Culture Gabfest

Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the Coen brothers latest movie Hail Caesar!, Beyonce's Formation video with New York Times' Wesley Morris and the 2016 Superbowl ads with Slate's Seth Stevenson.The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with more than 5,000 lectures. As a member, you can watch as many lectures as you want on any device. And for a limited time, listeners of the Culture Gabfest can watch one of the most popular courses—The Everyday Gourmet: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Cooking—for free. Just visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/culture. And by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Casper mattresses come with free delivery and returns within a 100-day period. And get 50 dollars toward any mattress purchase by visiting Casper.com/culture and using the promo code CULTURE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Turner, Dana Stevens, and New York Times' Wesley Morris discuss the biographical drama American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson, the film Room, and Rihanna's new album.The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a new video learning service with more than 5,000 lectures. For a limited time only, listeners of the Culture Gabfest can stream one of the most popular courses—The Everyday Gourmet: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Cooking—for free. Just visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/culture. And by BollandBranch.com, the company that makes luxury bedding affordable. Order right now and they'll give you 20 percent off, plus free shipping. Get sheets, towels, blankets, duvet covers, and more at BollAndBranch.com and use the promo code CULTURE. And by Club W, leading the "grape to glass" wine revolution. Answer just six simple questions at ClubW.com and their algorithm will create a Palate Profile just for you. Get wine delivered directly to your door, perfectly customized to match your taste. For 50 percent off your first order, go to ClubW.com/culture.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Turner, Dana Stevens, and Laura Miller discuss The Oscars diversity problem, Trevor Noah's vesrion of The Daily Show, and the Oscar-nominated film Carol.   The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Carbonite. Keep your digital files safe this year—protect your photos, music, and documents with automatic cloud backup from Carbonite. Try it free without a credit card at Carbonite.com, and use the offer code CULTURE to get two free bonus months if you decide to buy. And by BollandBranch.com, the company that makes luxury bedding affordable. Get the nicest sheets you've ever owned for about half the price of what stores are charging. Order right now and they'll give you 20 percent off your order, plus free shipping. Go to BollAndBranch.com and use the promo code CULTURE.   And by Audible.com, with more than 180,000 audiobooks and spoken-word audio products. Get a free 30-day trial and a free audiobook at Audible.com/culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Turner, Dana Stevens, and June Thomas discuss the film 45 Years, the BBC America TV series London Spy, and "The Trials of Alice Goffman" with Slate's Leon Neyfakh.   The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by BollandBranch.com, the company that makes luxury bedding affordable. Get the nicest sheets you've ever owned for about half the price of what stores are charging. Order right now and they'll give you 20 percent off your order, plus free shipping. Go to BollAndBranch.com and use the promo code CULTURE. And by Club W, leading the "grape to glass" wine revolution. Answer just six simple questions at ClubW.com and their algorithm will create a Palate Profile just for you. Get wine directly to your door, perfectly customized to match your taste. For 50 percent off your first order, go to ClubW.com/culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dana Stevens, Julia Turner, and Aisha Harris discuss David Bowie's legacy, Quentin Tarantino's latest film Hateful Eight, and the true crime documentary Making A Murderer.   The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by the 21st Annual Critics' Choice Awards. Tune in live January 17th at 8pm EasternTime/5pm Pacific to see who in film and TV takes the top prizes. Only on A&E. And by Carbonite. Keep your digital files safe this year—protect your photos, music, and documents with automatic cloud backup from Carbonite. Try it free without a credit card at Carbonite.com, and use the offer code CULTURE to get two free bonus months if you decide to buy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dana Stevens, Laura Miller, and Mike Pesca discuss the film The Revenant, Marie Kondo's latest book for wannabe neat freaks, and whether profanity exposes a worldview.   The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by BollandBranch.com, the company that makes luxury bedding affordable. Get the nicest sheets you've ever owned for about half the price of what stores and boutiques are charging. Order right now and they'll give you $50 off a set of sheets, plus free shipping. Go to BollAndBranch.com and use the promo code CULTURE. And by Club W, leading the "grape to glass" wine revolution. Answer just six simple questions at ClubW.com and their algorithm will create a Palate Profile just for you. Get wine directly to your door, perfectly customized to match your taste. For 50 percent off your first order, go to ClubW.com/culture. And by the 21st Annual Critics' Choice Awards. Tune in live January 17th at 8pm Eastern Time/5pm Pacific to see who in film and TV takes the top prizes. Only on A&E. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens and answer listener questions.   The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Prudential's 40/40 Vision, a multimedia microsite exploring what life - and the future - looks like to today's 40-somethings. Hear what inspires real people, the hopes they have for tomorrow, and much more. See yourself in their stories at slate.com/4040vision/family.   And by Making A Murderer, an unprecedented new documentary that takes viewers inside a high-stakes criminal case where reputation is everything and things are never as they appear. All episodes are now streaming, only on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Laura Miller discuss the best TV, books, and movies of 2015.   The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Prudential’s 40/40 Vision, a multimedia microsite exploring what life—and the future—looks like to today’s 40-somethings. Hear what inspires real people, the hopes they have for tomorrow, and much more. See yourself in their stories at slate.com/4040vision/family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the movie The Big Short, the hit musical Hamilton, and whether scholarly work be less and not more accessible.    The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Club W, leading the "grape to glass" wine revolution. Answer just six simple questions at ClubW.com and their algorithm will create a Palate Profile just for you. Get wine directly to your door, perfectly customized to match your taste. For 20 percent off your first order, go to ClubW.com/culture. And by BollandBranch.com, the company that makes luxury bedding affordable. Get the nicest sheets you've ever owned for about half the price of what stores and boutiques are charging. Order right now and they'll give you 20 percent off your entire order plus free shipping. Go to BollAndBranch.com and use the promo code CULTURE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the latest cinematic adaptation of Macbeth, Bill Murray's Netflix Christmas special "A Very Murray Christmas," and Katy Waldman’s recent Slate exploring the cultural narratives that underscore (and misinterpret) anorexia.   The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Shari's Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate—starting at just $19.99—are a great holiday gift. Go to berries.com and use the promo code CULTURE and double your berries for just 10 dollars more. And by Club W, leading the "grape to glass" wine revolution. Answer just six simple questions at ClubW.com and their algorithm will create a Palate Profile just for you. Get wine directly to your door, perfectly customized to match your taste. For 50 percent off your first order, go to ClubW.com/culture. And by Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code CULTURE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices