Culture Gabfest

On June 11th, actress Allison Williams joined Anna live onstage at the Tribeca Festival in New York City for a conversation that was equal parts introspective and hilarious. Allison talked about everything from botox and how it impacts her work (and the faces she’s able to make to her young son) to her very complicated and controversial film and TV characters, like the famously maligned Marnie from Girls. Allison and Anna also welcomed two members of Gen Z into the conversation, Amelia Ritthaler and Evan Lazarus of the Girls Rewatch podcast, to discuss why Gen Z is way more sympathetic to Marnie than millennials were.    Allison’s new podcast from Headgum is called Landlines. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  This episode was produced by Cameron Drews with help from Slate’s Katie Rayford, Alexandra Cohl, and Shay Cohen, and the wonderful team from Tribeca Audio: Davy Gardner, Allyson Morgan and Baiz Hoen.  Death, Sex & Money is produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up f

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs talk about the NBA Finals and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s victory over the Indiana Pacers –  the comeback kings of the season. They discuss how the Pacers’ unsatisfying underdog ending and Tyrese Haliburton’s on-court injury made this one of the more bittersweet Finals of recent years. Then, the panel dissects the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers to a group of investors led by the Dodgers’ owner Mark Walter, and the team's record-breaking $10 billion valuation, and what it means for the presence of big, big money in sports team ownership. Finally they discuss the Edmonton Oilers getting iced out of Games 5 and 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals by the dominant Florida Panthers. They ask why Edmonton can’t get it together, and whether they might just be getting a little long in the tooth. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel discusses another, less-positive team acquisition story: Mat Ishbia’s purchase of the Phoenix Suns bac

On this episode: Zak, Lucy and Elizabeth chat about sibling spats. Our question is from the mom of three tween girls who are jealous of each other — so we’ll talk about dealing with unfairness, and keeping the peace. We’ll also check in and share what’s on our minds this week. And if you stick around for the Slate Plus Playground, we’re talking about our parenting “shoulds.” If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to learn how. 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 wor

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay start off with two sounds of the summer from a divisive Love Island USA contestant and a popstar “standing on business.” Then, they explain the controversy brewing behind Partiful, the hip event invite app that was a rising star in the tech world, until an NYC Noise blog post brought up that Partiful’s co-founders used to work at Palantir Technologies. Palantir is a data-analytics company co-founded by Peter Thiel, who was on President Trump’s transition team and a prominent, billionaire donor to his campaign, and for years, Palantir has been in contract with the CIA and ICE. Then in April, 404 Media was able to obtain Slacks from Palantir that showed they were helping Trump’s mass deportation effort. So, is Partiful canceled? And why are there no good invite apps left? Also: We're asking for your help on a future Pride episode! Send us your stories of coming out on social media. Whether you posted a quick tweet or produced a full on YouTube video about it, we want to hear from y

David Plotz talks with author Alison Bechdel about her new book, Spent. They discuss what’s memoir and what’s less than memoir in the comic novel, David’s own contribution to the book, and more.   Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)   Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe, whose coverage of the United States v. Sean Combs (also known as the Diddy trial) has meant sharing a press room with YouTubers and streamers. These new media journalists have millions of followers, and aren’t beholden to the same editorial and ethical standards as traditional news outlets. As a result, they might just be beating them at their own game.  This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a first for Decoder Ring: a live show, recorded at the WBUR Festival in Boston, Massachusetts. Given the setting, we decided to take on a Boston-based cultural mystery: namely, the “Boston movie.” Beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Hollywood has churned out a whole cycle of films drenched in Beantown’s particularities, crimes, crops, class conflicts, and accents, from The Departed to The Town. Why does a city smaller than El Paso or Jacksonville loom so large in the cinematic imagination? Why does Boston have a movie subgenre all its own? What makes a Boston movie a Boston movie? With the help of three guests—film critic Ty Burr; Lisa Simmons, founder of the Roxbury International Film Festival; and Boston University linguist Danny Erker—we look closely at the history and heyday of the Boston movie: how The Friends of Eddie Coyle set the template, Good Will Hunting shoved the door wide open, and Mystic River ushered in an imperial phase. We discuss the importance of race and class to

On this week’s show, Steve and Dana are joined by guest host Dan Kois to weigh the suitability of Materialists as a rom-com for our transactional age. In choosing between suitors played by Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, matchmaker Dakota Johnson must choose between love and money— but is there a soul beneath all this romantic calculation? They debate. Next, they return to the depths of a billionaire-backed fiasco in the new documentary Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster about the jaw-dropping 2023 submarine implosion. Finally, they remember and appreciate the life and ineffable, enduring work of pop music auteur, and Beach Boys, frontman Brian Wilson.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Steve, Dana, and Dan discuss Lauren Michelle Jackson’s New Yorker essay about “P.O.V.” videos and what they say about how we see the world. Want more Culture Gabfest? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscrib

Drawing isn’t just child’s play. It’s a shortcut to joy, presence, and connection—all things we could use a lot more of these days. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on artist, graphic journalist, and founder of DrawTogether Wendy MacNaughton to explain how everyone at the grown-ups table can start drawing, too. Courtney’s blind contour drawing If you liked this episode check out: How To Be an Artist and Not Starve 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. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer. Want more How To!? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive 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

In 2018, we followed eight listeners as they dated over the course of the summer. We heard about having sex for the first time, being ghosted, downloading and deleting dating apps, and grieving one partner while falling in love with someone new. In this episode, you’ll hear the final check-in with our eight daters (you can listen to the first and second episode here).  Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, 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. And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs talk about the rainy and unforgiving weekend at the U.S. Open, where J.J. Spaun was the only player to finish under par. They also get into the shocking trade of Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants. Plus, journalist and host of the podcast Sonic Boom, Jordan Ritter Conn, joins to discuss how Seattle lost its iconic basketball team and how Oklahoma City has reaped the benefits. There’s also an Afterball from Ben on WNBA's new “Line ‘Em Up” campaign in the wake of a three-point shooting surge. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel speaks to soccer journalist Kim McCauley about the state of the USMNT. U.S. Open (3:53): The soggiest weekend in golf. Red Sox boot Raffy (19:01): The shocking trade of Boston’s biggest star What happened to the SupersSonics? (36:26): How Seattle lost and OKC might win. Afterballs (52:02): Ben on WNBA’s three-point push. (Note: time codes are only accura

On this episode: Elizabeth and Lucy sit down with Meagan Francis – she’s a parenting writer and the author of the new book, The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read. It’s all about embracing the teen years and your impending empty nest.  And if you stick around for the Slate Plus Playground, Zak and Jamilah join Elizabeth to talk about what they hope an empty nest looks like.  If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to learn how. 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 w

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Wired senior writer and producer of Black Twitter: A People’s History, Jason Parham, to attempt to explain the enigma that is “international bestselling author” Quan Millz. With titles like Old THOT Next Door and My Baby Daddy Is A Bedbug, Millz’s books have no trouble capturing the attention of the internet, so much so that the previously-anonymous author was forced to unmask himself to ward off a potential scandal. But who, exactly, are Millz’s books for? And the even more ominous question: What will he do next? This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay, with help from A.C. Valdez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Little Richard was rock ‘n’ roll’s flamboyant architect. Lesley Gore sang that no one owned her. Sylvester was a gender-fluid icon who helped define disco. Freddie Mercury made rock operatic, and George Michael demanded freedom. What all of these LGBTQ artists had in common was bold hitmaking—and fear of being fully out of the closet. For decades, queer acts topped the charts while cloaking their true identities and paving the way for today’s more openly queer stars. For Pride Month, join Chris Molanphy as he traces the hidden history of queer hitmakers on the charts—including those that managed to be both out and No. 1, right up through our modern age of Lil Nas X and Chappell Roan. It’s a celebration of these artists’ quest to feel… mighty real. Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit

On this episode: Zak and Elizabeth introduce a series-within-a-series called Care and Feeding 101 — where we’re walking you through all things baby, with the help of some truly amazing experts. Think of it like the baby book that we know you don’t have time to read.  In Volume One: Zak meets some seasoned sex and relationship coaches who just had a baby. And Elizabeth invites Dr. Sheilagh Maguiness to bust the top myths about baby skin. 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

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim dive into the online workplace drama surrounding a millennial founder’s hot take about 9-to-5 workers. Lindsey Carter is the CEO of SET Active, an influencer-targeted athleisure brand you may have seen on Kaia Gerber and Kendall Jenner. Recently, Carter complained in a now-deleted TikTok about office workers who leave right when the clock strikes 5 p.m. This is not the first time Carter has come under fire for questionable workplace practices, but this time, she’s Substacking through the backlash and letting this become a marketing moment. And while posting through workplace drama may help her brand go viral, what will it do to her workers and their morale? Also, why CEOs should turn off the microphones and put some headphones on. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Bryan talks with Christina about her new piece for Slate The Conservative Wave Is Having a Very Unexpected Effect on Pride which covers the power and politics of small-town Pride. Then, in the second half, they're joined by Van Knapp, co-founder of Canyon County Pride in Idaho, to talk about building queer joy in unlikely places. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s show, the secret word is: Pee-wee. Dana, Steve, and Julia discuss the new documentary Pee-wee as Himself. The fascinating two-part film, directed by Matt Wolf, attempts to reveal the complex man Paul Reubens behind the beloved, surprisingly subversive, goofball that was Pee-wee Herman.  Next, they tee off to talk about Stick, the new comedy series starring Owen Wilson set in the world of professional golf. In the third segment, they’re joined by Atlantic staff writer Caity Weaver to chat about her recently published, rollicking travel piece An Innocent Abroad in Mark Twain’s Paris. In an exclusive Slate Plus segment, inspired by a listener question, the hosts each share their  dream city they’d love to live in but have only ever visited. Endorsements: Steve: Sly Lives! the Questlove-directed documentary about the hugely influential pop star Sly Stone who recently passed away. Julia: Season 2 of Poker Face and its smorgasbord of incredible guest appearances by beloved character actors.

At a time when inflation, tariffs, and stock market fluctuations are creating confusion and financial strain, we’ve assembled an unlikely panel of experts to answer your money questions, big and small.  Our panel includes: Bethel Habte, a financial coach and author of the Deconstructing Money newsletter; Mark Blythe, economics professor at Brown University and author of Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers; and Rebecca Auman, DMS’s go-to “practical witch” and host of the podcast Voices in the River.  This podcast was produced by Zoe Azulay and Cameron Drews. Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, 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. And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. O

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh and Lindsay Gibbs discuss Carlos Alcaraz’s dazzling comeback win over Jannik Sinner in the men’s French Open finals. Then they welcome Kim Ng, the commissioner of the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League, to talk about all things pro softball. They also speak with professor and author Neil Longley about some of the reasons Canada’s Stanley Cup drought has persisted for so long. Finally, Alex has an Afterball on the implications of the House v. NCAA settlement for athletes like star softball pitcher NiJaree Canady. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel discusses how analytics are reframing the way we think about baseball defensive numbers, one year after Willie Mays’ passing.  French Open Finals (2:18): Carlos and Coco win. Women’s Pro Softball (21:16): What’s to come for a fledgling league? The Stanley Cup (45:23): Can the Oilers break the curse? Afterballs (1:04:19): The House v. NCAA settlemen (Note: time codes are only ac