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ICYMI: What Kony 2012 Really Taught Us Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

In 2012, the non-profit organization Invisible Children released Kony 2012, a short film about the human rights violations in Uganda perpetrated by Joseph Kony, which rapidly took over the internet and made Joseph Kony a household name. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison look back at the origins of the organization, how its creator handled the extreme popularity of their viral moment, and what lessons we learned from its utter failure.

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.

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Culture Gabfest: Flying Puppet Baby Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

This week is a Bizarro Fest featuring associate editor Marissa Martinelli; June Thomas, senior managing producer of Slate podcasts; and Benjamin Frisch, senior producer, Decoder Ring. First, the panel discusses the bizarre experience of watching Annette. Next, they talk about the BBC miniseries, The Pursuit of Love. Finally, they talk about the board game Wingspan with Slate editor and writer Dan Kois.

In Slate Plus, the panel answers a listener question about which board game they would choose to play on a first date.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Cleo Levin.

Outro music is "Death Dance" by Luftmensch.

Endorsements

June: The writing of all the Mitfords. Especially Hons and Rebelsand Poison Penmanshipby Jessica Mitford. (As well as the biography Irrepressible: The Life and Times of Jessica Mitford by Leslie Brody). And The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climateby Nancy Mitford.

Ben:PromisesbyFloating Points, Pharoah Sanders, and The London Symphony Orchestra. And the game Disco Elysium.

Marissa:“How Science Saved Me From Pretending to Love Wine” by Anne Fadimanin The New Yorker.

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: Playwright Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu's Long Journey to Broadway Aug 22, 2021

Show notes

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to playwright Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu about her play Pass Over, which is the first show to premiere on Broadway after a long shutdown due to COVID-19. In the interview, Antoinette discusses the process of writing the play and describes how Samuel Beckett’s influence “came charging in.” She also talks about the many different versions of the play, current revisions, and her new mission to prioritize self-care.

After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss the continuing importance of Broadway. Then they hear from a listener who wants to know if she’s doing enough research before moving forward with her creative projects.

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: Some Celebrities Are Too Rich to Cancel Aug 21, 2021

Show notes

There is always a bunch of hand-wringing surrounding cancel culture, but after your bank account hits a certain threshold, there’s not much more to worry about. On today’s episode, Madison is joined by BuzzFeed’s Scaachi Koul to discuss why Chet Hanks just won’t go away, and what happens when a journalist finds themselves as a character in a YouTuber’s drama. We knew Trisha Paytas would be back on our radar. Make sure to check out Scaachi Koul’s profile of Trisha Paytas, “Don’t Piss Off Trisha Paytas.”

If you enjoyed this episode, check out this past Wednesday’s episode about a human bone salesman going viral on TikTok and whether it’s even legal to participate in the human skeleton marketplace.

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

Sponsored: How Can We Innovate to Put Customers First? Aug 20, 2021

Show notes

When you’re running a business, distinguishing yourself is crucial. With almost every industry evolving faster than ever, competition is largely driven and determined by technology. In this episode, Kristen Meinzer is joined by two guests who create and capitalize on disruptive innovations to better serve their customers. First, she talks to Chieh Huang, a serial entrepreneur who has built successful businesses in two of today’s most competitive markets: mobile gaming and e-commerce. Later in the show, you’ll hear from Tracy Hutton. As the CEO of CENTURY 21 Scheetz in Indianapolis, she fosters a culture of going above and beyond for clients.

Guests

Chieh Huang: CEO and a Co-founder of Boxed

Tracy Hutton: CEO of CENTURY 21 Scheetz

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Spoiler Specials: The Suicide Squad Aug 20, 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 staff writer Karen Han is joined by Slate’s senior editor Sam Adams to spoil James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, a soft reboot of the original 2016 Suicide Squad.

What happens when the US government brings together a few of the world’s most dangerous supervillains to save the day? You get chaos, blood, gore and The Suicide Squad.

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

Email us at spoilers@slate.com.

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery.

Hosts

Karen Han is a staff writer at Slate. You can read her review here.

Sam Adams isa senior editor at Slate and editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat.

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The Waves: Can We Love True Crime When We’re the Victims? Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, show producer and true crime author Cheyna Roth sits down with Rebecca Lavoie, co-host of the Crime Writers On podcast and fellow true crime author. The pair start by talking about the current state of true crime and beg Hollywood to stop making sexy serial killer movies. After the break, Rebecca and Cheyna dissect how the genre treats victims and whether criticisms of true crime are sexist.

Recommendations:

Cheyna: The pyramid scheme podcast series The Dreamand the 2018 episode of Decoder Ring, Clown Panic.

Rebecca: True crime documentary Murder on Middle Beach on HBO; Season 1 of The Staircase on Netflix; and the podcast Canary from the Washington Post.

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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Culture Gabfest: One Year in the Dungeon Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

This week is a Bizarro Fest featuring Karen Han, Slate staff writer; June Thomas, senior managing producer of Slate podcasts; and Marissa Martinelli, Slate associate editor. First, the panel is joined by writer Sara Nović to discuss the Sundance hit film CODA. Next, they talk about the dating simulation game Boyfriend Dungeon. Finally, Josh Levin, host of the Slate podcast One Year, comes on to talk about the premiere season of his show.

In Slate Plus, the panel talks about which writer (living or dead) they would choose to pen their biographies, and then which actor they would want to play them in their biopics.

You can read Sara Nović’s interview with CODA star Marlee Matlin in Bustle: “Marlee Matlin Knows How to Make Change.”

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Cleo Levin.

Outro music is "Zero Gravity" by ELFL

Endorsements

June: The podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill from Christianity Today

Marissa:The video game Stardew Valley

Karen:The TV showWellington Paranormal

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

ICYMI: Someone’s Selling Human Bones on TikTok? Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison try to figure out if it’s legal to buy and sell human remains. They’re joined by Tanya Marsh, a professor at Wake Forest who specializes in funeral and cemetery law, to find out what the legal system says about the human bone market, the ethical questions surrounding such a market, and why we still have rights even after we die. If you’d like to know more about the history of the human bone trade, check out this video, “Can You Legally Buy a Real Human Skeleton?”

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

Outward: Hot Queer Summer, Hot Queer Strippers Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

It’s August, and Outward is leaning into the heat. First, Christina, Bryan, and Rumaan gab about the beach. Why, exactly, are queer beaches so delightful? Is there a secret geography of finding the gay beach? They then talk to GirlFlexx, a female dom stripper who performs largely for straight women in a traditionally male style -- and kills it in adoration and tips.

Items discussed on the show:

An ice cream cake you can make "in the back of your car."

The upcoming Chromatica remix album, confirmed by Lady Gaga.

Outsports.com's coverage of the Olympics.

Provincetown's citizen scientist effort to contact trace a Delta variant outbreak.

A lawyer who fought for marriage equality helped disgraced Governor Andrew Cuomo discredit abuse victims.

A primer on lesbian dom strippers.

Gay Agenda

Bryan: Lindsay Morris and Ruth Padawar's photo essay about Camp I Am.

Rumaan: Colm Toibin's The Master.

Christina: The L Word: Generation Q.

This podcast was produced by Katya Kumkova.