It's Been A Minute With Sam Sanders

No disrespect, but...when President Trump threw a Great Gatsby-themed party for Halloween, it kind of missed the point of the book. And, it's not just Trump. A quick search online, and you'll see a lot of people increasingly misinterpreting other famous books. Are people just bad at reading? Are we just laying our own biases on top of classic texts? Or is something else going on?Andrew Limbong, host of NPR's Book of the Day, and writer-critic Princess Weekes join Brittany to dissect novel interpretations of literary fiction. They look at what these re-interpretations say about our current moment: from what we want from a book to how books lose meaning online.(0:00) Why 'The Great Gatsby' gets misread(6:07) How 'Lord of the Rings' became a Christian Nationalist text(12:46) Literary Interpretation vs. Media Literacy(16:34) The rise of BookTok(19:28) The consequence of missing the point of a bookFollow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Cl

Have you picked up a couple weights recently? Started walking, or jogging, or doing pilates? So have a lot of other people. You see the fitness Instagram accounts and gym tips all over TikTok, but how does exercise culture fit into our broader culture? And how does more enthusiasm for exercise square with the focus on fitness in our politics? Brittany gets into it with  Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox’s Explain it to Me podcast, and Shelly McKenzie, author of Getting Physical: the Rise of Fitness Culture in America.(0:00) Americans are obsessed with exercise right now. Why?(2:36) What exercise does for mental and financial health(5:59) How exercise became a status symbol for young people(10:13) Why gyms are seeking women over 65(12:57) Why JFK and Trump both politicized fitness(16:33) What the government and its citizens have in common: body shame?Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast

The word "fascism" is being thrown around a lot right now. Does it capture our current cultural and political moment?Nearly 50% of Americans have associated President Trump with "fascism." Trump himself has used the word against his own opponents. Others have used the word to denounce skinny-tok as "body fascism." But why are Americans so willing to use the word? And is its ubiquity making it lose its meaning? In this episode, Brittany is joined by Nicholas Ensley Mitchell, a professor of education and policy at the University of Kansas and author of "On Bigotry: Twenty Lessons on How Bigotry Works and What to Do About It." He explains how Black Americans mapped the blueprint for fighting fascism in America, and questions whether the word "fascism" fits our current moment.(0:00) How 'Fascism" solidified 'American' identity(5:32) Why 'Fascist' is a useful word for the right and the left(12:45) Why the civil rights movement is a model for fighting fascism(17:39) Is *this* a better word than 'fascism' for this

Spanish artist and musical chameleon Rosalía released her latest album, Lux, today. The single, "Berghain," seems like a return to form. Operatic vocals, grand instrumentals, beautiful visuals -- the album is primed for critical praise. But for those who are hyperaware of Rosalia’s transformations -- from flamenco songstress to Afro-Caribbean queen -- they have other questions about this evolution. Brittany is joined by writer-critics Bilal Qureshi and Michelle Santiago Cortés to unpack Rosalía’s “church girl era,” and the complicated nuances of Latinidad in music.Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Does your phone feel like a blessing or a burden? Either way, there's probably a lot you can learn from new phone bans. Many K-12 students are going phone-free - but not by choice. In over half the country, there are now restrictions on cellphone possession and use in class. The goal is to increase student focus and enhance learning...but when you think about school shootings, phones have been a big part of parents' safety plans for their kids. So are phone bans the best solution? And what do these policies teach all of us about the role phones play in our lives?Brittany is joined by David Figlio, professor of economics at the University of Rochester, and Kathy Do, Assistant Project Scientist at University of California Los Angeles to find out.Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and u

What does ‘socialism’ mean to a generation that grew up with COVID… not the Cold War? How have the compounding effects of college protests, financial insecurity, and student loan debt shaped a culture? This is… The ABCs of the Culture Wars. For the next few weeks, Brittany breaks down the history, subtext, and evolving meanings of the buzzwords you hear all over the news and social media. Today we're talking about the S-word: Socialism. And why the word has gained new meaning for a younger generation looking for relief. Brittany is joined by Axios senior politics reporter Holly Otterbein and head of Teen Vogue’s politics section, Lex McMenamin.Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more abou

Is hunger in America a choice?This week, over 40 million people worried about losing their SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown. But with Thanksgiving just around the corner, who's hurt most by hunger? And why do some believe that if you’re hungry, it’s your fault? Brittany gets into it with Poonam Gupta, research associate at the Urban Institute, and Maggie Dickinson, associate professor at Queens College and author of Feeding the Crisis: Care and Abandonment and America's Food Safety Net. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For longtime fans of this show, here's a name you know: Sam Sanders. Before Brittany, Sam was the host of It's Been A Minute, and recently Brittany ran into Sam at an event. The two got to talking and came up with an an idea...what if Brittany came on Sam's new show, KCRW's The Sam Sanders Show? And then...what if they brought all of you longtime IBAM fans the podcast multiverse event of the season to this feed?!That's how we got here. In this special bonus episode, Sam, Brittany, and Tre'vell Anderson rank the best spooky season films of all time and talk through their pop culture hot takes. Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoi

What can we all learn from stories of men trying to find friends...and failing?Men in real life - and in the movies - are trying to figure out how to be friends. There's been a lot of talk alleging lonely men are the cause of cultural tensions, and Hollywood has caught on (despite a similar number of women saying they are lonely, too!). Several films this year depict how society leads men into fraught, messy friendships. So, what can we all learn from toxic (or good!) friendships between men?Brittany is joined by NPR arts and culture reporter Neda Ulaby and IndieWire awards editor Marcus Jones to dig into it.(0:00) We're all obsessed with lonely men...why?(3:12) 'Friendship' and how to deal with being rejected(8:17) 'Twinless' and how friendship is kinda romantic(13:43) 'Lurker' and how real life relationships are parasocial too(17:55) What male friendships can teach us all about being more vulnerableFollow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’

Is it a bad thing to be a "capitalist?" Why is the word being used as a diss?And how do Americans' shifting attitudes towards it show up in your discourse and your favorite movies?This is… The ABCs of the Culture Wars. For the next few weeks, Brittany breaks down the history, subtext, and evolving meanings of the buzzwords you hear all over the news and social media. Today we're talking about the C-word: Capitalism. And why the word is increasingly divisive in politics and culture.Brittany is joined by NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben and writer & editor Morgan Jerkins.(0:00) How pop culture got obsessed with eating the rich(3:11) When did anti-capitalist rhetoric enter our politics?(7:05) Why the rich started looking more evil...(12:46) From 'Clueless' millionaires to bumbling billionaires...(17:26) How anti-capitalism is showing up in American politics nowFollow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at

Why is there so much Nazism in the news? And when does a "joke" become hate speech?Politico broke a story last week featuring what it said were leaks from a Telegram group chat that included Young Republican National Federation leaders. These chats made headlines for reportedly racist and pro-Nazi messaging. But this is not the only story in the news about people in politics engaging with Nazi rhetoric. Is it happening more often? And is this kind of thing just a “joke”? Brittany is joined by Odette Yousef, domestic extremism correspondent for NPR, and Gene Demby, co-host of NPR's Code Switch, to get into it.(0:00) Young Republicans group chat screenshots go viral...(3:40) Where's the line between joking and hate speech?(5:56) Is Nazi talk more common, or are we just more aware of it?(10:29) Why white adults are considered "kids" even in their 30s(14:45) Are there consequences for spreading hate? And what you can do about it.(19:41) 'Wait, What?' - a pop culture trivia game(23:29) Responding to listener comme

Do you want to know the secret to making deeper friendships? Throw a dinner party.You'll feel less lonely, take care of people you love, and find out what's really going on in your community. Dinner parties are sort of a lost art, and our notions of what makes a worthy dinner party are being warped by social media. We're here with tips on how to throw one without feeling self-conscious.Brittany is joined by two dinner party experts: architecture & design journalist Carly Olson and chef & writer Garrett Schlichte. They discuss the pitfalls and pleasures of modern dinner parties, including how to host one without breaking the bank. (0:00) Why dinner parties are the perfect way to connect(2:01) Dinner parties of the past vs. now(4:57) How modern home design prioritizes individualism(8:32) Why social media discourages community building(14:00) Advice for throwing a good dinner party(16:58) How to let go of your anxiety of having people in your home(19:51) Ban the phones at home!Follow Brittany Luse on Ins

Do you ever feel like the internet just doesn't work as well as it used to?  Or maybe you wish you could go back to the old internet?  Where your search queries actually served you what you wanted, and your feeds weren't overrun by ads?  Well, it's not just you - the internet IS getting worse, and platforms are getting harder to leave. But how did we get here? Journalist and tech activist Cory Doctorow joins Brittany to lay out why in his new book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It.Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Love it or hate it, your favorite pop star is a person and a product. How much are you willing to pay?Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, smashed records for first week album sales. This was in part due to all the different limited-edition variants that went on sale; some for only 24 hours. Talk about pressuring your fans! Is this business strategy fan service, or fan exploitation? Where’s the line? Brittany sits down with Stephen Thompson, host for NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour, and Ann Powers, NPR music critic and correspondent, to get into the life of a business woman, why they think Swift had to make this album, and whether or not it's worth the cost.Read Ann's (mostly positive) review of The Life of a Showgirl.(0:00) Is Taylor exploiting her fans? Yes and No!(3:08) Taylor's business strategy isn't hers alone...(6:11) Why Taylor is a proxy for all our rage(10:43) Why vinyl sales in general have skyrocketed(13:46) How the charts impact the music industry (15:50) Why Taylor Swift HAD

Sometimes the harshest critic is the one in your head. What if instead you had faith in yourself, and what you're making?It's a familiar, paralyzing fear that not only keeps you from creating your best work, but can also make you question your own worth. Novelist Brandon Taylor knows this fear intimately. And in his new book, 'Minor Black Figures,' his characters - maybe just like you - are tortured by harsh online criticism from random keyboard warriors, and their own inner saboteurs. In this episode, Brandon joins Brittany to talk through the "double consciousness" of creating art today, and what it means to have faith as an artist.Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor

NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour asked Brittany to go to the movies and bring them her thoughts on The Rock's new movie, The Smashing Machine. She fulfilled the assignment and more.In this special bonus episode, Brittany, Pop Culture Happy Hour's Aisha Harris, Code Switch's Gene Demby, and NPR contributor Reanna Cruz get into The Rock's attempt at capital-A acting. Is Dwayne Johnson going to get an Oscar, or is the movie an all-around skip? You can listen to more episodes of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour here.Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There's his trend on social media of using code words for different topics so you can trick the algorithm from categorizing your content in a certain way. What do you think? Is this a form of censorship? Or...are algorithm categorizations a way of protecting users from seeing too much violent or aggressive content? Well, whatever side of the debate you fall on, Code Switch's B.A. Parker and Gene Demby are going to show you how this so-called ALGO-speak or algorithm-speak shapes your beliefs in conscious and unconscious ways. You can listen to more episodes of NPR's Code Switch here. Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Pri

Does a college degree get you anything these days? Some people say no, but the reality is far more complicated. About 19 million people are going to college right now. But one recent poll from Gallup shows that the percentage of Americans who view college as very important is at an all time low, dropping from 75% in 2010 to 35% now. Those who say it's not very important increased from 4% to 24% in the same time period. This is a pretty dramatic change that goes beyond ballooning costs.Brittany chats with Elissa Nadworny, an education correspondent for NPR, and Kathryn Palmer, reporter for Inside Higher Ed, to get into what’s behind this changing perception – what politics has to do with it – and whether college is still worth it.(0:00) Is going to college still beneficial?(2:04) What's behind people thinking a college degree isn't necessary?(7:54) Why colleges should be responsible for their students's success(10:23) Why Republicans benefit from college but still discredit it(16:39) 'Wait WHAT?!': Trivia abou

Black women’s unemployment rate is hovering at 6.7% — higher than the rate for white workers. Is it a sign the broader economy could sour? These economists say yes.Black women are the 'canary in the economic coal mine,' says Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman. She's the author of The Double Tax: How Women of Color are Overcharged and Underpaid. Brittany speaks to Anna and Ofranama Biu, chief economist and senior research director at the Maven Collaborative, about why Black women's unemployment is on the rise and why this trend could be a troubling sign for the rest of the country.Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hollywood isn't performing as well at home or abroad. Is it losing its cultural dominance to China's burgeoning film industry? ‘Survive until 2025’ was the mantra that got Hollywood through the past five years of lockdown, streaming wars, and franchise fatigue. And while summer films like Lilo & Stitch, Superman, and Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning made critical and box office impact… on the whole, it still doesn't compare to pre-2020 levels. And even more curious, the international box office - specifically in China - has declined over the years as well. At the same time, the highest grossing animated film of all time hit theaters this year… in China. Ne Zha 2 has dominated the global box office and with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and K-Pop: Demon Hunters also breaking records, Brittany had to ask: What does this say about Hollywood’s global influence and how have audience appetites changed since 2020? Staff writer at The Atlantic, Shirley Li, joins the show to answer those questions and more.To