Slate Culture

White noise has a very precise technical definition, but people use the term loosely, to describe all sorts of washes of sound—synthetic hums, or natural sounds like a rainstorm or crashing waves—that can be used to mask other sounds. Twenty years ago, if you’d told someone white noise was a regular part of your life, they would have found that unusual. Nowadays, it’s likely they use it themselves or know someone who does. The global white noise business is valued at $1.3 billion; TikTok is full of people trumpeting its powers; and Spotify users alone listen to three million hours of it daily. Far more of these sounds already exist than any one person could need—or use. And yet, more keep coming.  Looking out at this uncanny ocean of seemingly indistinguishable noises, we wanted to see if it was possible to put a human face on it; to understand why there is so much of it, and what motivates the people trying to soothe our desperate ears with sounds you're not really supposed to hear. In this episode, you’ll hear from Elan Ullendorff, who writes the illuminating Substack Escape the Algorithm; Stéphane Pigeon, founder of myNoise; Brandon Reed, who runs Dwellspring; and Mack Haygood, author of Hush: Media and Sonic Self-Control and host of the podcast Phantom Power. We’d also like to thank Dan Berlau, Sarah Anderson, and Ashley Carman.  This episode was written by Katie Shepherd, Evan Chung, and Willa Paskin. It was produced by Katie Shepherd. We produce Decoder Ring with Max Freedman, and Evan is also our supervising producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. 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. Sources for This Episode Anderson, Sarah. The Lost Art of Silence: Reconnecting to the Power and Beauty of Quiet, Shambhala Publications, 2023. Blum, Dani. “Can Brown Noise Turn Off Your Brain?” New York Times, Sep. 23, 2022. Carman, Ashley. “Spotify Looked to Ban White Noise Podcasts to Become More Profitable,” Bloomberg, Aug. 17, 2023.  Carman, Ashley. “Spotify to Cut Back Promotional Spending on White Noise Podcasts,” Bloomberg, Sep. 1, 2023. Hagood, Mack. Hush: Media and Sonic Self-Control, Duke University Press, 2019. Pickens, Thomas A., Sara P. Khan, and Daniel J. Berlau. “White noise as a possible therapeutic option for children with ADHD,” Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Feb. 2019. Riva, Michele Augusto, Vincenzo Cimino, and Stefano Sanchirico. “Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s 17th century white noise machine,” The Lancet Neurology, Oct. 2017. 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

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay discuss an American woman in her 50s who is going viral for her plastic surgery journey. Michelle Wood is a mom who traveled to Guadalajara to undergo several procedures, including a facelift and a chin implant. She documented her journey before and after the procedure, creating intrigue, curiosity, and surprisingly positive responses online. TikTok reacted similarly when Kylie Jenner revealed the details of her boob job and broke the internet within the same week. So what do Wood and Jenner’s transparency say about the way women are talking about their bodies, and their surgeries, in 2025? 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

On this week’s show, Steve, Julia, and guest host Sam Adams are off to races with F1:The Movie, the new Brad Pitt racing vehicle featuring lots of racing vehicles. Is the thrill ride more than the sum of its sports movie cliches, high-octane action sequences, and perpetually handsome movie-star? Does the answer even matter? Next, they’re joined by Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario to decode the particularly British charms of Taskmaster, the UK panel/game-show now in its 19th season. Finally, what’s more fun to pick apart than a best of list? Dana Stevens hops in to dissect the New York Times’s 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century interactive feature. In an exclusive Plus bonus episode, the topic is: sex! Specifically, the hosts discuss the status—and seeming decline—of sex in Hollywood movies.  Endorsements: Sam: Drinking the anise-flavored aperitif pastis, the French brand Henri Bardouin is a good one to try. Julia: The delicious Los Angeles restaurant Tomat in the most unlikely of locales: a strip mall by LAX International Airport. Steve: The album Cunningham Bird by Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham and the song Sara by Fleetwood Mac. Dana: The production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It available to stream on National Theatre at Home. Our Panelist’s Top Ten(ish) Movies of the 21st Century: Dana: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days The Act of Killing Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) Bright Star Children of Men Grizzly Man Parasite Portrait of a Lady on Fire Moonlight There Will Be Blood Julia: I’m Still Here Mean Girls Get Out Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Zombieland Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood Erin Brockovich The Act of Killing Portrait of a Lady on Fire Sam: In the Mood for Love The Act of Killing The Grand Budapest Hotel The Gleaners and I Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind A Serious Man It’s Such a Beautiful Day The New World Hedwig and the Angry Inch The Death of Stalin Stephen: Anora Spotlight Toni Erdmann The Lives of Others Paddington 2 Meyerowitz Stories Spirited Away Get Out There Will Be Blood Mulholland Drive Parasite A Separation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate stopped reading in 2016. Since then, she’s tried to find her way back to it but something’s not clicking, and it’s left a book-shaped hole in her heart. Reading used to be something she really enjoyed, took pride in, and loved connecting with people over. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace brings in Maryanne Wolf, director of ⁠UCLA’s Center For Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice⁠ and author of the book, ⁠Reader, Come Home⁠. Maryanne explains the science behind the reading brain as well as how to deeply engage with books and make reading a habit again.  If you liked this episode, check out: “⁠How To Put Down Your Phone⁠” Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at ⁠howto@slate.com⁠ or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Want more How To!? 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 How To! show page. Or, visit slate.com/howtoplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexandra Paul always loved connecting with fans. She had many, from her breakout role in the 1983 horror film Christine to her years playing a lifeguard on Baywatch. In 2011, Paul's career was slowing down, but it was also the year that she met her biggest fan: a woman who would come to stalk her for over a decade, costing Paul tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills, strain on her family, and forcing her to move across state lines. The ordeal is now over, and she has lessons to share.  In this episode you’ll hear Alexandra Paul read from an essay she published in The Ankler, a newsletter about the entertainment industry.   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

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs discuss Caitlin Clark’s injuries, controversies, and dramas that continue to spotlight the Fever and WNBA. They also get into the effects of major league baseball teams' use of minor league ballparks, plus a talk with SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell to break down the NBA draft. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel speaks to Out of Your League newsletter writer Frankie de la Cretaz, about the Golden State Valkyries’ embrace and fostering of its queer fanbase. Caitlin Clark (4:33): All eyes on the Fever Minor League parks (26:22): How two pro teams have adjusted to smaller stadiums NBA Draft (41:55): Cooper Flagg’s a Mav (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. You can email us at hangup@slate.com. Podcast production and editing by Kevin Bendis, with production assistance from Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Zak, Lucy and Elizabeth chat about screentime. We’ve got two great questions that are variations on the theme: are podcasts screentime? And you missing out on something if your little ones don’t get to watch a certain children’s YouTuber? We’ll discuss. After that, we’re circling up for a round of triumphs and fails, because why not? And if you stick around for the Slate Plus Playground, we’re talking about water safety and whether the color of your swimsuit really matters. If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to learn how. 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

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim are joined by Ingrid Nilsen, an OG beauty lifestyle YouTuber who you may know as “MissGlamorazzi,” to reflect on the 10-year anniversary of her most iconic video to date.  Throughout the 2010s, YouTube was the platform of choice for “coming out” videos. During those years, the U.S. saw progress in LGBTQ+ acceptance and representation, including a SCOTUS decision legalizing gay marriage nationwide in 2015. A part of this growing acceptance online included prominent creators speaking up about their own sexuality, creating essentially, an entire genre of YouTube videos. Entering that genre in 2015 was Nilsen, whose coming out video has more than 18 million views, and became perhaps the most memorable coming out video from that era.  Ten years later, Nilsen joins the show to talk about the moment before she hit upload, what she’s been up to since, and how the reaction — and backlash — to that video affected her coming out journey. 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

Little Richard was rock ‘n’ roll’s flamboyant architect. Lesley Gore sang that no one owned her. Sylvester was a gender-fluid icon who helped define disco. Freddie Mercury made rock operatic, and George Michael demanded freedom. What all of these LGBTQ artists had in common was bold hitmaking—and fear of being fully out of the closet. For decades, queer acts topped the charts while cloaking their true identities and paving the way for today’s more openly queer stars. For Pride Month, join Chris Molanphy as he traces the hidden history of queer hitmakers on the charts—including those that managed to be both out and No. 1, right up through our modern age of Lil Nas X and Chappell Roan. It’s a celebration of these artists’ quest to feel… mighty real. Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah help a listener who’s just lost her job due to DOGE cuts – and now, she’s trying to figure out how to explain what’s happening to her elementary schooler. And, they’re getting ready to move back to the States after working and living overseas. There’s a lot to unpack, and we’ll do what we can to help.  And after that, of course, we’re sharing 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