Slate Culture Feed

Stefan Fatsis and Mike Pesca break down the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four and are joined by Lindsay Gibbs of ThinkProgress to discuss the women’s tournament. Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer talks about the new Major League Baseball season. And author Wayne Coffey comes on to discuss his new book, They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, about the miracle New York Mets of 1969. Basketball (2:40): Despite one of the greatest collections of young talent ever, Duke didn’t make the Final Four. Despite a perceived snub of a No. 2 seed, the Connecticut women did.  Baseball (28:14): Major League Baseball has a labor problem: It has stopped overpaying older free agents but isn’t compensating its best young players at market rates. Mets (48:38): Fifty years ago, the New York Mets went from one of the worst franchises in the history of pro sports to World Series champs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you think of Stevie Wonder’s legendary career, what chart-toppers come to mind? “Superstition,” right? Maybe “I Wish”? Okay, but what about the start of his career, on the Motown of the ’60s? You may not know that Wonder had only one Hot 100 No. 1 in his first decade—as “Little” Stevie Wonder—and it was truly exceptional, as in bizarre: a semi-improvised live recording of a “12 Year-Old Genius” refusing to leave a Chicago stage and say goodnight. Here’s the story of “Fingertips, Part 2,” and the years that launched a true pop icon. Wonder’s imperial run of classic, chart-topping, Grammy-dominating ’70s albums had their seeds in the joyous virtuosity, and fierce independence, on display in his very first hit.Email: hitparade@slate.com   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We asked for your stories about being laid off. A listener named Stephanie wrote in about her dad. Take our survey about losing a job by going to deathsexmoney.org/laidoff. And find advice from other listeners about how to handle a layoff by texting "LAID OFF" to 70101.Don't forget to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter! Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.Follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Turner, Dana Stevens, and Willa Paskin discuss Jordan Peele's new film Us, Hulu's comedy series Shrill, and the bestselling book Dreyer's English with the author, Benjamin Dreyer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss Duke’s crazy NCAA Tournament win over UCF. They also talk about Michigan State coach Tom Izzo’s sideline behavior, and Ian Eagle joins the show to explain how play-by-play announcers call buzzer-beaters. Duke-UCF (1:14): How the Blue Devils pulled it out, and how Zion vs. Tacko lived up to its advance billing. Tom Izzo (14:20): Assessing the national conversation about Izzo’s anger issues and how coaches should treat players. Buzzer-beaters (34:48): CBS’ Ian Eagle describes how he calls game-winning plays and explains the elements of a memorable call. Afterballs(57:32): Stefan on the origins of the term “punch drunk” and Josh on Canadian superjocks and immigration. 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.Truck Nutz are a brand name for the dangling plastic testicles some people affix to the bumper or hitch of their vehicle. Also known as Bull’s Balls, Your Nutz, and other brand names, these plastic novelties have a powerful symbolic charge and are often associated with a crass, macho, red state audience. But Truck Nutz are a surprisingly complicated signifier, one whose symbolic power is increasingly divorced from their real-world usage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a teen, Daniel K. Isaac fought his sexuality. But accepting that part of himself as an adult has meant finding new, complicated ways of relating to his mother.Please give to support Death, Sex & Money. If we get 150 new supporters by April 30th, we'll unlock a special treat for the whole community. Head on over to deathsexmoney.org/donate to give, or text "DSM" to 70101. And thank you!And don't forget to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter! Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.Follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dana Stevens, Isaac Butler, and Benjamin Frisch discuss HBO's documentary The Inventor about the Theranos scandal, the meteoric rise of Rupaul's Drag Race, and Netflix's awkward attempt at branding itself in the wake of cancelling the beloved show One Day at a Time.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Ben Mathis-Lilley talk about the field for this year’s NCAA tournament and Zion Williamson’s return to the court. They also discuss the college admissions scandal and the Giants’ move to trade Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns. March Madness (1:55): Did the selection committee get it right? Will Zion dominate the tournament? Should you root for LSU or Yale? College admissions scandal (22:00): The best tidbits from Operation Varsity Blues. Plus: Is the bribery at issue here a massive problem or a minor issue? Odell Beckham Jr. (39:50): Why the Giants traded their best player. (Spoiler alert: It makes no sense.) Afterballs(54:48): Ben on Terance Mann and Sam Malone, Josh on Raycom Sports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Chris Molanphy reflects on the previous full length episode of the show, and invites one Slate Plus member to play some music trivia related to an upcoming episode. This month, Molanphy is joined at the mic by T. J. Raphael, senior producer of the Slate Podcast Network. Together, they discuss some of the best cover songs of all time from the likes of Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, and more. After a break, Molanphy is joined by one listener for some music trivia related to the next full-length episode of Hit Parade, which is all about Stevie Wonder. How does it all work? The contestant is asked three trivia questions, and the player also has the opportunity to turn the tables—they get a chance to try to stump Molanphy, a music journalist for the past 25 years, with one trivia question of their own.If you’d like to be a contestant on an upcoming show, sign up for a Slate Plus membership here, and then enter as a contestant here. You can also enter to play if you’re already a Slate Plus member.Want your question featured in an upcoming show? Email a voice memo to hitparade@slate.com.  Podcast production by T. J. Raphael  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.