Slate Culture Feed

Latest Episodes:

Working: Animal Trainer Sarah Clifford on The Old Man’s Star Rottweilers Jul 17, 2022

Show notes

This week, host June Thomas talks to Sarah Clifford, an animal trainer who worked on the new FX series The Old Man, starring Jeff Bridges and some very talented rottweilers. In the interview, Sarah explains why rottweilers–instead of pit bulls or malinois–were chosen to be Jeff Bridges’ co-stars on the show. Then she gets specific about how she trained the dogs to display a range of behaviors and emotions.

After the interview, June and co-host Karen Han compare the on-set treatment of animal performers to the on-set treatment of human actors.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, June asks Sarah if there are any animals that can’t be trained.

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!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Our CEO Tried to Scam Me Jul 16, 2022

Show notes

Recently, it seems like our phones won’t stop buzzing with texts and phone calls about our expired car warranties or supposed IRS delinquency. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison discuss their own recent brushes with scams, a recent piece in the Washington Post about how scams take more than an economic toll on us, and why none of us should feel bad if we get taken in by them.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Russians Invaded. The Opera Played On. Jul 16, 2022

Show notes

Persistent Russian missile strikes since February and an ongoing blockade have silenced Odesa’s normally busy port—but not its 19th century opera house. Performances now end with a singing of the Ukrainian national anthem.

Guest: Ekaterina Tsymbalyuk, a soloist at the Odesa Opera.

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 Dear Prudence—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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hit Parade: Point of No Return Part 1 Jul 16, 2022

Show notes

After the so-called-but-not-really “death” of disco, dance music in the 1980s moved to its own beat. There was synthpop, electro, hi-NRG and house. But the scrappy genre that seemed to pull it all together was called freestyle—a breakbeat-tempo, Latin-flavored genre fortified with dizzying, proudly synthetic beats. Freestyle grew out of the clubs and streets of New York and Miami and briefly dominated ’80s dance-pop.

Freestyle’s flagship artists were only medium-level stars: Shannon. Exposé. Lisa Lisa. Stevie B. Nu Shooz. Sweet Sensation. But these acts—most especially their yearning, floridly romantic, rhythmically hectic songs—punched above their weight on the charts and even affected the hits of superstars from Madonna to Duran Duran, Whitney Houston to Pet Shop Boys.

Join Chris Molanphy as he defines the byways of this bespoke dance genre and traces how it bridged the disco era into the hiphop era.

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: They Want to Kill Americans Jul 15, 2022

Show notes

This week’s January 6th congressional hearings offered an in-depth look at the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, and other violent extremist groups that organized the insurrection. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issues with counter terrorism expert Malcolm Nance, who has spent years chronicling the rise of white supremacist and other American political extremist movements. His new book is “They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency.”

Guest: Analyst Malcolm Nance

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: Brittney Griner and the Problem With Women’s Basketball Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by Amira Rose Davis, professor, historian, and co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All Down to talk about Brittney Griner. The WNBA superstar has been detained by the Russians for months. Cheyna and Amira talk about how Russia treats its women athletes like superstars (until they don’t), while in America it takes weeks for people to really notice when a star WNBA player is missing. Later in the show, they discuss the impact of having Brittney Griner out of the league and Amira recommends WNBA players to watch.

In Slate Plus, the fascinating (and feminist!) history of cheerleaders.

Recommendations:

Amira: Formula 1 racing, including Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive and F1 romance novels like the Fast and Hard series.

Cheyna: Jana Schmieding for her roles on Hulu’s Reservation Dogs and Peacock’s Rutherford Falls.

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working: A Rural Poet Looks for Community Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

For this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and Karen Han hear from a poet in rural Montana who wants to feel more connected to poetry communities in big cities. Isaac and Karen offer tips for how to make connections with people online, and they also discuss some of the benefits of being a rural writer living outside of the urban literary bubble.

Do you have a question about creative work? Call us and leave a message at 304-933-9675, or email us at working@slate.com.

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Doja Cat and Cardi B Are Fighting, But Not With Each Other Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

This past week Doja Cat started fighting with Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp, and Cardi B beefed with the gossip blog the Shade Room. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle break down what’s really going on in these two fights, and how the Shade Room became a toxic behemoth of internet gossip. Plus, they talk about Beanie Feldstein bowing out of Funny Girl on Broadway, and what it means now that Lea Michele is taking the stage.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Culture Gabfest: Lava, Thunder, and Screaming Goats Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

This week, New York Times columnist and Slate graduate Jamelle Bouie fills in for Julia as the panel begins by taking on Thor: Love and Thunder with staff writer at The Atlantic and co-host of the podcast Blank Check, David Sims. Then, the panel feels the heat with the new documentary Fire of Love. Finally, the panel ranks their favorite content streaming services.

In Slate Plus, the panel discusses movie cliches they’d rather do without.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements

Dana: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the new-ish series on Paramount+.

Jamelle: A re-watch of Universal Soldier, and then: Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning.

Steve: “Opus 40,” an art installation built out of the earth in the Catskills.

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

Outro music is "Death Dance" by Luftmensch"Death Dance" by Luftmensch.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hang Up: Chet Holmgren Goes to Summer League Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and Ben Mathis-Lilley discuss their proposals for fixing college football. Josh then speaks with Ben Rothenberg about Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon win over Nick Kyrgios. Finally, Joel, Josh, and Ben assess the rising stars of NBA Summer League.

College football (3:26): How will the sport reshape itself in the next five years?

Tennis (27:01): Wimbledon got the final it deserved.

Summer League (53:07): What to make of the Chet Holmgren experience.

Afterball (1:09:07): Josh on the Summer League record for most points in a single game.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected