It's Been a Minute

Love Island USA, the reality show where attractive singles compete to find love, is in full swing. Over the course of its eighth season, there’s been everything from romance and friendship to betrayal and heartbreak. And what goes on inside the Love Island villa has sparked a lot of discourse outside of it. To understand this microcosm of modern dating and why the season's villains are finding defenders online, Brittany chats with Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox's Explain it to Me podcast, and Marcus Jones, Awards Editor at IndieWire, to get into it.

For more episodes on reality television, check out:

How to Enter Your Sporty Era

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Reality dating and professional sports are not as different as you’d think.

Brittany is in her Sporty Spice era – she watched the NBA playoffs, she’s following World Cup games, and she’s watching the New York Liberty play their WNBA season. These games are daily – and so is the reality dating show Love Island. And she noticed that the two formats are not very different at all. Defector.com staff writer and co-owner Kelsey McKinney came to the same conclusion – so the two of them discuss why these games of athleticism and love can bring us together… and why they get valued differently in our culture.

(00:00) Brittany enters her Sporty Spice era
(02:02) 'Love Island USA' vibe check
(05:07) Why 'Love Island' is sports
(07:47) The 'Terrible Son' theory for sports fandom
(11:39) How sports and reality TV bring people together
(14:25) Is sports fandom open to everyone?

For more episodes on sports and reality TV, check out:
Get rich or die trying: how sports betting is changing our love of the game
Is this the end of reality TV?
The ugly truth of America's expensive homes

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Could you see your life just as easily with children as without? 

What if you're not cut out for parenthood? What if you grow lonely in your old age? Or what if you have a loving partner, but you disagree on this choice? Deciding between parenthood and a child-free life requires clarity about your fears and deepest desires — no easy task. This episode, psychotherapist and author of the book, The Baby Decision, Merle Bombardieri, helps us get clear. She discusses minimizing regret, normalizing feeling 'stuck' and why waiting to have a baby at 38 may be best. 

Want more about the decision to have kids? 

Many women don't want kids. And for good reason.
Why are people freaking out about the birth rate?

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What does America look like to visitors?

We're finding out in real time as fans and athletes from all over the world visit the United States for World Cup matches across the country. From Ranch dressing, to the wonders of all-you-can-eat buffets, tourists are getting a taste of all the USA has to offer, but how do we square the warm welcome for the World Cup with the United States' recent stances on immigration? Brittany is joined by immigration reporter Jasmine Garsd, and NPR reporter Juliana Kim to find out.

Want more global perspectives on culture? Check out these episodes:
How often do you think about the American Empire?
Make life harder (and better): Learn another language.

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This episode was produced by Liam McBain and Corey Antonio Rose. It was edited by Neena Pathak. Our Supervising Producer is Cher Vincent. Our Executive Producer is Barton Girdwood. Our VP of Programming is Yolanda Sangweni.

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How do you practice good etiquette online?

Your online life shapes your offline life -- including how you talk, listen, and interact with the world. But often, good behavior offline doesn't necessarily translate to good behavior online.  So when we get online, how do we uphold some social norms and common decencies we practice in the real world?  Brittany chats with Senior Writer at Wired, Jason Parham, to discuss what it means to establish boundaries and social etiquette within our online worlds. 

Want more about good etiquette? Check out these IBAM episodes:
Is your neighborhood riddled with dog poop?
Who needs to know where you are?

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