Culture Gabfest: The Wild Robot’s Big Heart

On this week’s show, Dana and Stephen are joined by Supreme Friend of the Podcast (SFOP) Isaac Butler, author of The Method:‌ How the Twentieth Century Learned to‌ Act. The trio first explores The Wild Robot, DreamWork Animation’s handcrafted, lovingly made film that’s the surprise of the year. Lupita Nyong’o voices ROZ, an old-fashioned robot powered by supremely advanced A.I. who must learn about and adapt to her new wild surroundings.

Then, they dissect Nobody Wants This, a new Netflix series starring Kristen Bell (who plays a sex podcaster) and Adam Brody as a hot rabbi. Although there are obvious charms, the show’s “will they, won’t they” rom-com beats can often feel, at best, gratingly familiar, and at worst, bizarre and unthoughtful, particularly in its portrayal of Jewish women. 

Finally, the Criterion Collection, is “a catalog so synonymous with cinematic achievement that it has come to function as a kind of film Hall of Fame,” writes Joshua Hunt for The New York Times. The panel dives into the wonderful world of ‘Closet Picks,’ a viral video format in which celebrities and movie buffs head into the Criterion Collection stockroom and pluck high-quality DVDs and Blu-rays off its shelves while explaining their personal significance. 

Also mentioned in this episode:‌

• “The Wild Robot Has an Intelligence That’s Anything But Artificial” by Dana Stevens for Slate.
• “‘Nobody Wants This’ Pits Jewish Women Against ‘Shiksas.’ Nobody Wins.” By Jessica Grose for The New York Times.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel extols the joys of being on the ground. Inspired by Chris Black’s column for GQ, “How I Learned to Love a Layover,” the trio discusses how they spend their time in airports. 

Email us at culturefest@slate.com. 

Endorsements:

Dana:‌ “Abbas Kiarostami’s Childhood Films,”‌ a collection of 17 films by the renowned Iranian filmmaker made about or for children.

Isaac:‌ The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, directed by Isao Takahata.

Stephen:‌ “The Song That Connects Jackson Browne, Nico and Margot Tenenbaum”‌ by Bob Mehr for The New York Times.

Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.

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