Culture Gabfest

After a summer on the receiving end of the internet’s ire, Blake Lively is back in the news, as her relationship with her former director and co-star Justin Baldoni has taken a turn for the litigious.  Guest: Heather Schwedel, staff writer at Slate. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryan Lowder talks with writer and scholar Lucas Wilson about his new book, Shame Sex: Survivors’ Stories of Conversion Therapy. They chat about Wilson’s experience navigating same-sex attraction while on an evangelical path, experiencing conversion therapy, and the complicated relationships he experienced along the way. He also shares powerful stories from other survivors and explores the enduring harm of these practices, offering a poignant look at resilience, shame, and healing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s show, it’s an all-movie week! Isaac Butler — author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act and host of the new Criterion Channel series, The Craft of Acting — sits in for Stephen Metcalf. First, the panel explores The Brutalist, director Brady Corbet’s two-part epic following the life of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-born Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust then emigrates to the United States. Then, the three unpack Carry-On, an action thriller set in Los Angeles International Airport. It’s a well-made film with a dumb concept, and smashed Netflix records over the holiday. Finally, it’s that time of year again: Dana leads the panel through Slate’s Movie Club 2024, a cherished tradition in which she chats with other critics over email about the year in cinema. (Read her first post, here.) In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the all-movie theme continues, as the three spoil The Brutalist.   Email us at culturefest@slate.com.  Endorsements: Dana: Adaptation, di

Before the 2024 election, Maureen and Jayna had hoped to attend a historic inauguration for Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C. But when Donald Trump won the presidency, the lesbian couple scrapped their trip—and booked a fact-finding mission to Portugal instead. On this episode of How To!, they talk with co-host Carvell Wallace about their plans to leave the U.S.—and start a new life somewhere they’ll feel safer. And, Jen Barnett of Expatsi offers up advice about Portugal and other LGBTQ+ friendly countries, the implications for taxes and international travel (including return trips to the States), and what expat-curious listeners need to know about raising kids, voting, EU citizenship—and how to take the first step. Links Mentioned:  The Expatsi Test Mindful Migrant on TikTok If you liked this episode check out: How To Uproot Your Life and How To Live Anywhere in the World. 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

Whether it's a nanny taking us to school or a home health aide helping us age in place, most of us will rely on paid caregivers at some point in our lives. For the next two episodes, we'll talk to professional caregivers about the emotional and economic reality of the intimate work they do. In episode one, we hear from two eldercare workers: Rahn*, whose relationships with patients have helped heal emotional wounds from his childhood, and Tita Rose, a Filipina immigrant who uncovered exploitation at a nursing home. Plus Goldi, a nanny, recounts how she handled a father’s inappropriate advances and how that experience changed her approach to working for parents. *We used first names or pseudonyms in this story.  Will you be in the Bay Area on January 31st? Anna is hosting Sketchfest, a comedy show at Club Fugazi at 7pm. Get tickets and more info here.  Podcast production by Zoe Azulay  Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slat

In this Money Talks: Jane Marie has spent years reporting on the tangled web of multi-level marketing companies, or MLMs, with her podcast The Dream and dives even deeper in her new book, Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans. In this episode, she sits down with Emily Peck to discuss their origins, their appeal to American women, and their extremely questionable business practices.  Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs talk about Premier League Soccer and how sputtering performances could leave Manchester City and Manchester United out of Champions League contention. The hosts also get into the college football playoffs and the coming NFL postseason. For Afterballs: Ben recounts a history of alternative settings for specialty ‘classic’ sports games. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts discuss the high turnover rate of WNBA coaches, plus the messy math of a thirteen-team league. Manchester Soccer (2:45): Looking back in anger. CFB (22:32): A look at the semifinals with each top seed now eliminated. NFL: (39:20): The explosive regular season wrap-up. Afterballs (57:06): Ben on alt-settings and the Winter Classic. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listeni

On this episode: Lucy sits down with actress and author Mandy Gonzalez for a wide-ranging conversation about parenting, building a creative mom group, and enduring cancer treatment with your head held high. Mandy also answers questions from our own budding Broadway stars. Lucy also shares a quick update about her mom's cancer journey - and Care & Feeding's production schedule in the new year. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@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. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus to help support our work. Podcast produced by Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap

Candice Lim is joined by media scholars Dr. Jess Maddox and Dr. Jess Rauchberg to discuss the subreddit r/NYCInfluencerSnark: In the early 2020s, influencer snark pages began as a way to contain a growing, unregulated economy where sponcon and diet teas began to thrive. With more money flowing into influencer marketing, a backlash started to emerge on Reddit as followers became anti-fans, then haters. On today’s episode, the doctors discuss their paper (“She’s my bitch eating crackers”) and how r/NYCInfluencerSnark contributes to feminist media scholarship. This podcast is produced by Alexandra Botti, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim, with production assistance from Vic Whitley-Berry and Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: The Lively/Baldoni PR war has become a legal battle. And it’s not just reputations that are at stake. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain how Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and his answering suit against The New York Times is more than just a Hollywood feud, it’s a fight to stay profitable. Then, the hosts discuss the recent ruling that seems to have killed the dream of net neutrality for good. Finally, they examine the decline in drinking that has caused a lake-sized tequila surplus in Mexico. In the Slate Plus episode: Coffee Wars Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by podcast producer Vic Whitley-Berry. Together, they answer letters from a concerned spouse over their husband’s drinking, a mom trying to get her daughter to apologize to her aunt, and someone who can’t avoid going down the rabbit hole of social media. Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/prudie-plus to get access wherever you listen. This week’s podcast is produced by Maura Currie, Daisy Rosario, and Anuli Ononye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s show, it’s one of the Gabfest’s most cherished traditions: the yearly call-in show. Dana, Julia, and Stephen answer listen-submitted questions that run the gamut – can cooking for one be a joy? Should philosophy be studied more? And how did you make your most recent friend?  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel dishes about pottery. Listener Dave asks: “what's your relationship to pottery? How do you drink your hot beverages in the morning or throughout the day? And then, is it okay to use an art object utilitarianly?” Oh, and the hosts have a lot to say.  Email us at culturefest@slate.com.  Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this New Year's Day, ICYMI brings you an encore of one of our favorite episodes of What Next: TBD: Tony Tran didn’t find his grandfather. But traveling to, photographing, and uploading his grandfather’s memorial stone gave him something else. Guest: Tony Tran, senior tech editor at Slate and author of the feature “My Weekends with the Dead.” Want more What Next: TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, Cheyna Roth, and Alexandra Botti. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re going to see if one American family can flip the usual, tortured and tedious script for arguing about politics and do something more interesting. Jenn and Todd Brandel sit down with their dad, Bruce, to see if they can come to a better understanding about what has shaped their different political views. Mónica Guzmán, senior fellow for public practice at Braver Angels and author of I Never Thought Of It That Way: How To Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times, is back to provide some insightful post-game analysis. In this second episode of our special two-part series, she breaks down what went well, what got a little messy, and what we can all apply to our own conversations with loved ones.  Listen to the first part of our series: “How To Talk Politics With Your Dad (Without Yelling) Pt 1” If you liked this episode, you might also like: “How To Rescue Someone From a Conspiracy Theory.” Do you have a question without an answer? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leav

For our last episode of 2024, we’re sharing a handful of stories about what love actually looks like, with all its flaws and complexities. The late poet Nikki Giovanni kicks things off by discussing the complicated love she had for her parents. We also hear from actor Mahershala Ali and comedian Chris Gethard and their romantic partners, and Jane Fonda discusses heartbreak and her choice to end a marriage.  Here’s a full list of guests featured in this episode and links to the original DSM episodes that they appeared in:  Nikki Giovanni  Chris Gethard and Hallie Bulleit  Mahershala Ali and Amatus-Sami Karim  Laurie and Krista    Nikki and Darrell  Jane Fonda Podcast production by Andrew Dunn and Cameron Drews. To support Death, Sex & Money, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs close out 2024 Hang Up and Listen-style. They dig into the War for Christmas being waged between the NFL and NBA. Then they look at Alex Ovechkin’s attempts to break Wayne Gretzky’s 894 goals record. Next they discuss the rise of the alt-cast and what that means for broadcasting games.  On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts share the underrated sports stories of 2024 as well as what everyone should be watching in 2025.  War for Christmas(2:45): Who gets claim to the day: the NFL or the NBA? Alex Ovechkin (21:33): Can he beat the hockey GOAT’s goals record? It suddenly looks like a matter of time, but the story isn’t breaking into mainstream coverage much. Alternative Broadcasts (38:37): Do we really want a Toy Story football overlay? (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plu

On this episode: we’re sharing our favorite Slate Plus segments with our whole audience, as we do every year. 2024 was a big year for our Slate Plus supporters: we launched the Slate Plus Playground, which is a whole new way to get bonus content and recommendations. If you like the Playground segments you’re about to hear, we hope you’ll consider joining us for them every week. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@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. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts. Pod

From grammatical grievances to dating app screenshots, the internet has been rife with trends to get mad about. On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Teen Vogue’s Aiyana Ishmael and culture reporter Moises Mendez II to audit everything they lived through online in 2024. They’re discussing the good, the bad, and the truly unhinged. This podcast is produced by Alexandra Botti, Daisy Rosario, and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jamelle Bouie (New York Times opinion columnist) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to turn down gifts that make you cringe, what to do when you discover a sibling was given up for adoption before you were born, and when it’s too late to chase your dreams If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.  Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.  This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Slate Music Club is back, in a special edition of Hit Parade – “The Bridge”! Our year-end panel of critics—NPR Music’s Ann Powers, Hearing Things’ Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Slate’s own Carl Wilson and Hit Parade host Chris Molanphy—discuss their favorite albums and singles and the trends that shaped the year in pop, rap, country, Latin and global music.  Among the questions the roundtable tackles: Have we reached peak Taylor Swift? Did the Kendrick Lamar–v.-Drake beef overshadow hip-hop’s next generation? How much further will country cross over to pop audiences—and how does Latin music fit in? How did music from diverse artists stand in for protest music in 2024? And what will become of music criticism itself? Note: Slate Plus members can hear this special episode in full. Ad-supported listeners will hear the first half. Want to hear the whole discussion? Sign up for Slate Plus! Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices