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ICYMI - Will Social Media Ever Be Fun Again? Aug 29, 2026

Show notes

Do you remember the last time you had fun online? In recent years, it’s felt like social media has become overridden with hot takes, discourse, and something called “bean soup theory,” and it’s making the internet a frustrating place to be. In today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by social strategist Carmen Vicente to talk about why TikTok is starting to feel like Twitter, and if every social media platform is doomed to the same fate. But the real question is: Is it because of us, or them?

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Decoder Ring - McGruff Takes a Bite Out of Crime, Part 2 (Encore) Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

McGruff the Crime Dog arrived on the scene at the dawn of the 1980s, just as a firehose of anti-drug PSAs was inundating the youth of America. These messages didn’t always work as intended—but they did work their way into the long term memories of the kids who heard them.

In the second episode of our two-part series, originally released in 2022, on the weird world of PSAs and very special episodes, we look at how McGruff’s Smart Kids Album influenced everything from straight edge hardcore to a couple’s wedding playlist. We’ll hear from Sarah Hubbard, Daniel Danger, Joseph Cappella, David Farber, Mike Hawes, Robin Nelson, Daisy Rosario, and Tatiana Peralta.

This episode was written by Willa Paskin, and produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. It was edited by Jamie York. Decoder Ring is produced by Max Freedman and Evan Chung, our supervising producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Our intern is Phoebe Mulder.

Thank you to Derek John, Ari Merkin, Wendy Melillo, Dan McQuade, Dale Mantley, Larissa Zargeris, Dave Bledsoe, Larre Johnson, Duane Poole, Eric Greenberg, Charles and Karen Rosen, Jennifer Holland, Orla Mejia, Andres Martinez, and everyone else at the Rutgers University Library.

You can listen to Daniel Danger’s McGruff cover album in its entirety or purchase it here. If you are interested in hearing the full McGruff educational program or any of Puppet Productions productions, they are available for purchase at puppetsinc.com.

If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com or leave a message on our hotline at (347) 460-7281.

Get more of Decoder Ring with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of Decoder Ring and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Decoder Ring show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus for access wherever you listen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ICYMI - It’s Time To Talk About Lindsay Clancy Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

True crime has always been entertainment, but social media has turned tragedies like the Lindsay Clancy trial into monocultural moments. It’s not enough to read the news, many people who are especially tuned-in are also spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories as part of participating in the larger fandom. On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Leah Carroll, a true crime writer and author of the book Down City: A Daughter's Story of Love, Memory, and Murder, to discuss the impact of social media’s obsession, and how Leah’s own experience with family tragedy informs her perspective on true crime.

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Death, Sex & Money - 'Humane Eldercare Has Become a Luxury Item’ Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

Nursing home care in the U.S. can run families $10,000 a month, a cost Medicare won’t pay for. When Anna de la Cruz's parents both developed dementia around the same time, her family split into two paths: a Medicaid ‘spend down’ in the U.S. for her mom, and a move to a memory care facility in Mexico for her dad.

Anna De La Cruz writes a newsletter about caregiving called Gen Xandwich. Laura Silverstein is a senior care manager with Silver and Sage Consulting NW. Wendy Jane Carrel, a care advocate, runs Wellness Shepherd.

To find a care manager near you, try searching the Aging Life Care Association.

This episode was produced by Zoe Azulay.

Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.

And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ICYMI - Leave The WNBA Alone, Trolls! Aug 22, 2026

Show notes

The WNBA has finally taken center stage, but the fandom is going through it. New eyes on the sport have brought new scrutiny, which has resulted in racist and transphobic trolling that pulls focus from the actual games. On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay talks with WNBA online commentator Angela Perry about the needless controversies that have dominated sports media, and the ways players are using the internet to tell their own, much-needed stories instead.

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture Gabfest - Announcing: Julia's New Show! Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

L.A. World is a new weekly podcast from L.A. Material, the local news outlet that Julia Turner helped launch earlier this year. The show helps you understand what's happening in Los Angeles. Every episode, Julia is joined by hosts Hayes Davenport and Antonia Cereijido to walk you through L.A.'s top stories, offering context and distinctive insight you can't get anywhere else. A great listen for Angelenos, and for curious people everywhere.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - The Harrisong Edition Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

In the 1960s, the Beatles were defined by the success of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership. But in the digital era, we discovered that the Fab Four’s most popular song wasn’t written by John or Paul. In fact, it had never been a chart hit—it wasn’t even released as a single.

Today on Hit Parade: Chris Molanphy shines a light on “Here Comes the Sun,” the George Harrison deep cut from Abbey Road that, in the streaming era, has emerged as the most enduring—and most popular—Beatles song of all time.

For more about “stealth hits,” listen to Hit Parade’s episode on B-sides that improbably become classics and read Chris’s Slate column about the surprising dominance of this holiday song.

Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for bonus episodes of "The Bridge" and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Joel Meyer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ICYMI - Get In Loser, We’re Friction-Maxxing Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Technology keeps trying to “fix” every small inconvenience in our lives, which has rendered us completely unable to endure basic hurdles such as sitting in silence, navigating unfamiliar social social interactions, and doing any kind of creative thinking. To reverse this, Kathryn Jezer Morton, writer of The Cut’s “Brooding” column and author of the new book The Story of Your Life, proposes we “friction-maxx.” On today’s encore episode, Kathryn joins host Kate Lindsay to figure out how to rebuild our tolerance for the very things that, it turns out, make us human.

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Death, Sex & Money - Passive Aggressive vs. ‘Massive Aggressive’ With Novelist Elizabeth Strout Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

The bestselling novelist behind works like Amy and Isabelle and Olive Kitteridge discusses her excitement about turning 70, her reserved New England upbringing, and how death figures into her latest novel, The Things We Never Say. She also talks about her later start in publishing, her experience taking a stand-up comedy class, and her fascination with New York City’s loud, emotional straight talk.

Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you listen.

If you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ICYMI - Are You Anti-Influencer, Or Anti-Women? Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

After a small business in Nantucket put a “no influencers” sign in their store, creators accused it of being sexist. The issue divided the internet, when really, both things can be true: Influencer culture is harmful, and “influencer” has become a pejorative word for any woman who posts online. On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay talks with writer Kat Tenbarge about how the word “influencer” has belittled female creators since the beginning, and how male creators have escaped the same scrutiny.

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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