Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
'X' explores pleasure and pain in a dystopic world
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do freedom and rights intersect with sex, pleasure and the self? It's a question the U.S. is fac...
Staying grounded after Roe v. Wade; plus, let's talk about fat liberation
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court gutted abortion rights by overturning Roe v. Wade. For those who have been in the ...
When parents say sorry on-screen
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Family conflict is a cinema staple. But recently Hollywood has come out with a slew of stories about...
Guess who's back in the house (music scene); plus, 'Would it Kill You to Laugh'
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a matter of days Beyoncé and Drake both released music that draws deeply on 90s era house music....
Fangirls rule the internet in 'Everything I Need, I Get From You'
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fangirls often don't get taken seriously in pop culture. But in her new book, Everything I Need, I G...
Why old is new again in pop music; plus, 'Rutherford Falls'
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When singer-songwriter Kate Bush released "Running Up That Hill" in 1985, it peaked at number 30 on ...
Joseph Han on U.S. imperialism, Korean ghosts and Guy Fieri
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We don't often think of Hawaii and the Korean peninsula as having any kind of shared history. But au...
Even influencers are burning out; plus, there's nothing boring about 'Normal Gossip'
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
These days, it seems everyone wants to be an influencer. But as content creators realize that it's a...
Joel Kim Booster on making a queer, Asian American 'Pride and Prejudice'
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The first time Joel Kim Booster vacationed on New York's Fire Island with his friend, comedian Bowen...
Reframing guns on screen; plus, is it just us, or are movies getting longer?
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once again, Americans are asking how to end mass shootings. With consensus on gun laws unlikely, som...
Bruce Talamon on photographing Black excellence in the 1970s
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Name a Black musician from the 1970s and chances are Bruce Talamon has photographed them. The Jackso...
Presenting 'Life Kit': Making the most of travel and your time off
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our friends at Life Kit, guest host Elise Hu teaches us how to make the most of...
Phoebe Bridgers On 'Punisher' and Hate Touring
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Singer Phoebe Bridgers had a huge year in 2020. She was nominated for four Grammys for her work on h...
Presenting 'Pop Culture Happy Hour': Beauty & pain of 'Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel'
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode from our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour, guest host Aisha Harris talks wi...
From Odd Future to The Internet, Syd
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this encore episode from 2018, former host Sam Sanders speaks with singer-songwriter Syd about he...
'End of Roe' and your digital search history; plus, the villain of 'Selling Sunset'
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the anticipated repeal of Roe v. Wade, it's unclear how Americans will access abortion and othe...
Singer Yebba on 'Dawn'
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yebba had a huge year in 2016. The singer and songwriter's career was taking off. But 2016 was also ...
The consequences of losing Roe v. Wade, plus, Summer of Books
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Protests erupted across the nation this week in the wake of a leaked Supreme Court brief suggesting ...
What makes Drake's 'God's Plan' a hit pop song
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Attention to all the music lovers out there! All month, we're revisiting our best music episodes fro...
Anti-trans legislation; plus, Broadway is back
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Legislation targeting transgender Americans and trans children has increased sharply in the last yea...
The power in owning your 'Big Feelings'
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guest host Juana Summers speaks with co-authors Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy about their new b...
COVID travel mask mandates drop; plus, 'Oprahdemics'
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With travel mask mandates dropping, increasing cases, and more COVID variants, precaution exhaustion...
Danyel Smith highlights Black women who defined pop music in 'Shine Bright'
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guest host Juana Summers talks with Danyel Smith about her new memoir, Shine Bright: A Personal Hist...
Etsy sellers on strike; plus, the creators of 'ROAR'
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From homemade candles to jewelry, leather goods to cloth masks, online marketplace Etsy has been a h...
Presenting 'Broken Record': An Interview With Nas
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode from our friends at the Broken Record podcast, we will hear producer Rick Ru...
The problem of diversity in 'Bridgerton'; plus, the Latinx history of punk music
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guest host Jasmine Garsd talks to Kristen Warner, an associate professor at the University of Alabam...
'True Story': Danielle Lindemann on 'What Reality TV Says About Us'
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special new episode of It's Been a Minute, we share a conversation Sam Sanders recorded abou...
The vibe has shifted; plus, 'Conversations with People Who Hate Me'
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You may see it in the news or on social media. You may be feeling different in your relationships or...
Bringing 'Pachinko' from page to the screen
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elise Hu chats with Soo Hugh, writer and showrunner of the much anticipated series Pachinko, based o...
And the Oscar goes to...
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A trimmed telecast? A crowd-sourced award? DJ Khaled as a presenter? The Oscars are back like you've...
Rejecting assimilation in 'You Sound Like a White Girl'
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A school crush once told Julissa Arce that she sounded "like a white girl." At the time, Arce believ...
One year later, the Atlanta spa shootings; plus, tech on TV
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's been one year since the Atlanta-area spa shootings that claimed eight lives, six of whom were A...
Presenting 'Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!': Everyone & Their Mom
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our friends at Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! have a new show out with host Emma Choi. It's called Eve...
Sam says goodbye
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's Been A Minute is sticking around, but before our beloved Sam Sanders takes flight we've got new...
The trouble with defining antisemitism
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With more extreme antisemitic attacks on the rise and more antisemitic rhetoric in the mainstream, a...
Sanctions 101
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, global powers have put the pressure on with sanctions u...
'Jackass' star Johnny Knoxville has nothing left to prove
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's our 500th episode and what better way to celebrate than with Johnny Knoxville's first appearanc...
Trayvon, ten years later
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before George Floyd and Michael Brown, there was Trayvon Martin. And this weekend marks ten years si...
Presenting 'The Limits': Gabrielle Union stands up for herself
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our friends at NPR's newest podcast The Limits, host Jay Williams chats with Ga...
Ok. I guess we'll talk about the metaverse.
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is the metaverse? How do you get to it? Why does it seem to dominate headlines every week? Is i...
How to make and sustain Latinx TV
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Streaming has totally changed the face of TV, but in all its abundance, who gets to make a show, and...
The demand for salary transparency, plus a new fresh prince of 'Bel-Air'
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Victoria Walker, former The Points Guy senior travel reporter, didn't think much about tweeting her ...
China's Influence Over Hollywood
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
China has held a soft power over Hollywood for the last few decades. Examples range from the cosmeti...
It's all politics at the Winter Olympics, plus 'This Is Dating'
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's hard to believe the Winter Olympics have begun in Beijing, our second COVID Games. Sam talks to...
Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' brings lost music back to life
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There were two big music festivals happening in the summer of 1969. While one defined an entire gene...
Whodunit at 'The Afterparty' plus the lie of 'Laziness'
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam sits down to chat, sing, improv and of course play Who Said That with actors Ben Schwartz and Sa...
'Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations' from Wajahat Ali
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam chats with author Wajahat Ali about his new book, Go Back To Where You Came From: And Other Help...
Remembering André Leon Talley
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
André Leon Talley became a major part of the global fashion zeitgeist while navigating being one of...
The legacy of ACT UP and its fight to end AIDS
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam revisits his 2021 conversation with Sarah Schulman about ACT UP. The organization united a diver...
The financial aid conspiracy; plus, 'For Colored Nerds'
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A group of elite colleges and universities this week found themselves at the center of a lawsuit all...
It's still Trump's GOP
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Former President Donald Trump is still one of the most influential members of the Republican party e...
Revisiting the January 6 insurrection, one year later
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a full year since the January 6, 2021 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, perhaps the most s...
Presenting 'Throughline': Nikole Hannah-Jones and the war over history
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode from our friends at Throughline, co-hosts Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablou...
Looking back at Whitney Houston's 1991 national anthem
31 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year's Eve, y'all! Before we officially end 2021, we're revisiting on one of our favorite ...
2021 in music with 'Switched on Pop'
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam chats with Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan, the two co-hosts of the podcast Switched on Pop, abou...
The holiday movie machine
24 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do holiday movies actually make money for networks like Hallmark and Netflix? How many Vanessa Hudge...
'The View' is cultural (and political) canon
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In an era when social media and streaming reign supreme, how has a daytime talk show on network tele...
Did That Really Happen This Year?
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We take a look back on the year in news and pop culture... in quotes. For this special episode of It...
Presenting 'Alt.Latino': Elvis Costello, reimagined en español
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode from our friends at Alt. Latino, host Felix Contreras talks to Elvis Costell...
What has Biden accomplished (or not) in 2021?
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Now that we're nearly a year into Joe Biden's presidency (and out of Donald Trump's)... what has Bid...
How to make working from home better
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Has working from home during the pandemic been frustrating for you? You're not alone. Charlie Warzel...
Was 2021 labor's year? Plus, 'Like a Virgin'
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Was 2021 the labor movement's year? It certainly felt like it — thousands of workers went on stri...
Presenting 'Pop Culture Happy Hour': is 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' stuck in nostalgia?
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode from our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour, guest host Ayesha Rascoe joins c...
What people miss when talking about banned books
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Guest host Ayesha Rascoe is joined by NPR senior editor Barrie Hardymon and Traci Thomas, host of Th...
From Taylor Swift to Thanksgiving, Dear Prudence gives the gift of advice
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What better gift to give this holiday season than the gift of... advice? And solicited advice at tha...
The hidden costs of holiday consumerism
19 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of consumers are worried about supply chain delays this holiday season — but there are also ...
Permission to feel joy with Rax King's 'Tacky'
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we feel shame for sincerely enjoying something that others don't like? That's one of the big ...
Why flying feels so hard; Plus, 'Queer Love in Color'
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Now that more people are getting comfortable flying again, it's about time to remind ourselves that,...
Presenting 'Throughline': The Nostalgia Bone
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The global pandemic has spawned a different type of epidemic, one of an entirely different nature: a...
New threats to Roe v. Wade; Plus, Jo Firestone's 'Good Timing'
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam talks to Slate staff writer Mark Joseph Stern about the Supreme Court hearing challenges to the ...
Presenting 'Code Switch': Kat Chow's 'Seeing Ghosts'
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our friends at NPR's Code Switch podcast, Kat Chow chats with former host Shere...
Should I have kids? Move? Recycle? Your climate questions answered
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of the U.N. climate talks in Glasgow this weekend, Sam chats with climate experts Ayana Elizab...
Presenting 'Switched On Pop': the Cyndi Lauper conspiracy
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode, Sam joins Switched On Pop co-host Charlie Harding to talk Cyndi Laupe...
Shea Serrano answers existential questions about rap in 'Hip Hop (And Other Things)'
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Author and host of the No Skips podcast Shea Serrano gets obsessive about things — movies, basketb...
Why can't Democrats pass legislation? Plus, 'Succession'
22 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam chats with NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson about why dysfunction in the Democr...
Why aren't Black and Indigenous missing persons cases covered enough?
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jermain Charlo was an Indigenous mother who went missing in Montana in the summer of 2018. Relisha R...
Nicole Byer's '#VeryFat #VeryBrave' guide to bikini confidence
15 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam revisits his 2020 conversation with comedian and Nailed It! host Nicole Byer on her coffee table...
Pop music's 'Latin Explosion' of 1999
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Latino artists like Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez an...
'LuLaRich' reveals how MLMs mirror the American economy
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam interviews women's work and economic justice writer Meg Conley about the documentary series LuLa...
Janet Jackson's Legacy After 'Control'
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On the 35th anniversary of Janet Jackson's first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, we look back at Contro...
Has immigration changed much under Biden?
01 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How much has really changed in U.S. immigration policy since President Biden came into office? After...
The Lasting Legacy Of 'Soul Train'
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When Soul Train was first nationally syndicated in October 1971, there was nothing else like it on T...
COVID Forever? Plus, Broadway's Back
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ever since the pandemic hit, life has been split into two timelines: before the pandemic and after t...
Brandon Taylor Wrote 'Real Life' And 'Filthy Animals' For His Queer, Black Friends
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Author Brandon Taylor used to spend most of his hours studying nematodes under a microscope as a gra...
'Machiavelli for Women'; Plus, 'What We Do in the Shadows'
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam is joined by NPR's The Indicator host Stacey Vanek Smith to talk about her new book, Machiavelli...
Yebba Sheds Old Beliefs With A New Album
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It was 2016, and Yebba's career was beginning to take off. But 2016 was also the year that somethin...
20 Years Of The War On Terror; Plus, Redemption For Mariah Carey's 'Glitter'
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam talks to Washington Post security and terrorism reporter Souad Mekhennet about what the war on t...
Michaela Coel On 'Misfits' And 'I May Destroy You'
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and actor Michaela Coel wrote, created and starred in HBO series I May Destroy You, which is ...
Songs Of The Summer With 'Morning Becomes Eclectic'
03 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam talks to Novena Carmél and Anthony Valadez, hosts of KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, about the...
Presenting 'Code Switch': To Love And Not Forgive With Ashley C. Ford
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode from our friends at the Code Switch podcast, we feature author Ashley C. For...
How Do We Make Sense Of Afghanistan? Plus, 'Reservation Dogs'
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the last 20 years, the U.S. has been wrapped up in a costly war in Afghanistan, initially in res...
Jonathan Van Ness On 'Queer Eye,' Cats, And Overcoming Trauma
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan Van Ness stepped into the spotlight in 2018 as a walking, talking bundle of energy, optimis...
Maya Rudolph On SNL, Self-Acceptance, And Seeing Yourself On Screen
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Maya Rudolph has had a successful career, spanning decades as a Saturday Night Live cast member and ...
Kathryn Hahn On Birth, Politics And 'Private Life'
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kathryn Hahn dazzled audiences in one of the biggest streaming hits of the year, WandaVision— and ...
Hygiene Debates, Skipping Showers, And Climate Change, Oh My!
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#ShowerGate. Sam talks to Carl Zimring, professor of sustainability studies at Pratt Institute and a...
Tracee Ellis Ross On Playing A 'Thriving, Not Surviving' Character On 'Black-ish'
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tracee Ellis Ross won a Golden Globe in 2017 for her role on ABC's Black-ish. She's also been nomina...
What's Your Monoculture Moment: The Olympics Or Bennifer 2.0?
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam is joined by LA Times television editor Matt Brennan to understand why ratings for this year's O...
Prince's Intimate Moments
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Prince's posthumous album, Welcome 2 America, came out last weekend. In honor of the release, Sam re...
Vaccine Disinformation For Hire; Plus, Hannah Waddingham Of 'Ted Lasso'
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines abounds on social media, but there's more to it than meets th...
Emilia Clarke On Mothers Of Madness And Dragons
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The "Mother of Dragons" is out with a new comic book, Mother of Madness. Actress Emilia Clarke talks...