Culture Gabfest

Dana reminds listeners about tonight's virtual live show! It's at 8pm ET on Slate's Facebook and YouTube pages. For links and more info, visit Slate.com/live If you can't make it, that's okay! The audio version of the live show will be dropped in your feed on Thursday evening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week host June Thomas talks about the underrated art of scrapbooking with Ali Edwards, who managed to turn her love of crafting into a full-time career. In the interview, Ali discusses her most popular scrapbooking projects, like “December Daily,” and explains why the practice of pairing photographs with words and artistic flair can lead to personal growth and reflection.  After the interview, June and co-host Rumaan Alam talk about the benefits of documenting memories.  In Slate Plus, Ali reminisces about one of her favorite high-school teachers.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help sup

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail.  This week, Slate’s Sam Adams and Vox’s Film Critic Alissa Wilkinson spoil Tenet. Christopher Nolan’s time-bending thriller is visually spectacular yet incredibly confusing.  The main character, played by John David Washington, simply referred to as the Protagonist is a CIA operative who becomes entangled with Tenet, a secret organization that’s fighting a future that’s actively attempting to destroy the world. The Protagonist suddenly finds himself in a world where things, and even people, can be inverted to travel backwards through time. Can the Protagonist save the world before it’s too late? How does Nolan incorporate palindromes within the movie’s structure? And what parallels can be drawn to Bill & Ted?  Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore. Read Sam Adams’ review here.  Read Alissa Wilkinson’s review here.  Nee

There are few more iconic pieces of Americana than a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But its singular Americanness - the thing that has kept the brand popular for decades - may now be a harbinger of its downfall. Podcast production by Jess Miller, with help from Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hit Parade is back for non-Slate Plus listeners! Upcoming episodes will be split into two parts, released two weeks apart. For the full episode right now, sign up for Slate Plus and you'll also get The Bridge, our Trivia show and deep dive into our subjects. slate.com/hitparadeplus. What makes a one-hit wonder? To artists and pop chart analysts, it isn't just an academic question. On this episode of Hit Parade we explore the history and context of the one-hit wonder. In part 2, we'll propose three rules to determine if an artist can be classified as a one-hit wonder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And… SCENE.  We came, we ushered in a glorious age of elucidating female desire, coined a few salient expressions of desire, and poof! like magic, we were gone. That’s right, we did it, folks: we wrapped up Thirst Aid Kit as a weekly podcast. We thank you for your ears, your enthusiasm, your tweets, your drabbles, your Tumblr Asks, your marriage proposals (1) and your gifs. This final episode is a song of gratitude and pride. Two Black women talking about female desire, race, and culture week in, week out? Yeah, we did THAT. What a glorious few years. But please do not despair. This is just a perfect example of one door closing in a mansion full of other doors and windows. The weekly podcast is ending, but we remain. Keep an eye on our Twitter and Tumblr for updates on what we’re up to and where. This isn’t the end, but we will miss you. Stay thirsty; the world needs it. ♥️ In our Plus segment, we share just a few of the Thirst Objects we weren’t able to get to during the run of the show: Bill Hader, Andy Sam

On this week’s episode, Steve, Dana, and Julia are joined by Slate’s Aymann Ismail to discuss the Emmy-nominated series Ramy (check out Aymann’s story for Slate on Ramy Youssef here). Next, the panel talks with Glenn Whipp, an entertainment columnist for the LA Times, about the new inclusion requirements the Oscars recently announced. Finally, the panel dives in HBO Max’s movie Unpregnant.  In Slate Plus, the hosts open up about the first thing they’ll want to do in a post-pandemic world and what things, to their surprise, they will not want to return to doing.  Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Culture Gabfest each episode, and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Endorsements: Dana: “Aquarium” from “Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns (as heard in Days of Heaven) Julia: Rösle Stainless Steel Mincing Garlic Press Steve: Hilltown Hot Pies (“Feast your eyes!”) Phoebe Bridgers’ cover of “Teenage Dirtbag

This week, host Isaac Butler learns the finer points of costume design from Brenda Abbandandolo, who recently dressed two different characters played by Seth Rogen in American Pickle. Brenda also designed costumes for The Disaster Artist, directed by and starring James Franco, and spent some time working on SNL’s digital shorts. In the interview, she talks about how costumes can communicate information about characters and how practical choices, like giving a character an umbrella, are a crucial part of her job.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host Rumaan Alam discuss how the trends and norms of the real world are reflected in Hollywood’s costume design choices.  In Slate Plus, Brenda talks about two different styles of costume design that have influenced her work.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com.  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 Slat

Matthew Rhys’ energy is complex and layered, like a roasted pepper: there’s spice, there’s heat, and there’s smoke. In Rhys, there is a balance of all our favorite things — superb eye and face acting, characters that know how to yearn, tightly coiled power in a stern shell, and talent as deep as a Welsh valley. We talk about his career-defining work as a weary spy on The Americans, his turn as an older Mr Darcy in Death Comes To Pemberley, his laughter on The Wine Show and Archer, and so much more besides. Top notes of Château Rhys are: intense knowingness and barely banked passion. Pour us a glass, and leave the bottle. On this week’s Slate Plus, Nichole makes Bim break down something that has escaped her all these years: the appeal of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Pride and Prejudice itself. Bim, despite being shocked to her marrow, obliges. Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, and more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. You can also send us your drabbles by emailing thirstaidkit

On this week’s episode, Steve is joined by guests hosts Laura Miller, a books and culture columnist for Slate, and Jamelle Bouie, a columnist for the New York Times and Slate’s former chief political correspondent. The panel takes on Lovecraft Country, HBO’s new horror series. Next, they talk about Charlie Kaufman’s enigmatic I’m Thinking of Ending Things. And finally, the panel dives into the “is NYC over?” debate. In Slate Plus, the hosts talk about a George Washington University professor’s recent confession that she falsely claimed a Black identity. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Culture Gabfest each episode, and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Endorsements: Laura: The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman Jamelle: The Way Back, a sports film starring Ben Affleck Steve: “What Ails America” by Timothy Snyder in the New York Review of Books, adapted from his new book, Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospit

This week, host Rumaan Alam talks about the importance of museums with writer and art advocate, Kimberly Drew, whose Tumblr blog Black Contemporary Art set her apart as one of the most promising young voices in the visual art world. It also led to a job as social-media manager at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the interview, Kimberly discusses her new book, This Is What I Know About Art, and talks about the role art has played in peoples’ lives during the pandemic.  After the interview, June and co-host Rumaan Alam talk about which museums they’re excited to go to when institutions reopen.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com.  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a fr

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Dana Stevens and Matthew Dessem spoil I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Charlie Kaufman starts the film following a young couple, Lucy (Jessie Buckley) and Jake (Jesse Plemons) driving on a snowy evening to meet and have dinner with Jake’s parents. Lucy is already second guessing the trip since she doesn’t know if she wants to stay with Jake, who oddly seems to physically react when she thinks about breaking things off with him. Kaufman intersects their journey with the experiences of a janitor at a high school. Things start to get weird when the couple arrives at Jake’s childhood home. As the movie progresses, the characters become untethered from time and the film calls into question if Lucy and Jake even exist. And what does the janitor have to do with anything? Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore. E

Thirst is a broad church—did you know that? Which is why we can cackle like dirty aunties at filthy innuendos but also relish the pure PG-13 sweetness of a show like Sweet Magnolias. *Stefon from SNL voice* This show has everything: the long term female friendship of Helen, Maddie, and Dana Sue PLUS smouldering looks between exes; the exploration of something new after a drought; on-off entanglements that cancel out good judgment; all wrapped in a SFW picnic basket of subtle, Southern thirst-language and behaviour. We break down what the show gets right, and why we are craving it so much in 2020. Our Plus segment brings back “Explain Yourself” with special guest (and former TAK producer) TK Dutes. TK breaks down her love for Sampha and Niecy Nash, but she didn’t have to do much to convince us to feel the same way.  As usual, you can follow us on Twitter @ThirstAidKit. Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, and more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. Don’t forget to send us your d

This week Steve, Julia, and Dana take a trip to the Bill and Ted universe and share their thoughts on the latest addition, Bill and Ted Face the Music. Then Wesley Morris from the New York Times joins the show to pay tribute to the late actor Chadwick Boseman. And finally, Dana shares the group's final comfort pick, Days of Heaven. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Culture Gabfest each episode, and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to novelist, journalist, editor, and radio host Kurt Andersen, who talks about the curiosity and drive that has fueled so many of his creative pursuits. He also discusses his latest nonfiction book, Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America, and he ponders the legacy of Spy magazine, a publication he co-founded in the 1980s.   After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss the difference between generalists, who know a little bit about a lot of topics, and specialists, who have a specific area of expertise.   Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com.  Podcast production by Cameron Drews. And 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 Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help

Okay. You might be saying “who?” but trust us. Marc Rebillet’s rising star is one to watch. Using a loop machine, a keyboard, and a strong WiFi connection, Marc live-streams his way across platforms and into that delightful intersection where humor, undeniable talent, and thirst meet. He improvises songs based on suggestions from his audience which means sometimes he sings about processing grief and sometimes he sings about buttholes. We love a man with range.  In our Plus segment, we try to break down the lure of musicians. Why do we love guitar players and drummers so much? Why does Nichole want you to give those who play brass instruments a chance? What is it about drummers’ forearms that Bim wants you to know? Become a Slate Plus member and find out!  As usual, you can follow us on Twitter @ThirstAidKit. Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, and more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. Don’t forget to send us your drabbles by emailing thirstaidkit@slate.com. Learn more about

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Television Critic Willa Paskin is joined by Vulture Staff Writer Angelica Jade Bastién to spoil I May Destroy You. Michaela Coel is at the heart of this series. Besides writing and producing the show, she directed many episodes and plays the main character, Arabella Essiedu. Coel covers consent, rape, friendship, and empathy, in a complex, yet compelling, way that really humanizes Arabella.  Arabella is a young writer and influencer working on her second book when her drink was drugged and raped while at a bar in London. The series follows her as she works through the aftermath of her assault. Does Arabella regain her full memories of her sexual assault? Will she be able to finish her book? Will she accept the help from another acquaintance who she believes to have raped her? How does she use fantasy to imagine a better resolution f

This week host Isaac Butler traces the creative origins of Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer-winning musical A Strange Loop. In the interview, Michael talks about his early songwriting attempts and the gradual process of turning a monologue about his experiences as a young, Black gay man into a one-man show and then turning that one-man show into a “proper musical.”  After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss Michael’s distinction between an “autobiographical” work and a “self-referential” work.  In Slate Plus, Michael talks about two celebrity encounters, one with Liz Phair, whose music inspired a lot of his work, and one with Tyler Perry, whose work was satirized ruthlessly in A Strange Loop.   Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com Podcast production by Cameron Drews. And 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 P

Every so often, the thirst stars align, or the thirst goddesses smile down on us, or whatever you want to call it... and well, it all came together for us this week. We manifested a long held TAK desire — we got to interview Jake Johnson! ::scream:: He told us about his new adult animated show Hoops, working on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, and why he thinks the pandemic has affected the way people see Nick Miller.  In Slate Plus, we spoke to a few of our very favourite writers of romance and romantic comedy novels — Rebekah Weatherspoon, Alisha Rai, Mhairi McFarlane, Jasmine Guillory, and Alyssa Cole — and asked them three burning questions about romance world building, meet-cutes, fave tropes, and how the pandemic is changing the way they write. As usual, you can follow us on Twitter @ThirstAidKit. Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, and more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. Don’t forget to send us your drabbles by emailing thirstaidkit@slate.com.  Learn more about yo

On this week’s episode, Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss a recent video of twins’ listening to Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight” that went viral. Then, the panelists talk about John M. Barry’s The Great Influenza. Finally, they take on this week’s comfort watch—Network. In Slate Plus, the hosts break down The Daily’s recent two-part series on cancel culture. Endorsements: Dana: The accurate lime cordial recipe! Julia: Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld Steve: “Dickens in Brooklyn” by Jay Neugeboren in the New York Review of Books Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Culture Gabfest each episode, and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices