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Working: Creating a Piece of Immersive Theater From Scratch Nov 27, 2022

Show notes

This week, guest host Zak Rosen from The Best Advice Show and Slate’s Mom and Dad Are Fighting podcast talks to Liza Bielby and Richard Newman of the Detroit-based theater company The Hinterlands. They talk about how The Hinterlands’ latest production, Will You Miss Me? came into being, their influences, their rehearsal process, and the importance of deadlines.

After the interview, Zak and co-host June Thomas chat about collaboration, how to kill your darlings, and how Zak implements Julia Cameron’s concept of the “artist’s date.”

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Liza and Richard offer their perspective on the migration of coastal creatives to Detroit in the last decade or so.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Zak Rosen.

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ICYMI: Decoder Ring: The Truth About #TheDress Nov 26, 2022

Show notes

On today’s episode, we’re excited to share an episode from Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast that we think you’re going to love.

In the history of viral images, #TheDress has got to be in the top 10. This unassuming photo of a party dress kicked off a global debate when people realized they were seeing it completely differently. Is it black and blue, or white and gold? In today’s episode, we’ll talk to someone who was there when the photo was first taken, and the BuzzFeed writer whose post briefly broke the internet. Then we go down the optical rabbit hole with a neuroscientist who’s been studying the The Dress for years. What does it reveal about the nature of truth?

This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrew Adam Newman. Derek John is Slate’s senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

We’ll hear from Paul Jinks, Cates Holderness, Pascal Wallisch, and David McRaney author of the book How Minds Change. Here’s the optical illusion of the strawberries mentioned in the episode and created by Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka.

Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://late.com/icymiplus

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Slate Money: Fleishman is in Trouble Nov 26, 2022

Show notes

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by New York Times Magazine writer and Fleishman is in Trouble author Taffy Brodesser-Akner to talk about wealth, class and the media industry, specifically through the lens of the Fleishman is in Trouble book and new limited TV series.

In the Plus segment: what is everyone thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Podcast production by Anna Phillips.

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ICYMI: An ICYMI Friendsgiving with Normal Gossip Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

As we all prepare to gather around the Thanksgiving table with our friends and families, we thought it was a great time for our second annual Friendsgiving special. On today’s show, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin of Normal Gossip to share in the online riches of 2022. They discuss the first memes they encountered this year, the internet jokes they’re most thankful for, and so much more.

This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.

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What Next: Ticketmaster's Swift Meltdown Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

When presale tickets for Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour effectively broke the internet last week, Ticketmaster emerged as the villain…again. The media behemoth has been reviled since the ‘90s, but it has continued to grow, through a merger with Live Nation. What can a Department of Justice antitrust investigation, buoyed by Swifties, actually do?

Guest: Jason Koebler, editor-in-chief of Motherboard at Vice.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

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Outward: How to Read a NYT Story About Trans Kids Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

This episode was recorded before the Nov. 19 attack on Club Q. Outward stands with our queer family in Colorado Springs.

This month, Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder discuss two major trans news stories from recent weeks. First, the New York Times’ latest article about trans kids and gender-affirming care, this time about puberty blockers and bone density, and how it plays into the ongoing, manufactured, and weaponized conservative panic about trans existence. Then they are joined by James Roesener of Concord, New Hampshire, who earlier this month became the first out trans man to be elected to a U.S. state legislature. They talk about why he ran and what he hopes to achieve. Finally, the hosts add some new items to the gay agenda.

Items discussed in the show:

The American Library Association Rainbow Round Table

The Lilly Pharmaceutical Twitter impersonation

AMC’s new version of Interview With the Vampire

World Pride 2025 in D.C.

“They Paused Puberty, but Is There a Cost?” by Megan Twohey and Christina Jewett in the New York Times

Michael Hobbes’ Twitter thread responding to the NYT story

“The NYT’s Big Piece on Puberty Blockers Mucked Up the Most Important Point About Them,” by Evan Urquhart, in Slate

Gay Agenda

Brian: Queer for Fear on Shudder

Christina: The Secret to Superhuman Strength, by Alison Bechdel

Jules: Gossip Girl Fanfic Novella, by Charlie Markbreiter

This podcast was produced by June Thomas.

Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com.

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Culture Gabfest: She Said, He Said Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

This week, Jamelle Bouie sits in for Dana as the panel begins by reviewing She Said, the new film about investigating the Harvey Weinstein story. Then, a discussion about the Hulu limited series Fleishman is in Trouble. Finally, they chat about the auction of Joan Didion’s private items.

In Slate Plus,the panel talks to the very online Jamelle Bouie about the recent wild weeks of Twitter.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements

Jamelle: The Criteron release of Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. Biopics have fallen out of style for the most part. I rewatched it last year and I came away struck not just by the sheer ambition of it, but the extent to which it is such a love letter to classic Hollywood.

Julia: My endorsement is episode 10 of Andor. It’s a great episode in a bunch of ways, but also the episode ends with an incredible monologue by Stellan Sarsgaard. It’s an incredible piece of writing and performance.

Steve: I like this song. I don’t know much about it, but a friend sent it to me. It’s Super Rich Kids and it’s a cover of a Frank Ocean song. This version is from Trio SR9 featuring Malik Djoudi

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

Outro music is "Did I Make You Wait" by Staffan Carlen.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work.

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Decoder Ring: The Butt and the Bustle Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

For about two decades towards the end of the Victorian era, in the 1870s and 1880s, a large bustle-enhanced bottom was the height of fashion. In this episode we explore how it’s connected to today’s big booty craze. We look at the bustle’s history with a curator fascinated by old undergarments; consider the various theories about its popularity with the author Heather Radke; and then hone in the tragic story of Sarah Baartman. The bustle may be old-fashioned, but it still has a lot to tell us about race, sex, power and how much people know, or let themselves know, about what they put on everyday.

We hear from Heather Radke, author of Butts: A Backstory, as well as Kristina Haughland, Janell Hobson, Pamela Scully, and Maria Garcia.

This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrea Bruce. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

If you’re a fan of the show, I’d love for you to sign up for Slate Plus.

Slate Plus members get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads. Their support is also crucial to our work. So please go to Slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

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Hang Up: An Opening Draw for the USMNT Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Eric Betts to discuss the U.S. men’s national team’s 1-1 draw against Wales. They also discuss the controversial opening days of the World Cup. Finally, they assess the Warriors’ and Lakers' early-season woes and Kyrie Irving’s return to the Brooklyn Nets.

USA-Wales (4:24): How the USMNT fizzled after a promising start.

FIFA (35:06): What’s happening in Qatar, and what the media is (and isn’t) saying about it.

NBA (47:21): What’s wrong with the league’s most star-laden teams?

Afterball (1:07;12): Josh on the next big star in American tennis.

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Working: CG Animation With Stop Motion Charm Nov 20, 2022

Show notes

This week, host Karen Han talks to Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi, Robert Kondo, and Sara Sampson, the brilliant minds behind the new Netflix animated series Oni: Thunder God’s Tale. In the interview, Dice and Robert discuss their early careers at Pixar and their decision to start their own animation studio, Tonko House. Then, Dice, Robert, and Sara dig into the many creative decisions that went into the look, feel, and Japanese folklore-inspired story of Oni.

After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas discuss how small scenes can make a big impact in animated films.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Dice, Robert, and Sara name their favorite animated movies.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

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