Culture Gabfest

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to open up the mailbag for another session of Read Receipts. They get into drama surrounding Nicki Minaj’s alleged former assistant airing the rapper’s alleged dirty laundry, Diane Warren stirring up trouble with Beyoncé, satisfying restocking videos, and an explanation of Ana Mardoll. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s Spoiler Specials takes on Bullet Train. Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens and senior editor Sam Adams spoil the latest action comedy release from Atomic Blonde director and John Wick co-creator, David Leitch.  Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore. Read Dana’s review here. Email us at spoilers@slate.com. Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NBA star Bill Russell, the first Black American to coach a major-league sports team, died this week. His playing earned him 11 championships. His activism won him respect in the Black community, but the hatred of many white fans, and surveillance from the FBI during the civil rights era. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by sports journalist Howard Bryant to discuss Russell’s legacy, on and off the court. Guest: Veteran sports journalist Howard Bryant Podcast production by Eric Aaron 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, Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci and Slate books and culture columnist Laura Miller talk all things Liz Cheney. They discuss Laura’s piece on how the Republican Congresswoman is coming across like a disappointed mom during the January 6 hearings—and whether comparing women politicians to mother figures is always sexist. Then they dig into what Cheney’s long-game is as she defies the Republican party and goes against Donald Trump. In Slate Plus, Christina and Laura discuss the January 6 hearings’ breakout star, Cassidy Hutchinson.  Recommendations: Christina: Caesar salad dressing from Once Upon a Chef Laura: Trailed by Kathryn Miles   Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus, Alicia Montgomery and Daisy Rosario. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On was a viral sensation when he first popped up on the internet in 2010, and now he’s back in a major motion picture. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to discuss Will Smith’s sneaky news dump, do some High Speed Downloads on the Pink Sauce, and the Little Miss meme, and get into why Netflix is suing the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. Then, Rachelle speaks to Marcel the Shell With Shoes On director and co-writer Dean Fleischer-Camp to discuss what it’s been like translating an internet character to the big screen, what gets lost when things go viral, and how the internet virality to mainstream success pipeline has changed over the years. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by trying to tackle Jordan Peele’s most recent sci-fi, western, horror film NOPE. Then, the panel is joined by author and host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler, to discuss the new HBO series The Last Movie Stars. Finally, Slate’s editorial assistant and production assistant for Culture Gabfest, Nadira Goffe, joins to discuss Beyoncé’s 7th studio album Renaissance. In Slate Plus, the panel gets into some NOPE spoilers. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements Dana: The proper name pronunciation of two Irish artists from our Spoiler Special episode: Roisin Murphy and Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson (aka CMAT). In that vein, an endorsement for CMAT’s album If My Wife Knew I’d Be Dead.   Julia: An endorsement from “Recipe Julia” for Alison Roman’s Mustardy Green Beans with Anchovied Walnuts from her cookbook Nothing Fancy. Steve: From a previous Julia endorsement: the app Merlin. Also, alto saxophonist Sonny Red’s album Out of the Blue. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Pro

Elaine picked up watercolor painting during her two year, cross country RV adventure with her family. She quickly fell in love with gorgeous nature scenes and found the creative process meditative and healing. But now she’s wondering if her art could be something more. On this episode of How To!, multitalented artist Aaron Dworkin has tips for Elaine and other aspiring artists on how to live a ‘portfolio life’ by finding your signature style, following your passions and ultimately getting paid. He also shares insights for unlocking your creativity even if you don’t fancy yourself an artist.  If you liked this episode, check out “How To Write the Perfect Breakup Song with Ben Folds.” Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus. Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rod McKeun sold multiple millions of poetry books in the 60s and 70s. He released dozens of albums, was a regular on late night, and was even nominated for an Oscar. So, how did the most salable poet in American history simply disappear? On today’s episode, Slate writer Dan Kois went searching for Rod McKuen, a famous poet who isn’t so famous anymore. We’ll hear from Stephanie Burt, Mike Chasar and Barry Alfonso, author of Rod’s biography A Voice of the Warm. Along the way, Dan meets Andy Zax, a guy who, like him, was bewildered by this forgotten star—until he became an accidental fan, and then somehow the only person keeping Rod McKuen’s flame alive. This episode of Decoder Ring was written by Dan Kois and edited by Willa Paskin. It was produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our Technical Director. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com. If you love the show and want to su

Josh Levin is joined by Aram Goudsouzian for a conversation about Bill Russell’s life and legacy; by Grant Wahl to talk about England’s historic victory at the women’s European soccer championships; and by Andscape’s Jason Reid to discuss Deshaun Watson, Kyler Murray, and Reid’s book Rise of the Black Quarterback. Bill Russell (2:21): The basketball legend’s biographer on his impact on and off the court.   England (23:28): How the Lionesses won, and how that victory will change women’s soccer.   Quarterbacks (44:46): The past, present, and future of Black QBs in the NFL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to casting director Angelique Midthunder, who recently worked on the FX series Reservation Dogs. In the interview, Angelique describes the casting and audition processes for the show and shares what it was like to organize an open casting call in Oklahoma. She also talks about the decision to cast Paulina Alexis as Willie Jack, which was originally supposed to be a male role.   After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss identity and authenticity in casting.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Angelique explains why the letters C.S.A follow the names of some casting directors in the credits of movies and TV shows.  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

Everybody loves to gossip, especially when it comes to celebrities. On the show today, Rachelle is joined by Normal Gossip host Kelsey McKinney to talk about the state of internet gossip. They discuss the early days of online gossip from Gawker, Perez Hilton, and Reality Steve, how social media changed the gossip landscape, and why those changes have made it so we all have the chance to be the subject of online gossip. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the so-called-but-not-really “death” of disco, dance music in the 1980s moved to its own beat. There was synthpop, electro, hi-NRG and house. But the scrappy genre that seemed to pull it all together was called freestyle—a breakbeat-tempo, Latin-flavored genre fortified with dizzying, proudly synthetic beats. Freestyle grew out of the clubs and streets of New York and Miami and briefly dominated ’80s dance-pop. Freestyle’s flagship artists were only medium-level stars: Shannon. Exposé. Lisa Lisa. Stevie B. Nu Shooz. Sweet Sensation. But these acts—most especially their yearning, floridly romantic, rhythmically hectic songs—punched above their weight on the charts and even affected the hits of superstars from Madonna to Duran Duran, Whitney Houston to Pet Shop Boys. Join Chris Molanphy as he defines the byways of this bespoke dance genre and traces how it bridged the disco era into the hiphop era. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People are back in the office; schools are planning full classes in the fall; masks are seen less and less frequently. It’s the third COVID summer, but the latest variant of the virus is causing another surge in infection rates and hospitalizations. What do we need to do to protect ourselves now? And how can we be prepared for monkeypox, and the next pandemic?   Guest: Dr. Ebony Hilton, practicing physician, and a frequent medical analyst for MSNBC.   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 edition of Working Overtime, hosts Karen Han and June Thomas help a listener who works in publishing but wants to exercise their writing skills on the side. Karen and June start by talking about their own creative side projects and hobbies. Then they discuss writing specifically and offer tips for how someone might begin a casual writing practice.   And here are some productivity videos that June recommends! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG1tfC7tSYw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2WBHyqRsxA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vvs7CjyS1M 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 staff writer Molly Olmstead to talk about the much-hyped threat against the Catholic Church in the wake of Roe’s dismantling. They talk about Molly’s piece, “Is the Catholic Church Under Attack” and where the vandalism against churches stacks up against other religious persecution. Then they take a look at “Cafeteria Catholics” - those who follow the religion, but not all the teachings at the top of the male hierarchy.    In Slate Plus, is the “Little Miss” meme feminist? Recommendations: Cheyna: Apple+ series Stillwater Molly: Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus, Alicia Montgomery, and Daisy Rosario.  Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel is joined by the host of Slate’s Hit Parade podcast, Chris Molanphy, for our annual Summer Strut episode. First, they discuss this year’s chart-topping songs of the summer and their lack of strut-ness. Then, the panel dives into the longest listener-suggested summer playlist to date (42 hours!), and takes turns in a roundtable discussion of their top favorites from the list. You can find the panel’s shortlist of favorite summer strut songs here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2oc68EJC3OyLUi1Honhxlw?si=44ec68203e8d47a9&nd=1 In Slate Plus, the panel gives one more bonus round of strut picks. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Nadira Goffe. Outro music is "Lonely Calling" by Arc De Soleil. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts, a bonus segment in each episode of the Culture Gabfest, full access to Slate's journalism on Slate.com, and more. Sign up now at slate.com/cultureplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone

On today’s show: more scams! Rachelle is joined by Daily Beast entertainment editor and former Slatester Allegra Frank; the two discuss the launch and social media rollout of the new multi-level marketing company Elomir. Later in the episode they examine how, despite the abundance of information on MLMs predatory nature, they still manage to pull people in. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario and Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do we lose if we lose the mall? 70 years into their existence, these hulking temples to commerce are surprisingly resilient and filled with contradictions. In this episode, Alexandra Lange, the author of the new book Meet Me at the Fountain: an Inside History of the Mall walks us through the atriums, escalators, and food courts of this singular suburban space. We also hear from mall-goers whose personal experiences help us make sense of this disdained yet beloved, disappearing yet surviving place. This episode of Decoder Ring was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our Technical Director. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you get ad-free podcasts, bonus episodes, and total access to all of Slate’s journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi

Josh Levin and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham are joined by Tim Layden to discuss the record breakers of the world track and field championships; by Abe Riesman to talk about Vince McMahon’s scandal-laden retirement from WWE; and by Sarah Larson for a conversation about her New Yorker feature on pickleball.   Track and field (1:30): What’s next for Sydney McLaughlin, Noah Lyles, and the sport as a whole?   Vince McMahon (25:24): Why did he retire now? What’s next for WWE?   Pickleball (47:23): Why is it so popular? Is a billionaire ruining it?   Afterball (1:05:40): Josh on Carl Lewis’ mythical 30-foot long jump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to artist Nayland Blake, whose current exhibition “Got an Art Problem?” allows them to help artists move past creative blocks. In the interview, Nayland discusses the reasoning behind the exhibition and their affinity for interactive art. They also talk about capitalism, museums, and the importance of ambiguity in art.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss the concept of “niching down,” i.e. cultivating a narrow brand for yourself instead of following your artistic instincts.   In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Isaac and Nayland talk about the interactive art of video games.  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