Slate Culture Feed

`This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner dive into Ford v Ferrari before the Oscars this weekend. Next, they discuss Netflix’s reality show The Circle with Slate’s editorial director—and Circle-enthusiast—Laura Bennett. Finally, they analyze the controversy surrounding Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt with Los Angeles Times staff writer Daniel Hernandez.On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses Super Bowl ads with Slate’s Justin Peters. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.Outro Music: ‘The Circle Theme (Netflix)’ by Patrizio Knight HostsStephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia TurnerEndorsementsDana: “‘Jojo Rabbit’ Captures the Horror and Absurdity of our Trumpian Moment,” by Masha Gessen in The New Yorker.Julia: The Good Wife.Steve: Cheer (specifically, La’Darius’s brother’s face).“The Money Behind Trump’s Money,” by David Enrich in The New York Times Magazine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Chiefs’ win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Stefan and Josh are then joined by the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas to discuss the wins by Novak Djokovic and Sofia Kenin at the Australian Open.Super Bowl (01:31): The great Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a comeback victory as Andy Reid outcoached Kyle Shanahan.Australian Open (24:34): How Novak Djokovic controlled his mind and body to beat Dominic Thiem, and what you need to know about the latest American woman to win a grand slam title.Afterballs (46:05): Stefan on “Proud to Be an Astro” and Josh on the tragic story of Jim and Martha Tyrer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work.When Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote an exposé of Lord Byron's incestuous affair in 1869, it nearly destroyed The Atlantic Monthly, and threw the reputations of two literary icons into chaos. This is a story about 18th century scandal, cancel culture, and Bad Literary Men, that isn't so different from how these stories play out in our own time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sped-up voices. Wacky instruments. Songs about cavemen, bathtubs, bikinis and mothers-in-law. From the very birth of rock-and-roll, novelty songs were essential elements of the hit parade. Right through the ’70s—the age of streaking, CB radios, disco and King Tut—novelty songs could be chart-topping hits. But by the corporate ’80s, it was harder for goofballs to score round-the-clock hits on regimented radio playlists.Until one perm-headed, mustachioed, accordion-playing parodist who called himself “Weird” rebooted novelty hits for the new millennium. A video jokester before YouTube, he just might have ushered in the age of the meme. So join Hit Parade this month as we walk through the history of novelty hits on the charts—most especially if M.C. Escher is your favorite M.C.Podcast production by Justin D. Wright.Follow @cmolanphy on Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A conversation with a psychologist about the importance of friends who cross racial lines—and those who don't. Want to reflect on how race has factored into your friendships? Take our survey at deathsexmoney.org/friendship. Afterward, you can see how other people have responded to the survey questions, and we'll also send you a recommended reading list. And, as always, you can sign up for our newsletter by going to deathsexmoney.org/newsletter. Every Wednesday we'll send you behind-the-scenes updates, podcast listening recommendations, and some pretty incredible listener letters from our inbox.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner untangle the oddity that is Jojo Rabbit, discuss whether Netflix’s sport docu-series Cheer lives up to the hype, and talk to Slate’s music critic Carl Wilson about this year’s Grammys. On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses Kobe Bryant and the reactions to his death.Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.Outro Music: Lizzo's "Cuz I Love You" & "Truth Hurts" 2020 Grammy PerformanceEndorsementsDana: ‘Gigi Bryant Was a Great Basketball Player’ by Josh LevinJulia: ‘The Rise of the Dancefluencer’  by Makeda EasterSteve: ‘The Myth of Self-Reliance’ by Jenny Odell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Kobe Bryant’s on-court and off-court legacies with NPR’s Gene Demby and Lindsay Gibbs of the Power Plays! newsletter and the Burn It All Down podcast. Kobe’s shocking death (00:50): What we felt when we heard about the helicopter crash, and why his peers thought Kobe was Michael Jordan’s heir. Kobe on the court (14:09): Why so many fans loved his game and so many didn’t. The sexual assault allegations and Kobe’s support for women’s basketball (35:48): How the case against him is and isn’t remembered, and how to reconcile it with Kobe’s post-retirement life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your stories about race and friendship brought up a lot of questions. Our friends at NPR's Code Switch podcast have some answers.And if you missed it, make sure you check out our episode right before this one, called "Between Friends: Your Stories About Race and Friendship." Plus, take our survey to examine how race plays into your own friendships, at deathsexmoney.org/friendship.Sign up for our newsletter by going to deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and every Wednesday we'll send you behind-the-scenes updates, podcast listening recommendations, and some pretty incredible listener letters from our inbox.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Your white friend can just make one comment and it feels like a trap door has opened up from underneath," one listener told us when we asked for stories about race and friendship. "And I’m thrust back into the realities of living in a racist America." Today: Your stories about when race became a flashpoint in your friendships. Tomorrow, we'll share an episode from our partners at the NPR podcast Code Switch, featuring expert advice on navigating those flashpoint moments around race—and explaining why it's so hard to make, and maintain, cross-racial friendships.Want to reflect on your own friendship patterns? Take our survey at deathsexmoney.org/friendship. Afterward, you can see how other people have responded to the survey questions, and we'll also send you a recommended reading list. And, as always, you can sign up for our newsletter by going to deathsexmoney.org/newsletter. Every Wednesday we'll send you behind-the-scenes updates, podcast listening recommendations, and some pretty incredible listener letters from our inbox.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner dive into Honeyland, Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov’s Academy Award-nominated documentary following a beekeeper in Macedonia. Next, they chat about Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time. Finally, Slate’s Laura Miller joins the panel to discuss Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror and the role—and critiques—of the modern female essayist.On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses Oscar nominations.  Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.Outro Music: The Futureheads’ cover of Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love.”HostsStephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia TurnerEndorsementsDana: Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror audiobook. Julia: Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing. Steve: Ian Rankin’s “Inspector Rebus” book series.The Futureheads’ cover of Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.