Appearances
Consider This from NPR
Over a dozen lawsuits to stop DOGE data access are betting on a 1974 law
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce, and I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it, and I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Consider This from NPR
Drowning in tariffs, American businesses try to stay afloat
Hey there, I'm Brittany Luce, and I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it, and I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Consider This from NPR
Trump takes aim at trade deficits. Are they actually bad?
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce, and I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it, and I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Consider This from NPR
Trump says the economy is in 'transition.' What comes after?
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce, and I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it, and I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Fresh Air
Seth Rogen Lands The 'Tragic' Job Of Studio Head
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce. And I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it, and I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Fresh Air
Seth Rogen Lands The 'Tragic' Job Of Studio Head
Over 70% of us say that we feel spiritual, but that doesn't mean we're going to church. Nope, the girls are doing Reiki, the bros are doing psychedelics, and a whole lot of us are turning inward to manifest our best selves. On It's Been a Minute from NPR, I'm looking at why maybe you and your closest friends are buying into wellness for spirituality.
Fresh Air
Seth Rogen Lands The 'Tragic' Job Of Studio Head
That's on the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR.
Fresh Air
The 'Fog Of Delusion' In Biden's Inner Circle
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce. And I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it, and I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Fresh Air
Best Of: Amanda Knox / 'Adolescence' Co-Creator & Actor Stephen Graham
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce. And I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it. And I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Fresh Air
50 Years Of 'Rocky Horror'
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce. And I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it. And I think you will, too. Over the past couple of months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Fresh Air
50 Years Of 'Rocky Horror'
Over 70% of us say that we feel spiritual, but that doesn't mean we're going to church. Nope, the girls are doing Reiki, the bros are doing psychedelics, and a whole lot of us are turning inward to manifest our best selves. On It's Been a Minute from NPR, I'm looking at why maybe you and your closest friends are buying into wellness for spirituality.
Fresh Air
50 Years Of 'Rocky Horror'
That's on the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR. On the Embedded Podcast.
Fresh Air
'Hacks' Returns! With Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce. And I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it, and I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Fresh Air
'Hacks' Returns! With Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs
How about tomorrow night? Somebody stop me.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
As somebody who wore glasses literally to their wedding reception, I'm going to reserve my thoughts on that. But I'm sure they look amazing. I'm sure they look amazing. Okay. So we know that office siren is glasses. We know it's thin eyebrows. What else does it look like?
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Girl, I agree. OK, my culture is not a costume. OK, I just can't see. And that's that about that.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Well, I can tell you what, it won't be me doing Zoom Chic, okay? Noted, noted. I'll hold you to that. Thank you. Well, Margaret, thank you so much for coming on and sharing this trend with us. This was so much fun. Yeah, Brittany, this was fun. Thanks. That was Margaret Serino. She's a producer over at NPR's Life Kit.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
And I'm going to put on my influencer hat for a minute and ask you to please subscribe to this show on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you're listening. Click follow so you know the latest in culture while it's still hot. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Liam McBain. This episode was edited by Nina Potok. Our supervising producer is Barton Girdwood.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sanguini. All right. That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR. I'm Brittany Luce. Talk soon.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
A warning, this segment contains references to sexuality and sexual violence. Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Today, I have a very special guest here with me. Yay. Margaret Serino. Welcome to It's Been a Minute. Hi, Brittany. Happy to be here. Happy to have you.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Why do you think Office Siren has stuck around?
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Okay, so fashion famously happens in cycles. So where do we see this emphasis on business wear happening in the past? Like what's the lineage of this trend of kind of putting a spin on business wear?
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Wait, hold on. So that's where the name white collar actually comes from, from this early 1800s fashion trend?
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Okay, oh my gosh. I love the idea. Also, though, like, I love the idea of a detachable collar. Mm-hmm.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Oh, I think that makes total sense. Like, when I think about iconic suits in the 80s, I think about, like she said, David Byrne of the Talking Heads, like, famous for wearing these big boxy suits that were really absurd-looking, but, you know, it totally matches his lyrics about the absurdity of modern life, or... or like Grace Jones nightclubbing.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
The album cover where she's wearing a suit and smoking a cigarette and she's kind of giving like androgynous, I don't know, it feels like a really interesting play on gender. Yeah, people were really playing with it.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Oh, do I remember? For the record, I didn't wear that much business wear in the club because I was busy wearing spandex, trying to be a hot girl. Like, I was trying to look like Carrie Hilson in Love in This Club video. But that style, that office wear style in the club was so rampant at the time that my friends and family sometimes made fun of me for not covering up enough.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
not covering up enough, in the club. That makes me so sad. And you want to know something? I look back, I have no regrets, okay? Good. But back then, the club was full of blazers, full suits, pencil skirts, cardigans, blouses. It was a thing for men and for women.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Oh, yes. I finished college in 2009. I'm intimately familiar. Yeah, I mean, entering or... Not entering the workforce in my case.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Oh, 100 percent. I mean, my friend John had this phrase at the time that we still use to this day, junior balling. He used it as a term to describe what it was like to get like your first scholarship. solid, full-time job. And junior balling was an achievement, okay? Because finding a full-time job at that time was really hard. Like, I finished college in 2009.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
I didn't start junior balling until 2015, okay? Okay. Okay. So the idea of, like, this stable, secure office job felt kind of like a have those kinds of jobs. Well, they didn't have a lot of extra money lying around for a separate club wardrobe. So office wear was, in a way, kind of like the junior ball uniform.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Okay. So Marge is my colleague over at Life Kit, but she's also one of the most fashionable people at the NPR New York Bureau. Oh, stop. I'm blushing. It's true, though. It's true. It's true. And she's often dressed in a style that's aptly called office siren. Yes. Yes.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
I also want to point out that the idea of office wear in the club back in the day It wasn't just about like fantasy or, you know, tight recession era budgets. For starters, I mean, some clubs have dress codes, right? No jeans, sneakers or gang wear, that kind of stuff. But I think another key part of this also goes back to 2005 when the NBA instituted a dress code.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
They previously did not have one that was like this. Long story short. After what is now called the malice at the palace, this huge fight that broke out on the court at a Pistons-Pacers game, the NBA commissioner decided that the league needed a dress code to help with its so-called image problems, let's say.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
So players went from wearing casual wear like do-rags, jerseys, jeans, big chains, and sneakers to and from games, right? Right. to being required to wear business dress, like suits and ties.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Even though they had to follow these rules that some players definitely felt and expressed that they felt they were racially dubious, at the end of the day, ballplayers are still trendsetters and fans wanted to look like them. And so the fans started wearing suits too. Wow. Yeah, that's so interesting.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Coming up, why office wear has come back in vogue and how it got freakified.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
OK, so there's like a history of this, right? You know, some of which I remember myself. But now we're in, as you described, this freakification moment.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Now, I understand that, but you're saying that it's also freakified, that it has, like, a kind of weird tinge.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
Yeah, I can totally see the allure of expressing all these different tensions and anxieties about work and sexuality and repression, you know, through your clothes. And I have to agree, like, you know, so many of the examples that you cited of freakified office wear are very cool. But I also can't think about the tension between sexuality and the workplace without thinking about Me Too.
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
I wonder how does our post Me Too world play into all this?
It's Been a Minute
Trend Alert: The girls are making office fashion sexy again
So do you think with even more changes to the economy and our workplaces that this trend will keep going?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Literally, literally a $35 bottle of olive oil called snake oil. Okay, so I get that part, but another thing I have trouble wrapping my head around is how monastic his life is. As we said, he has no pizza, no late night hangs with friends. He's trying to eliminate the human tendency to want things that may be bad for our bodies, but are, at least for me, good for the soul.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
And he also does some stuff that isn't so basic. like a kind of gene editing that hasn't been approved by the FDA, or not eating past 11 a.m., or wearing a hat that shoots red lights into his scalp. And for a while, he was taking the same medication that keeps people from rejecting their donated organs. This one guy is pretty extreme about longevity, but he's not the only one.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
I guess I want to know, what's the point of living forever if you cut out some of the things that, you know, for me, make life pleasurable.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Are we seeing this longevity obsession leach out into the wider culture? And if so, how is it showing up?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
My gosh, my gosh, my gosh. You know, even just looking at celebrities, I've seen like, you know, David Beckham is selling longevity pills and there's another company called Tally Health that's also getting investments from people like John Legend and Zac Efron. This stuff is out there. This stuff is out there. But Michelle, any final thoughts from you?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
How else are you seeing this obsession with longevity reach out into our wider culture?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
The longevity industry is worth over $25 billion, and other tech magnates are bought in too. But it's all left me wondering, in the words of Freddie Mercury, just who wants to live forever and why? And what does that mean for the rest of us?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Michelle, Tara, you have given me so much to think about today. I don't even know if y'all know, but this was a really great conversation. Thank you both so much.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
You just heard journalists Tara Isabella Burton and Michelle Santiago-Cortez. And I'm going to put on my influencer hat for a minute and ask you to please subscribe to this show on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you're listening. Click follow so you know the latest in culture while it's still hot. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Liam McBain. This episode was edited by Nina Potok.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Our supervising producer is Barton Girdwood. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sanguini. All right. That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR. I'm Brittany Luce. Talk soon.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
To get into what might be a new religion of longevity and what it has to do with a prediction of total AI takeover, I'm joined by Michelle, who you heard earlier. Thanks for having me. And journalist Tara Isabella Burton. Thank you so much for having us. Let's get into it. So to start off, all the stuff Brian Johnson is doing to try to not die, do we know anything about the efficacy of all of it?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
So though Brian is particularly intense about this stuff, he's not the only one who's into longevity. There's a whole community of people, most of whom are kind of rich tech bros like him or adjacent to that world. Sam Altman and Peter Thiel are also investing in longevity. And stay with me while I'm explaining this.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
There is an island off the coast of Honduras that has much more relaxed regulations. So companies doing longevity science like Minicircle, which does gene editing, these companies can bypass the FDA while on the island. And there's demand for that. I think it's normal for people to be interested in living a longer life. But Tara, why to this extreme within this group of people? And why now? Yeah.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Have you heard of this guy named Brian Johnson? Tech sent a millionaire turned health guru? Maybe you know him from when he started getting infusions of his own son's blood.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
That is an excellent point. You know, I read one piece in The New Yorker by David Owen that theorized, and to quote him, simple arithmetic shows that if they live a normal lifespan, they won't have time to spend enough of their money. And Johnson himself described the time that he's added to his life as a new kind of wealth creation. You know, the old adage, like people say, time is money.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
And these guys already have a lot of money. What do you think about that?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
You know, at the same time, the healthcare system in this country is famously dysfunctional. It can be hard to access. It can be prohibitively expensive. And one survey shows that doctors and their staff spend, I'm sorry, I have to give a dramatic pause here. the equivalent of two full business days every week just dealing with insurance companies.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Good healthcare plans cost more, and so does living a healthy lifestyle that keeps people from a lot of types of sickness and death. Is a long life a kind of luxury?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Coming up, how is longevity related to the fear of an AI takeover?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Or for saying that he wants to live forever.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Or how he turned that idea into a movement he's calling Don't Die.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Going back to Brian Johnson, the other thing I'm really struck by is how heavily edited Johnson's own desires are. Like he says he's trying to eliminate his quote unquote rascal mind. Like the part of him that wants to eat pizza or stay up late, which I'm like, that's my full brain. He's got a team of doctors working with him to try to stop his aging. But he also has, as you said,
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
and algorithm run his life for him to take the human rascal brain out of control. I'm really interested in that piece. All of this longevity stuff for him is really wrapped up in his beliefs about AI. He says that AI superintelligence is inevitable and that, quote, we are at risk of extinction without a unifying framework to solve human alignment and AI alignment.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
It's about making sure we exist long enough to figure out what's next. So these things, they don't logically follow to me. Could you explain what's going on here?
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
If this seems bombastic, it's because it is. I think he's smart about how to make things go viral, to share his ideas about how to live and therefore how not to die, which includes some pretty basic stuff. Here's journalist Michelle Santiago-Cortez.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
Yeah, or in Johnson's case, that he can be around to figure out the answer. Absolutely. This is the thing, though. Okay, so like, I think where I'm at with all this, I'm like surprised that this total belief that AI is going to take over. And it's either going to be a good thing, or it's going to be a bad thing. But either way, we need to be prepared.
It's Been a Minute
The "priest of AI" & tech's pursuit of eternal life
And that's what Brian Johnson says is behind his movement or religion, as he has called it, don't die. But where are we seeing that belief about AI shaping our culture in other ways?
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
It's so wild to me. I'm kind of concerned about why we would need computers or even more casual TikTok phrenology or physiognomy to tell us about people's qualities that they can't just tell us themselves. But I wonder, what are the possible consequences of this resurgence in phrenology and physiognomy?
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Because something peculiar is happening. To my eye, there's been more interest lately in some of the ideas behind phrenology and physiognomy. From quote-unquote witch skulls and angel skulls, to the skull geometry of transvestigators, to the question of whether AI can detect gay faces, it seems like more and more people want to categorize each other with just a look at their heads.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Well, Lily, Miles, I really appreciate you all coming on the show today and educating me on all the nuances of our modern day phrenology. I really appreciate it. Thank you both so much.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Thanks for having me. That was Yale philosophy professor Lily Hu and Rolling Stone culture writer Miles Klee. And I'm going to put on my influencer hat for a minute and ask you to please subscribe to this show on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you're listening. Click follow so you know the latest in culture while it's still hot. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Liam McBain.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
This episode was edited by Nina Patak. Our supervising producer is Barton Girdwood. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sanguini. All right. That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR. I'm Brittany Luce. Talk soon.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Here's my chat with Lily and Miles to understand the appeal and consequences of fake skull and face science coming back around in our culture. Even if it might not actually work, I am seeing a lot of that same idea that our skulls or our faces say something about who we are as people pop up in our culture anyway. Miles, where are you seeing that out in the wild?
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Yeah. Talk to me about what some of these posts look like. I mean, you've mentioned the angel versus witch skulls, which already gives me pause. I mean, social connotations of who is angelic versus who's a witch. I could see those readings getting racist real quick. You had a great piece that you wrote for Rolling Stone where there's talk of like herbivore eyes.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Please talk to me about what these posts look like and how people are engaging in them.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Right, like Halle Bailey or Anya Taylor-Joy, yeah.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Can the shape of your skull or the look of your face say something deeper about you? Hello. Like if you're a good parent, or if you're smart, or if you're more likely to be a criminal. Well, the answer is no, absolutely not.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Lily, what do you make of this impulse to categorize faces in this way?
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
To get some background, when was phrenology popular and why?
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Yeah, to that point about who's being colonized, I read that scholars believe that there's a pretty direct connection between Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act and phrenologists declaring Native Americans as not fit for civil life based on head shape. It's interesting to consider how phrenology and physiognomy justified racism as an answer to these social questions.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
That said, how was phrenology disproved?
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Right. And the scientific consensus is that evidence doesn't support a genetic basis for race or for racial difference in terms of mental capacity either. But I began getting served phrenology content maybe a year or a year and a half ago. I started getting these like posts about Viking-like phenotypes, that language coming up a lot more.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
I mean, phenotype is something I hadn't really thought about since freshman year of high school when I took biology. And for those who need a refresher, phenotype just means how your genes are expressed and how you look. Like for example, I have my dad's nose instead of my mom's nose, even though both are encoded in my genes.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
But I've seen these kinds of like, you know, return type posts about needing more Viking-like things. phenotypes. It just seems like they kind of want more strapping white people. I don't know. Have you seen that kind of stuff as well?
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Coming up, why phrenology is linked to fate and who that hurts.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
But in the past, some scientists used the pseudosciences of phrenology, which studied the skull, and physiognomy, which studied the face, to try to prove that how you look says something about who you are on the inside. Again, it's junk science. Totally fake. However, these junk sciences were used towards some pretty racist ends.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
I also want to zoom out and mention something you said the other day in your pre-interview. There continues to be racial injustice. So long as that's the case, there will always be a population of people, including scientists, who are trying to answer why by saying maybe there's something different about these people. Maybe that explains the disparities.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Maybe not because we haven't invested into welfare or ongoing sources of deprivation. Maybe because these populations are not fit for modern life. I thought that was a really interesting point.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
You know, what Lily's saying, Miles, makes me think of something that you brought up in your writing in terms of like gender policing. Miles, when you wrote about this, you also discussed the rise of transvestigation.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
For people who don't know, transvestigators are people that take pictures of celebrities or politicians and try to look at their bodies and, yes, skulls to prove that they are trans. As an example, Candace Owens recently has gotten a lot of attention, I think, for her podcast and YouTube channel for... quote unquote, transvestigating Brigitte Macron, the wife of the president of France.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Miles, in your article about this, you showed a screenshot of people using skull geometry to try to prove that J. Robert Oppenheimer is trans. How does the rise of phrenology tie into biological essentialism and transphobia?
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Phrenologists used to rank people by race, from most to least evolved, just by using the shapes of their skulls. So phrenology is a classic hit now in the pseudosciences. That's Yale professor of philosophy, Lily Hu. She studies social science, race, and machine learning. She's here with me today, along with Rolling Stone culture writer, Miles Klee.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Right. But the idea that you can tell who is trans by their skull or face is kind of iffy. Again, they're transvestigating people like Oppenheimer. I saw a post where people transvestigated Shrek even. But also this idea of biological inevitability that's kind of undergirding this whole thing.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
also feels very connected to the basically eugenicist idea that some people simply aren't fit to be integrated into society. That idea of biological destiny, it seems like it can be used as a tool to limit people in so many different ways. And unfortunately, we're also seeing some belief in this within the sciences.
It's Been a Minute
Fake skull science is back - and it's still racist
Lily, you mentioned that Stanford researchers published a study that appeared to show that AI could detect Gay faces. I think others have questioned those results, but regardless, I think greater focus on face detection and surveillance just in general might be pushing some of this stuff to the fore. Can you say more about that and its connection to phrenology and physiognomy?
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
My gosh. I mean, I had anticipated that the demand for secondhand items could go up, but I hadn't even thought that there could be a possibility that the demand for them may go down. I wonder who are secondhand shoppers or like, is it a niche market or... Is this group going? I know that there's a variety of motivations for why people shop secondhand. Some people, it's cost.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
According to McKinsey & Company, from 2000 to 2014, clothing production doubled, and the number of garments purchased per capita increased by about 60%. That's in part due to the rise of fast fashion. And now, some consumers are seeing the fallout of that.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Some people, it's preference. Some people, it's sustainability or looking for something specific. Some people are like vintage collectors. But I wonder, like, I don't know, who makes up this group? Yeah.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
They weren't just there to like to hang out. They weren't just there to see what was around.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Wow, wow. I wonder, you know, when people can't afford either vintage or secondhand higher quality goods or the kinds of goods that you want to purchase, maybe that you can hold on to them for a little while because they are, you know, made pretty well. Yeah. Will they eventually turn back to the Sheehan hauls, you know, that we've seen before? Like, is this a cycle that we've seen before? Yeah.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Gosh, Waylon, thank you so much for coming on. It was so great to talk to you. I learned so much.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
That was Waylon Wong from NPR's The Indicator. And thanks again to Veronique Hyland. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Alexis Williams. This episode was edited by Nina Patak. Our supervising producer is Barton Girdwood. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sangweni. All right. That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
I'm Brittany Luce. Talk soon.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
At the time of our chat, we wondered if the shift would stick in the post-New Year's resolution shuffle. It's no secret that Americans are deeply concerned about the economy, and there are numerous concerns about what fast fashion is doing to the environment. But that hasn't stopped the rise of places like Shein or Taimou.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
However, there's one other piece of the puzzle that may influence the way we buy.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
I chatted with Veronique in January, right before President Trump took office. And since then, we've seen that Trump has decided to go forward with imposing tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China. So now you might be wondering, what does that have to do with underconsumption? Actually, what does that have to do with fashion at all? Well, everything.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
That's NPR's very own Waylon Wong from The Indicator. I want to make sure everyone's clear. A tariff is a tax that American businesses or consumers pay on imported goods from overseas. So as tariffs on goods from China or Mexico go up, our prices go up. But then you have to ask, if our prices are going to go up, why is the Trump administration doing this in the first place?
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
So that made me wonder, how is fashion, especially fast fashion, going to hold up during this turbulent time?
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Or will the overwhelming effect of tariffs cause shoppers to cut their losses and follow the under-consumption model of thrifting, mending, and secondhand fines?
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Today on the show, Waylon helps break down how tariffs will affect Americans and what these taxes can reveal about who's actually footing the bills in this country.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Two or three months ago, I went into my closet to do my routine purge. Attempted it and failed many times. But this last time, it actually worked.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
So perhaps moving your production center out of China, out of Mexico, out of Canada.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Jeez. I mean, I imagine it's less complicated for a much larger company to make a big change like that than perhaps a smaller one.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Geez, geez. Okay. You know, and something else that matters is also where the goods are from. For this episode, we also spoke with fashion law professor and author Susan Scafidi, who gave us an example, thinking about, let's say, for example, designer shoes from Italy.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
they would be subject to a lesser tariff than, say, an everyday household item that a middle or working class parent might pick up on Amazon or at Walmart that's made in China. Is this another way of widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots if you're thinking about who's tending to buy luxury goods that are from
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
You know, these countries that are not currently being tariffed versus who may not have the wiggle room to be able to seek out products that aren't from these now heavily tariffed countries.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Okay, okay. So back to President Trump. When he was reelected, there was already some preparation from the fashion industry in anticipation of the tariffs that he may propose. Now that we're here, right, the tariffs are in effect. How have fashion retailers, particularly in fast fashion, reacted to this?
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
That is Veronique Hyland. Thank you for having me. Fashion features director at Elle and author of Dress Code, unlocking fashion from the new look to millennial pink. She's followed online fashion trends from Mob Wives to Vera Bradley's TikTok revival. And after watching Emma Chamberlain's closet clean out, she noticed the latest shift in online fashion. Under consumption.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
How tariffs could affect the secondhand market.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
So I wonder, like, is there a world in which these tariffs affect the way that fast fashion has been able to develop in the past few years?
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
But the thing about these tariffs, though, is that they're not applied equally to all goods. In researching for this episode, our producer Alexis found that this depends on lots of things. Like, for instance, gender. In the US, as far as we know, the US is the only country that has gender-based tariffs on clothing, meaning women's wear has higher tariffs than men's wear.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
Gosh, gosh. Okay, so that makes me wonder, though, how the secondhand and vintage reseller market will be affected by these tariffs. The resale market has been hot for years.
It's Been a Minute
Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff wars
And if there's this idea that consumers are moving toward more sustainable practices, or even just this idea that consumers need to perhaps save money for other reasons, I wonder how the secondhand market will adjust to all of this.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
this remembering your spirit, New Age spirituality, the secret kind of thing, the same kind of stuff that was also espoused by the people that she's platformed, including Marianne Williamson, John of God. I wonder, why is this combination of individual personal responsibility and New Age spirituality so attractive to so many people? And what are the dangers of this line of thinking?
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Hmm. That's really, really interesting. And so it's like because. that way of thinking, whether it's the Puritan work ethic or the Calvinism or prosperity gospel or even Catholic guilt. There are so many different ways in which it shows up throughout. Or even like, you know, like I think about the Black American bootstraps mentality or working twice as hard.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Like there are so many ways in which that uniquely American perspective, the model minority myth, show up across groups, right, across groups in our country. that it makes sense that that unique combination would cut across every single sector of the American audience. That makes so much sense. You know, I wonder, have we seen another figure like Oprah since her time?
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
The impact of The Oprah Winfrey Show cannot be overstated. It was the place to go to talk about any and every hot topic. Celebrity interviews, relationship woes, family trauma. She had it all. Starting from its debut in 1986, The Oprah Winfrey Show was the number one talk show in the country for 24 consecutive seasons.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Kelly, Marsha, this was so much fun. Thank you both so much. My pleasure. Thank you. That was historian and co-host Dr. Kelly Carter-Jackson and professor of Africana Studies, Dr. Marsha Chatelain. And I'm going to put on my influencer hat for a second and ask you to please subscribe to this show on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you're listening.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Click follow so you know the latest in culture while it's still hot. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Alexis Williams. This episode was edited by Nina Potok. Our supervising producer is Barton Girdwood. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sanguini. All right. That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR. I'm Brittany Luce.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
That influence, also called the Oprah effect, made her no stranger to controversy. In fact, in the 90s, she had an episode about mad cow disease. And after learning about the dangers of infected beef, she declared that she was done eating burgers. After that episode aired, Oprah was sued by the cattle industry, who claimed that her program led to an $11 million loss.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
This is also when Oprah would meet a psychologist by the name of Phil McGraw.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
That is Dr. Marsha Chatelain, professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. After Dr. Phil helped Oprah through her trial, he eventually joined her show as a sort of no-nonsense self-help expert. And that led to his own Oprah-produced show called Dr. Phil. Heard of it? But that's not the only doctor that was put on by Oprah. Welcome back, Dr. O!
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Dr. Mehmet Oz, former heart surgeon and newly confirmed head of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also made his claim to fame on her show.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
And while both of these men started out as highly respected in their fields, over time they have left behind their traditional careers for the limelight. And that has come with some pretty bewildering political evolutions. Dr. Phil went from psychologist to talk show host to now joining the Trump administration's ICE raids in Chicago.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Have you or someone you love been confused by the push to make America healthy again? No. If that's the case, then you, my friend, are in dire need of our new series. The Road to Make America Healthy Again.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Yeah? How do you know me? And while Dr. Oz started out as a well-regarded heart surgeon, about half of the recommendations made on his show were found to be unsupported by scientific evidence.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Both men have also come out in support of the right-wing Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, political movement. And while Oprah has distanced herself from Dr. Oz, I think her show has become a time capsule of how we got to this cross-section between entertainment, politics, and health.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
So today, Kelly and Marsha joined the show to walk us through how the queen of talks influence may have led us to this moment in American health care.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Okay, so I have a good idea of why, like, Oprah was probably drawn to Dr. Oz. But how do you explain Dr. Phil? Like, you mentioned that he was Oprah's trial coach, to which I say... leak the practice tapes. Okay. Stop being shy. Leak the practice tapes.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
So we have Dr. Oz, the former heart surgeon. We have Dr. Phil, the no-nonsense psychologist. I wonder, like, what is Oprah's personal brand here when it comes to self-improvement? Because she's not just platforming other people's she's definitely selling something too.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
For the next few weeks, we're delving into some of the origins, conspiracy theories, and power grabs that have led us to this moment and what that could mean for our health. For the final episode in our Road to Maha series, we are talking about the one, the only Oprah Winfrey. She is the ultimate self-made woman story.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Yes. Yes. It's kind of like Oprah has a fabulous life. She managed to do it through grit, hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck. And now she wants to share the secrets of the spoils of this life with us.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
I have a question, though, about audience. The three of us are talking. And for those who don't know at home listening. We're all Black. So obviously I know that we were like, I think, an implied sector of Oprah's audience. But I don't think we were the only people that she was trying to reach or the only people who were picking up what she was putting down.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
Talk to me about Oprah's audience then and now.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
That is Dr. Kelly Carter-Jackson, historian and co-host of You Get a Podcast, a show about the queen of talk.
It's Been a Minute
The Oprah to "Make America Healthy Again" Pipeline
You know, in thinking about these different versions of Oprah, I think one of the things that kind of accelerated this change in Oprah is this bootstraps mentality was perhaps, you know, inspired by her own exceptionalism and overcoming poverty and abuse and so much more. And also...
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Well, I appreciate you both coming on the show and talking with me today. I have learned so much here today.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Thanks for having us. That was writer and co-host of the Conspiratuality Podcast, Derek Barris, and biomedical scientist, Dr. Andrea Love. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Alexis Williams. This episode was edited by Nina Patak. Our supervising producer is Barton Girdwood. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sanguini. All right.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR. I'm Brittany Luce. Talk soon.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Now, when you hear the word crunchy, you may think about hippies in the 60s and 70s or people making their own kombucha, you know, practicing veganism, folks with left-leaning politics who are living off the land, stuff like that. But these days, that's not quite right.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
That is Derek Barris, writer and co-host of the Conspiratuality podcast. a show dedicated to dismantling new age cults, wellness grifters, and conspiracy mad yogis. And he says that the link between this return to nature ideology and conservatism is a pattern we've seen throughout history.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Now, you may be wondering, what does a crunchy conservative look like today? Well, there are the crunchy moms.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Have you or someone you love been confused by the push to make America healthy again? Side effects may include being inundated by uncredentialed wellness influencers and crunchy mommy bloggers selling supplements.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
The wellness influencers who spread misinformation about the food we consume.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Even right-wing commentators who suddenly have the cure for poisons and toxins.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
That is Dr. Andrea Love, a biomedical scientist who has been ringing the alarm on the harm of pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and of course, crunchy conservatism.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
And somehow these conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers and wellness influencers have coalesced under the Make America Healthy Again banner and its leader, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Listen, this is a lot, but don't worry. Derek and Andrea are going to walk us through this meeting of the minds between what we thought was the far left and the ethos of the right. Where do you think this intersection, this crossover between crunchy and conservative is rooted?
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Hmm. You all have pulled up so many different historical examples of how this kind of crunchy granola or crunchy conservative thinking has crested at different points in time throughout American history. But I wonder, like, why are crunchy conservatives so prominent right now?
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
How crunchy conservatives found RFK Jr.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Feeling perplexed by how RFK Jr. went from an environmental champion to an anti-vax conspiracy theorist. Or maybe seeing the names Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz more and more in your feeds. If that's the case, then you, my friend, are in dire need of our new series. The Road to Make America Healthy Again.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
I hear what both of you are saying, but for a lot of groups, this skepticism of experts, doctors, the medical system, science, that skepticism has some historical grounding. I mean, I'm thinking about the inadequate research around diseases that primarily affect women, about the unethical medical experiments done to Black and Latino people in the United States.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Now, I imagine that that also factors into some of the skepticism that people feel.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
And I just want to step in here because there's a lot of misinformation about this incident in particular. So for those of you who don't know, Tuskegee refers to the Tuskegee study of untreated syphilis in the Negro male. which ran from 1932 to 1972.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
Now, the study was meant to observe the effects of untreated syphilis in black men, but the researchers of the study did not collect informed consent from their subjects. And when a treatment was made available for syphilis, the researchers did not offer them the treatment. Contrary to popular belief, the men were not given syphilis.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
They were chosen because they already had syphilis and were not given treatment for the disease. But because of the legacy of this experiment and many others, there has been an understandable distrust of doctors among some people in the black community.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
I want to zoom out for a minute. There's a big elephant in the room that we have been discussing in terms of the prominence of crunchy conservatives right now. And that's the Make America Healthy Again movement, Maha. And as I've looked into the Maha movement and kind of like who's a part of it, it's not one group of people who follow conservative ideology.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
It's several different groups coming together. Derek, I would love to hear from you on this. Talk to me about some of these different crunchy conservative archetypes.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
For the next few weeks, we're delving into some of the origins, conspiracy theories, and power grabs that have led us to this moment and what that could mean for our health. Today, you and I are going to go down the crunchy to conservative pipeline with some guidance, of course.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
How exactly did he become a leading voice for Crunchy Conservatives?
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
You know, I would guess that there are a lot of not particularly crunchy Americans that are still really concerned about their health. But They might be eating a lot of processed foods or they might be vaccinated. So they don't subscribe to some of these emerging crunchy ideologies.
It's Been a Minute
Crunchy conservatives want to 'Make America Healthy Again'
But I'm wondering if the overwhelming majority of people aren't necessarily following these ideologies, how does crunchy conservatism affect the majority of Americans? How is this movement shaping all of us?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Well, I should say some clinicians think that this high top model is also flawed and would point out that there isn't any empirical evidence that shows it would work better than the DSM. But regardless, what are the consequences of so much personal and cultural investment in diagnoses or in any particular diagnostic system?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Thank you both so much for this conversation. I really appreciate learning from you. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah, thank you so much. That was culture journalist Kelly Maria Korducky and Manvir Singh, assistant professor of anthropology at UC Davis.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
And I'm going to put on my influencer hat for a minute and ask you to please subscribe to this show on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you're listening. Click follow so you know the latest in culture while it's still hot. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Liam McBain. This episode was edited by Nina Potok. Our supervising producer is Barton Girdwood.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sanguini. All right. That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR. I'm Brittany Luce. Talk soon.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
all these online voices start to make it seem like anything could be a sign of a diagnosis. Now, I'm not trying to say ADHD looks one way or that it can't affect many parts of people's lives. Trust me, it affects many parts of mine. But this all has me wondering, what happens when a diagnosis goes viral?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
And when people say, oh, that sounds like me, how do you separate personal identity from a diagnosable condition? So Kelly, Monvir, a lot to get into, but I wanna first focus on adults. Adult ADHD diagnoses have soared in recent years. Count me in that number. Kelly, your reporting showed that there was over a 100% increase. What's going on here? Why the increase?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. All right, y'all. This week, we are connecting the dots between TikTok, a neurological diagnosis, and that food molding in the back of your fridge. don't think these things are connected?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Hmm. I definitely hear what you're saying about the possibility for kind of, this isn't an elegant term, almost like a market correction for people who maybe previously should have been diagnosed and were not. Like you said, women, people of color, check, check. That definitely, I think, was a little bit a part of probably what happened with me.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Like I had a teacher reach out to my mom about me having inattentive actually, not hyperactive, but like inattentive ADHD symptoms when I was like in kindergarten. We didn't come back around to that for about another 28 years, but it's all good. But what benefits do people see from getting a diagnosis?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Yeah. I mean, I've seen some of that play out for sure online, but also, I mean... ADHD content more broadly is super popular online. Like on TikTok, ADHD and related hashtags have garnered hundreds of millions of views. The Reddit thread r slash ADHD grew from like 643,000 subscribers at the start of the pandemic to over 2 million today.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Kelly, you wrote a piece in The Guardian about this, and I was really into your idea of separating the neurological disorder of ADHD from hashtag ADHD as a quote, algorithmic content incentive and affirmation of experience. Why do we need to separate those two things?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Yeah. Like a lot of creators are making videos discussing their symptoms, and some of them are backed by science and others are not. There's a bigger list that clinicians use, but some of the recognized symptoms of ADHD include task avoidance, easy distraction, forgetfulness, and fidgeting. But I also saw, you know, a bunch of TikToks about how people with ADHD like...
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
have a hard time doing fridge management. Like that's its own symptom. You know, what food is in your fridge, how long it's been in there, making sure your nice produce isn't going bad and the takeout leftovers are moldering in the back. And I'll say that's not a problem for me. And I also know a lot of people who don't have ADHD who struggle with fridge management for whatever reason.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
And one study found that over a third of the claims about ADHD on social media weren't related at all to ADHD or even other diagnoses, but were instead just, quote, reflecting normal human experience. This study, to me, suggests perhaps people are over-pathologizing aspects of their own lives. But what I really don't understand is what do they get out of this? Like, why do people...
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Well, Kelly, Manvir, and I are here to prove it to you. Kelly Maria Korducky is a culture journalist, and Manvir Singh is a professor of anthropology at UC Davis. Kelly, Manvir, welcome to It's Been a Minute. Thank you. Yeah, thank you so much for having us. I am so thrilled to have you both here. So to set the scene, let me share some videos that have been popping up on my social feed lately.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
What diagnosis and what does it add to their identity?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
You know, I've seen a couple of writers describe what's going on as quote unquote diagnosis culture.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
And going off of what you just said about diagnosis becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, I think some people might use it as a full explanation for what's going on in their lives at the expense of thinking about how their personal history might factor in or even thinking about some social or systemic reasons why people might find it hard to cope with their lives. What do you think about that?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Coming up, is the diagnostic system itself the problem?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
Some researchers say that even with this increase in diagnoses, ADHD is still underdiagnosed specifically for people of color and women. And I think that that can be true, but there are also business incentives that go along with these cultural incentives to see ADHD in everyone.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
You know, like there is one telehealth company accused of and another whose executives have been criminally charged with distributing Adderall and other ADHD drugs to patients who didn't need them in order to allegedly boost bottom lines and keep patient retention. Also, it bears mentioning that a lot of these drugs are addictive.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
How do we balance getting people with ADHD the help they need with not allowing situations like this to arise?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
For people who don't know, the DSM is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, which is the book that doctors use to diagnose people for all kinds of mental health issues and disorders. Right.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
But speaking to the issues with it, even after getting diagnosed myself, I noticed so many discrepancies between how that process happened for me and how that process happened for other people I know who got diagnosed with ADHD. I had to jump through way more hoops. That's kind of when I had an inkling that maybe the diagnostic tools that we have are not perfect.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
These are all from the hashtag ADHD. And these kinds of videos from how to self-diagnose to how to manage a diagnosis are all over social feeds. And one study found that over a third of the claims about ADHD on social media weren't related at all to ADHD or even other diagnoses, but were instead just, quote, reflecting normal human experience.
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
So what would a better model look like?
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
For example, everyone is on a spectrum between not socially anxious and really socially anxious. And there's some point along the spectrum where clinicians might say someone needs therapeutic help for it, right? And there are all kinds of traits people have that exist on these lines, and some of them are related. And looking at
It's Been a Minute
Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.
All these dimensions more holistically can help us sort out what's going on with a person and, you know, what interventions might help them rather than a label that might not fully explain people's symptoms.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
That was NPR's Gene Demby and The Ringer's Joel Anderson. And I'm going to put on my influencer hat for a minute and ask you to please subscribe to this show on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you're listening. Click follow so you know the latest in culture while it's still hot. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Corey Bridges. This episode was edited by Nina Potok.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
are not really a sports fan, I'd argue that we still need to pay attention to this box newsification of sports media, meaning it's personality driven, it's bombastic, it thrives off of conflict, and it's increasingly concerned with politics. For instance, ESPN used to be a place to watch the highlights, and now it's where you go to watch endless debates and hot takes.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Our supervising producer is Barton Girdwood. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sanguini. All right. That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR. I'm Brittany Luce. Talk soon.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
And then there's ESPN's own Stephen A. Smith. He is known for his loud and brash style on his daily debate show, First Take.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
He's also one of the most powerful television sports personalities and just signed a massive $100 million contract with ESPN. And one clause in that contract caught my attention. It's a clause that gives him more freedom to talk about politics. And he's taking full advantage of this, as seen in his recent interview with ABC News.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
So yeah, we live in a timeline where a man paid to sling hot takes about LeBron James is claiming that many people want him to become the next president of the United States.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. This week, we're connecting the dots between LeBron James, Bristol, Connecticut, and the 2028 election. I know, I know. How are all of these things connected?
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
I've had folks— So what does that say about our current cultural and political environment? Why have sports commentators become so omnipresent in media outside their lane? And what can history tell us about the connection between sports and politics? But first, for listeners like myself, who may not be super up on sports, who is Stephen A. Smith and what is he about? What is this whole situation?
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Okay, so I can see how, based on what you said, he would want to run for office or at least say that that's something that he's going to do. Because you can get some juice off of just saying that that's something that you want to do.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
But I wonder though, like what does Stephen A. Smith believe? Like what are his politics?
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Pat McAfee is another sportscaster who's been criticized for wading into politics. He was called out for platforming quarterback Aaron Rodgers' conspiracy theories during COVID. And, you know, McAfee came to ESPN from Barstool Sports, which is a media company with... a real bro-y feel that really seems to resonate with a younger conservative audience.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
And it's even at times been, I suppose, like credited for shaping some of the discourse within, you know, conservative American politics.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Hmm. Especially in the world of sports. That totally makes sense. Absolutely. But, okay. I'm remembering back to 2017 when former ESPN personality Jamel Hill tweeted, Donald Trump, who was then, you know, at the beginning of his first term, Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself with other white supremacists.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Well, we are going to find out with co-host of NPR's Code Switch podcast, Gene Demby, and former senior writer at ESPN and current senior staff writer at The Ringer, Joel Anderson. Gene, Joel, welcome to It's Been a Minute. Welcome back to It's Been a Minute. You both have been here before.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
And there was a huge backlash.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
That is why it is so wild.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
So I wonder, like, what's changed since then? I mean, why does it seem like sportscasters have so much more latitude to be able to talk about politics now, a time that I argue is just as much, if not more highly charged politically than 2017?
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
It's like its own taxonomy, basically.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
It's good to have you. Okay, quick question. Who do y'all have winning the NBA finals? I don't know the answer to this question because I don't even know who's in the NBA semifinals, quarterfinals. I don't know who plays. I don't know who's in there.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Well, oh my gosh, Joel, Gene, I have learned so much here. Thank you both so much. I appreciate you always, Brenda. Our pleasure. Have us back. Yeah, of course. But before you go, as a thank you, I'd like to teach you something by playing a game with the two of you. Can you stick around for a tiny bit longer?
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
All right. We'll be right back with a little game I like to call, But Did You Know? Stick around.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
All right, all right. We are going to play a little game. I like to call, but did you know? Here's how it works. I'm going to share a story that's been making headlines this week. And as I give you some background on the story, I'll also ask you trivia related to it. But don't worry. It's all multiple choice. The right answer is in there somewhere.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
First person to blurt out the right answer gets a point. Person with the most points wins. And their prize is bragging rights.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Don't worry, the news story this week is something that even a so-called wash dad would know about, okay? Question number one. Earlier this week, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin completed a highly publicized mission to space featuring a star-studded crew that included Katy Perry, Gayle King, and Bezos' very own fiancee, Lauren Sanchez. How long did this flight last? Was it...
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
A, 11 minutes, B, 18 minutes, or C, 26 minutes?
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
I'm going to go on the opposite end.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Oh, Joel, you have so much more faith in that. You have so much more faith. I appreciate it, but the answer is A, 11 minutes.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Well, the flight took the women 62 miles above Earth, crossing the recognized boundary of space. So basically, they just crossed into space.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
And then they turned right back around. They basically were in space long enough to have a few moments of weightlessness, which I have to ask y'all now, would you ever get on a rocket ship?
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Me either. I just don't. I just feel like. Did anybody else read the story of Icarus? Yeah. Why would I fly that close to the sun? We are all in accordance. No ongoing space for 11 minutes. All right. Question number two. Gayle King, she looked a little shook after exiting the capsule, but apparently Katy Perry wasn't.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
What song did Gayle say Katy Perry was singing while staring back at Earth from space? Was it A, Fly Me to the Moon, B, Rocket Man, or C, What a Wonderful World?
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
It would be appropriate, but unfortunately, the answer is C, What a Wonderful World.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
So you got a competitive edge.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Without further ado, the final question. And I'm just going to do a little something that I love to do in these situations when the score is a little stacked. Yeah. Question number three is going to be winner takes all. Okay. Winner take all.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Well, these are the kinds of conversations that you'd expect to hear in your typical sports talk television show. However, there has been an interesting shift in the sports media world. The sports bros are getting political. And hear me out. If you, like me...
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
We just want to keep things interesting. Okay. We got to keep it interesting. All right. Question number three. Space tourism doesn't appear like it's going to be available to the average person anytime soon. And while full ticket prices haven't been set for future Blue Origin space flights, what is the deposit required to reserve a seat? Is it... A, $150,000. B, $250,000. Or C, $350,000.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
I feel like I would be inclined to say it wasn't the hiring, just because.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Ja Rule. Yeah, right, Ja Rule, yeah.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
So what did each of you say? Oh, man.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
I'm like, who knows? Maybe down the line, I'll break off some retirement change and skedaddle on up. And by then, it could be even cheaper. So who knows? Who knows? Who knows?
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
No, I'm not going to go up there. Like I said, they don't have like, I can't go to Cheesecake Factory in space. I can't hang out with my friends. I can't text.
It's Been a Minute
Are men in your life getting more political? This guy may be why.
Well, listen, until there's a Cheesecake Factory in space, they can keep it on the playground. That is it for But Did You Know for this week. Congratulations to Gene on your win. And again, Gene, Joel, thank you both so much for joining me today. It's so great.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Oh my gosh, this is so beautiful. My parents named me Brittany. And that was only because they felt like Ashley wasn't quite right. Little do they know they are functionally in 2025, almost the exact same name for all intents and purposes. So I suppose if Brittany captures my essence, there's probably millions of other women my exact same age that have the same essence as well.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Okay, 21. Well, Naftali, you got the Midas touch today. The answer is B, 19. 19. Johannes von Baumbach is 19 years old and heir to the world's largest privately owned pharmaceutical company, to which I say, if I had that much money at 19 years old, Forever 21 never would have gone bankrupt. Let me tell you that. All righty. Well, that is it for But Did You Know?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Congratulations to Naftali on your win.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Yes. I was like, where are you going to spend your bragging rights?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
And to all the billionaires who are listening to this show right now, a reminder that you too can donate to NPR or to me personally whenever you like. And Netta Naftali, thank you both so much for joining me today.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
That was NPR's Netta Ulabi and Washington Post senior national political correspondent Naftali Ben-David. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Corey Bridges. Barton Girdwood. This episode was edited by Nina Potok. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sangweni. All right. That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
I'm Brittany Luce. Talk soon.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Well, whether you love your name or you hate it, one thing is true. Everyone's name is deeply personal. But what you might not have realized is that your name is deeply political, too. Let me lay this out. Netta and I were on a call last week and she blew my mind when she started talking about the reddest and bluest, you know, Republican and Democratic baby names.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
She found this survey that tracked the top 500 names in states that had gone red or blue in the 2020 presidential election. For Republican boy names, I would have guessed, I don't know, Mike or Peter or Ryan, you know, traditional white guy names. But no, one of the most popular boys names specific to red states was Cohen, a Jewish holy name for priests.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Now over in blue states, some of the most prevalent boy names were Moshe, Santino, and Muhammad. And 84% of baby names specific to blue states were primarily pulled from languages other than English. We will come back to this. The big point here is that names signify something. They, of course, signify us. We hear our parents, friends, and coworkers shouting our name from another room.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. All right, dear listeners, this week, you and I are connecting the dots between a mountain in Alaska, an oak tree in the Midwest, and President Trump's new favorite hobby. I know, I know. How could these things be connected?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
The barista at the coffee shop either knows how to spell it or not. And it's the easiest way to identify someone. But our names are also cultural heritages. They come from our parents. And our parents are consciously or unconsciously pulling from the culture they were born into and an imagined culture they want each of us to be a part of.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
So what do these newly popular baby names say about the culture parents are trying to build today? And on top of that, since his first days in office, our newly elected president is deeply invested in renaming our cultural landmarks. So whether it's a baby's name or the Gulf of whatever we are calling it this week, how are names powerful political tools that shape our culture?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
One of the statistics in the survey that gets to a bigger picture here is that 84% of the top names specific to blue states, places with more diverse populations, were derived from non-English sources, while 90% of the reddest names come from English sources. They have English origins, these names, like Baylor or Stetson or Sutton or Tripp.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
That immediately made me think of how earlier last month, President Trump signed an executive order declaring English as this country's official language. Now, Tali, how does that line up with other ways that Trump and conservatives are actively renaming cultural landmarks in the United States? What story of America are they trying to tell?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Yeah, speaking of a different story of America, I am also thinking about how Mateo became a top 10 name, a name like Mateo that is derived from Spanish.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
And now I kind of got the sense that when President Trump moved to make English the official language of the United States, that Spanish, which is becoming more and more prevalent and more and more useful to speak in the United States, couldn't help but think that Spanish was one of the languages that perhaps the president was trying to avoid being spoken in the country.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Yes, I definitely think that question of identity, you know, like what traditions you want to link your children to, it comes up especially when you look at the new names popping up in red states. There's this theme that's emerging that connects with nature. We're seeing names like Renly or Sailor with a Y. Nada, what surprised you about some of the newly prevalent red state names?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
I don't know. When I hear these names, Oak Lee's, L-E-E, L-E-I-G-H, L-E-Y, the Wren Lee's. Oakland, even they feel very culturally white to me. It almost kind of invokes to a certain degree to like the kind of trad wife culture that has become so, so, so popular on social media and reality TV and beauty influencing.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Also, like they're kind of pointing towards a specific kind of whiteness that is perhaps becoming more prevalent in the United States and American culture more broadly.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
zooming out into the political. Naftali, you know, we've been talking a little bit about nature and President Donald Trump and his administration, they have chosen to put forth changes to some of America's big landmarks.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Well, we are going to find out with NPR culture correspondent, Neda Ulabi. Thanks, Brittany. And Naftali Ben-David, senior national political correspondent for The Washington Post. Thanks for having me. And, you know, you both have such beautiful names. I'm wondering, do you feel like your parents got it right? Do you feel like your names capture your essence?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
You know, as you mentioned, Trump announced that he wanted to change the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America or change a mountain in Alaska, currently named Mount Denali, which is the traditional native name of the mountain, back to Mount McKinley. And then there's the Anahuac, National Refuge in Texas, which is an indigenous name that Trump wants to rename after Jocelyn Nungere.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
I know that one of the most important examples of Trump's renaming obsession for you, Naftali, was his renaming of two military outposts to Fort Bragg and Fort Benning. Those had been changed following the post-George Floyd protests and moment of 2020 because they were named after Confederate generals. But Trump has changed them back.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
But also, I thought Congress had passed a law that people literally could not name things after Confederate figures. So how did Trump get here?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
What's the theory for why the Trump administration would want to go to such great lengths for this? Why is this renaming so important?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Well, Netta Naftali, thank you both so much. I've learned so much and you both have given me so much to think about. Thank you so much, Brittany. This was great.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
And as a thank you, I would like to teach you something about some of the richest people in the world. Can you stick around for a tiny bit longer? You bet. Of course. All right. We'll be right back with a little game I like to call, but did you know, stick around.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
All right, all right. We are going to play a little game I like to call, But Did You Know? Here's how it works. I'm going to share a story that's been making headlines this week and ask you trivia about it. But don't worry, it's all multiple choice. And the first one to blurt out the right answer gets a point. The person with the most points wins and their prize is bragging rights.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Are y'all ready? Ready. All right. That's what I like to hear. Okay. To start, Forbes just dropped its annual billionaire list. And for those who have been listening for a while... you might know that we played a game on this last year. So Naftali and Netta, I hope you were paying attention because in 2025, the billionaire list has a new record of total billionaires worldwide.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Hint, none of them are me. How many billionaires are there? A. 2,028 billionaires. B, 3,028 billionaires. Or C, 4,028 billionaires.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Oh, that's beautiful. What about you, Netta?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Naftali says B. What say you, Netta?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
All right. Well, I'll tell you what. Naftali, you were the early bird and you got the worm. The answer is B, 3,028 billionaires. Does that number surprise either of you?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
If I met one, I would definitely give them my bank account number.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
That's what I'm saying. You know, just from an ethical perspective, it's like, I don't know, like just spread it around, share the wealth, share with me. Personally, if I had that kind of money, I would fund public media for the next decade and buy myself an affordable home and a walkable neighborhood. But what would you do with it? Oh, I would fund public media for the next millennia.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
You're so much more generous than I am. What about you? What about you, Naftali?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
I love that. But no fun purchases? Like nobody wants to water ski? Like no fur coat?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Oh, that's a good one. Okay. These are good answers. Y'all are so great. I'm like, I would find out who's making Beyonce's custom wigs and fly them to my home. That's art. That's art. Exactly.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
That's what you were going to say? That was your answer now, Tali?
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Great minds. Okay. All right. Well, question number two, which of these newly added celebrity billionaires is worth the most money? A. Jerry Seinfeld. B. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Or C. Bruce Springsteen.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
The answer is, in fact, C, our blue collar icon, the boss, Bruce Springsteen. And just so you know, Jerry and Arnold are valued at $1.1 billion each, while Bruce tops out at $1.2 billion. Maybe that's some of that catalog in there you're talking about, Netta.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Although I have to add that Mr. Springsteen claimed to The Telegraph last year that he is not a billionaire because he, quote, spent too much money on superfluous things, to which I have to ask, what do you think Bruce spent all his money on? Do you think it was an affordable home in a walkable neighborhood? Yeah.
It's Been a Minute
Oaklee, Cohen, & Mateo: why are these Gen-Alpha's hottest names?
Maybe he's just getting all of his blue jeans repaired. I don't know. I really feel like it could be denim related. Like maybe he has, I don't know, a denim addiction. Who knows? All right. Well, to recap the score, Netta, you are at zero points and Naftali, you're at two points. All right. So without further ado, the final question, and to keep this spicy...
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Question number two. Pope Leo XIII's 25 years as pope made him the fourth longest serving pope of all time. Pope Urban VII is famous for having the shortest reign ever. How many calendar days was his papacy? Was it A, five days, B, 10 days, or C, 12 days? I think A. I'm going to go C. Wow. The answer is C, 12 days. Wow. Wow.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Pope Urban VII was elected pope on September 15th, 1590, but unfortunately died 12 days later on September 27th at the age of 69 due to malaria. Oh, my God. R.I.P. Tragic ending. R.I.P. All right. Well, to recap the score, Antonia, you are at two points. Jason, you are at zero points. It's not right. It's not right. There's so much more.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
And during this process, the cardinals, they get a little messy as they form political factions and jockey for votes to become the next pontiff. Well, we are about to see that same process play out next week as the world's cardinals converge on Vatican City.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
No. All right. So something that I like to do to shake it up. So third question is going to be winner takes all. Okay. Okay. Pope Leo X was one of the most lavish popes in history, known for his spending on the arts, charities, his friends, and even himself. I wish I could have been his friend. He sounds fab.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
He even managed to spend all the treasures of the previous pope, driving the papacy into debt.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
I know. Diva down. What powerful, wealthy family was Pope Leo X a member of? Was it... A, the House of Borgia, B, the House of Habsburg, or C, the House of Medici?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Jason, by a razor-thin edge, okay. The answer is C, House of Medici. Pope Leo X wasn't the only Medici to hold the papacy. The wealthy European family produced three other popes in Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo XI. The 11th. Jason, I feel like it's the end of the Super Bowl. You just won the ring. I'm stunned. I'm stunned right now. Oh, my gosh. All right. Well, that's it.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
But did you know for this week, congratulations to Jason on your win. Congrats. Holding it down.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Well-deserved. Well-deserved. Jason and Tonya, thank you both so much for joining me today.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
That was NPR's religion correspondent, Jason DeRose, and the host of LAist's Imperfect Paradise, Antonia Sarahito. This episode of It's Been a Minute was produced by Corey Bridges. This episode was edited by Nina Potok. Our executive producer is Barton Girdwood. Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sanguini. All right. That's all for this episode of It's Been a Minute from NPR.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
And there is quite a bit at stake here because these men are going to ultimately decide the ideological direction of a church with 1.4 billion followers globally. So that has me wondering, what are the current factions within the Catholic Church? How will Pope Francis's legacy impact the upcoming conclave? And what should we make of Catholicism's broader cultural influence right now?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
I know, Jason, that you have seen the movie Conclave, like many of us have. But you are somebody that covers this stuff hard by. You are in Rome right now, okay? So I want to hear the real from you. How exactly does the Conclave work?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. This week, we're connecting the dots between Hollywood, Vatican City, and Lampedusa. I know, I know. How are all of these places connected?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Wow, okay. So what does the actual voting process look like?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
I was going to say, I feel like in this conclave too, many of them have never even met. I don't know if I could recognize the handwriting of a complete stranger from a hundred something other people.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Yeah, I read that they used to meet like twice yearly or something like that. And even that hasn't happened in a while. So this is going to be a good mix. How have you all seen people or the public at large in general kind of attach to or talk about these papabilas, these possible popes?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Yeah. Jason, what are you hearing? You're in Rome right now. You're on the ground. What have you observed?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
I mean, I could see a little hometown bias in that, for sure, for sure. As I was researching, I had a whole list. I was starting with like 25, 30 names and I was like whittling it down.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
The full board, like some strings connected.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
I want to reflect a little bit before we get into this upcoming conclave. I want to reflect a little bit on Pope Francis's papacy. What was his influence on the church and how will he be remembered? I want to start with you, Antonia, on this and then go to you, Jason.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Well, we're going to find out with NPR's religion correspondent, Jason DeRose, and the LAist's Antonia Serahito. Jason, Antonia, welcome to It's Been a Minute.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Wearing that hard like Montclair-esque winter coat that was clearly AI generated, but I wanted one.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Yeah, Jason, please.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
All right, second question. If you were a cardinal in the Vatican right now, would you be one of the chain vapors? Like everyone's like third favorite cardinal from the 2024 film Conclave. Would you be chain vaping right now in the Vatican? Jason, would you?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
And that seems like a significant move.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
But one of the things that was so interesting is that even though Pope Francis became something of a political figure, you know, there's not really a clear cut way of thinking about the various political positions of these various cardinals. And so I wonder, like, if the new pope were to be more conservative than Pope Francis, how would that affect the global culture overall? around Catholicism.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
And is that even the right way to think about all of this?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
I love that principled answer. What about you, Antonia?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Yeah, even when you consider the acrimonious relationship between, say, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance and the Pope. The Pope had some pretty strong words for J.D. Vance, who is a Catholic, shortly before he passed away. Some people have made humorous remarks, like trying to insinuate that – J.D. Vance upset the Pope so that he simply could not go on living.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
But yeah, I mean, you summed up a lot of the reasons why I have become, you know, conclave-pilled, as some people have been saying.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
I got one last question. Jason, your editor, Daniel Burke, mentioned that the Cardinals are essentially picking their boss, which kind of blew my mind when he brought that up, because most people don't have the opportunity to do that at their jobs. So why is it helpful to think about this conclave as a workplace saga? I'm wondering. I'd love to hear from both of you on this.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
I actually don't vape myself at this point in my life. If I was doing something that consequential, I could see myself getting a little jewel. That's just my opinion. Now, I will say I loved the scenes of any cardinal vaping in the Academy Award-winning film Conclave. It follows a fictional portrayal of the papal conclave following the sudden death of a fictional pope. Sound familiar?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
It's kind of sick. I'm kind of into that actually. I'm like, maybe we need a conclave at more workplaces and see who survives. Maybe that's the key. Well, Jason, Antonia, I have learned so much here. Thank you both so much.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Thanks so much. And as a thank you, I'd like to teach you something by playing a game with you all. Can you stick around for a tiny bit longer? Absolutely. Okay. I'm nervous. Don't be nervous. I am so nervous. Listen, the game is a blast. Okay.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
We'll be right back with a little game I like to call, But Did You Know? Stick around.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
All right, all right. We are going to play a little game I like to call, but did you know? Here's how it works. I'm going to share a story that's been making headlines this week, and as I give you some background on the story, I'll also ask you trivia related to it. But don't worry, it's all multiple choice, so the right answer is in there somewhere.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Are y'all ready? Okay, yeah. I'm ready. All right. Well, we are going to stick with our papal theme and quiz you two on your knowledge of fun facts about popes in history.
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
You never know. You never know. You never know. You never know. First question is, at 88 years old, Pope Francis was the second oldest pope in history. What age was the oldest to have ever served? Was it... B. Antonia says B. What say you, Jason?
It's Been a Minute
Are you pope-pilled? Here's your guide to the 2025 Conclave.
Well, Antonia, good job on that one. The answer is B. You were technically both right, but Antonio, you were first, so you get the point. Pope Leo XIII reigned for over 25 years and died at age 93 on July 20th, 1903. He's known for his intellectual spirit and his openness to more secular and scientific ideas compared to previous pontiffs. So there you go. Good to know. All right.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-16-2025 2PM EDT
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce. And I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it. And I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-22-2025 4PM EDT
Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce. And I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it. And I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.
Up First from NPR
Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
Hey there, I'm Brittany Luce, and I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute, and I love it, and I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.