Anna Deavere Smith is an acclaimed actress, journalist, and playwright. She's a pioneer of what's known as 'verbatim theater,' which is performance based on conversations and interviews with real people.  But after decades of becoming thousands of Americans on stage, what has she learned about our nation? Host Brittany Luse sat down with Deavere Smith in studio to hear her unique perspective about who — and what — America is.

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Anna Deavere Smith plays real Americans on stage - and she shares her lessons

Has it been a minute since you heard a thought-provoking conversation about culture? Brittany Luse wants to help. Each week, she takes the things everyone's talking about and, in conversation with her favorite creators, tastemakers, and experts, gives you new ways to think about them. Beyond the obvious takes. Because culture doesn't happen by accident.

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Host Brittany Luse sits down with Arionne Nettles, author of We Are the Culture: Black Chicago's Influence on Everything. Arionne shares how Black media in Chicago influenced the way Black Americans see themselves and why the city deserves to be called 'the heart of Black America.'

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How Chicago's Black press shaped America

This week, President Biden signed a law that could ban TikTok nationwide unless its Chinese parent company sells the media platform within a year. Brittany is joined by NPR's Deirdre Walsh and Bobby Allyn to discuss the backdrop of this decision and its implications.

Then, the tradwife - aka "traditional wife" - has taken social media by storm. But there's more to this trend than homemade sourdough bread and homeschooled children. Writer Zoe Hu chats with Brittany about her article on the "fantasy" of the tradwife and what this influx in content says about how women feel about work and the modern world.

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TikTok gets the boot; plus, a 'tradwife' fantasy

One of Brittany's latest TV obsessions has been Netflix's Love on the Spectrum. It's a reality series that follows several autistic adults as they wade through the dating pool, guided by relationship coach Jennifer Cook. Brittany sits down with Jennifer to unpack how her own experience with autism informs the advice she gives. 

Then, Brittany is joined by Gender Reveal podcast host Tuck Woodstock and Flyest Fables producer Morgan Givens. Together, they discuss how the show deals with stereotypes, the problems baked into all dating shows and what it's like to watch the show as autistic viewers.

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Dating skills vs. dating gimmicks in 'Love on the Spectrum'

Earlier this week, pro-Palestinian protestors blocked traffic on highways and bridges in San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Seattle. On that same day, the Supreme Court made it incredibly difficult to protest in a lot of the American South. In this episode, host Brittany Luse looks at the state of protest in America. She sits down with Sandhya Dirks, an NPR reporter who covers race and identity, and Elizabeth Blair, a senior arts reporter at NPR. Together, they discuss shifting attitudes towards protest as well as new anti-protest legislation. Then, they play a game of But Did You Know?

After that, we take a look back at OJ Simpson and his impact on culture. Brittany is joined by NPR's Mandalit Del Barco and Eric Deggans to hear their account of how OJ shifted media and television as we know it. He's had an outsized influence on everything from true-crime, to TMZ, to the Kardashians.

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The backlash against protests; plus, how OJ Simpson changed media forever

Some of us whistle while we work, but what happens when your work is whistling? This week, host Brittany Luse is joined by professional whistler, Molly Lewis. Lewis' catalogue spans across the film and music industries, from features on the Barbie soundtrack to performances alongside Karen O. From NPR's New York Bureau, Brittany sits down with Lewis to talk about the world of competitive whistling, how she hones a craft many people see as fidgeting, and why older generations are more likely to whistle. This episode also features a special live performance with songs from Lewis' new album, On The Lips.

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Anna Deavere Smith plays real Americans on stage - and she shares her lessons

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