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Sam Sanders Sam Sanders is a correspondent and host of It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders.
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Sam Sanders

Tuesday

'True Story': Danielle Lindemann on 'What Reality TV Says About Us'

Danielle Lindemann, author of True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us. Cyndi Shattuck/FSG hide caption

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Cyndi Shattuck/FSG

It's Been a Minute

'True Story': Danielle Lindemann on 'What Reality TV Says About Us'

In this special new episode of It's Been a Minute, we share a conversation Sam Sanders recorded about one of his favorite things: reality TV. He's joined by Danielle Lindemann, author of True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us, to discuss the genre's origins in Real World and Survivor, how reality TV influences our culture, and why we should all take the genre more seriously.

'True Story': Danielle Lindemann on 'What Reality TV Says About Us'

Listen · 24:59
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Friday

Sam says goodbye

Sam Sanders says goodbye to NPR. Josh Huskin/Josh Huskin hide caption

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Josh Huskin/Josh Huskin

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Sam says goodbye

It's Been A Minute is sticking around, but before our beloved Sam Sanders takes flight we've got news to cover! In Sam's last episode as host, he's joined by NPR Weekend Edition Sunday host Ayesha Rascoe and NPR Congressional Correspondent Susan Davis to talk about the latest in politics news from gas prices to Ukraine to the upcoming US midterms. He then plays a special game of Who Said That? with his Aunt Betty and her friend, Lynette Maxwell.

Sam says goodbye

Listen · 36:58
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Tuesday

The trouble with defining antisemitism

Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. In January, an armed man stormed into the synagogue and held four people hostage for more than 10 hours. Emil Lippe/Getty Images hide caption

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Emil Lippe/Getty Images

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The trouble with defining antisemitism

With more extreme antisemitic attacks on the rise and more antisemitic rhetoric in the mainstream, antisemitism has become an increasingly pressing issue in the US. But at the same time, the conversation around antisemitism is getting more fraught. Sam talks with Dov Waxman, professor and director for the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, about what people are getting wrong about antisemitism. They discuss why there's so much contention around what the term means, why it can be hard to talk about, and how to fight antisemitism when it happens.

The trouble with defining antisemitism

Listen · 27:27
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Friday

Sanctions 101

Women look at a screen displaying exchange rate at a currency exchange office in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. In the days since the West imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, ordinary Russians are feeling the painful effects — from payment systems that won't operate and problems withdrawing cash to not being able to purchase certain items. Dmitri Lovetsky/AP hide caption

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Dmitri Lovetsky/AP

It's Been a Minute

Sanctions 101

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, global powers have put the pressure on with sanctions upon sanctions. But what does that even mean? Class is in session as Sam attends Sanctions 101 with Cardiff Garcia, host of The New Bazaar, and Stacey Vanek Smith, co-host of The Indicator. They talk about how economic sanctions are supposed to work and whether they can be effective enough to change anything on the ground.

Sanctions 101

Listen · 30:50
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Tuesday

'Jackass' star Johnny Knoxville has nothing left to prove

Johnny Knoxville gets hit by a bull in his latest film Jackass Forever. Sean Cliver/Courtesy of Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Sean Cliver/Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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'Jackass' star Johnny Knoxville has nothing left to prove

It's our 500th episode and what better way to celebrate than with Johnny Knoxville's first appearance on NPR? We couldn't think of a better milestone. In this episode, Sam and Johnny chat about his latest Jackass endeavor with Jackass Forever while also looking back at the reality show that started it all — and how its very first stunt actually shut down production. They also discuss Jackass' queer fanbase and Johnny's time in therapy. Come for the talk about raunchy stunts, stay for the Johnny Knoxville School of Radical Acceptance!

'Jackass' star Johnny Knoxville has nothing left to prove

Listen · 32:53
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Friday

Trayvon, ten years later

People hold up signs and bags of Skittles candy during a rally in support of Trayvon Martin at Freedom Plaza in Washington, on Saturday, March 24, 2012. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption

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Jacquelyn Martin/AP

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Trayvon, ten years later

Before George Floyd and Michael Brown, there was Trayvon Martin. And this weekend marks ten years since the watershed moment that planted the seed for the Black Lives Matter movement we know today. A decade later, Sam is joined by Nailah Summers-Polite, co-director of the Dream Defenders, and Georgetown law professor, Paul Butler to discuss their feelings ten years ago and how their activism has evolved along with the movement.

Trayvon, ten years later

Listen · 30:53
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Monday

'Love Is Blind' remains a mind-blowing experiment

Pods are all the rage in Netflix's dating show Love Is Blind, which returns for a second season. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Love Is Blind' remains a mind-blowing experiment

In Netflix's dating show Love Is Blind, couples sit in separate cells that they call pods, where they can hear each other but not see each other. And once they've had a conversation or two, if they're getting along, they get engaged. And only then do they meet. The second season is now airing on Netflix and in this encore episode, we're revisiting our baffling fascination with the dating show.

'Love Is Blind' remains a mind-blowing experiment

Listen · 16:25
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Friday

Ok. I guess we'll talk about the metaverse.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 01: Matthew Hoerl of MoNA Gallery wearing a VR headset at the DCentral Miami Conference. Organizers say this is the largest in-person combined NFT and DeFi conference in history, and includes the MoNA Gallery that describes itself as seeding the open metaverse through the creation and use of unique 3D spaces. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Ok. I guess we'll talk about the metaverse.

What is the metaverse? How do you get to it? Why does it seem to dominate headlines every week? Is it possibly a sign of our dystopian future? Sam learns all about the metaverse and more with NPR technology correspondent Shannon Bond and NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn. They define the metaverse, explain why companies are so eager to jump into it, and whether or not we should worry about it.

Ok. I guess we'll talk about the metaverse.

Listen · 28:20
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Tuesday

Producer Gloria Calderón Kellett on making and sustaining Latinx TV

Constance Marie (L) and Gloria Calderón Kellett (R) star in With Love (Amazon Prime Video). Calderón Kellett is also the creator and showrunner of the series. Kevin Estrada/Amazon Prime Video hide caption

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Kevin Estrada/Amazon Prime Video

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Producer Gloria Calderón Kellett on making and sustaining Latinx TV

Streaming has totally changed the face of TV, but in all its abundance, who gets to make a show, and which shows live to see another season? Sam chats with TV writer and producer Gloria Calderón Kellett (One Day at a Time, With Love), who has long grappled with this question. They talk about what it takes to make something for your people in the industry right now, what she's doing to claim space for Latinx creatives and how she copes with it all.

Producer Gloria Calderón Kellett on making and sustaining Latinx TV

Listen · 32:24
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Friday

The demand for salary transparency, plus a new fresh prince of 'Bel-Air'

Jabari Banks (left) as Will and Jordan L. Jones (right) as Jazz in a scene for the new Peacock show Bel-Air. Peacock/Peacock hide caption

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Peacock/Peacock

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The demand for salary transparency, plus a new fresh prince of 'Bel-Air'

Victoria Walker, former The Points Guy senior travel reporter, didn't think much about tweeting her salary when she quit her job and offering advice for anyone interested in applying. But the tweet went viral and sparked a wider conversation about pay transparency. Sam asks Victoria why she did it and talks with Wall Street Journal workplace reporter Lauren Weber about why pay transparency matters.

The demand for salary transparency, plus a new fresh prince of 'Bel-Air'

Listen · 36:13
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Tuesday

China influences the movies Hollywood makes. But it may not need the U.S. anymore

Cover art for Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy, written by Erich Schwartzel. Erich Schwartzel hide caption

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Erich Schwartzel

It's Been a Minute

China influences the movies Hollywood makes. But it may not need the U.S. anymore

China has held a soft power over Hollywood for the last few decades. Examples range from the cosmetic, like the way Chinese police heroically restore order in films like The 355. It can also be more overt, like China blocking the release of Chloé Zhao's film Eternals in the country. Sam and Erich Schwartzel talk about how and why China has influenced the American film industry and more reporting in his new book Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy.

China influences the movies Hollywood makes. But it may not need the U.S. anymore

Listen · 29:52
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Friday

It's all politics at the Winter Olympics, plus 'This Is Dating'

A man walks past the Olympic rings on the exterior of the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, which will be a venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption

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Mark Schiefelbein/AP

It's Been a Minute

It's all politics at the Winter Olympics, plus 'This Is Dating'

It's hard to believe the Winter Olympics have begun in Beijing, our second COVID Games. Sam talks to NPR correspondent Emily Feng about the political implications of this year's Olympics, the crackdowns on activists, and diplomatic boycotts.

It's all politics at the Winter Olympics, plus 'This Is Dating'

Listen · 39:22
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Thursday

The 'Janet Jackson' doc leaves us with more questions than answers

Janet Jackson in the new documentary from Lifetime and A&E. A&E/Lifetime hide caption

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A&E/Lifetime

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The 'Janet Jackson' doc leaves us with more questions than answers

Janet Jackson. is a four-part TV documentary from Lifetime and A&E that shows how the pop star became one of the biggest and most influential artists of the last four decades. With new interviews and never-before-seen footage, the series also documents many of her personal struggles and controversies, including the infamous wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl.

The 'Janet Jackson' doc leaves us with more questions than answers

Listen · 18:32
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Tuesday

Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' brings lost music back to life

Sly Stone performs at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary Summer of Soul. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

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Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' brings lost music back to life

There were two big music festivals happening in the summer of 1969. While one defined an entire generation of culture and music... the other remained obscure — the only recorded footage placed in a basement that was said to have sat, unpublished, for decades. That is, until Questlove's first documentary Summer of Soul came out last year. In this episode, Sam chats with Questlove about the recent release of the film's soundtrack, the long history of Black erasure, and the memorable performances from the likes of The 5th Dimension, Stevie Wonder (playing the drums!), Mavis Staples, Mahalia Jackson, and Nina Simone.

Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' brings lost music back to life

Listen · 29:27
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Friday

Whodunit at 'The Afterparty' plus the lie of 'Laziness'

Aniq (Sam Richardson) and Yasper (Ben Schwartz) search for clues about their classmate's murder in The Afterparty on Apple TV+. Apple TV+ hide caption

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Apple TV+

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Whodunit at 'The Afterparty' plus the lie of 'Laziness'

Sam sits down to chat, sing, improv and of course play Who Said That with actors Ben Schwartz and Sam Richardson, stars of the new murder mystery The Afterparty on Apple TV+. Then, Sam revisits his 2021 conversation with Devon Price, author of Laziness Does Not Exist, where they discuss the lie of laziness and what it means for productivity.

Whodunit at 'The Afterparty' plus the lie of 'Laziness'

Listen · 37:17
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