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Culture Gabfest: Gender Swap Feb 19, 2020

Show notes

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf is joined by two guests hosts: Sam Anderson, New York Times Magazine staff writer and author of Boom Time, and Dan Kois, Slate staff writer and author of How to Be a Family. First, the panel discusses The Assistant, the indie film with heavy Harvey Weinstein overtones. Next, they dive into Hulu’s reboot of High Fidelity, starring Zoë Kravitz. Finally, the panel breaks down the work of Jenny Odell, including her book How to Do Nothing and her recent Paris Review essay “The Myth of Self-Reliance.”

On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses Dan Kois’s recent Slate story on a New Zealand fantasy masterpiece—an article that catalyzed the book’s publication in the U.S.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Additional production help by Rosemary Belson.

Outro Music: ‘Lonely World’ by Moses Sumney

Endorsements

Dan: The writing of Charles Portis, including True Gritand Norwood.

Sam: John Cage’s performance of “Water Walk” on “I’ve Got a Secret” in 1960 (as Jenny Odell recommends).

Steve: Seeing Parasite a second time.

“The Professor of Denial” by Amanda J. Crawford in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Moses Sumney’s Aromanticism

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Spoiler Specials: Portrait of a Lady on Fire Feb 14, 2020

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, Dana Stevens is joined by June Thomas and Dan Kois to discuss Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Marianne is hired to paint Héloïse’s wedding portrait. But Héloïse can’t know she’s being painted. As the two grow closer, will Marianne come clean? Will their feelings affect the painting that’s supposed to be sent to Héloïse’s potential husband? What happens when the job is finished?

You can read Dana Stevens’ review here.

You can read Matthew Dessem’s piece about the film’s music here.

Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at spoilers@slate.com.

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Thirst Aid Kit: Blair Underwood: The Most Charming Man in the World Feb 13, 2020

Show notes

Blair Underwood is a multi-generational snack: he’s been hot for so long, it’s kind of unreal. He’s currently starring on Broadway in A Soldier’s Play, so he popped into the studio to talk about that—and plenty more besides: Why he loves playing bad guys, navigating and negotiating your worth, and the most disturbing fanmail of his career. Plus we asked him about putting on a watch … :eyes emoji:

Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Thirst Aid Kit each week. Sign up now to listen and support our show.

On Slate Plus this week, we talk about one specific “Premium Thirst Item”: the white oxford shirt. If you grew up at a certain point in time, you’ll know what that shirt means, especially when worn by a woman the morning after. We explore what it signifies in culture, how it came to mean all that, and why we think it’s hot.

Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, gifs, and so much more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. If the spirit moves you, send us your own drabbles by emailing thirstaidkit@slate.com.

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Culture Gabfest: Parasite Without a Host Feb 12, 2020

Show notes

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner break down the Oscars and Bong Joon-ho’s historic win. Next, the discuss Star Trek: Picard with Slate associate editor and Trekkie Marissa Martinelli. Finally, they dive into a recent New York Times Magazine article on the way television imagines New York City.

On the Slate Plus segment this week, the fashion of the Oscars.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.

Outro Music: Eminem Performs 'Lose Yourself' at Oscars 2020

Endorsements

Dana: Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar acceptance speeches, as Dana wrote about in her recent Slate piece “Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar Night Had All the Genre-Bending Twists of His Movies.”

Julia: “Chasing Colombia’s ‘cocaine hippos’” by Peter Rowe in the Los Angeles Times.

Steve: “The Seriousness of George Steiner” by Adam Gopnik in the New Yorker.

“An Evening With George Steiner (1929-2020)” by Kinton Ford in n+1.

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Decoder Ring: Friend of Dorothy Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

When Peter Mac was young, he found solace from his troubles in the voice of Judy Garland. He's now been a Judy Garland impersonator for 17 years. On this episode of Decoder Ring we explore the special valence that Judy Garland has for queer people, the history of female impersonation on stage, and what the future might hold for Judy as an icon.

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Thirst Aid Kit: Next Stop: Penn Badgley Feb 06, 2020

Show notes

Somehow, Penn Badgley’s turn as sneering killer Joe Goldberg on Netflix’s You has recently made him the internet’s sort-of boyfriend… but our interest in Penn is older and more complex than that! We went deep on what makes his sly looks to camera so compelling, the power of a deep voice, and why Nichole’s powerless against his general “stop motion Christmas puppet” energy.

On Slate Plus, we introduce a brand new segment, “Explain Yourself.” This week, we’re joined by podcast king (Pineapple Studios’ Unhappy Hour) and all around excellent person Matt Bellassai as we ask him to explain his long term Thirst Object, Harry Styles

Follow us on Twitter @ThirstAidKit. Bim is @bimadew and Nichole is @tnwhiskeywoman. Our music is by Tanya Morgan. You can find show notes, gifs and so much more on our Tumblr at thirstaidkitpodcast.tumblr.com. If the spirit moves you, send us your own drabbles by emailing thirstaidkit@slate.com.

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Culture Gabfest: Boingity Boing Music Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner dive into Ford v Ferrari before the Oscars this weekend. Next, they discuss Netflix’s reality show The Circle with Slate’s editorial director—and Circle-enthusiast—Laura Bennett. Finally, they analyze the controversy surrounding Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt with Los Angeles Times staff writer Daniel Hernandez.

On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses Super Bowl ads with Slate’s Justin Peters.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.

Outro Music: ‘The Circle Theme (Netflix)’ by Patrizio Knight

Hosts

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner

Endorsements

Dana: “‘Jojo Rabbit’ Captures the Horror and Absurdity of our Trumpian Moment,” by Masha Gessen in The New Yorker.

Julia: The Good Wife.

Steve: Cheer(specifically, La’Darius’s brother’s face).

“The Money Behind Trump’s Money,” by David Enrich in The New York Times Magazine.

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Decoder Ring: The Stowe-Byron Controversy Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

When Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote an exposé of Lord Byron's incestuous affair in 1869, it nearly destroyed The Atlantic Monthly, and threw the reputations of two literary icons into chaos. This is a story about 18th century scandal, cancel culture, and Bad Literary Men, that isn't so different from how these stories play out in our own time.

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Hit Parade: The White and Nerdy Edition Jan 31, 2020

Show notes

Sped-up voices. Wacky instruments. Songs about cavemen, bathtubs, bikinis and mothers-in-law. From the very birth of rock-and-roll, novelty songs were essential elements of the hit parade. Right through the ’70s—the age of streaking, CB radios, disco and King Tut—novelty songs could be chart-topping hits. But by the corporate ’80s, it was harder for goofballs to score round-the-clock hits on regimented radio playlists.

Until one perm-headed, mustachioed, accordion-playing parodist who called himself “Weird” rebooted novelty hits for the new millennium. A video jokester before YouTube, he just might have ushered in the age of the meme. So join Hit Parade this month as we walk through the history of novelty hits on the charts—most especially if M.C. Escher is your favorite M.C.

Podcast production by Justin D. Wright.

Follow @cmolanphy on Twitter

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Thirst Aid Kit: TAK Takes Sundance Jan 30, 2020

Show notes

From Lost to Hawaii Five-O, Daniel Dae Kim is all talent and cheeky smiles. He joins the hosts of Thirst Aid Kit to discuss the premiere of Blast Beat, what it’s like to be discarded for Keanu Reeves and Randall Park, being trapped on the Lost island, and what it means to see himself as a Thirst Object.

You may know Kendrick Sampson’s leading man looks from HBO’s Insecure but he’s been in all your faves too: The Vampire Diaries, How To Get Away With Murder, The Flash, the list goes on. He joins the hosts of Thirst Aid Kit to talk his new movie, Miss Juneteenth, as well as what it’s like working with some of Hollywood’s most influential women.

Slate, in collaboration with Dropbox, presents Thirst Aid Kit live, a podcast centered on pop culture and how it shapes desire. Join hosts and creative collaborators Bim Adewunmi and Nichole Perkins to dig deep into the various ways women express their thirst through illuminating and hilarious conversations with some of the leading creators at the festival.

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