It's Been a Minute

For a long time, Dungeons & Dragons was stereotyped as a game for nerdy young white guys in their parents' basement. But not anymore — the game has exploded in popularity and players of all backgrounds are joining in. Guest co-host Andrea Gutierrez talks to Jasmine Bhullar and Persephone Valentine, both content creators and dungeon masters, about how D&D has become an exciting medium for marginalized people to tell new kinds of fantasy stories.Then, Andrea sits down with Chanté Adams, star of the new Amazon Prime series A League of Their Own. Adams plays Maxine Chapman, a queer Black woman loosely based on historic female players in the Negro Leagues. The role also expands on a non-speaking, unnamed character in the original 1992 film. Adams talks about seeking complex Black characters to portray onscreen, and bringing her family into each new role. Finally, Andrea tests All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang and producer Mia Venkat on their pop culture news knowledge in a game of Who Said That.You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What is culture, where does it come from and why does it change? W. David Marx, author of the new book Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change, says the answers come from our desire for prestige. Marx tells guest host Elise Hu how status has historically worked to drive trends like gourmet cupcakes or dark wash jeans, how the internet can lead to cultural stagnation, and ways we can redefine status to build a more equitable society.Status and Culture is out Sept. 6.You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at IBAM@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

BeReal may be the hottest new social media app on the market, but can it live up to its promise to be a more authentic alternative to other platforms? Guest co-host Elise Hu talks with writers Haley Nahman and Ryan Broderick about how BeReal signifies a shift in what we want from our apps and why social media always barrels towards its worst self. They also flex their pop culture knowledge in a game of Who Said That.Then, guest co-host Andrea Gutierrez talks with Jude Stewart, author of Revelations in Air: A Guidebook to Smell. They discuss trends in fragrance, how COVID is making us change how we think about smells, and why scent is so tied to memory and emotion.You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Starz hit series P-Valley takes audiences to a strip club in a fictional town in the Mississippi Delta. Part soap opera, part Southern Gothic, the show focuses on the interior lives of the Black women who work at the club — and the complex social dynamics that shape their lives. On this episode from our friends at Code Switch, co-hosts Gene Demby and B.A. Parker speak with series creator and Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Katori Hall.You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Bad Bunny is the biggest pop star in the world, so what does he believe in? Guest host Tracie Hunte and political anthropologist Yarimar Bonilla look at the politics of Bad Bunny, and his vision of a Puerto Rico for Puerto Ricans.Plus, Tracie talks to James Beard award-winning author Michael W. Twitty about his new book, "Koshersoul," how we connect to our histories through food and what makes a kitchen sacred.And later, Tracie plays Who Said That? with her group chat! Her friends Alana Casanova-Burgess, host and producer of La Brega from WNYC and Futuro Studios, and Rebeca Ibarra, host and producer of The Refresh from Insider, go head-to-head to win the title of Who Said That? champion. Warning: some Spanish speakers may find language in this episode offensive.You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In FX's Reservation Dogs, Dallas Goldtooth plays the character "Spirit" — a Native American warrior in feathers and buckskin who curses and makes dirty jokes. Dallas also brings his irreverence to the frontlines of protests against oil pipelines. He talks to guest host Tracie Hunte about merging his passions for comedy and organizing, and how he's changing stereotypes with heaps of joy.You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What does Brittney Griner's hypervisibility as a tall, queer, Black woman have to do with her 9-year sentence in a Russian prison? A lot, according to historian Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, who studies race and Blackness in Russia. She chats with guest host Tracie Hunte about what Griner's detainment means for Black queer folks who travel and the antagonism surrounding the case.Then, Tracie talks about the big moment Nigerian pop culture is having in the U.S. She is joined by Nigerian American filmmaker and artist Amarachi Nwosu to discuss why this is happening now and how Nigeria's success might impact pop culture from other African nations. Plus, we play Who Said That! Tracie connects with NPR's B. A. Parker and Juana Summers to test their pop culture knowledge.You can follow us on Twitter @npritsbeenamin and email us at ibam@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In HBO's Industry, Myha'la Herrold plays Harper, a ruthless young trading floor analyst working for a bank in London. We've seen characters like her before — think of the power-obsessed personalities in shows like Billions and Succession. The big difference? The stakes are much higher for a young Black woman like Harper. Myha'la talks to guest host Tracie Hunte about the new season of Industry, bringing her own context to a complex, morally ambiguous character and why she credits her mom for her success. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What do we expect from women rappers? Guest host Tracie Hunte and music and culture journalist Naima Cochrane discuss HBO's Rap Sh!t — and how it portrays women in hip hop walking the line between sexuality and respectability.Then, Tracie talks to NPR TV critic Eric Deggans about recent shake-ups in late-night TV. They look at the genre's influence on comedy and what the future looks like for women and comedians of color.Plus, we play Who Said That! Tracie brings on her WNYC colleagues Alex Neason, producer and editor for Radiolab, and Janae Pierre, host of WNYC's Consider This.You can follow us on Twitter @npritsbeenamin and email us at ibam@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After years of covering HIV and AIDS, journalist Steven Thrasher knew that the hardest hit communities were almost always the poorest and most marginalized ones. Then COVID-19 struck, and he saw that the same groups of people were suffering the most.In his new book The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide, Thrasher explores how this pattern plays out in communities around the world. Guest host Tracie Hunte talks to him about the ways that systemic oppression puts marginalized people at greater risk of infection for all diseases – and also blames them for transmission. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy