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ICYMI: Where Are the Womblands? Mar 12, 2022

Show notes

The term “womblands” blew up on TikTok this past week, and the drama surrounding its origin is dense and confusing. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison venture deep into TikTok to explain why the story behind this funny term is darker than you may realize. It involves racism, sexism, and sexual assault allegations, and it yet another case of interpersonal drama taken too far by the TikTok community.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder.

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The Waves: What I Wish I Knew Before I Started IVF Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about infertility treatments–and what happens when they don’t work. The Waves producer Cheyna Roth shares her personal struggles and talks about going through IVF with Slate’s Dear Prudence columnist, Jenée Desmond Harris. They talk about what they wished they had known before starting IVF, how to be a good friend of someone experiencing infertility, and Jenée offers advice on how to cope with IVF. Later in the show, Cheyna talks to author Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos about the ethics of the infertility industry, what to say to a loved one who is going through treatments, and what it means to be an “IVF survivor,”

In Slate Plus, Cheyna and Jenée talk about the slippery slope to IVF and its high price tag. And Slate’s Lili Loofbourow shares what happened when she tried to get insurance to cover IVF.

Additional Reading:

“An IVF Survivor Unravels ‘Fertility’ Industry Narratives,” by Pamela Tsigdinos

“Would You Tell Someone You Were Infertile?” by Pamela Tsigdinos

“As The Dark Side of IVF Slowly Comes Into Focus, EvenMore Transparency Is Needed,” by Pamela Tsigdinos

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Susan Matthews and June Thomas.

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

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Working: Is Boredom Essential to the Creative Process? Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

For this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and Karen Han reply to an email from a listener named Jeffrey, who points out how rare it is to see an accurate depiction of creativity in movies and on TV. One reason for this, Jeffrey asserts, is that creative work requires a lot of boring drudgery. Isaac and Karen weigh in on this idea and list some examples of accurate depictions of the creative process.

Is there a question about creativity or inspiration that you’d like to ask the hosts of Working? Give us a call and leave a message at (304) 933-9675, or email us at working@slate.com.

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and 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.

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ICYMI: All Hail the Liver King Mar 09, 2022

Show notes

Brian Johnson, aka the Liver King, has amassed millions of followers with his bizarre yet addictive workout and raw-meat-diet videos. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison comb through the king’s core tenets, his obsession with explosives, and of course his taste for liver with a side of maple syrup. Later in the show, science communicator Johnathan Jarry joins for a discussion of why we look to people like the Liver King, and why we can’t look away.

If you’ve listened to the episode, here’s the Google Form that Rachelle and Madison mention. Send them your internet faves and nightmares.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, Jasmine Ellis, and Kevin Bendis.

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Culture Gabfest: Silicon Valley Pricks Mar 09, 2022

Show notes

This week, the panel begins by hashing out Hulu’s new Silicon Valley miniseries The Dropout. Then, the panel breaks down Pedro Almodóvar’s recent film Parallel Mothers. Finally, the panel is joined by author and Slate writer Dan Kois to rant about the growing dangers of pickup trucks.

In Slate Plus, the panel answers the classic celebrity hall pass question.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements

Dana: The website Timemaps.com, where you can view maps of the world over time and focus on specific places to get historical summaries.

Julia: The instagram account @TheSussmans, which posts consistently funny hospitality industry memes.

Steve: The most recent long read from Oliver Bullough for The Guardian, “Gas-powered kingmaker: how the UK welcomed Putin’s man in Ukraine,” which provides insight into the deeper motivations behind the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

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

Outro music is "Ruins" by Origo.

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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Working: How a Ghostwriter for Fiction Collaborates With Clients Mar 06, 2022

Show notes

This week, host June Thomas talks to author, ghostwriter, and YouTuber Michelle Schusterman, who’s written more than a dozen novels. In the interview, Michelle differentiates between her various writing jobs and explains how she juggles so many projects. She also gives a step-by-step description of her ghostwriting process for fiction and offers advice on how to manage clients.

After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss strategies for managing multiple jobs at once and learning through trial-and-error.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Michelle talks about her time as a marching band teacher and explains how it led to one of her first big writing jobs.

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.

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ICYMI: Who Isn’t a Nepotism Baby? Mar 05, 2022

Show notes

Nepotism is everywhere, and it’s always funny when a new generation realizes that. On today’s show, Madison is joined by Nichole Perkins to talk about the recent online conversation about nepotism babies that got started when people realized Lexi from Euphoria, played by Maude Apatow, is the daughter of two famous people. Madison and Nichole discuss the unending list of entertainment nepotism babies, why nepotism is a fact of daily life, and how privilege factors into it all. Plus, they share a few tips about being online during a global crisis.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder.

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Spoiler Specials: The Batman Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s Spoiler Specials, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens and senior editor Sam Adams spoil The Batman.

After a high-ranking Gotham City politician is murdered in his apartment by a masked figure, Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) investigates the crime alongside police detective James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). It turns out that the murderer is the Riddler (Paul Dano), who is determined to expose the corruption in Gotham’s government by any means necessary. Will the Riddler succeed, or will his plan fall apart?

How does Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne compare to the others? And was it necessary for this movie to be three hours long?

Read Dana’s review of the movie.

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

Email us at spoilers@slate.com.

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis.

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The Waves: The GOP’s All-Out Assault on Trans People Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking Texas. Slate community manager Evan Urquhart and author and co-host of Slate’s Outward podcast Jules Gill-Peterson dig into the Texas governor’s directive to treat gender-affirming health care for transgender youth as child abuse. In the first half of the show, they explore what’s going on in Texas and the harm it’s already causing. Later they talk about how the problem in Texas is symptomatic of a much bigger trans obsession by the GOP.

In Slate Plus: Is Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminism feminist?

Recommendations:

Evan: Do your research

“What does the scholarly research say about the effect of gender transition on transgender well-being?”

“U.S. Transgender Survey”

“Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care”

Jules: Support on the ground organizations in Texas and contacting lawmakers to demand they support trans kids.

Donate to TENT

Equality Texas

Campaign For Southern Equality

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus and June Thomas.

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

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ICYMI: We Bought Weed in the Metaverse Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

The metaverse wants to convince us it’s the future of retail, even for buying marijuana. On the show today, Madison is joined by Slate’s Shannon Palus to talk about Shannon’s recent journey into the metaverse to buy weed gummies. They discuss what it’s like to enter the metaverse, the mediocre graphics on display there, and if it really is the future of retail—or just a misguided lark from Big Tech.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder.

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