The Kennedys are the first family that comes to mind when Americans consider homegrown, pseudo-royal dynasties. From Joe to John and Jackie, they have been elevated to a mythical cultural status. But is it possible that they share more in common with another prominent American family, the Kardashians? Today, Brittany is joined by MJ Corey, author of Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto, to find out how these two American 'royal' families share a cultural Krown.Want more about famous families and the narratives they spin? Check out these episodes:Inside the Michael Jackson legacy industrial complexMelania Trump’s multi-million dollar “infomercial”Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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

Many millennials either are already in their 40s or are staring them down. Are they having a midlife crisis?As this generation enters midlife, their lives look really different from their parents' lives: Millennials are more educated and have a higher median net worth, but the generation is also more unequal than previous generations, has higher debt and has lower rates of homeownership and marriage. How does that all shape what millennial midlife crises are starting to look like?Brittany finds out with Vox senior correspondent Alex Abad-Santos, who recently wrote an article about the millennial midlife crisis, and Sara Srygley, research associate at the Population Reference Bureau.This episode originally aired on June 20, 2025.For more episodes about the forces shaping Millennials’ lives, check out:You're not broken - the job market is.Enough is enough. Is it time to leave America?The ugly truth of America's expensive homesSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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

The MET Gala 2026 was eclipsed by its own sponsors, making the event feel out of touch and out of fashion.Beyoncé made her first MET Gala appearance in ten years. Rihanna showed up (very late). And there were many incredible fashion moments: from Emma Chamberlain to Nicole Kidman to Lena Dunham. But the whole affair was overshadowed by the sponsorship of Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Plus, other tech billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin, made their MET Gala debuts. All calling into question...what is this event (and art) really for?To get into it, NPR Music's Anamaria Sayre is joined by culture critic Marjon Carlos and culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith. Together they rate the best and worst of fashion's biggest night and explain why the MET Gala feels like it's in decline.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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

The MET Gala 2026 is already off to a controversial start, and no one has even shown up yet.That's because Anna Wintour has been buddying up with a certain billionaire, Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos. The couple are the lead sponsors of this year's gala. To be clear, the wealthiest people have always been involved with fashion's biggest night, but this year some folks feels its more in the spotlight - at a time when many Americans feel like life is getting more and more unaffordable. Brittany is joined by culture critic Marjon Carlos and culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith to lay out the stakes of this year's MET Gala - from the billionaires to the best dressed.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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

The Jackson family and estate have joined forces to give us another biopic of Michael Jackson's life. Michael doesn't tell us anything new about the King of Pop, but it has had the biggest opening weekend of a music biopic ever. From Whitney Houston to Freddie Mercury, why do these posthumous biopics always seem to fall flat, and what do decades of Jackson family drama say about how we reckon with the complicated figures in pop culture and our own lives? Brittany talks with Aisha Harris, critic and co-host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, to find out.Want more deep dives on the legacies of pop culture icons? Check out these episodes:Jesse Jackson & the end of the civil rights superheroMarilyn Monroe was more than just 'Blonde'Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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

The slur disappeared but is once again popular to use on and offline. What's up with that?Over the past few years, the R-word — a term for disabled people that otherwise left the cultural lexicon — has been popping up more and more. It is the rare slur that goes out of vogue and makes a resurgence, particularly among young men. Its return may also have larger implications that affect policy, culture and how we treat each other.Disability advocate Imani Barbarin joins the show to break down how ableism can take root in casual conversation, and why words matter.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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

Is the American fashion industry making a conservative turn?Despite her modeling past, fashion-obsessed First Lady Melania Trump has not graced the cover of Vogue during President Trump’s tenure. And that’s not necessarily surprising– Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of American Vogue, is a longtime advocate for the Democrats.But there’s definitely been a shift. That’s why it’s been so curious to see Trump associate Lauren Sánchez Bezos on the digital cover of Vogue. And it was definitely peculiar to see longevity-obsessed venture capitalist Bryan Johnson and looksmaxxing influencer Clavicular walking the runway. Is the American fashion industry making a conservative turn? Or is this just business as usual?To answer this question, Brittany is joined by Pulitzer Prize winning critic, Robin Givhan. From fashionable First Ladies to President Trump’s favorite shoes - Robin gets into how fashion, politics, and our desire for relatability collide in the court of public opinion. Want more about fashion? Check out these episodes:Fast fashion vs. Trump: why women may pay more in the tariff warsThe MET Gala is tonight, and it's already historic. Here's why.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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

Is polyamory about more than just how many partners you have?According to a YouGov survey from 2023, on a scale of zero being completely monogamous and six being completely non-monogamous, one third of Americans put their answer somewhere above zero. And there are a lot of different types of non-monogamy, but one of those types – polyamory – has been in the discourse as of late. The polyamory that writer Lindy West describes in her new book, Adult Braces, has spawned a thousand takes: her path to polyamory was admittedly kind of dicey, and it spawned discussion about what polyamory means. Polyamory can stand in for a set of political beliefs, class associations and other signifiers that have nothing to do with how many partners one has. But why does a choice about relationship structures feel so weighty, and why can't anyone be normal about it?To discuss, Brittany is joined by Christopher M. Gleason, lecturer of American history at Georgia State University and the author of American Poly, a book about the history of polyamory in America.(00:00) Lindy West and polyamory panic(02:41) Polyamory's surprising political origins(07:02) Can polyamory "fix" relationships?(12:41) Misconceptions about polyamory (and why it has so many haters)For more episodes about relationships, check out:What really counts as "cheating?"The joy of breaking up with dating appsMe and my partner don't see eye-to-eye about AI. Now what?Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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

Do you feel poor every time you turn on Bravo television?You're not alone - the beautiful homes of the rich and famous showcased on reality TV shows from Keeping Up with the Kardashians to the Real Housewives of Atlanta are meant to be something of a fantasy for audiences everywhere. But what are the housing realities behind the glitz and glamour? And how are your favorite reality TV stars shaping your own ideas of home and stability? To find out, Brittany is joined by Jack Balderrama Morley, author of Dream Facades: The Cruel Architecture of Reality TV, and Liam Dillon, staff writer at Politico who covers housing in California.Want more about cultural deep dives into Reality TV?Check out these episodes:Is this the end of reality TV?The molten center of 'The Real Housewives' multiverseSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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

Are men ashamed of their porn habits?The majority of men consume porn, and most use it for masturbation, but two thirds of men under 25 think porn should be harder to access, according to research from the Survey Center on American Life. There's a broader discussion now among some men about the role of porn and masturbation in their lives – and manosphere figures like Andrew Tate and Hamza Ahmed are urging their listeners to stop watching it. Some men are cutting it out entirely: they congregate on Reddit pages like r/pornfree or use porn addiction alleviation apps like Quittr and Fortify. But what do men think watching porn says about them? And is this just “purity culture for boys”? Brittany is joined by Rebecca Jennings, features writer at New York Magazine who wrote a piece about anti-porn men, and Scott Burnett, assistant professor of African Studies and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies at Penn State University, who has published research about men's anti-masturbation trends. (00:00) Why are (some) men turning against porn?(03:49) Gen Z men and shame around porn(11:18) "Real sex with real women": how anti-porn men view women(14:30) The fear of losing control to porn addiction(19:15) Is this just "purity culture for boys?"(22:27) Desire can be embarrassing - but maybe that's okayFor more episodes about gender, sexuality, and internet culture, check out:The price women pay for being onlineThe joy of breaking up with dating appsGen Z is afraid of sex — and for good reasonSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor 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