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ICYMI: Rihanna Is Releasing a New … Baby Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

Rihanna is having a baby, and Romance Twitter is furious. On today’s show, High Speed Downloads are back! Madison and Rachelle will zoom through all the important news about Rihanna’s baby bump reveal and Romance Twitter’s toxic reaction to an innocuous tweet. Then, they explain exactly what’s going on with podcast host Joe Rogan over at Spotify, and why it’s so difficult for platforms to part ways with their big personalities.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.

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Culture Gabfest: Double, Double Rogan in Trouble Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

This week, the panel is first joined by author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler, to discuss the new Joel Coen rendition of The Tragedy of Macbeth. (Buy Isaac’s new book!) Then, the panel is joined by author and Slate correspondent, Justin Peters, to explain the phenomena of Joe Rogan and the recent Spotify controversy. Finally, the panel discusses the decision to rebrand the famous advertising characters of the Mars candy M&M’s.

In Slate Plus, the panel answers listener questions about culture’s relationship to climate change.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements

Dana: An episode of the public radio show On the Media from WNYC called “Humans, Being.”

Julia: The endorsement: the Chez Panisse Vegetables cookbook from Alice Waters, owner of the famous California restaurant Chez Panisse. And a request for listeners to send in their favorite salad dressing recipes.

Steve: The song “Sweet Baby” by Prince and The New Power Generation.

Buy Dana’s book, Isaac’s book, and a ticket to Dana and Isaac’s book event at The Strand (hosted by our very own Stephen Metcalf)!

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

Outro music is "Blue Nights and Yellow Days" by Matt Large.

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 Late Night Writer Karen Chee Generates Punchlines Jan 30, 2022

Show notes

This week, host Karen Han talks to comedy writer Karen Chee, who works as a writer and performer for Late Night With Seth Meyers. In the interview, Chee discusses her early work writing humor pieces for the New Yorker before landing a job writing for the Golden Globes. Then she breaks down her joke-writing process for Late Night, which involves generating dozens of setups and punchlines every day.

After the interview, Karen Han and co-host June Thomas discuss the challenges of producing a large volume of work under a tight deadline.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Chee talks about her taste in movies. Then she shares more secrets from the Late Night writers' room.

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.

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ICYMI: What’s Behind Britney’s Beef With Her Sister Jan 29, 2022

Show notes

In the past few weeks, Britney Spears has been posting all sorts of Notes App screenshots about how hurt she is by what her sister is saying on her press tour while promoting her new book Things I Should Have Said, by Jamie Lynn Spears. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle read the tweets, and the whole book, so you don’t have to. They talk about the origins of this fight, what’s caused it to resurface, and why a lot of this really has to do with their childhoods.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.

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Hit Parade: Rock ’n Soul, Part 2 Jan 28, 2022

Show notes

In part two of our deep dive into Daryl Hall & John Oates' genre-defying streak on the pop charts, Chris Molanphy argues they were also more cutting-edge than you may realize, essentially inventing their own form of cross-racial new wave after spending the ’70s trying everything: rock, R&B, folk, funk, even disco. At their Imperial peak in the early ’80s, Hall and Oates commanded the pop, soul and dance charts while still getting played on rock stations. And decades later, when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ignored them, it was Black artists—rappers and soul fans—who pushed them in.

Join Chris Molanphy for a dissection of the Philly duo who invented “rock ’n soul” and made their dreams come true.

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Podcast production by Asha Saluja.

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A Word: Black Horror is Killing It Jan 28, 2022

Show notes

For decades, it has a running joke that Black characters were the first to die in horror movies. But movies like Nia DaCosta’s Candyman and Jordan Peele’s Get Out are rewriting the script, and creating horror villains and heroes who represent the real Black experience. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Tananarive Due, an award-winning author and producer who teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA, to discuss the past and future of Black horror.

Guest: Tananarive Due, award-winning author, and producer who teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

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The Waves: Can Women Exercise Without the Patriarchy Getting in Our Heads? Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate podcast producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author Danielle Friedman. Friedman’s new book Let’s Get Physical explores the history of women’s exercise, and how some old attitudes still linger. They talk about the double bind women have faced when it comes to exercising, the “uterus myth,” and where we’re at with anti-fatness and inclusivity in exercise.

In the Slate Plus segment: Are yoga pants feminist?

Recommendations:

Cheyna: YouTube yogi Yoga With Adriene.

Danielle: Watching movies from the 1930s. Especially Jewel Robbery.

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: The Pomodoro Technique Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

For this edition of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas, Isaac Butler, and Karen Han discuss the pomodoro technique, which involves breaking work into timed intervals and taking breaks in between those intervals. In their conversation, they talk about the benefits of taking breaks and using timers, but they also underscore the importance of creative momentum. Could the pomodoro technique actually disrupt the flow of certain tasks?

If you have creative techniques or strategies to share, or if you’d like some advice from June, Isaac, and Karen, send us an email at working@slate.com or leave a message at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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ICYMI: We TikTok About Bruno Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the hit song from Disney’s Encanto, is sitting at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, and that’s all thanks to TikTok. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about the songs from Encanto currently dominating the platform, and why people online seem to love to hate Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.

Correction: This podcast incorrectly stated that TikTok is included in the Billboard Hot 100 chart calculations, misnamed the song “Surface Pressure,” and misstated that it is sung by the oldest daughter (it's sung by the middle daughter).

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Culture Gabfest: Fool's Gold Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

This week, Slate’s TV critic and host of the podcast Decoder Ring, Willa Paskin, and poet, essayist, podcast host, and author, Nichole Perkins, fill in for Dana and Julia. The panel begins by taking a spin with Julian Fellowes’ (creator of Downton Abbey) new show The Gilded Age. Then, the panel debates about Kenny G and the installment of the docuseries Music Box: Listening to Kenny G. Finally, the panel ponders Ted Gioia’s question: is old music killing new music?

In Slate Plus, the panel discusses culture that they’ve changed their mind about over time—whether they’ve grown to like it or dislike it.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements

Willa: The podcast Once Upon a Time… at Bennington College.

Nichole: The collection of stories Vampires in the Lemon Grove: And Other Storiesby Karen Russell.

Steve: Ian MacDonald’s essay “Exiled From Heaven: The Unheard Message of Nick Drake.”

Pre-order Dana’s book and buy a ticket to Dana and Isaac’s book event at The Strand (hosted by our very own Stephen Metcalf)!

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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