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Working: The Artist Behind Liberty Puzzles’ Whimsical Wooden Designs Aug 21, 2022

Show notes

This week, host Karen Han talks to Lynon Aksamit, a puzzle designer for the Colorado-based company Liberty Puzzles. In the interview, Lynon explains how he and his colleagues select artwork to turn into puzzles. Then he breaks down his process for designing puzzle pieces (including “whimsy pieces”) and describes how he plays with the themes of the original artwork to create engaging puzzles for customers.

After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas discuss their own experiences with puzzles.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Lynon explains how he’s able to make time for side projects.

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 benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus.

Thanks to Atlassian Work Check

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ICYMI: Tumblr Changed How We Watch Movies Aug 20, 2022

Show notes

Last week, Maya Cade, the creator and curator of the Black Film Archive tweeted about how Tumblr, specifically screengrabs and gifsets, has changed the way we watch movies. On today’s show, Daisy Rosario is back with Rachelle and they decided to give Maya a call. They ended up talking about the communal nature of encountering film through social media screenshots, how Maya was inspired to create the Black Film Archive, and why Tumblr might be the best current online archive tool.

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

Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus

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A Word: Black Wombs Matter Aug 19, 2022

Show notes

The U.S. has some of the worst maternal mortality rates in the industrialized world. And African Americans are three times more likely to die in childbirth than whites. The documentary Aftershock focuses on how the healthcare system is failing Black mothers at the most vulnerable time of their lives, and how their families are fighting to change that. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with the film’s co-director and co-producer Tonya Lewis Lee about the history of the crisis and the movement to solve it.

Aftershock is currently streaming on Hulu.

Guest: Tonya Lewis Lee

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

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Spoiler Specials: Bodies Bodies Bodies Aug 19, 2022

Show notes

This week’s Spoiler Specials takes on Bodies Bodies Bodies. Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens and Slate writer Nadira Goffe spoil A24’s latest murder mystery, directed by Halina Reijn.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Read another Slate review here.

Email us at spoilers@slate.com.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

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The Waves: It’s Not TV. It’s a Sh*tshow. Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, the streaming wars have come for us all. The Daily Beast’s Allegra Frank sits down with Inkoo Kang of The Washington Post to talk about what happened at HBO and where gender fits into it all. HBO Max recently canceled the nearly done Batgirl, and has been quietly removing content from its streaming service as it prepares to merge with Discovery+. Allegra and Inkoo talk about how streaming services reducing their content offering likely spells trouble for non-white, non-male voices.

In Slate Plus, is Batman feminist?

Recommendations:

Allegra: Never Have I Ever on Netflix

Inkoo: The Harley Quinn series on HBO Max

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus, Alicia Montgomery and Daisy Rosario.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com

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ICYMI: What Is a Clean Girl? Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

Three lifestyle trends with surprisingly retrograde ideas have been popping up on TikTok. On today’s show, Nadira Goffe is back with Rachelle to discuss what’s going on. They talk about the problems with the “clean girl” aesthetic, people who shouldn’t be trying to imitate the Kennedys and the like, and why being a housewife isn’t the “soft life” TikTokkers might want you to believe it is.

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

Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus

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Outward: Viruses and Our Profoundly Unequal World Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

This month, host Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder start the show with a Thots & Queries segment in which a listener asks about orgy etiquette. In a completely different party setting, they try to figure out what on earth is going on in the U.S. Congress, where legislators are debating marriage equality in the form of the Respect for Marriage Act. Then Northwestern University professor and journalist Steven Thrasher joins them to discuss his new book The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide. Finally, they add some new items to the gay agenda.

Items discussed in the show:

Taylor Blake and her emu friend Emmanuel

Beyoncé’s Renaissance

A shocking tweet from the official Log Cabin Republicans account

The June 29 episode of Outward in which Mark Joseph Stern considered how the Dobbs decision might affect LGBTQ rights

“Why Is There More Republican Support for Gay Marriage Than for Abortion Rights?” by Moira Donegan, in the Nation

The Viral Underclass,, by Steven Thrasher

Let the Record Show, by Sarah Schulman

“An Uprising Comes From the Viral Underclass,” by Steven Thrasher in Slate, June 12, 2020

Gay Agenda

Jules: X, by Davey Davis

Bryan: The Sandman, on Netflix

Christina: “We Failed,” by Eric Neugeboren, in the Texas Tribune

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: A Podcast Takes a Lot of Work! Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

This week, Julia and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, June Thomas, steer the ship with a rotating panel of guests as Dana and Steve take a break. First, Julia and June are joined by Slate’s Editorial Assistant and Production Assistant for Gabfest, Nadira Goffe, to discuss A24’s new Gen-Z slasher film Bodies Bodies Bodies. Then, the panel is joined by Slate’s Editor-in-Chief, Hillary Frey, to discuss the new female-led adolescent ‘80s sci-fi series Paper Girls. Finally, the panel is joined by former Slate lawyer (now at many places, including The Cornell Law First Amendment Clinic) Ava Lubell to discuss the current lawsuit between Netflix and The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical and the legalities surrounding fan art.

In Slate Plus,Julia interviews June about her upcoming move!

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements

June: The soap-operatic lesbian romance novels from the very prolific writer Harper Bliss. Specifically, The Pink Beanand French Kissing series.

Julia: With a little Summer Strut afterglow, the listener-recommended song “100 years ago (2020)” by The Rolling Stones.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Nadira Goffe.

Outro music is "Pike Place Market" by Rockin' For Decades.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts, a bonus segment in each episode of the Culture Gabfest, full access to Slate's journalism on Slate.com, and more. Sign up now at slate.com/cultureplus.

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Decoder Ring: The “Sex” Scandal That Made Mae West Aug 16, 2022

Show notes

In the early 1930s, Mae West’s dirty talk and hip swiveling walk made her one of the biggest movie stars in America. But before West hit the big-screen, she was prosecuted for staging not one, but two scandalous plays. In this episode, we look at how West honed her persona when she was under the bright lights of Broadway and the flashbulbs of the tabloids — and briefly behind bars. More than a century later, her career arc offers a blueprint on how to survive a scandal…and maybe even come out ahead.

This episode relied heavily on a lot of archival material and innumerable books: When I’m Bad, I’m Better: Mae West, Sex and American Entertainment by Marybeth Hamilton; When Brooklyn was Queer by Hugh Ryan; Lillian Schlissel’s introduction to Three Plays by Mae West, Mae West: a biography by George Eells and Stanley Musgrove; Mae West: An Icon in Black and White by Jill Watts; Becoming May West by Emily Wortis Leider;Gay New York by George Chauncey; Mae West, She Who Laughs Last,by June Sochen: Goodness Has Nothing to Do with It by Mae West; and Linda Ann Losciavo’s play “Courting Mae West” and her blog, which you can find at Maewest.blogspot.com.

This episode of Decoder Ring was written by Willa Paskin. It was produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our Technical Director. Thank you to Benjamin Frisch for this topic.

If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com

If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you get ad-free podcasts, bonus episodes, and total access to all of Slate’s journalism.

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Hang Up: Psychedelics and Sports Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

Vinson Cunningham and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas to discuss the latest on Deshaun Watson’s sexual abuse case and Serena Williams’ impending retirement. Also, Sports Illustrated’s Julie Kliegman joins to talk about athletes and psychedelics.

Deshaun Watson (5:00): The new Browns quarterback debuted with the team to boos and jeers.

Serena Williams (21:52): The superstar announced in Vogue that she is “evolving away from tennis.”

Psychedelics (35:20): Should more athletes be using them to treat mental health and injury?

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