Jessica Mendoza
NPR
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by Jessica:
Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'The Godfather' and the limits of on-screen representation
From our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour, a deep dive on The Godfather – and why the classic film was not universally loved by the Italian-American community that it portrayed. This episode is part one of the new three-part podcast series Screening Ourselves, which is all about the complicated relationships between on-screen characters and the people they aim to represent. → Read More
Sibling rivalry takes the stage on Broadway; plus Randall Park's latest 'Blockbuster'
There's nothing like the holidays for family drama. And in today's episode, Brittany Luse sits down with two actors who portray a classic brother-against-brother dynamic in the Pulitzer-winning play Topdog/Underdog, which recently returned to Broadway. Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II talk sibling rivalries, the American dream and why their two-man show is not just an exploration of race.… → Read More
Lionel Messi's last World Cup? Plus, a 'Diasporican' Thanksgiving
They call him a 21st-century god of soccer. One of the all time greats. A king. But Lionel Messi's crown is still missing one big jewel: a World Cup trophy for his home country, Argentina.In this episode, host Brittany Luse explores Messi's long road to a World Cup victory with Jasmine Garsd, host of NPR's new podcast The Last Cup. Along the way, they go into how immigration, race and class coil… → Read More
Black films that changed the game
It's a big week in Black cinema as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hit theaters Friday. But on the same day, another film dropped that may be just as powerful in its message about Black moviemaking. Is This Black Enough For You? pays homage to the decades of creativity that made the celebrated Marvel movie possible – and deeply influenced cinema as we know it. Host Brittany Luse sits down with… → Read More
Skincare culture runs deep — and celebrities are cashing in
The promise of the skincare industry – and the celebrities crowding it – is that it's about health, not superficial beauty. But is it? → Read More
Are the Kardashians America's family?
The Kardashians. Whether you're into them or not, one thing is true: You can't avoid them. When they're not releasing new episodes of their long-running reality TV show, they're making headlines about Halloween costume reveals or ex-husbands who go on anti-Semitic rants. Because somehow, over the past decade, the Kardashian family went from Hollywood D-listers to American institution. Host… → Read More
The Grim Reaper of retail: Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween is known for its unique business model. On Halloween, we bring you an episode of It's Been A Minute about why this pop-up scheme is such a hit.For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. → Read More
Our undying cultural obsession with vampires
Spooky season is upon us, so we decided to sink our teeth into the world of vampires. Host Brittany Luse kicks off the conversation with Kendra R. Parker, who teaches a class at Georgia Southern University about Black vampires in film and literature. They talk about the racial and sexual politics of vampire narratives and why humans continue to find vampire stories compelling.Then Brittany sits… → Read More
The Grim Reaper of retail: Spirit Halloween
Every fall, with the same regularity as birds flying south, Spirit Halloween materializes in locations across the country. The superstore sells all manner of trappings for spooky season, including costumes, props and décor. It boasts about 1,400 pop-ups nationwide, and often takes over temporary leases in malls where a big-box retailer struggled to stay open. This penchant for swooping in on… → Read More
'Los Espookys' co-creator Julio Torres hates main character energy
Los Espookys co-creator and star Julio Torres joined It's Been A Minute to discuss the show, his designer parents, and why he likes to write for supporting characters. → Read More
Taylor Swift is peak millennial vibes
The It's Been a Minute team gives you a sneak peek at the event of the season: BravoCon, where our producer met his favorite housewife, and the Salt Lake City stars spill the tea to host Brittany Luse.Then, Brittany sits down with Julio Torres, a comedian, actor, writer and creator of HBO's Los Espookys. They discuss the influences behind his unique world-building.Finally, if you're a Taylor… → Read More
'Never Have I Ever' is just the start for Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan has big dreams. The 20-year-old gained full celebrity status with her breakout role as Devi Vishwakumar in the Netflix teen hit Never Have I Ever. But now that filming has wrapped for the show's four seasons, Ramakrishnan is looking ahead. Host Brittany Luse gets Ramakrishnan dishing on everything from cosplay to car chases. They also talk about Ramakrishnan's wildest dream… → Read More
How Elon Musk used sci-fi and social media to shape his narrative
The saga around Elon Musk's deal to buy Twitter has been just that: a months-long soap opera involving lawsuits and subpoenas, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, even a town hall. But why does Musk — one of the world's richest and arguably most influential men — want with a social media platform?Host Brittany Luse dives into the dreams and myths surrounding Elon Musk with Jill Lepore,… → Read More
Stacey Abrams balances pragmatism and hope, amid Georgia's midterm elections
Stacey Abrams wants to make history again. After losing the Georgia governor's race to Brian Kemp back in 2018, Abrams — the first Black woman to be a major party's gubernatorial candidate — spent four years coalition building across the state. Now she's back, armed with a national reputation, the experience of running for statewide office and a fresh determination to defend her state from voter… → Read More
How Tiny Desk became a go-to spot for hip-hop
When folks think about where to get the latest in hip-hop, NPR doesn't usually come to mind. But that's changing, thanks to the team at the Tiny Desk Concerts, which was just nominated as the Best Hip-Hop Platform for the 2022 BET Awards. Since 2008, Tiny Desk Concerts have delighted millions of listeners and viewers on YouTube with stripped-down performances from their favorite artists. Now the… → Read More
Actor Judy Greer on 'Reboot' — and why are there so many TV reboots, anyway?
We talk TV REBOOTS. Guest host Elise Hu chats with Judy Greer about her role in the new Hulu series Reboot; her work as a comedic actress, and the state of television. Then, Elise talks with Daniel Herbert, associate professor of film and TV at the University of Michigan and co-editor of the book Film Reboots, about why so many old shows are being remade now. Plus, a special reboot-themed "Who… → Read More
How HBO transformed television
HBO gave us some of the most iconic television shows of our time: Sex and the City. The Sopranos. Game of Thrones. But is the era of HBO coming to a close?Earlier this year, HBO's parent company, Warner Media, merged with Discovery. By next year, the new Warner Bros. Discovery will combine HBO Max with Discovery Plus into an as-yet unnamed umbrella streaming service. The merger raises questions… → Read More
Who needs the monarchy? Plus, why gray floors and barn doors are everywhere
King Charles III doesn't enjoy the same popularity as his mother. In the face of mixed feelings towards the new king, some are asking: Is this the beginning of the end of the British monarchy? Guest host Elise Hu talks to Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, lawyer, activist and author of This Is Why I Resist about this new era for the British royals, the power they hold and the potential opportunities for… → Read More
Serena's final serve; plus, the Emmys in an era of too much TV
Serena Williams just played her last U.S. Open. In the historic two-plus decades of her tennis career, she's won 23 Grand Slams and four Olympic gold medals — all while becoming a mother, dealing with injuries and health crises and facing more scrutiny and downright bias than her peers. Guest host Elise Hu talks to Alex Abad-Santos, senior correspondent at Vox, about her legacy in sports and… → Read More
The game has changed for D&D and 'A League of Their Own'
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… → Read More