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The Waves: What's Different About Women's Brains? Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by author Emily Willingham. Emily’s new book The Tailored Brain: Feeling Better and Thinking Smarter is all about how our brains work and whether gender plays a role in brain enhancement. They talk about how to be more empathetic and the ways empathy can boost your brain, the importance of using a feminist lens in brain science, and the old theory that brains are made of sperm.

In the Slate Plus segment, Emily and Shannon talk about Emily’s other book, Phallacy: Life Lessons From the Animal Penisand explore why the duck vagina is like a gated community.

Recommendations:

Shannon: Wearing perfume to turn your mood around.

Emily: Lightly meditating by beholding a tree.

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

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

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Working: “Get Off the Freaking Internet” Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to the debut episode of Working Overtime! In these bi-weekly episodes, June, Isaac, and Karen dissect creative advice—and sometimes offer it to listeners and each other. This week, they discuss a piece of advice from cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who argues that avoiding the Internet every once in a while can lead to more focus and productivity. In the discussion, the hosts assess whether the internet helps or hurts their creative work and share some strategies for logging off when necessary.

Do you have a piece of creative advice to share? Or maybe you could use some advice from the Working crew. Either way, get in touch at working@slate.com or leave a message 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: Since When Is Everyone an Empath? Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

Empaths and the great book exchange pyramid scheme are filling up our feeds again. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison explain why every few months, posts circulate about a book exchange that sounds too good to be true, and why empaths aren’t really a thing—unless you’re in a science fiction story. Plus, they play Wordle!

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.

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Culture Gabfest: We're All Going to F---ing Die Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

This week, author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler fills in for Steve (pre-order Isaac's book!). First, the panel debates the merits of Adam McKay’s star-studded cautionary tale Don’t Look Up. Then, the panel is joined by film historian and journalistMark Harris to outline the debt we owe to the late Sidney Poitier—a legend whom he speaks about in his book Pictures at a Revolution. Finally, the panel is joined by author and staff writer for the New Yorker, Kathryn Schulz, to discuss her new memoir Lost & Found.

In Slate Plus, the panel lists some reboots and remakes that they actually would like to see.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements

Dana: David Ehrlich’s, chief film critic for Indiewire, video montage countdown of the best films of 2021, an annual tradition he’s been doing for several years.

Julia: The LEGO set “Flower Bouquet” (set #10280) which ingeniously replicates a bouquet using some creative LEGO pieces.

Isaac: The novel I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett.

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 "I Want a Change" by The Big Let Down

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: Fashion Designer Jasmine Chong on Aesthetics, Familial Influence, and Hot Pink Jan 09, 2022

Show notes

This week, host Karen Han talks to fashion designer Jasmine Chong whom you might know from the reality show Making the Cut. Before founding her own label, Jasmine worked for some of the most influential names in fashion. In the interview, Jasmine explains the profound influence her fashion designer mother has had on her life, creative outlook, and career.

After the interview, Karen and co-host Isaac Butler discuss the challenges of unraveling how people develop their aesthetic and what their aspirational garments are. (Isaac is big into Brian Cox’s Succession cardigans..)

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Karen asks Jasmine about “straight-sizing” and how the fashion industry remains centered around a small sub-section of sizes and body types.

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: Why Everyone’s Talking About Elmo Jan 08, 2022

Show notes

Elmo has been filling up the TikTok and Twitter feeds these past few weeks with his unique pronunciations and feud with a pet rock. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison try to chart the arc of this recent virality, and explain why Elmo is a member of the Black community. They also watched Hype House on Netflix so you don’t have to.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.

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Spoiler Specials: Spider-Man: No Way Home Jan 07, 2022

Show notes

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate staffers Allegra Frank and Sam Adams spoil Spider-Man: No Way Home. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is grappling with being identified as Spider-Man. This not only has consequences for him, but also his girlfriend, Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson (Zendaya), and his best friend Edward “Ned” Leeds (Jacob Batalon) who are rejected from MIT. This inspires Peter to approach Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help. But what happens when it all goes sideways?

You can read Allegra Frank and Sam Adams’s guide to the movie here.

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: Middle-Aged Women Are Getting Their Due on TV Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate managing producer Asha Saluja and Slate senior editor Shannon Palus discuss women and aging on television. Through two seemingly unrelated shows—HBO Max’s And Just Like That and Showtime’s Yellowjackets—they dig into how these shows portray their protagonists for better and worse, and what makes the relationships between women compelling in both shows.

In Slate Plus: Was it feminist that Carrie was an anti-hero in the original series of Sex and the City?

Recommendations:

Asha: The album Urban Driftwoods by Yasmin Williams.

Shannon: Swabbing your throat for COVID and this Lululemon yoga mat.

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

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

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ICYMI: Vax Daddy Is Feeling 2022 Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

Huge Ma, founder of the website TurboVax, a.k.a. “Vax Daddy,” is running for office, and Taylor Swift has claimed 2022 as her own. On the show today, Madison and Allegra talk about how branding queen Taylor Swift is feeling 2022, and then Madison interviews Huge about creating TurboVax, how his online experiences have informed his campaign, and which Taylor Swift track is the theme of his campaign.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.

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

Culture Gabfest: Station 2022 Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

This week, the panel begins by breaking down just what makes HBO’s pandemic series Station Eleven so successful with Slate’s senior managing producer of podcasts and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, June Thomas. Next, the panel appreciates the legacy that writer Joan Didion left behind. Finally, the panel rehashes the 2021 edition of Slate’s Movie Club (including Dana’s list of the year’s best films) while discussing the future of film.

In Slate Plus, the panel responds to Parul Sehgal’s article “The Case Against the Trauma Plot” in the New Yorker.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements

Dana: The magical work of Swedish stop-motion animator Niki Lindroth von Bahr. Four of her animated shorts can be found on the Criterion Channel, but you can find one—The Burden—on Amazon Prime.

Julia: A recipe for Italian rainbow cookies adapted by Bon Appétit from Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone (of popular eateries Carbone and Torrisi Italian Specialties).

Steve: First, his monster music playlist of mellow deep cuts, which includes work from Rickie Lee Jones’ great ‘81 album Pirates, particularly the song “Living It Up.” Second: Susan Tallman’s criticism for the New York Review of Books as a whole, but particularly her recent review of Jasper Johns titled “The House That Johns Built,” inspired by a Johns catalog titled Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror.

Podcast production by Asha Saluja. Production assistance by Nadira Goffe.

Outro music is Freak Out! by Zorro.

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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