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 ...
It's time to have the 'Fat Talk' with our kids — and ourselves
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia Sole-Smith is an author, writer and host of the podcast Burnt Toast — and her work focuse...
Emily King's heartbreak on 'Special Occasion'
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Grammy-nominated singer Emily King is a master architect of love songs: her dreamy pop-infused music...
Eric André on pulling a prank in late stage capitalism
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The prince of pranks, Eric André, changed the comedy landscape with his long running series on Adul...
Authors Emily Henry and Bolu Babalola give their hottest summer reading recs
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's finally summer! And what better way to celebrate than to pick up a juicy book on a nice day? Ro...
Brandon Taylor on art, loving across class and why he writes sex scenes
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, host Brittany Luse chats with author and culture critic Brandon Taylor about his latest n...
Tina Turner's happy ending
27 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the world went into mourning after losing the Goddess of Rock n' Roll: Tina Turner. Veter...
Formula 1's new fandom; plus, Christian Horner is always on the offense
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're in a motorsports moment: Fast X just dropped, Rosalía is popularizing the motomami aesthetic ...
Beauty culture in South Korea reveals a grim future in 'Flawless'
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Author and one of NPR's beloved hosts, Elise Hu, joins Brittany Luse to talk about her new book: Fla...
Psychedelic freedom with Tonya Mosley; plus, 'Monica' and ambiguous apologies
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration could approve certain psychedelic drugs for treatment of PTSD ...
It's been one year since the Buffalo shooting. How has it changed the community?
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It has been one year since a white supremacist drove to a predominantly Black neighborhood with an A...
A Black, trans journey through TV and film; plus, inside Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' tour
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since releasing one of the most critically acclaimed albums in 2022, pop titan Beyoncé has withheld...
Beyoncé's Renaissance tour begins; revisiting house music history with DJ Honey Dijon
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Host Brittany Luse revisits her 2022 conversation with the legendary DJ Honey Dijon. As one of the o...
Padma Lakshmi's Trojan Horse; Plus, is Michael Jackson un-cancellable?
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brittany Luse talks to Padma Lakshmi about the second season of her series Taste The Nation. They ge...
The best Met Gala looks and the messy legacy of Karl Lagerfeld
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yesterday was the first Monday in May, which meant we were inundated with pics of the Met Gala. The ...
Brittany goes to 'Couples Therapy;' Plus, why Hollywood might strike
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A big strike might be coming to Hollywood. That's because the Writer's Guild of America - the union ...
George Santos and the great American tradition of "self-making"
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
New York Congressman George Santos has been embroiled in controversy since the day he stepped into o...
The new conservative bent of rap media; plus, the sweetness of 'Somebody Somewhere'
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While hip hop has a history of anti-establishment and progressive politics, hip hop media is taking ...
Trina and her larger-than-life persona in hip-hop
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From our friends at Louder Than a Riot, a look back at the origins of Miami's wildest rap icon, Trin...
Death and grief in 'Succession'; plus, privacy and the abortion pill
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, host Brittany Luse is joined by UC Berkeley Law professor Khiara Bridges to connect the d...
Tracee Ellis Ross is an icon – and our favorite rich auntie
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tracee Ellis Ross is an icon. From playing the premiere Black bachelorette, Joan Carol Clayton, on G...
Serving up villains and vengeance in 'Love Is Blind' and Steven Yeun's 'Beef'
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In reality TV, bringing the drama used to mean making it big. But these days, it doesn't seem to pay...
The surprising case for AI boyfriends
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The AI revolution has come for our love lives. Millions around the world are now in relationships wi...
Fighting back against spams, scams and schemes
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's not just you – the constant texts, calls, emails and DMs from scammers are invading so many o...
The 'vanilla girl' trend shows that beauty is power
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you're more than a casual observer on the interwebs, you've probably heard the term, "chronically...
Breaking down the Jennifer Lopez Wedding Industrial Complex Canon
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's basically spring - which means wedding season is starting to rev up. And no one does weddings q...
Surviving long COVID three years into the pandemic
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's been three years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. And a...
Silicon Valley Bank and the sordid history of 'Palo Alto'
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Even after Silicon Valley Bank crumbled and tech workers have been laid off in the thousands, Silico...
The key to EGOT-ing with John Legend
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Legend has permeated the culture for over two decades. His music has racked up billions of play...
How Hollywood squeezed out women directors; plus, what's with the rich jerks on TV?
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In nearly 100 years, the Oscar award for Best Director has only gone to three women. The film indust...
Marilyn Monroe was more than just 'Blonde'
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the six decades since Marilyn Monroe passed away, Hollywood has not let her go. Actresses have po...
What's real about The Real Housewives?
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What makes The Real Housewives peak culture – as in the #1 topic in the group chat – for so many...
Keyla Monterroso Mejia embraces cringe as comedy's newest star
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Keyla Monterroso Mejia is a dramedy star on the rise. She made audiences cringe with laughter in Cur...
Fear, Florida, and The 1619 Project
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How should U.S history be told, and who gets to tell it? Debate over these questions has raged for y...
Ross Gay on inciting joy while dining with sorrow
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Looking for joy? Then it might be worth exploring your sorrow, complications and mess. In his latest...
Kelela's guide for breaking up with men
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you haven't stepped into an underground club in the last decade, you might be forgiven if you don...
Unlocking desire through smut; plus, the gospel of bell hooks
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're asking: do the fantasies we read in romance novels say anything about what we want ...
Hot and kinda bothered by 'Magic Mike'; plus Penn Badgley on bad boys
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The scintillating strip sensation is back! 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' hits theaters this weekend – ...
Everything leading up to Rihanna's Halftime Show
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This weekend Rihanna will perform on the world's biggest stage as the halftime headliner at the Supe...