Culture Gabfest

We talk about formative crushes A LOT of the show, so we decided to do a little digging… Who, exactly, was the first person to indoctrinate Nichole into the ways of long hair? Why does she seem to like a french fry of a man? Who sparked her love of wide mouths and thick eyebrows? All are questions only Prince, Al B. Sure! and Maxwell can answer… hopefully in falsetto.  In our Plus segment, we take a look at the music from pop culture that marked us. We can never forget songs from Something New, Love and Basketball, Misfits, The Best Man, Cruel Intentions, or Mrs. Fletcher. Join Slate Plus to find out why! Slate.com/thirstaidplus 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode, Steve, Dana, and Julia are joined by New Yorker staff writer Doreen St. Félix to talk about I May Destroy You. Then, Steve and Dana are joined by Isaac Butler, writer and co-host of this season of Slate’s Working podcast, to discuss the filmed version of Hamilton, now streaming on Disney Plus. Finally, the panel dives into Julia’s comfort-watch pick of the week: the 1996 disaster film Twister. In Slate Plus, the hosts continue to talk with Isaac about Hamilton, its ending, its significance in 2020, and more. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Outro Music: Smartface by Smartface Endorsements Dana: Scott Brick’s narration of Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton. Julia: The movie Dave. Steve: “Wanting Wrong” by Anne Enright in the New York Review of Books. 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 w

Host Rumaan Alam talks about elevating Black voices in the book publishing industry with Tracy Sherrod, editorial director of the Haper Collins imprint Amistad Press. In the interview, Tracy explains how the predominantly white publishing industry has created barriers for Black authors over the years. She also digs into the details of her work, including the process of negotiating book deals with new authors.  After the interview, Rumaan and co-host Isaac Butler answer an ethical question from a listener.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com. 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 support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every movie we watch can’t be a part of the Criterion Collection, okay? Sometimes you have to suffer through a movie to gorge yourself on eye candy and that’s perfectly fine! Michele Morrone in 365 Days, Brad Pitt in Troy, Alexander Skarsgård and Djimon Hounsou in The Legend of Tarzan make the suffering worth it. Maybe?  For our Slate Plus segment, we put Bim on the Thirst Therapy couch to get to the root of why domesticity is so important in her drabbles.  As usual, you can follow us on Twitter @ThirstAidKit. Nichole is @tnwhiskeywoman and Bim is @bimadew. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lauren already knows the plot of her bestselling novel—the problem is she hasn’t written a word. Paralyzed by self-criticism and an earlier rejection, this former English major has spent years journaling instead of attempting the scary, difficult work of creative writing. On this episode of How To!, we turn to writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner, whose debut novel Fleishman Is in Trouble, was one of the hottest books of the year. Can she help Lauren finally put pen to paper? The first thing Lauren needs to do, Taffy says, is stop journaling, and start writing. And then keep writing: “You can't get to the good sentences if you don't write the bad ones first.” Next, find a trusted reader, not a cheerleader, to give you honest feedback. And when doubt begins to creep in again, look at the writers you admire and simply ask, “Why them and not me?” Do you have a problem that needs a solution? 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

Like many media organizations at the moment, Slate is getting hit pretty hard by what's going on with the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to continue doing our work, providing you with all our great podcasts, news and reporting, and we simply cannot do that without your support. So we're asking you to sign up for Slate Plus, our membership program. It's just $35 for the first year, and it goes a long way to supporting us in this crucial moment. For decades—literally since Woodstock—female musicians had battled music-industry perceptions that amassing too many of them, on the radio or on the road, was bad for business. And yet, by the ’90s, women were vital to the rise of alt-rock and hip-hop on the charts: from Suzanne Vega to Queen Latifah, Tracy Chapman to Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant to Missy Elliott. Sarah McLachlan harnessed this energy into an all-woman tour she dubbed Lilith Fair. Its string of sellouts from 1997 to ’99 affirmed women’s clout in the decade of grunge-and-gangsta.

This week, host June Thomas digs into the romance genre with bestselling author Jasmine Guillory, who started her career as a lawyer and then went on to release five novels including Party of Two, which was released on June 23. In the interview, Jasmine talks through her writing process and shares how she was able to publish five novels in such a short period of time. She also explains why her characters don’t fit into the usual tropes of the romance genre.  After the interview June and co-host Rumaan Alam talk about the comforting nature of genre fiction.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com. 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 support our work. Learn more abo

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, Dana Stevens, Slate’s movie critic, is joined by Aisha Harris, writer and editor for The New York Times’ Opinion section to spoil Da 5 Bloods. Spike Lee’s newest film follows a group of Black Vietnam War veterans as they reunite years later. The group returns to Vietnam to find the remains of Stormin’ Norman, their commander who died during the war. While they are there, they try to retrieve a lost cache of CIA gold. At first the search seems easy–too easy. But soon familial tensions, lingering PTSD, and environmental hazards start complicating the mission. How many of the remaining Bloods will make it back out of the jungle? Plus: Dana and Aisha break down Spike Lee’s employment of numerous film techniques, including an innovative use of four different aspect ratios.  You can read Sam Adams’ review here.  You can read Matthew Dessem’s pi

We always had an eye on John Boyega, but for a slew of reasons conditions never quite felt… right. Until now. Now we want to talk about how he’s grown his hair, has been unburdened by a Disney contract, and is finally experiencing the kind of glow up that comes with learning from your mistakes and being given room to grow into your Yoruba destiny.  Plus! Fanfic Wars makes its triumphant post-hiatus return, and Nichole’s entry is a straight up murder attempt. Damn. In our Thirst Ais Kit Plus segment this week, we’re talking about a ‘One Time Fancy’ and this time it’s… Kumail Nanjiani. We saw The Lovebirds on Netflix, and now we kinda… sorta… almost? fancy him. It’s a confusing time, y’all. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode, Steve, Dana, and Julia are joined by Jamelle Bouie to talk about the toppling of statues across the country. Then, the panel talks about Spike Lee’s latest film Da 5 Bloods. Finally, they discuss Julia’s comfort-watch pick: Center Stage. In Slate Plus, the hosts discuss the postponement of the Oscars to 2021. Other items discussed in the show: The Slate podcast series Reconstruction, hosted by Jamelle Bouie and Rebecca Onion This Twitter thread on the history of Mount Rushmore “‘First Cow’ for best picture? A critic’s guide to the Oscars if movie theaters don’t reopen in 2020,” by Justin Chang in the Los Angeles Times Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Outro Music: Self Made Woman by Katharine Appleton Endorsements Dana: Jamelle Bouie’s newsletter. Julia: Waterproof UNO, the card game. Steve: Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall. The French spy thriller The Bureau.  Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Culture Gabfest each episode, and access to

Host Isaac Butler talks to novelist Mira Jacob about the process of writing her comic book memoir, Good Talk. They discuss what it was like for Mira to switch mediums, how the constraints of that medium helped her tell her story, and why it’s so hard to share personal details with a large audience.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host Rumaan Alam talk about how fatherhood has helped them get more work done.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com. 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 support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Mantzoukas? In the virtual Thirst studio? We did it for you! We decided to come back with a bang, and there’s none bangier than Mr M. Let’s see. We discovered Jason’s love for romcoms, dogs, and … Bim! Is this the start of something beautiful? Listen to find out.  Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Thirst Aid Kit each week. Sign up now to listen and support our show. In this week’s Slate Plus segment, we were inspired by the dichotomy of Jason Mantzoukas’ incredibly organized closet and the wild characters he often plays to think about our fave buttoned-up men on TV — Inspector Murdoch (Murdoch Mysteries), Rick Grimes (The Walking Dead)—and how they only really let loose in front of the people they love. Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, gifs, and so much more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. Remember, you can send us your own (short) drabbles by emailing thirstaidkit@slate.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Rumaan Alam chats with comedy writer and performer Cole Escola, who’s known for his roles on Hulu’s Difficult People and truTV’s At Home With Amy Sedaris as well as his sketch comedy videos on YouTube. In the interview, Cole talks about his new special Help! I’m Stuck!, which he filmed alone in his apartment and released on YouTube. He also discusses his comedic influences and talks through what it means for his work to have a gay sensibility.  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 now at slate.com/workingplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. We have a very special episode this week! Sam Adams is joined by Laura Miller to discuss the new Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Suzanne Collins’ new novel explores President Snow’s origin and descent into one dimensional villainy seen in the Hunger Games trilogy. The story departs from the YA dystopian genre that Collins’ trilogy helped shape. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a more sophisticated, philosophical examination of human nature and the battle of nature versus nurture. How does Coriolanus Snow regain the power and money his family lost during the war? What is his role in the spectacularization of the Hunger Games? What can The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes teach readers about the realities of living in a surveillance state?  You can read Laura Miller’s review here.  You can also read Lara Miller’s explanation

In 2003, the word "metrosexual", meaning a well-groomed heterosexual man, exploded all over the English lexicon. It invaded the news, TV, and even American politics. On this episode of Decoder Ring we explore the origins of the metrosexual, and how trend forecasters, marketers, David Beckham, Sex and the City, and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy helped make the metrosexual possible. 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

On this week’s episode, Steve, Dana, and Julia are joined by Lauren Michele Jackson to discuss her recent piece in Vulture, “What Is an Anti-Racist Reading List For?” Then, the panel talks about cop shows during this current moment, jumping off of a recent article in the Washington Post by Alyssa Rosenberg that argues these procedurals that tend to glorify the police should be canceled. Finally, they discuss the power of citizen-shot videos of police brutality that are widely shared on social media. In Slate Plus, the hosts discuss the New York Times’s decision to publish an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton and what the fallout means for newsrooms today. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Outro Music: Cheap Flights by Dylan Sitts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week host June Thomas learns about all the work that goes into making YouTube food videos. Her guest is online cook Adam Ragusea, who explains how he was able to monetize something that started as a fun side project. He also offers tips on how to make engaging videos that get to the point and respect the audience’s intelligence and time. Then, he talks about how he overcame the awkwardness of speaking directly into a camera lens.  Send your questions about creativity, and any other feedback, to working@slate.com  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 now at slate.com/workingplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to documentary theater makers Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, whose plays include The Exonerated, about the criminal justice system, and Coal Country, about the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West Virginia. Blank and Jensen explain how documentary theater works, from interviews with subjects to a live performance where actors perform interview excerpts verbatim.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss why documentary theater is such a great way to communicate important information to an audience. 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 now at slate.com/work

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 is joined by Willa Paskin and Rachelle Hampton to spoil The Lovebirds, a romantic comedy starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani. Leilani (Issa Rae) and Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) are a couple on the brink of a break up when they find themselves caught up in a murder mystery.  You can read Sam Adam’s review here. You can read Rachelle Hampton’s investigation into how ripped Kumail was during The Lovebirds here. You can read Cornelia Channing’s milkshake investigation here.   Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Email us at spoilers@slate.com. Podcast production by Rosemary Belson.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega

A special Hit Parade announcement: Like many media organizations at the moment, Slate is getting hit pretty hard by what's going on with the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to continue doing our work, providing you with all our great podcasts, news and reporting, and we simply cannot do that without your support. So we're asking you to sign up for Slate Plus, our membership program. It's just $35 for the first year, and it goes a long way to supporting us in this crucial moment. As part of this effort, we're going to be making Full Hit Parade episodes available to Slate Plus members only. To listen to the episode in full, and episodes in future months, you'll need to become a Slate Plus member. This is the best way to support our show and our work, and we hope you will pitch in if you can. Your membership will also give access to everything on Slate.com, you'll get ad-free versions of this and other shows, and you'll get bonus segments and bonus episodes of other Slate podcasts. Plus, on