Culture Gabfest

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and guest host and Slate staff writer Dan Kois talk about the hit Netflix dating reality show Love Is Blind with Slate podcast producer Daniel Schroeder. Next, they discuss tomboys, jumping off of a recent New York Times op-ed. Finally, the panel takes on the coronavirus, analyzing the epidemic through various pieces of culture.  On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses a New York Times op-ed from an editor whose ex-boyfriend is now dating Lady Gaga.  Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Additional production help by Rosemary Belson. Outro Music: 'Shattered & Hollow' by First Aid Kit Endorsements Dan: The graphic memoir Tomboy by Liz Prince. Pitchfork’s Sunday Reviews. Julia: The viral video where a camera falls from an airplane… Steve: “No Ghost in the Machine” by Mark Halpern in the American Scholar. The album Stay Gold by First Aid Kit. Hosts Stephen Metcalf Julia Turner Dan

The 1998 romantic comedy You've Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is about the brutal fight between an independent bookstore, The Shop Around the Corner, and Fox Books, an obvious Barnes & Noble stand-in. On this episode of Decoder Ring we explore the real life conflict that inspired the movie and displaced independent booksellers on the upper west side of Manhattan. This conflict illustrates how, for a brief time, Barnes & Noble was a symbol of predatory capitalism, only to be usurped by the uniting force at the heart of the film: the internet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eight years after her passing—and 35 years after the release of her debut album—Whitney Houston is about to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Predictably, some rock fans have carped that Houston doesn’t belong in the Hall. But they are not the only ones who, historically, have complained about Houston’s bona fides. In the ’80s, at the apex of her success, black fans complained that Houston was courting white pop fans too eagerly, and forgetting her roots in gospel and R&B. On the charts, by contrast, Whitney Houston’s achievements are indisputable. But they also might be underrated. Houston’s chart records offer a window into exactly how she crossed over…and whether she deserved the backlash. In this episode, Chris Molanphy walks step by step through Whitney’s storied chart records—including a couple that have gone unheralded—that help explain why she was a seminal, singular figure among black female crossover stars, from Aretha and Diana to Beyoncé. Podcast production by Justin D. Wright. Lea

Nichole is ill this week, but there could be no better Thirst Object to rouse her from her sickbed than Glasgow-born actor James McAvoy! We looked into McAvoy’s uncanny knack for matching intense vulnerability with deeply attractive stoicism to make for an irresistible presence. Whether he’s playing a defiant but insecure Cyrano on stage or coming into his own in roles in Atonement, Wanted, or the X-Men films, James slakes all thirsts: slender or bulked up, au naturel or putting on an accent, blockbuster or indie project. And we can’t seem to look away. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Thirst Aid Kit each week. Sign up now to listen and support our show. On Slate Plus, it’s another installment of Explain Yourself, in which we speak to Vulture staff writer and frequently outrageous thirsty tweeter Hunter Harris about the distinct (but entirely resistible to us!) allure of Adam Driver. In essence: he’s A Large Boy! And people—including Hunter—like Large Things. :eyes emoji: Our music is by Tanya Morgan

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and guest host and Slate staff writer Dan Kois talk about Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Next, they discuss Taylor Swift’s documentary Miss Americana. Finally, the panel dives into “garbage language” a.k.a corporate buzzwords—unnecessary or effective?  On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses a contentious subject—whether Leonardo DiCaprio was already a star before Titanic? Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Additional production help by Rosemary Belson. Outro Music: 'The Man' by Taylor Swift Endorsements Dan: Reading Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies before The Mirror & the Light, the third book in the trilogy, is released March 10.  Julia: Golden State by Ben H. Winters. Steve: “Reading Sade in the Age of Epstein” by Mitchell Abidor in The New York Review of Books.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is an episode of our advice show How To! with Charles Duhigg. Lorenzo is a dental student with big dreams—of becoming a rock star. Lorenzo plays a mean guitar at open mic night, but there’s one thing holding him back: He doesn’t know how to write his own songs. In this episode of How To!, we bring in master songwriter Ben Folds, former frontman of Ben Folds Five, and author of A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons. Many of those lessons are about how anyone can unlock their creativity. Ben breaks down his own music, and tinkers with Lorenzo’s attempt at writing a break-up song. He tells him to embrace cliché, then slip in something unexpected. Also, switch the first lyric with the second. Will it work? Do you have a problem that needs a creative solution? Send us a note at howto@slate.com. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. 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. This week, Marissa Martinelli and Heather Schwedel discuss Emma. Though certainly not the first adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, director Autumn de Wilde’s film humanizes the familiar characters and departs at times from the source material to bring a certain freshness to this comedy. Will Emma’s meddling still result in matchmaking errors? How far does she have to go to right her wrongs? And what’s with the inopportune nosebleed? You can read Marissa Martinelli’s review here. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore. Email us at spoilers@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clive Owen: is he dangerous or is he the love of our lives? As someone wise once asked, why not both? When Clive steps into a scene, we don’t know if he’s about to deliver a soul-stealing kiss or a scathing takedown, but we move to the edge of our seats to catch every second of it. From Chancer to Closer, Sin City to The Knick, and beyond, Clive’s demanding presence brings us to our knees, and we find we’re quite all right with that.  Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Thirst Aid Kit each week. Sign up now to listen and support our show. On Slate Plus, we discuss the erotic fixation on the extended leg of a woman. Using scenes from Carmen Jones, Boomerang, From Dusk Till Dawn, and Something New, we examine the power play found in women’s feet—and areas north.  Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, gifs, and so much more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. If the spirit moves you, send us your own drabbles by emailing thirstaidkit@slate.com.  Follow us on Twitter @ThirstAi

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf is joined by two guests hosts: Sam Anderson, New York Times Magazine staff writer and author of Boom Time, and Dan Kois, Slate staff writer and author of How to Be a Family. First, the panel discusses The Assistant, the indie film with heavy Harvey Weinstein overtones. Next, they dive into Hulu’s reboot of High Fidelity, starring Zoë Kravitz. Finally, the panel breaks down the work of Jenny Odell, including her book How to Do Nothing and her recent Paris Review essay “The Myth of Self-Reliance.” On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses Dan Kois’s recent Slate story on a New Zealand fantasy masterpiece—an article that catalyzed the book’s publication in the U.S.  Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Additional production help by Rosemary Belson. Outro Music: ‘Lonely World’ by Moses Sumney Endorsements Dan: The writing of Charles Portis, including True Grit and Norwood. Sam: John Cage’s performance of “

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 is joined by June Thomas and Dan Kois to discuss Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Marianne is hired to paint Héloïse’s wedding portrait. But Héloïse can’t know she’s being painted. As the two grow closer, will Marianne come clean? Will their feelings affect the painting that’s supposed to be sent to Héloïse’s potential husband? What happens when the job is finished? You can read Dana Stevens’ review here. You can read Matthew Dessem’s piece about the film’s music here. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore. Email us at spoilers@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blair Underwood is a multi-generational snack: he’s been hot for so long, it’s kind of unreal. He’s currently starring on Broadway in A Soldier’s Play, so he popped into the studio to talk about that—and plenty more besides: Why he loves playing bad guys, navigating and negotiating your worth, and the most disturbing fanmail of his career. Plus we asked him about putting on a watch … :eyes emoji: Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Thirst Aid Kit each week. Sign up now to listen and support our show. On Slate Plus this week, we talk about one specific “Premium Thirst Item”: the white oxford shirt. If you grew up at a certain point in time, you’ll know what that shirt means, especially when worn by a woman the morning after. We explore what it signifies in culture, how it came to mean all that, and why we think it’s hot. Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, gifs, and so much more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. If the spirit moves you, send us your own drabbles by email

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner break down the Oscars and Bong Joon-ho’s historic win. Next, the discuss Star Trek: Picard with Slate associate editor and Trekkie Marissa Martinelli. Finally, they dive into a recent New York Times Magazine article on the way television imagines New York City.  On the Slate Plus segment this week, the fashion of the Oscars.   Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Outro Music: Eminem Performs 'Lose Yourself' at Oscars 2020 Endorsements Dana: Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar acceptance speeches, as Dana wrote about in her recent Slate piece “Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar Night Had All the Genre-Bending Twists of His Movies.” Julia: “Chasing Colombia’s ‘cocaine hippos’” by Peter Rowe in the Los Angeles Times. Steve: “The Seriousness of George Steiner” by Adam Gopnik in the New Yorker. “An Evening With George Steiner (1929-2020)” by Kinton Ford in n+1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

When Peter Mac was young, he found solace from his troubles in the voice of Judy Garland. He's now been a Judy Garland impersonator for 17 years. On this episode of Decoder Ring we explore the special valence that Judy Garland has for queer people, the history of female impersonation on stage, and what the future might hold for Judy as an icon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somehow, Penn Badgley’s turn as sneering killer Joe Goldberg on Netflix’s You has recently made him the internet’s sort-of boyfriend… but our interest in Penn is older and more complex than that! We went deep on what makes his sly looks to camera so compelling, the power of a deep voice, and why Nichole’s powerless against his general “stop motion Christmas puppet” energy. On Slate Plus, we introduce a brand new segment, “Explain Yourself.” This week, we’re joined by podcast king (Pineapple Studios’ Unhappy Hour) and all around excellent person Matt Bellassai as we ask him to explain his long term Thirst Object, Harry Styles Follow us on Twitter @ThirstAidKit. Bim is @bimadew and Nichole is @tnwhiskeywoman. Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, gifs and so much more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. If the spirit moves you, send us your own drabbles by emailing thirstaidkit@slate.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner dive into Ford v Ferrari before the Oscars this weekend. Next, they discuss Netflix’s reality show The Circle with Slate’s editorial director—and Circle-enthusiast—Laura Bennett. Finally, they analyze the controversy surrounding Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt with Los Angeles Times staff writer Daniel Hernandez. On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses Super Bowl ads with Slate’s Justin Peters.  Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Outro Music: ‘The Circle Theme (Netflix)’ by Patrizio Knight   Hosts Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner Endorsements Dana: “‘Jojo Rabbit’ Captures the Horror and Absurdity of our Trumpian Moment,” by Masha Gessen in The New Yorker. Julia: The Good Wife. Steve: Cheer (specifically, La’Darius’s brother’s face). “The Money Behind Trump’s Money,” by David Enrich in The New York Times Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices.

When Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote an exposé of Lord Byron's incestuous affair in 1869, it nearly destroyed The Atlantic Monthly, and threw the reputations of two literary icons into chaos. This is a story about 18th century scandal, cancel culture, and Bad Literary Men, that isn't so different from how these stories play out in our own time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sped-up voices. Wacky instruments. Songs about cavemen, bathtubs, bikinis and mothers-in-law. From the very birth of rock-and-roll, novelty songs were essential elements of the hit parade. Right through the ’70s—the age of streaking, CB radios, disco and King Tut—novelty songs could be chart-topping hits. But by the corporate ’80s, it was harder for goofballs to score round-the-clock hits on regimented radio playlists. Until one perm-headed, mustachioed, accordion-playing parodist who called himself “Weird” rebooted novelty hits for the new millennium. A video jokester before YouTube, he just might have ushered in the age of the meme. So join Hit Parade this month as we walk through the history of novelty hits on the charts—most especially if M.C. Escher is your favorite M.C. Podcast production by Justin D. Wright. Follow @cmolanphy on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Lost to Hawaii Five-O, Daniel Dae Kim is all talent and cheeky smiles. He joins the hosts of Thirst Aid Kit to discuss the premiere of Blast Beat, what it’s like to be discarded for Keanu Reeves and Randall Park, being trapped on the Lost island, and what it means to see himself as a Thirst Object. You may know Kendrick Sampson’s leading man looks from HBO’s Insecure but he’s been in all your faves too: The Vampire Diaries, How To Get Away With Murder, The Flash, the list goes on. He joins the hosts of Thirst Aid Kit to talk his new movie, Miss Juneteenth, as well as what it’s like working with some of Hollywood’s most influential women. Slate, in collaboration with Dropbox, presents Thirst Aid Kit live, a podcast centered on pop culture and how it shapes desire. Join hosts and creative collaborators Bim Adewunmi and Nichole Perkins to dig deep into the various ways women express their thirst through illuminating and hilarious conversations with some of the leading creators at the festival. Follow us on

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner untangle the oddity that is Jojo Rabbit, discuss whether Netflix’s sport docu-series Cheer lives up to the hype, and talk to Slate’s music critic Carl Wilson about this year’s Grammys.  On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses Kobe Bryant and the reactions to his death. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Outro Music: Lizzo's "Cuz I Love You" & "Truth Hurts" 2020 Grammy Performance Endorsements Dana:  ‘Gigi Bryant Was a Great Basketball Player’ by Josh Levin Julia:  ‘The Rise of the Dancefluencer’  by Makeda Easter Steve:  ‘The Myth of Self-Reliance’ by Jenny Odell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Flashback, movie critics Dana Stevens and K. Austin Collins discuss the psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs (1991), directed by Jonathan Demme. Flashback is available in full only to Slate Plus members. Sign up now to listen to the rest of this episode and all the others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices