logo
episode-header-image
Today
18m 39s

This summer's hottest trend? Monoculture...

NPR
About this episode
Monoculture is so back…in more ways than one. 

From record breaking blockbusters, to nail-biting sports wins, to the chaos that is Love Island - there has been something for everyone this summer. 

But while we were in the streets rooting for the Knicks, following the World Cup, or waiting for IMAX tickets… heatwaves, wildfire smog, and explosive diarrhea also made notable appearances. Apparently, monoculture can be good, bad, and everything in between.  

Friend of the show and senior correspondent at Vox.com, Alex Abad-Santos, joins It’s Been a Minute to unpack the highs and lows of our deep desire for monoculture. 

Read Alex’s article, Welcome to America’s post-World Cup hangover, on Vox.com right now. 

Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.

Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse

For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.


See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Jul 29
Feeling stuck? Take a side quest.
Feeling stuck? In a rut? Family or work driving you up a wall? Maybe it's time to take a side quest.Much like the optional, lore-building journeys in video games that enrich the main mission, real-life side quests bring a sense of whimsy to your daily routine. In real life, that ... Show More
22m 17s
Jul 28
The heavy weight of diet culture
Thin, is unfortunately in. The defining mantra of the 90s and early aughts, has reappeared as celebrities, influencers and everyday women shrink in size. But as people get smaller, others are talking. Online and in person, imperfect, candid and concern conversations are happening ... Show More
39m 9s
Jul 27
The hidden money financing your favorite songs
There are influencers taking money to promote music – and not telling you about it.It's great when you find people who put you on to hot new music that matches your taste. But online tastemakers might be getting secretly paid to shill for labels. This is not a conspiracy theory – ... Show More
25m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2020
It's About Damn Time
Monique Heart reflects on Kamala Harris’ historic win, Megan Thee Stallion’s new music, and the fashion industry's continuation of Blackfishing. This week Monique learns about voting in America and why some Latinx voters vote conservatively with Northwestern professor & Author, G ... Show More
1h 7m
May 2017
“Product, Not the Producer”
<p>DeRay, Brittany Packnett and Sam Sinyangwe are together again to talk about the most important news of the past week. Then, Grammy-award winning artist and activist John Legend joins DeRay to talk about parenting, women’s reproductive rights, mass incarceration and using his c ... Show More
1h 29m
Jul 2023
Say It Ain't So
A congressional hearing looks to the heavens, the Black community mourns a broken earth, and a Hollywood star drops in for a conversation about grace. For show notes and more, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
1h 1m
Oct 2021
All Eyes on Me
This week Erin Ryan and Alyssa Mastromonaco talk about the latest whiplash with Texas’s abortion ban, Wisconsin breweries helping parents sue schools over anti-mask mandates, CA Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia pioneering women’s rights in the state and the chaos in Idaho politics. ... Show More
1h 16m
Apr 2023
The Sands They Are A-Shifting
Words versus mobs, reckoning with CT’s past, and weird neighbors. For show notes and more, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
53m 42s
Dec 2021
NFT Shows Vs. Quality, Creator Economy Vs. Art, and COVID Variants Vs. Us
Today we talk about the topics in the title, as well as the Ahmaud Arbery case and some secret good news at the end of the episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
53m 31s
Feb 2021
Almost Famous: A Time to Listen
<p>Award winning producer, bestselling author and renowned motivational speaker DeVon Franklin joins Ben and Ashley for an honest and important conversation about race. </p><p><br></p><p>We discuss the recent controversy surrounding The Bachelor franchise and what steps can be ta ... Show More
1h 12m
Oct 2019
SMNTY Roundup: Kavanaugh, #MeToo, Games and More
<p>In this grabbag of an episode, Anney and Samantha do an update on some recent stories including new allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, #MeToo, trauma, board games, green army women, D&amp;D and the mysterious more.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="htt ... Show More
42m 30s