Culture Gabfest

This Pride month, many LGBTQ people are grappling with complicated feelings. Anti-gay and anti-trans political attacks are becoming all too common, Pride celebrations are being banned or canceled in some parts of the United States, and many of us are wondering how to put this in perspective. Hosts Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder wrestle with some of that complexity as they work through their feelings about corporate Pride. If rainbow capitalism never mattered in the first place, why does this year’s backtracking feel bad? Then they are joined by writer Delilah Friedler to discuss her piece “Tennessee Belongs to Trans People, Too,” which is part of Slate’s “Not Quite Pride” package. They end the show, as always, with some new additions to the Gay Agenda. Items discussed in the show: J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell become the first nonbinary acting award winners at the Tony Awards “The Dirty Secret of Corporate Pride,” by Christina Cauterucci “Tennessee Belongs to Trans People, Too

This week, Dana Stevens is joined first by Slate senior editor Sam Adams and ICYMI co-host Candice Lim to examine Wes Anderson’s latest film, Asteroid City. Then, the trio discusses why the sixth season of Black Mirror feels so disjointed. Finally, Dana and Candice explore the ethics of true crime content—and its devout followers—with Slate podcast producer and host Cheyna Roth inspired by a recent piece by The Atlantic, “The Gross Spectacle of Murder Fandom.” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Dana, Candice, and Cheyna delve into TikTok’s latest trend: “beige flags.” Not quite red or alarming, nor something you absolutely love, beige flags are little quirks a person reveals that makes you go, “Hmm… okay.” Their conversation is inspired by Buzzfeed’s “‘My Boyfriend Always Asks The Waiter What To Order’” and The Cut’s “So What’s Your ‘Beige Flag?’” Email us at culturefest@slate.com.  Endorsements: Dana: Reality — Based on the real-life FBI interrogation transcript of whistleblower Reality Winner (played wond

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Eater senior reporter Bettina Makalintal to discuss the rise of private chef content on TikTok. Specifically, the three discuss the now-yearly spectacle of chefs creating content about their summer sojourns to the Hamptons to cook for their wealthy clients. A form pioneered by Meredith Hayden, a.k.a @wishbonekitchen, Hamptons private chef content is now a phenomenon eagerly awaited by a section of TikTok viewers who call it their Super Bowl. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Joel Anderson talk about whether the Pelicans should trade Zion Williamson. Josh and Stefan are also joined by the Athletic’s Paul Tenorio to discuss the U.S. men’s national soccer team's wins over Mexico and Canada and the rehiring of Gregg Berhalter. Finally, Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal joins for a conversation about how Vegas became America’s No. 1 sports town.   Zion (4:47): The Pelicans are in a very tough spot.   U.S. soccer (27:35): Why Gregg Berhalter got his old job back.   Las Vegas (56:14): How it went from a sports desert to every league’s favorite destination.   Afterball (01:11:36): Stefan on the World Football League’s very colorful pants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We couldn’t stop thinking about And Just Like That. Now Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte are coming back for a second season and The Waves is going to be covering it all. Every week, Slate Plus members will get a very special And Just Like That recap episode, hosted by myself, Cheyna Roth, with a very exciting lineup of your favorite Slatesters like Daisy Rosario, Luke Wilkie and Heather Schwedel.  Look for the And Just Like That recap in The Waves Plus feed. And if you’re not a Slate Plus member, you can join now by going to Slate.com/thewavesplus to get all these special episodes along with tons of other bonus goodies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… an archaeology of grievances. In honor of the third Juneteenth being celebrated as a national holiday, it’s worth unpacking symbolic gestures like Juneteenth — and, as many states are finding out, like Reparations. The movement to compensate the descendants of slaves is gaining more traction than ever before, in many parts of the country. Could this be our chance to clear a massive, lingering blight on our nation’s history?  Our guest today argues no. Podcast host and columnist Coleman Hughes joins us to make the case that compensating the victims of slavery was something we should’ve done long ago – and now, it’s too late for it to be anything other than a problem.   If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com Podcast production by Maura Currie You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three

This week, host June Thomas talks to Taliah Lempert, an artist who specializes in paintings and prints of bicycles. In the interview, Taliah tells the story of how she first discovered a passion for riding bikes and then painting their likeness. She also explains how she’s been able to turn her artistic practice into a satisfying full-time career.  After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler talk about getting into a creative “flow” and embracing your art as your “life’s work.”  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Taliah discusses art fairs and other community events, and then she tries to list all of the bikes that she owns.    Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews.  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 Wor

Emily Bazelon talks with author Peter Singer about his updated and re-released book, Animal Liberation Now. The classic text has been an integral part of the animal rights movement since its publication in 1975. They discuss what we’ve learned about animals in the last several decades, including the intelligence of animals, why people should become vegan to help with climate change, and a passage in the Bible we’ve gotten very, very wrong.  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

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Franchesca Ramsey, a television writer and producer, comedian, and former vlogger whose videos have amassed more than 30 million views on YouTube. The trio dive deep into the current controversy engulfing Colleen Ballinger, better known as her alter ego MirandaSings. In recent weeks, Ballinger has come under fire for the allegedly inappropriate communications she’s had with minor fans throughout her years long career. Ramsey, Hampton and Lim discuss how one of her accusers–YouTuber Adam McIntyre–has been sounding the alarm since 2020 when he was largely ignored, if not outright vilified, by the MirandaSings fandom. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Vis

Today, the Pointer Sisters are mostly remembered for their flurry of ’80s hits, especially the “Excited” one about losing control and liking it. But their musical history is far more varied: jazz standards? Civil rights–era funk? Country music? Yacht rock? The Pointers applied their impeccable sibling harmonies to all of it. Billboard ranks the Pointer Sisters behind only the Supremes, TLC and Destiny’s Child among hitmaking girl groups. Yet their versatility has gone relatively unheralded—from the Grammy they won in a country category, to the Bruce Springsteen demo they turned into a smash, to the kiddie bop they recorded for Sesame Street. How did the Pointers score so many hits in so many idioms? Join Chris Molanphy as he gives the Pointer Sisters their due as harmonizing innovators and genre-defying hitmakers. Here at Hit Parade, we jump (for their love). Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving

In this episode, Ophira Eisenberg (host of the new comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer your letters from readers about whether to make your partner pass a test before having kids, how to handle it when you fall for someone else right in front of your boyfriend, and what to do when your friend seems to think she’s adorable and it really bothers you. If you want more Dear Prudence, you should 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.  Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Emily Charash and Brandon Nix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Police killings of Black men have their own grim, but established, rituals in American society. But what happens to those who survive police violence? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Leon Ford, who survived being shot multiple times by Pittsburgh police more than a decade ago. In his new memoir An Unspeakable Hope, Ford candidly describes his legal, physical, and mental health challenges, and why he eventually dedicated himself to working with police, including reaching out to the man who shot him. He also discusses The Hear Foundation—his non-profit group that builds partnerships between the community and police—and his complicated views of politics, gun violence, and activism. Guest: Activist Leon Ford, co-founder of The Hear Foundation, and author of An Unspeakable Hope: Brutality, Forgiveness, and Building a Better Future for My Son Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about menstruation. Period. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author and anthropologist Dr. Kate Clancy. Kate recently published her extensive study on menstruation, Period and they dig into why Western culture has constantly looked at menstruating bodies with shame, how this impacts scientific studies and healthcare for women and gender minorities, and how we can overcome the embarrassment.  In Slate Plus: Why language matters in science. If you liked this episode, check out: The Hustle of Being Beautiful Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler discuss a listener’s query about how much importance one should grant ‘working on oneself.’ They share their different methods of pausing for self reflection, such as a quarterly, personal check-ins, mulling over problems that peers frequently encounter, and envisioning an ideal future. Do you have a question about creative work? Leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com.    Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe explore the fandom surrounding standup comedian Matt Rife. They take it back to Rife’s breakout on Wild N’ Out and pick apart his rise on TikTok as a crowd work comic. But first, Nadira and Candice share their nominations for song of the summer. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In celebration of Pride month, we’re bringing you some extra episodes of the Outward podcast. This week, host Christina Cauterucci talks to two people who recently visited every lesbian bar in the United States: Krista Burton, author of the newly published book Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America, and Naomi Gordon-Loebl, a writer and sommelier. They discuss the purpose of lesbian bars, trends in dyke-bar decor, and whether lesbian bars are still sexy. Items discussed in the show: Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America, by Krista Burton The Lesbian Bar Project’s list of U.S. bars Gay Agenda Krista: Tom Ford Tuscan Leather Naomi: Wear something that makes you feel spicy, like perhaps a leather harness or a Father Figure T-shirt by Tanner Shea This podcast was edited by Emily Charash and produced by June Thomas. Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com. Learn more about yo

This week, the panel is first joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams to review Past Lives, Celine Song’s gentle yet affecting directorial debut. Then, Dana and Stephen dive into The Ultimatum: Queer Love with Slate’s June Thomas. Finally, the trio debate the virtues of closed captioning, based on a recent piece by The Atlantic, “Why Is Everyone Watching TV With the Subtitles On?”  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Dana and Stephen are joined by Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion to discuss the ways therapy language has found its way into everyday conversations, inspired by The Rise of Therapy Speak (Katy Waldman, The New Yorker) and “‘Doing the Work’ and the Obsession With Superficial Self-Improvement (Jessica Grose, The New York Times). Email us at culturefest@slate.com.  Endorsements: Stephen: A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov — “An expression of Byronism as it reaches Russian shores.” Written in 1939 by one of the great Russian poets, A Hero of Our Time follows a nihilistic anti-hero on his ma

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… Racism Lite. Racial politics is responsible for a lot of ugliness, in the United States and around the world. Humans want, and even need, to sort themselves into categories — and sometimes, that tribalism yields as much good as it can bad. So do we always need to be a melting pot?  Writer Damon Young joins us to make the case that we’re all racist, and there’s no reason to pretend otherwise. If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com Podcast production by Maura Currie You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas are joined by the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver to discuss how the Denver Nuggets took a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. Next, Slate’s Henry Grabar comes on to talk about Novak Djokovic’s record-setting French Open title. Finally, Josh is joined by Slate’s Alex Kirshner and the Fried Egg’s Brendan Porath to sort through the PGA Tour’s new deal with the Saudis.   NBA Finals (2:16): What makes Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray a historically great duo?   French Open (26:55): How Djokovic keeps winning.   Golf (49:37): Why the PGA Tour reversed its big moral stand.   Afterball (1:13:34): Josh and Louisa discuss her feature story on how pitcher Daniel Bard lost control, regained it, and lost it again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Working producer Cameron Drews gets a masterclass in interviewing from Sam Fragoso, host of the Talk Easy podcast. They discuss in-person vs remote interviews, the importance of follow-up questions, and what it means to capture “an honest snapshot” of the guest.  After the interview, Cameron and co-host June Thomas discuss the role of good taste and anxiety in creative work.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Sam talks about collaborating with his producers and participating in post-interview photo shoots.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.   Podcast production by Cameron Drews. __ This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices