Culture Gabfest

This week’s Spoiler Specials takes on The Sandman. Senior editor, Sam Adams, and Slate’s book critic, Laura Miller spoil the comic book series by Neil Gaiman.  Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore. Email us at spoilers@slate.com. Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While political conservatives slammed it as wasteful, President Biden’s student debt plan was greeted with relief by many borrowers. But questions remain about whether it goes far enough to help most of the Black students burdened by student loans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issue with Professor Fenaba Addo, co-author of A Dream Defaulted: The Student Loan Crisis Among Black Borrowers. Guest: UNC Professor Fenaba Addo, co-author of A Dream Defaulted: The Student Loan Crisis Among Black Borrowers Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Lizzie O'Leary host of What Next: TBD is joined by Emily Peck co-host of Slate Money to explain the new Student Debt Relief Plan. They delve into the reason women often carry more debt on average and why they stand to benefit the most from even modest relief. Then, Lizzie and Emily unpack debt-relief criticism itself, what Biden’s plan does well, and where it could improve. In Slate Plus, some hard-hitting, in-depth analysis on whether or not laundry-folding is feminist. Recommendations Lizzie: Crime thriller Girl, Forgotten by author Karin Slaughter Emily: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law from Marvel and Disney+   Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus, Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. With production help from Anna Rubanova. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rumors about the legendary gangster Al Capone’s buried treasure transform an abandoned Chicago hotel into the center of the entertainment universe. Will Geraldo Rivera’s excavation on live TV turn up money, skeletons, or nothing at all? One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin.  Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts and Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director. Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle have a short discussion of the recent beekeeper drama on TikTok. Then, they’re joined by Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, hosts of the Who Weekly? podcast, to discuss Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez getting back together. They talk about what it was like when the pair first got together in the early 2000s, and why it feels so exciting to see these two stars indulge again in their past romance, and how Bennifer 3.0 will play in a new era of social media gossip. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. This episode originally aired on June 5, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dana and Julia are out but never fear, we’ve brought on two great guest host to join Steve: slate alumnus and NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie and senior editor at Slate, Sam Adams. First, the panel breaks down the moral quandaries of the socially unhinged HBO hit The Rehearsal. Then, the panel dips a toe into the dark side with the Aubrey Plaza-led film Emily the Criminal. Finally, the panel discusses the article “Why Do Rich People Love Quiet?” by Xochitl Gonzalez for The Atlantic. In Slate Plus, the panel discusses the relationship between race and food, based on the article “What We Talk About When We Talk About ‘White People Food’” by Jenny G. Zhang for Bon Appétit. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements Sam: The new New York City Center’s “Encore” production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods—now showing at the St. James Theater in New York City. Jamelle: Inspired by his podcast Unclear & Present Danger: the 1992 Bill Duke film Deep Cover starring Laurence Fishburn and Jeff Goldblum, wh

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Vinson Cunningham are joined by Ben Mathis-Lilley to discuss his new book on college football, The Hot Seat. They also discuss the hype around American tennis star Coco Gauff and review the soccer documentary Welcome to Wrexham.   The Hot Seat (2:14): Why does college football make so many of us insane?   Coco Gauff (24:54): Is the publicity warranted, or is too much for an 18-year-old to handle?   Welcome to Wrexham (47:60): Does the story of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buying a soccer team make for good TV?   Afterball (1:06:51): Josh on drinking beer through a hot dog straw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth are joined by Phillip Maciak, TV editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books and teacher at Washington University in St. Louis. Phillip explains why Bluey, a kids show centered around a family of dogs in Australia, is the best depiction of parenthood on TV. Recommendations:  Phillip recommends reading newspaper comics with kids. Elizabeth recommends the games Stack the States and Globle. Jamilah recommends Cheers Hydrate. Zak recommends Joe Reilly’s music.  Check out Phillip’s original piece for Slate: Why TV’s Best Kids Show Is Also Its Best Show About Parents Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes.  Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work. Learn

This week, host Karen Han talks to David Seth Moltz and Kavi Moltz, founders of the perfume company D.S. & Durga. In the interview, David and Kavi explain how their interest in perfume started as a hobby and blossomed into a business. They also discuss the trial and error of creating great scents and argue that perfumery should be considered an art form on the level of writing or music composition.  After the interview, Karen and co-host Isaac Butler talk about telling stories through scents and how subjective our sense of smell is.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. -- Link to Atlassian Work Check L

While authorities searched for missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito, she was everywhere to be found on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram. Content creators, some well-intentioned and others simply chasing clout and clicks, turned the story of Gabby’s apparent death into the latest in true crime drama. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk about the murkiness of the true crime internet and the ethics of using tragedy for clicks. They’re joined later in the show by Haley Toumaian, a TikTok creator and novice true crime podcast host who says the rapid pace of the news genre means sometimes getting things wrong in front of an audience of millions and willfully sharing misinformation.* Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. This episode originally aired on September 22, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, and over $100 million in prize money, this month Serena Williams announced the end of her professional tennis career. While her on-court accomplishments and longevity put her in the sporting pantheon, her cultural impact is just as remarkable.  Guest: Amira Rose Davis, assistant professor of Black studies at the University of Texas Austin and co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All Down. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, sure—Billy Joel’s first Top 40 hit, way back in 1974, was “Piano Man,” and the nickname stuck. But for a guy who became famous sitting behind 88 keys, few of his biggest hits are really piano songs. In fact, on all three of his No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, keyboards are not the primary instrument. The truth is, Joel isn’t the Piano Man, he’s the pastiche man. He has openly admitted to borrowing genre tropes, vocal styles, and even specific song hooks from his Baby Boom-era heroes, from Ray Charles to the Beatles to the Supremes. He’s been a jazzy crooner, a saloon balladeer, an anthem rocker, even a pseudo-punk. And on his most hit-packed album, he literally tried on a different song mode on every single—and was rewarded for it. This month, Hit Parade breaks down the uncanny success of pop magpie Billy Joel, the guy who would try anything for a hit: the next phase, new wave, dance craze, any ways. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch and Kevin Bendis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap

Are you ready for some football! After decades of being kept out of the quarterback position, more Black quarterbacks are creating success and finding stardom in the NFL. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by ESPN’s Jason Reid, author of “Rise of the Black Quarterback: What It Means for America.” They discuss how the business and politics of race have changed for football’s most sought after players, and what challenges remain for Black quarterbacks. Guest: Sports writer Jason Reid, author of “Rise of the Black Quarterback: What It Means for America” Podcast production by Yanii Evans You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and Karen Han discuss the many complicated emotions that can sometimes creep up after a big project comes to an end. They also share tips for managing those emotions and finding ways to recharge before the next project starts. Do you have a question about creative work? Call us and leave a message at 304-933-9675, or email us at working@slate.com. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Link to Atlassian Work Check Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by culture writer Anna Nordberg to talk all about Jane Austen. The romance novelist may have written her seven books well over a century ago, but as Cheyna and Anna discuss, her work still endures in popular culture. They talk about why Austen’s characters are even more modern than the men and women we see on screen today and why some of the men are kind of meh. Later in the show, they talk about what makes an endearing Jane Austen adaptation, and why Netflix’s Persuasion fails so miserably.  In Slate Plus, are Jane Austen’s proposals feminist? Recommendations: Anna: The 1995 Sense and Sensibility adaptation starring Emma Thompson.  Cheyna: The music of Cosmo Jarvis. Plus a dedication to a beloved professor, Dr. Brent Chesley.    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus, Daisy Rosario, and Alicia Montgomery.  Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com Learn m

The realm of fan fiction is a wild, magical place to be, especially if that fan fiction is set at Hogwarts. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about All the Young Dudes, an extensive Harry Potter fan fiction that has inspired a fandom all its own, and just how that fandom came to be. But first, they chat about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and spend time listening to the first line of some listeners’ NaNoWriMo novels. Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis, Daniel Schroeder, and Derek John. This episode originally ran on November 20, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dana and Julia hold down the fort in Steve’s absence while Slate’s book critic, Laura Miller, fills in as a third host. First, the panel breaks down the Neil Gaiman adaptation that no one thought would happen, The Sandman. Then, the panel discusses the new installment in the Predator franchise: Prey. Finally, supplemented by Laura’s great piece on the author, the panel attempts to answer: Who is Colleen Hoover? In Slate Plus, the panel discusses pairs of notable people that they’d like to see in conversation with one another. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements Dana: Pulling a Julia with a food endorsement: Off-Script’s Samin-Nosrat-inspired thyme pistachio pesto. Julia: More Summer Strut afterglow: “I Wish That I Could See You Soon” by Herman Dune. Laura: The New Zealand comedy series, Wellington Paranormal, which is a spin-off of the original What We Do in the Shadows film. Specifically: season 4 episode 3, “The Coolening.” Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Vinson Cunningham are joined by Defector’s Maitreyi Anantharaman to discuss the WNBA playoffs. Dion Wright also joins to explain what it was like to guard LeBron James. Finally, they talk about Isiah Thomas’ “No Crime Day,” the subject of the first episode of Slate’s One Year: 1986 podcast.   WNBA (2:48): Can Sue Bird lead the Seattle Storm to a fifth title?   Dion Wright (23:39): How it felt to go viral for going up against one of the greatest of all time.   No Crime Day (42:20): A conversation about basketball and athlete activism in the 1980s.   Afterball (1:05:56): Stefan on the agony and ecstasy of watching Pete Carril’s Princeton teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Plotz talks with author Mat Johnson about his new novel Invisible Things. Johnson’s novel tells the story of a group of astronauts that land in a bubble colony on Jupiter's biggest moon. They talk about the challenges of writing satire when reality feels fake, how mediocre people rise up by sucking up, and why we need to look at the invisible things in our daily lives.   Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Karen Han talks to Lynon Aksamit, a puzzle designer for the Colorado-based company Liberty Puzzles. In the interview, Lynon explains how he and his colleagues select artwork to turn into puzzles. Then he breaks down his process for designing puzzle pieces (including “whimsy pieces”) and describes how he plays with the themes of the original artwork to create engaging puzzles for customers.  After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas discuss their own experiences with puzzles.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Lynon explains how he’s able to make time for side projects.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign u