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Apr 23, 2025 • 30min
ICYMI: The $50M Revolve Lawsuit and Sponcon Literacy
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay run through the lows of Coachella, before breaking down a lawsuit against one of the festival’s most visible e-commerce brands, Revolve. Earlier this month, Revolve was hit with a $50 million class-action lawsuit accusing them of deceiving more than 1 million customers using social media marketing tactics. The lead plaintiff named three influencers as co-defendants, saying they didn’t disclose that Revolve paid them for sponsored posts and had she known the posts were sponsored, she would not have purchased clothing from them. Does this case have merit, which past influencers have gotten in trouble for similar mistakes, and what does it say about our sponcon literacy today?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

Apr 23, 2025 • 1h 11min
Culture Gabfest | Is Sinners Hollywood’s Salvation?
On this week’s show, Julia, Stephen, and Dana are together and talk about Sinners with Slate Culture Writer Nadira Goffe. Then, they talk about a new animated series from Ramy Youssef called #1 Happy Family USA. Finally, they take a listener's suggestion and listen to a few episodes of the new podcast, Good Hang with Amy Poehler. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Nadira rejoins the panel to go deep on Sinners. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 23, 2025 • 51min
Decoder Ring | How “Chicken Soup” Sold Its Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul was the brainchild of two motivational speakers who preach the New Thought belief system known as the Law of Attraction. For more than 30 years, the self-help series has compiled reader-submitted stories about kindness, courage, and perseverance into easily digestible books aimed at almost every conceivable demographic: Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Golfer’s Soul, and on and on. Since 1993, these books have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling non-fiction book series of all time.But in recent years, the company has become many other things that seem lightyears away from inspirational publishing: a line of packaged foods, a DVD kiosk retailer, and a meme stock. In this episode, with the help of journalist Amanda Chicago Lewis, we tell the story of how this feel-good brand went from comfort food to junk.This episode was written by Willa Paskin and Max Freedman and produced by Max. It was edited by Evan Chung, Decoder Ring’s supervising producer. Our show is also produced by Katie Shepherd. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Special thanks to Rachel Strom.If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on our hotline at 347-460-7281.Want more Decoder Ring? 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 the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 22, 2025 • 55min
Death, Sex & Money | Are Airline Pilots Allowed to Be Depressed?
To fly a plane, pilots must prove to the Federal Aviation Administration that they’re physically and mentally fit. But when it comes to mental health, the rules are complicated and, some say, outdated.Pilots who need antidepressants are limited to a short list of approved medications and must take a mandatory six-month leave. Even common diagnoses like anxiety or depression can trigger reviews that could ground them.The F.A.A.’s rules are born out of desire to keep the public safe, but in this episode we talk to pilots, aspiring pilots, and medical aviation professionals about their unintended consequence: incentivizing people to stay quiet about their mental health issues.Read: Why Airline Pilots Feel Pushed to Hide Their Mental Illness 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, 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

Apr 22, 2025 • 1h 22min
Hang Up | The Angstiest Stanley Cup Yet?
Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh preview the NHL playoffs. Can the Maple Leafs or Jets finally break a Canadian Cup curse? The panel also give their NFL draft predictions, and discuss Paige Bueckers joining the Dallas Wings and Unrivaled.For Afterballs, Ben does a deep dive into how last-minute timeouts have (and have not) led to MLB pitcher injuries, and what became of the long-forgotten pitcher Dick Windbigler.On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel discusses longtime College GameDay broadcast Lee Corso’s retirement.NHL Playoffs (2:00): Can Canada finally do it?NFL Draft (19:31): Where will Shadeur Sanders land?Paige Bueckers (36:30): The UConn star is ready for the pros.Afterballs (57:38): Remember Dick Windbigler(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 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/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 21, 2025 • 43min
Care & Feeding | Therapy Shopping Is Exhausting
On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah take a great question about therapy, ADHD, and working on behavior. This mom is at her limit with her daughter’s outbursts… and shopping around for therapists has yielded not a lot of success. So: we’ll help this mom take a breath and figure out a path forward. And then, we’ll circle up for a round of checkins… and on Slate Plus, we’ll share what PBS has done for us.If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to learn how.Zak’s check-in: the breastfeeding room Elizabeth’s check-in: a meetup and CPR trainingJamilah’s check-in: man-ifestJoin 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.Podcast produced by Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 19, 2025 • 51min
Gabfest Reads | How to Turn the Creative Process Into “Good Trouble”
John Dickerson talks with author Maggie Smith about her new book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life. They talk about the essential elements of all creative projects, when you know a project is “done”, how to stay “porous” in the world, 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

Apr 19, 2025 • 31min
ICYMI | The Chaos and Confusion of “Family Vlogger” Laws
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay check back in now that states have begun passing laws that supposedly crack down on family vlogging and child influencers. While a new Utah law requires family vloggers to put money away for their kids, it misunderstands almost everything about how being a creator works. Without politicians who understand social media leading these bills, they could end up posing a threat to the entire creator industry.This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Olivia Briley, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 18, 2025 • 49min
Dear Prudence | My Wife’s Kids Sleep In Our Bed. I Hate It. Help!
In this episode, Jenée returns from parental leave and is joined by Solomon Missouri — a pastor at AME Zion Church in Snowhill, North Carolina, and author of the forthcoming “Not a Biblical Dating Book.”Together, they answer questions about a listener rekindling with his ex (and her children), someone who’s nervous about starting a romantic relationship for the first time in 20 years, and a childfree woman who’s afraid her boyfriend’s not on the same page.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 Jenée Desmond Harris, Maura Currie, and Daisy Rosario, with special thanks to Anuli Ononye and Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 17, 2025 • 47min
Care & Feeding | My Kid’s a Pushover
On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah answer a letter from a member of the Slate Parenting Facebook group who’s wondering how much people-pleasing is too much. This parent’s nine-year-old daughter is a little bit of a doormat, when it comes to doing what her friends want… so how can her parents help her balance some softness with some strength?And after that, of course, we’ll circle up for a round of triumphs and fails.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.Podcast produced by Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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