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Culture Gabfest: 10 Rings, 12 Minutes, and 20 Years Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

This week, Steve and Dana are joined by Slate senior editor, Allegra Frank. First, the panel discusses the surprising achievements of Marvel’s newest addition, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Next, the panel is joined by Slate senior editor Jeremy Stahl to talk about Spike Lee’s docuseries NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½ and 9/11 trutherism on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Finally, the panel discusses the frustrations of the star-studded time-loop video game 12 Minutes.

In Slate Plus, the panel discusses big swings—that missed—but, still hold special places in their hearts.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Outro music: "Break the Line" by Coma Svensson

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

Endorsements

Dana:The indie film Short Term 12from Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton. Also, an endorsement for flood-proof spatial planning–especially for your precious physical media.

Allegra:Upon the release of the famous rapper’s newest album, Allegra’s curated playlist of Drake Songs That Don’t Suck. And a quick shout out to the everlasting enjoyment of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Steve: Christoph Reuter’s beautifully reported deep-dive on the Western presence in Afghanistan post-9/11 titled The Entirely Predictable Failure of the West’s Mission in Afghanistan for Der Spiegel.

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: Writing Trivia Questions With LearnedLeague’s Thorsten A. Integrity Sep 05, 2021

Show notes

This week, host June Thomas talks to Shayne Bushfield, aka Thorsten A. Integrity, founder of the online trivia competition LearnedLeague. In the interview, Shayne explains how LearnedLeague works and discusses his efforts to make trivia more inclusive by expanding the “trivia canon.” He also reveals how he’s been able to write thousands of unique trivia questions over the years.

After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler talk about their experiences with trivia.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, June asks Shayne who the new host of Jeopardy! should be.

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: Psst! We’ve Got a Secret Sep 04, 2021

Show notes

Earlier this week, musician Jazmine Sullivan took to Instagram and requested her followers to send in secrets, which she then shared anonymously on her page. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about how what Jazmine did isn’t new, secrets sharing as a useful online engagement strategy, and why we’ve all be sharing our secrets online for so long.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.

Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month.

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

Spoiler Specials: The White Lotus Sep 04, 2021

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’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate contributor Isaac Butler and The New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme to spoil Mike White’s The White Lotus.

What happens when a group of extremely privileged and wealthy people arrive at The White Lotus Resort in Hawaii for a week of relaxation in the sun? The answer is nothing good.

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

Email us at spoilers@slate.com.

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery.

Hosts

Dana Stevens is a movie critic at Slate. You can hear her talk more about The White Lotus here.

Isaac Butler isthe co-host of Slate’s Working podcast. You can listen to his interview with the show’s composer here.

Rachel Syme is a staff writer at The New Yorker. You can read her piece about the show here.

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The Waves: What’s Next for TV’s White Guys? Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate TV critic Willa Paskin and Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk talk about the precarious position of white men on TV this summer. Their conversation, inspired by Kathryn’s recent piece in Vulture, TV's White Guys Are in Crisis, surveys the history of white men on TV, from the good-guy dad to the complex antihero, through to our current moment, where shows like Rutherford Falls and Kevin Can F**k Himself position their white guys as obstacles, and The White Lotus overtly asks, would we prefer white guys to disappear entirely? Willa and Kathryn get into it.

After the break, our hosts contrast these shows to their glaring exception, Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, which allows its white guy lead to be uncomplicatedly beloved. Is his charming take on progressive masculinity too good to be true?

For Slate Plus members, Willa and Kathryn contribute to our regular segment, Gateway Feminism, where they talk about one thing that helped make them feminists. For Willa, it’s the young adult series The Baby-Sitter’s Club, by Ann M. Martin, and for Kathryn it’s the Western TV drama Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

Recommendations

Kathryn recommends three things: Felco garden clippers, the Toniebox, and the TV series What We Do in the Shadows.

Willa thinks you should check out Richard Powers’ novel The Overstory.

Podcast production by Asha Saluja filling in for Cheyna Roth. Editorial oversight by Susan Matthews and June Thomas.

Send your comments and thoughts about what The Waves should cover to thewaves@slate.com.

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Culture Gabfest: Say Their Names Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

This week, Steve and Dana are joined by Slate senior editor, Allegra Frank. First, the panel discusses the divisive parables within Candyman. Next, they talk about the Netflix series, The Chair. Finally, the panel is joined by Slate pop critic Jack Hamilton to discuss the legacy of the late, great Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts.

In Slate Plus, the panel discusses things they’re looking forward to in the rest of 2021.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

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

Outro music is "If Only I Was a Poet" but Steffan Carlen.

Endorsements

Dana: Thiseight-minute montageof Charlie Watts’s signature warm-up dance before live shows.

Jack: The work and legacy of the inimitable Jamaican reggae producer, Lee “Scratch” Perry, who recently passed. Specifically: the 1977 landmark roots reggae album Heart of the Congos by reggae group The Congos—which Perry produced. A highlight: the track “Sodom and Gomorrow.”

Allegra: The long-running daily web comic steeped in the culture of “shit posting,” Mr. Boop by Alec Robbins.

Steve: This destination pizza evangelizer endorses the pizza at Hearth & Harbor in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Also, the sitcom Arrested Development

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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ICYMI: Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Crates Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

The milk crate challenge, an online viral challenge where people attempt to walk up and down a pile of milk crates stacked to resemble steps, has become so popular that it even shut down a highway and two parks in Atlanta. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison recount how this challenge rose to viral fame, talk to Keith Dorsey who coordinated the Atlanta event, and even try to find some milk crates of their own.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.

Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month.

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

Working: White Lotus' Composer on the Show’s Distinct Sound Aug 29, 2021

Show notes

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer, who wrote the spooky, absolutely unmistakable score for the HBO series The White Lotus. In the interview, Cristobal discusses his career journey and explains why he switched from writing classical and pop music to scoring TV shows. Then he gets into the details of how he came up with the sound for The White Lotus and what it was like collaborating with writer/director Mike White.

After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas talk about Cristobal’s seemingly joyful composition process. Then they answer a listener’s question about procrastination.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Cristobal discusses the challenges of working on a long-term project and explains why he struggles to get past the research phase.

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: OnlyFans Is Only For Now Aug 28, 2021

Show notes

Last week, the company behind OnlyFans, a platform where sex workers can generate income by providing adult content to paid subscribers, announced that it would ban sexually explicit uploads starting October 1. Less than a week later, the company reversed its decision after public backlash. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about the rise of OnlyFans, and its importance to independent sex workers. Then they interview Slate sex columnist and OnlyFans performer Jessica Stoya about her experience on the platform over the past year, and why this sort of fight isn’t anything new for those who’ve been in the industry.

Jessica Stoya’s recent piece on OnlyFans is, “I Made Thousands on OnlyFans. I Have a Dark Suspicion About What’s Coming.” You can read more from her by checking out Slate’s How To Do It sex advice column which she writes every week with Rich Juzwiak.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.

Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month.

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

Hit Parade: What a Fool Believes, Part 2 Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

In part 2 of this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy continues his deep dive on Yacht Rock, the retroactive genre label for the sleek, jazzy, R&B-flavored sound that cropped up in the late '70s and early '80s amongst polished, perfectionist West Coast studio musicians.

Whatever you call it, this music really did command the charts at the turn of the ’80s: from Steely Dan to George Benson, Michael McDonald to Kenny Loggins, Toto to…Michael Jackson?! Believe it: even Thriller is partially a Yacht Rock album. This month, Hit Parade breaks down what Yacht Rock was and how it took over the charts four decades ago—from the perfectionism of “Peg,” to the bounce of “What a Fool Believes,” to the epic smoothness of “Africa.”

This episode was released in August 2020 exclusively for Slate Plus listeners. Sign up for Slate Plus now to get episodes in one installment as soon as they're out. You'll also get The Bridge, our trivia show and bonus deep dive. Click here for more info.

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