Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
The Real Housewife-ification of Congress; And, 25 years of being pilled by The Matrix
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jasmine Crockett exchanged heated words on the House floo...
Tony nominee Jocelyn Bioh puts braiders centerstage
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Brittany Luse sits down with playwright Jocelyn Bioh, whose new play, Jaja's African Hair...
Bumble & the trap of modern dating; plus, living ethically in COVID's aftermath
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the dating app Bumble could not stay out of the news. First, the company launched an anti...
The miracle of middle age with Miranda July
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our culture is full of stories about what it's like to be young: to find yourself, to fall in love, ...
Drake and Kendrick are beefing, but who pays? Plus, moms as our social safety net
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Drake and Kendrick have been trading diss tracks for weeks, and it's gotten darker and darker with e...
A 'Wild Card' game with Rachel Martin
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NPR's Rachel Martin is the host of a new weekly podcast called Wild Card. It's part-interview, part-...
Suburban decay and choking on nostalgia
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brittany sits down with Jane Schoenbrun, the director of A24's coming of age horror film, I Saw The ...
An inside look at the campus protests; plus, Israel at Eurovision
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pro-Palestinian protests have been popping up at universities around the world, and in the last few ...
How Chicago's Black press shaped America
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Host Brittany Luse sits down with Arionne Nettles, author of We Are the Culture: Black Chicago's Inf...
TikTok gets the boot; plus, a 'tradwife' fantasy
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, President Biden signed a law that could ban TikTok nationwide unless its Chinese parent c...
Dating skills vs. dating gimmicks in 'Love on the Spectrum'
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of Brittany's latest TV obsessions has been Netflix's Love on the Spectrum. It's a reality serie...
The backlash against protests; plus, how OJ Simpson changed media forever
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this week, pro-Palestinian protestors blocked traffic on highways and bridges in San Francis...
An argument for the art of whistling
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some of us whistle while we work, but what happens when your work is whistling? This week, host Brit...
The car culture wars; plus, the problem with child stars
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden has been pushing new regulations to promote electric vehicle production to combat th...
Boots with the spurs: 'Cowboy Carter' and the need for validation
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grab your cowboy hat, and saddle up that horse, because Beyoncé's highly anticipated album, Cowboy ...
Is DEI a slur now? Plus, control & basketball
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last week, the city's 39 year ol...
The hidden costs of hair braiding
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're revisiting an exploration of hair braiding gone wrong. Online, women looking to get...
Harvard's TikTok strategy; plus, Shirley Chisholm, the coalition diva
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok has come under fire for its addictive algorithm and for being a place where misinformation sp...
'Love Lies Bleeding' and the fear and allure of strong women
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Erotic thrillers are meant to be sexy, bloody, and fun. The best of them also deal with shifts in cu...
Brittany talks bad accents and bad sex
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dune: Part Two is a marvel of cinematic wonder. Amongst all the chatter around the cinematography an...
The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Awards season is finally over and even though Oppenheimer took home the top prize for best picture a...
The déjà vu election; plus, losing faith in politics in "Great Expectations"
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The 2024 presidential election will be a rematch between former President Donald Trump and President...
Jennifer Lopez's love affair with love
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's basically spring - which means wedding season is starting to rev up. And no one does weddings q...
And the winner is... outrage? Plus, if the economy is good, why does it feel bad?
09 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This weekend's Oscars ceremony will mark the close of awards season. But what has been an exciting y...
'The Harlem Renaissance' and what is Black art for?
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's Been a Minute host Brittany Luse and producer Liam McBain took a little field trip to the Metro...
Three ways to think about journalism layoffs; plus, Aaron Bushnell's self-immolation
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The American journalism industry is in crisis - layoffs, strikes, and site shutdowns have some peopl...
Da'Vine Joy Randolph on 'The Holdovers' and becoming a matriarch
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Da'Vine Joy Randolph just keeps winning — she's won best supporting actress for her role in The Ho...
Have we hit celebrity overload? Plus, Miyazaki's movie magic
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brittany feels like we've entered a new phase of celebrity oligarchy; new celebrity business enterpr...
Jada Pinkett Smith, the artist
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jada Pinkett Smith is the kind of celebrity that makes headlines just by breathing. But looking at t...
Legendary choreographer Fatima Robinson on moving through changes in dance
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Choreographer Fatima Robinson has had an incredibly prolific career: she gave us the iconic King Tut...
Unlocking desire through smut; plus, the gospel of bell hooks
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're asking: do the fantasies we read in romance novels say anything about what we want ...
A Super Bowl in 'new Vegas'; plus, the inverted purity of the Stanley Cup
10 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This weekend, Vegas hit the jackpot. For the first time ever, Sin City will host the Super Bowl; and...
Sam Reich on revamping the game show - and Dropout's success as a small streamer
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It seems like there are countless streamers these days – there's Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Max, ...
Charlamagne tha Pundit?; plus, was Tony Soprano white?
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlamagne tha God has been dominating hip-hop radio for years, and lately, his influence has exten...
Ayesha Rascoe on 'HBCU Made' — and some good old college memories
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're taking it way back — all the way to college. This episode is a mini-reunion: host Brittany L...
South Africa's case for preventing genocide in Palestine; plus, why people love cults
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This morning, the International Court of Justice shared a decision on South Africa's genocide case a...
Benny Safdie on 'The Curse' — and performing goodness
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Director and actor Benny Safdie is probably best known for co-directing the film Uncut Gems, but he'...
The political power of white Evangelicals; plus, Biden and the Black church
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, Evangelicals have propped up Republican presidents. And while church attendance has fal...
Anna Deavere Smith plays real Americans on stage - and she shares her lessons
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Deavere Smith is an acclaimed actress, journalist, and playwright. She's a pioneer of what's kn...
The life lessons Fantasia brought to 'The Color Purple'; plus, Personal Style 101
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fantasia Barrino-Taylor is picking up awards buzz for her portrayal of Celie in The Color Purple, an...
American Fiction is a rich story — but is it a successful satire?
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
American Fiction is a movie you can spend hours discussing. Based on Percival Everett's novel Erasur...
Looking ahead to the 2024 election; plus, getting "sober curious" for Dry January
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, host Brittany Luse is starting with the biggest story of the year - the upcoming presiden...
Ross Gay on inciting joy while dining with sorrow
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Looking for joy? Then it might be worth exploring your sorrow. In his collection of essays, Inciting...
'Oh Me Oh My': Finding grace after something hellified (a New Year's story)
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To close out the year, Brittany is sitting down with Lonnie Holley. He's a painter, sculptor, and mu...
Why grief sometimes looks like a hyphy party
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On August 11, 1973, hip-hop was born at a house party in the Bronx. 50 years later the genre has bee...
Why does flying suck so much?
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Flying can be a frustrating experience, but holiday travel tends to shift our stress levels into ove...
2023: The year of the celebrity memoir
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
2023 has been huge for the celebrity memoir game: Britney Spears, Prince Harry and Jada Pinkett Smit...
The IBAMmys: The It's Been A Minute 2023 Culture Awards Show
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first ever IBAMmys, the It's Been A Minute 2023 culture awards show! It's been a minu...
Music trends that took us by surprise in 2023
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's been an eventful year for music; we saw the rise of Mexican Regional music on the charts, the e...
Nicki Minaj's bars, Barbz and beefs; plus, why 2023 was the year of the cowboy
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nicki Minaj just released her first album in half a decade, Pink Friday 2. The self-proclaimed 'Quee...
The 'Renaissance' film and what we hear in Beyoncé's silence
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the credits for 'Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé' the Queen Bee makes it clear who is in charge. ...
McCarthyism and queerness in 'Fellow Travelers'; plus, IBAM unplugged with Olivia Dean
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Brittany chats with New Yorker television critic Inkoo Kang about Showtime's historical r...
All The Only Ones: I can't wait
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're bringing you a special episode from the Embedded series 'All the Only Ones.' The ser...
Defending the Disney Adult; plus, what it takes to stand up for Black trans people
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Disney recently celebrated its 100th birthday, so we're exploring a fandom that's kept the magic ali...
How gratitude improves your relationships and your future
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For the millions of Americans that celebrate Thanksgiving, it's a time when a lot of us reflect on t...
The return of Andre 3000; plus, 'Rap Sh!t' puts the music industry on blast
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As many male rappers seem to become more depressed or vindictive in their lyrics, the women of rap a...
Pressing pause on 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' and rethinking Scorsese's latest
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon is everything an Oscar contender might be - long, epic,...
Barbra Streisand says she's not a diva - she's a director
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The season of the celebrity memoir is upon us. In just the past few months Britney Spears, Jada Pink...
What restaurant trends tell us about the economy and culture
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The restaurant industry has been making headlines lately. Fine dining heavyweights are shuttering: N...
"The Gilded Age" and the trouble with American period pieces
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Gilded Age delighted audiences with its lavish sets, decadent costumes and social sniping when i...
What makes 'The Real Housewives' so addictive? (Classic)
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's a big week for fans of reality TV - it's Bravocon 2023. This year it's in Las Vegas – and whi...
It's Britney, bestseller!
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Britney Spears just released one of the most hotly anticipated celebrity memoirs of the year, The Wo...
The new "final girl" in horror; plus, who's afraid of a horny hag?
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Halloween is upon us — and it's the season for horror movies. Host Brittany Luse is a HUGE horror...
Misinformation & uninformed comments are clogging war coverage; plus, Tupac's legacy
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A warning: This episode contains explicit language and mentions of rape.For the past two weeks, soci...
Code Switch: Baltimore teens are fighting for environmental justice — and winning
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From our friends at Code Switch, we present a story about one group of student activists in Baltimor...
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are 100% in a PR relationship. Here's how we know.
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Swift and her maybe boyfriend, Kansas Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, have been inescapable th...
In defense of bad movie accents
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We can all think of a bad movie accent. There's Lady Gaga in House of Gucci, Brad Pitt in Meet Joe B...
It's Fat Bear Week - but our fascination with bears is timeless
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, the Katmai National Park in Alaska puts on a March Madness-style bracket of all the fatt...
Jordan Peele presents a 'new' Black horror
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, host Brittany Luse kicks off spooky season by sitting down with the current champion of B...
Hasan Minhaj and the limits of representation
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A recent New Yorker piece on Hasan Minhaj found that some crucial bits of his stand-up act didn't st...
How Bethann Hardison changed the face of fashion - and why that matters
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bethann Hardison is the fashion icon behind so many fashion icons: she worked as a modeling agent in...
The WNBA's coming out story; plus, the dangers of sports betting
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This year, the WNBA had its most-watched regular season in 21 years, but what went into creating thi...
The year concert etiquette went to trash and why
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every couple of weeks there's a new story of a fan at a concert misbehaving. One fan threw ashes at ...
Is capitalism in its flop era?
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2017, Today, Explained co-host Noel King says she started getting a vibe: young people were discu...
Rock and roll's pioneer is a queer, Southern Black man
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of rockstar royalty, a queer, Southern Black man normally doesn't come to mind. But d...
The Photo of the Year; plus, whose RICO is it anyway?
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When former President Donald Trump's mugshot was released, pundits immediately searched for meaning....
20 years of pumpkin spice power
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's been 20 years since Starbucks debuted the first pumpkin spice latte in 2003. Since then, it's b...
Luther Vandross and Samara Joy sing across generations
02 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Music is all about pushing the envelope, and no one knew that more than Luther Vandross. His renditi...
'All The Things She Said': queer anthem or problematic queerbait?
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In September 2002, the Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. released their smash single "All The Things She Said...
Skincare is dewy diet culture; plus, how to have the "Fat Talk"
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation from November 2022, host Brittany Luse chats with beauty reporter Jessica Defin...
Why we don't trust the 'vanilla girl'
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week is all about beauty and diet trends. In this first interview from March, host Brittany Lus...
'Abbott Elementary' and 'Succession' take on love and grief
19 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're looking at some of the best TV of the year. Brittany Luse revisits her November 202...
Why aren't there more union stories onscreen?
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation from March, Brittany Luse is joined by Chicago Tribune TV and film critic Nina ...
Getting lit for hip-hop's 50th birthday
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On August 11, 1973, hip-hop was born at a house party in the Bronx. 50 years later the genre has bee...
How pop culture framed the crack epidemic
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The crack epidemic has had seismic impact on American culture, from music to TV and film. This week,...
The tension behind tipping; plus, the anger over box braids
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past few years, tipping expectations have changed: we're asked to tip in restaurants and co...
How racism became a marketing tool for country music
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The top three songs in America right now are country tracks, and the top two hits are by artists fac...
Viral dating screenshots and the absurdity of 'And Just Like That'
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Screenshots of dating apps are making the rounds online and what feels like mundane exchanges are ge...
Lil' Kim's fashion legacy is undeniable
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Think of the top women rappers of our time: Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj. They all show...
The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Barbie movie has arrived and we seem to be reaching peak Barbie-mania. But, Barbie's brand of hy...
Twitter vs. Threads, and why influencers could be the ultimate winners
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of user dissatisfaction with Twitter, a crop of hungry new apps have sprung up to replac...
Where's the song of the summer? Plus, the making of Beyoncé's 'Crazy in Love'
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's been 20 years since Beyoncé's single Crazy in Love poured out of every radio, car speaker and ...
Ashley Park on Joy Ride, getting raunchy, and a letter to Cardi B
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joy Ride, the ensemble R-rated comedy of the summer, has burst onto the scene with raunchiness, hear...
A rare battle at the Supreme Court; plus, Asian Americans and affirmative action
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Years before their appointments to the highest court in the land, Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotom...
Pop Culture Happy Hour: why is 'Scandoval' such a big deal for 'Vanderpump Rules'?
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bravo's hit reality show Vanderpump Rules has become infamous due to a much-discussed affair between...
You can't even hate watch 'The Idol'; Plus, LIVE with Aubrey Gordon
01 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
HBO's 'The Idol' has been riddled with controversy, and with the show coming to an end, host Brittan...
'Never Have I Ever' is over, but Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is just getting started
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan has big dreams. The 21-year-old gained full celebrity status with her breakout...
Why we all need a himbo with 'The Other Two's Josh Segarra
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we consider the himbo — sweet hotties who are maybe a little naive about the world, but ar...
Dominique Fishback is the actress with a thousand faces
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dominique Fishback is starring in one of the biggest summer movies, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts...
Are children a marginalized group?
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's been a common theme swirling throughout the culture wars: from gun policy, to drag bans, to ...