Stay ConnectedLife and Art from FT Weekend is the twice-weekly culture podcast of the Financial Times. On Monday, we talk about life, and how to live a good one in one-on-one conversations. On Friday, we talk about ‘art’ – in a chat show. Three FT journalists come together to discuss a new cultural release across film, TV, music and books. Hosted by Lilah Raptopoulos, together with the FT’s award-winning writers and editors, and special guests.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Copyright: © Financial Times
This week, we talk about the longstanding American rock band Sleater-Kinney and their 11th album, Little Rope, which came out this month. The band rose out of the grunge and riot grrrl movements in the late 1990s with a raw, rage-filled sound and feminist lyrics. And they’re one of the few all-women bands to have had a career this long. How has their sound evolved? And where did the angry countercultural music of the 90s go? Lilah is joined by FT's music critic Arwa Haider and FT Weekend Magazine editor Matt Vella.
-------
We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, where she’s posting a photo of Breen and his burn book. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com.
-------
Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– Little Rope by Sleater Kinney is available everywhere
–Lilah, Matt and Arwa highly recommend the music video for their song ‘Say It Like You Mean It’: https://youtu.be/Vp2z1cL6qoU
– Here are three of Arwa’s recent reviews: Tate McRae's pop album Think Later: https://on.ft.com/3HyfIxG, Dominique Dalcan's electronic album Last Night a Woman Saved My Life https://on.ft.com/3SuiXwi, Maluma's reggaeton album Don Juan: https://on.ft.com/3SvMCoG
– Matt Vella is on X @mattvella. Arwa is @ArwaHaider
More or less:
– Arwa wants more daytime raves, such as Annie Mac’s Before Midnight Party. The 90s raves she mentioned were Sunny Side Up, Everything But the Girl and Sunday Best
– Matt wants to see more bad fakes, something that helps us improve our deepfake literacy. The FT Magazine article he mentioned by Tim Harford is here: https://on.ft.com/499eKDC
– Lilah wants to go to more small local music venues. She went to the New York club Blue Note to see jazz singer Samara Joy. Watch out for Lilah’s interview with Samara in HTSI, and an episode with her here, in a few weeks!
-------
Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
-------
Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Loma Vista and Kill Rock Stars.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tim Harford is a busy guy. He’s got two podcasts, has written 10 books, and has a standing column in the FT called the Undercover Economist. But recently he’s been trying to do less – and not just less bad stuff. He’s cutting down on good things, too, like kickboxing practice and reading New Yorker articles. The idea came to Tim after reading a book called Subtract by Leidy Klotz, in which Klotz looks at research that shows that humans have a bias against subtraction. Instead, our idea of fixing things often involves adding more. Tim tells Lilah how his subtraction experiment is going, and why giving up on one activity can help you enjoy the activities that you choose to stick with.
-------
We love hearing from you. Lilah is on X and Instagram @lilahrap. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com.
-------
Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– Tim recently wrote about the art of subtraction here: https://on.ft.com/3U5A3BK
– He is on X @TimHarford
– You can check out recent episodes of Tim’s “More or Less” podcast from the BBC here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qshd/episodes/player
-------
Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
-------
Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we take on the remake of the 2004 teen movie classic, “Mean Girls”. The original “Mean Girls”, starring Lindsay Lohan and written by Tina Fey, was a phenomenon. It’s been called one of the most quotable movies of all time. This new musical remake, based on the original film and the Broadway show, is in theatres now. What did the original film represent for us? Did we need this new version? And what generation is it for? Lilah is joined by the FT’s US financial editor Brooke Masters and Life and Art producer Lulu Smyth to figure it out.
-------
We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, where she’s posting a photo of Breen and his burn book. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com.
-------
Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– “Mean Girls”, written by Tina Fey, is out in cinemas in the US and UK now.
– The FT’s review of the film is here: https://on.ft.com/3Snt7yJ
– Brooke is on X @brookeamasters
– We also loved this piece by Miranda Green on modern “Mean Girls” and the impact of social media (June 2023) : https://on.ft.com/48ZWRHy
More or Less:
– Lulu wants to see more respected male actors in romcoms: specifically Joaquin Phoenix in the next “High School Musical”
– Brooke wants to see fewer universe expansions and more original content
– Lilah recommends reading new plays – and if you’re in New York, seeing Appropriate”, starring Sarah Paulson. The play is written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. You can read it online here: https://hilsee.com/ApproPlayText.pdf
-------
Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
-------
Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some people go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’re not themselves anymore. Untold: The Retreat launches Jan. 24.
Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Last year, the FT’s fashion editor Lauren Indvik made a pledge that surprised us. She vowed to buy just five new items of clothing and shoes all year long. The number comes from a study that says in order to stick to the Paris Agreement’s goals, five new items of fashion a year is the optimal goal for those who live in the world’s richest countries. Lauren tells Lilah how the experiment went and whether she stuck to five things. She also shares her tips for buying fewer new clothes.
-------
We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.
-------
Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– Lauren’s article about the ‘five things pledge’ and how it went: https://on.ft.com/4aO1WV3
– Lauren recommends using TheRealReal for second-hand luxury clothes in the US; in the UK she shops the Vestiaire Collective
– The report from the Hot or Cool Institute that inspired Lauren: https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/
– Lauren also mentions the Ellen Macarthur Foundation: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/
– Lauren is taking a break from her Fashion Matters newsletter while she is on parental leave, but you can start receiving it when she’s back if you sign up now: https://on.ft.com/48QdvJv
-------
Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
-------
Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, as we enter the depths of January, we return to an old comfort classic: the 2003 Nancy Meyers romcom Something’s Gotta Give, starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. In it, two middle-aged people fall in love, but only after one heart attack, two younger lovers, some unexpected midnight pancakes and ample bickering. Does the movie still work today? How has the way we depict aging in film changed? And do we miss Nancy Meyers movies? Joining Lilah is comedian Negin Farsad, host of the podcast Fake the Nation, and FT senior corporate finance correspondent Eric Platt. This is one of his favourite movies.
-------
We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.
-------
Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– Something’s Gotta Give (2003) is available to rent on streaming services
– You can find Negin’s podcast Fake the Nation wherever you listen, or here: https://headgum.com/fake-the-nation
– Here’s a recent piece she wrote about a magic mushroom retreat in Jamaica: https://www.afar.com/magazine/what-a-mycomeditations-magic-mushroom-retreat-is-really-like
– Eric writes about corporate finance for the FT. You can find his most recent piece here: https://on.ft.com/4220z12
– Negin is on X at @NeginFarsad.
– You might also like our conversation with the author Curtis Sittenfeld about romcoms and her novel Romantic Comedy: https://on.ft.com/48RggtW
-------
Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
-------
Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the height of the coronavirus pandemic, our US banking editor Josh Franklin began a travel hobby that became an out-and-out goal. He wanted to see more of America, so he decided to visit all 50 states, from Alabama to Wyoming. He joins Lilah to tell us what he learned about the country, when he felt “this was worth it” and “this was a huge mistake”, what tips he has for our own road trips, and places in the US we might want to visit ourselves.
-------
We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.
-------
Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– Josh’s piece about travelling to every US state: https://on.ft.com/3NNgYAA
– Josh’s four places: Ocean Springs, Mississippi; North OR South Dakota; the Upper Peninsula along the great lakes in Michigan; and Duluth, Minnesota
– Our travel team’s 43 holidays to take in 2024: https://on.ft.com/3RFoOwY
– Another great recent travel piece: ‘My weekend as a monk: a Scottish spiritual retreat’: https://on.ft.com/3RFoOgs
-------
Special FT subscription and trial offers for Life and Art podcast listeners are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
-------
Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This Friday, for our first episode of 2024, we discuss The Boy and The Heron, the latest film from legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and his team at Studio Ghibli. It is the most expensive Japanese film ever made, and has received widespread critical acclaim. But what, exactly, is it about? Lilah chats through it with political columnist Stephen Bush and Leo Lewis, the FT’s Asia Business editor, who has co-written a book on anime. Is it about his past, or the future of animation? Where does it sit in the Studio Ghibli canon? And is Miyazaki ever really done?
-------
We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.
-------
Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– The FT’s review of The Boy and the Heron is here: https://on.ft.com/3S47ZNS
– Leo’s book on anime, co-authored with Roland Kelts, is called Japanamerica. His exclusive FT interview with Studio Ghibli’s Toshio Suzuki is here: https://on.ft.com/3TPuVBQ
– Here’s a recent FT interview with Miyazaki’s closest collaborators: https://on.ft.com/47oXc56
– The other films we mentioned are Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky
– Stephen wants less expensive video games. He recommends the indie game I Was A Teenage Exocolonist
– Lilah recommends the docuseries 10 years with Miyazaki, which is available for free on NHK World Japan, and Italianamerican, which is available on Max
– Leo is on X @Urbandirt. Stephen Bush is @stephenkb
– You can get a free trial to Stephen’s political newsletter Inside Politics – which includes a daily cultural recommendation – by clicking here
-------
Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
-------
Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco and Simon Panayi.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
While the Life and Art team takes a break for Christmas, we’re sharing an episode of Working It, the FT’s workplace podcast hosted by Isabel Berwick.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, tens of thousands of people in the UK have retrained as psychotherapists or counsellors. What is it about the field that has attracted so many, and what does this phenomenon tell us about work? Host Isabel Berwick speaks to the FT’s Bethan Staton, who wrote a brilliant piece on this topic, to find out more. Later, she speaks to Michael Skapinker, who worked as an FT reporter, senior editor and award-winning columnist before training as a counsellor. Michael tells us what his new line of work has taught him and why he wishes he’d thought about it sooner.
-------
We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.
-------
Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– ‘Profession of the century’: why so many people are retraining as therapists
– Letter: Therapy is no cure for a society in crisis External Link
– Therapy at work: banks and law firms among those offering counselling as staff perk
-------
Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
—--
Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Life & Art presents a special episode from Slate’s Culture Gabfest podcast, hosted by culture critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner. The three hosts first explore Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé with Slate culture writer (and Beyhive stan) Nadira Goffe. Then, they consider Todd Haynes’ May December, an emotionally curious, tonally dissonant study of life’s grey areas starring Natalie Portman, longtime collaborator Julianne Moore and Charles Melton. Finally, the three are joined by EEFOP (Exceedingly Exceptional Friend of the Pod), Slate writer Dan Kois to discuss Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Lost Christmas!, a posthumous sequel to Theodor Geisel’s iconic 1957 children’s book. Life & Art will return with regular episodes next week.
-------
We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.
-------
Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
