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Culture Gabfest: Man Out of Time, Fish Out of Water Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

This week Dana and Steve are joined by Slate staff writer Karen Han. First, the panel discusses the Pixar movie Luca. Next, they talk about the first two episodes of Marvel’s TV show Loki. Finally, the panel is joined by Willa Paskin and Benjamin Frisch, the host and producer of Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast, to discuss the making of the new season.

In Slate Plus, the panel talks about whether seeing movies in the theater is a tradition worth preserving.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com

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

Outro music is "Eightball" by Gabe Nandez.

Endorsements

Dana:The playlist of the music found in James Baldwin’s apartment, “This Giant Prehistoric Rhino Was the Biggest Land Mammal to Walk the Earth” by Jack Guy and Zixu Wang for CNN

Karen:Try making ice cream at home

Steve: The writing of Janet Malcolm in the New York Review of Books and The New Yorker

Further Reading

“How Gay Is Pixar’s Luca?” by Marissa Martinelli for Slate

“The Many Contradictions of Owen Wilson” by Isaac Butler for Slate

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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Slate Money Movies: Thank You for Smoking Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.

Joanne Lipman, author and journalist, joins to talk about the 2005 film Thank You For Smoking. They discuss the terrible trope of female reporters sleeping with their sources, The Marlboro Man, and “moral flexibility.”

Email: slatemoney@slate.com

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Twitter: @felixsalmon, @EmilyRPeck

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Decoder Ring: The Invention of Hydration Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

To say that hydration is an invention is only a slight exaggeration. Back in the 1970’s and ‘80s, no one carried bottled water with them, but by the ‘90s it was a genuine status object. How did bottled water transform itself from a small, European luxury item to the single largest beverage category in America? It took both technological innovation, but even more importantly it took savvy marketing from brands like Gatorade and Perrier to turn the concept of hydration, and dehydration into problem they could solve via their wares. Today, hydration has branched out from athletics to wellness to skincare, but the actual science behind all of it is pretty sketchy. If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you can binge the whole season of Decoder Ring right now, plus ad free podcasts, bonus episodes, and much more.

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Working: A Spanish-Language Broadcaster on What Matters to His Audience Jun 20, 2021

Show notes

This week, host June Thomas talks to Spanish-language journalist and broadcaster León Krauze, who works primarily as a local news anchor in Los Angeles but also hosts a radio show and writes for outlets like Slate and the Washington Post. In the interview, León discusses the process of figuring out which topics and stories matter most to his community. He also describes what it’s like to have a hyperlocal focus and explains why his Los Angeles broadcast might differ from Spanish-language news in other parts of the country.

After the interview, June and co-host Rumaan Alam discuss the skill it takes to be bilingual, and they reflect on a point León made about the difference between audio and visual media.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, León shares some of the biggest misconceptions about the Latinx community in the U.S.

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 the Culture Gabfest—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus.

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ICYMI: You’re Using “Woke” Wrong Jun 19, 2021

Show notes

From “woke bae” to “woke-a-cola,” the word woke has taken the internet and mainstream media by storm. But how many people who use the word actually know what it means? On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison (but, really, mostly Rachelle) explain the decades-old origins of the word, and how its meaning has evolved as it’s gone from being sung as a call to “stay woke” by the likes of Erykah Badu and Childish Gambino to being wielded as a slur by the likes of Mike Huckabee.

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

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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Hit Parade: Say My Name, Say My Name, Part 1 Jun 18, 2021

Show notes

Let’s be clear: Rap has always been musical. But back in the day, rappers generally, well, rapped: talked in cadence over a beat. Fans judged MCs primarily by their rhymes and rhythms, not their melodies.

Now? Rappers are mostly singers: MCs from Drake to DaBaby slip seamlessly in and out of melody. Some hits that appear on Billboard’s Rap charts feature literally no rapping. When did this change?

In this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy walks through the history of hip-hop—from Gil Scott-Heron to Lil Nas X—to trace the evolving role of melody in rap’s conquest of the charts. The broadening of rap to include more female MCs, from Queen Latifah to Lauryn Hill, had a lot to do with it. But all roads lead through rap-and-B’s power couple, Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The pivot point may have been when Queen Bey realized she could sing with triple-time flow like the baddest MC.

Podcast production by Asha Saluja.

Hit Parade episodes are now split into two parts, released two weeks apart. For the full episode right now, sign up for Slate Plus and you'll also get The Bridge, our Trivia show and bonus deep dive. Click here for more info.

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Outward: Julien Baker’s Quantum Queerness and Cops at Pride Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

It’s Pride month, which means Outward is feeling particularly festive! Christina, Bryan, and Rumaan are joined by musician Julien Baker to discuss her feelings about Pride, queerness, fluidity, and ways of interpreting queer art. Then Jillian Hanlon, a trans cop in upstate New York, joins to offer her take on the recent debate over cops at Pride.

Items discussed on the show:

Skittles go gray for Pride month.

A Twitter thread about kink at Pride.

Out in the Country: Youth, Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America, by Mary Gray

Julien Baker interview on Working

Julien Baker on the Queerology podcast

The October 2018 Outward episode that includes interviews with members of No Justice No Pride and Reclaim Pride

“A Mistep by the Organizers of Pride,” by the New York Times’ Editorial Board

“The New York Times Doesn’t Know What Pride Is For,” by J. Bryan Lowder, in Slate

Gay Agenda

Christina: Drew Gregory’s interview with Daniela Sea in Autostraddle

Bryan: Hola Papi, by John Paul Brammer

Rumaan: You are enough, queer comrades!

This podcast was produced by Margaret Kelley and June Thomas.

Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/outwardplus

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Culture Gabfest: The Heights and the Depths Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

This week Dana and Steve are joined by Monica Castillo, arts and culture reporter for Colorado Public Radio, to discuss In the Heights. Next, Atlantic staff writer Sophie Gilbert comes on to talk about HBO’s Hacks. Finally, Dana and Steve dive into Liz Phair’s new album, Soberish, with the expertise of Slate music critic Carl Wilson.

In Slate Plus, Dana, Steve, and Carl talk about Gen X musicians and how they’re aging gracefully—or not.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.

Outro Music: "Any Other Way" by Particle House

Endorsements

Dana:The soundtrack to Bo Burnham’s Inside

Carl:Clairo’s single “Blouse” and the series Feel Good(especially the placement of “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers)

Steve: Herzogby Saul Bellow

Further Reading

“In the Heights Fumbles Some of Its Changes, but It Still Soars” by Dana Stevens for Slate

“’In the Heights’ Film Review: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Stage Hit Becomes a Screen Celebration” by Monica Castillo for the Wrap

“What Hacks Proves About Jean Smart” by Sophie Gilbert for the Atlantic

“An Alt-Rock Queen Returns to Take Back Her Crown” by Carl Wilson for Slate

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: Are Those TikTok “Missed Connections” Real? Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

On today’s episode, Madison is joined by producer Daniel Schroeder to talk about people accusing Billie Eilish of queerbaiting on Instagram. Then discuss the way TikTok seems to be replacing Craigslist as the spot for finding missed connections, but are the videos real? To find out, Madison interviews Val and Kaycie, two women who reconnected and became friends via TikTok after they met at a rooftop bar.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder & 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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Decoder Ring: The Soap Opera Machine Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to a brand new season of Decoder Ring! On this episode, we investigate the wild world of soap operas through the lens of one legendary, decades-long, ripped-from-the-headlines storyline. that dared to combine the melodrama of soaps with a serious examination of sexual assault, and how that soap turned an award-winning story about believing victims into a redemption arc for the rapist at its heart. This is the story of those who made it happen: the producers, actors, writers, and the soap opera machine itself: the perpetually moving, forever-churning, complex system that create the miracle that is the daily soap opera. If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you can binge the whole season of Decoder Ring right now, plus ad free podcasts, bonus episodes, and much more.

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