Slate Culture Feed

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Chiefs’ victory over the Eagles. They also discuss Kevin Durant’s move from the Nets to the Suns. Finally, the Athletic’s Chantel Jennings joins to talk about South Carolina and its challengers in women’s college basketball.   Super Bowl (4:15):  Was the game-clinching holding call the right decision?   Durant (25:22):  What’s the Nets’ l...

In this episode of The Relentless , host Kristen Meinzer is joined by, not one, but two fearless Michelles who know that to be a successful leader, you need to take risks and have a strong support system.  First, she speaks with Michelle “Mace” Curran, a former F-16 fighter pilot and the second woman to fly as Lead Solo in the Air Force Thunderbirds. Now an entrepreneur, Curran has made it her mis...

On today’s episode, Rachelle speaks with writer and cultural critic Casey Johnston about weight lifting. They discuss what led Casey to pick up the barbell, how she found her way into the online weight lifting space and the following she built there, and the ways weight lifting might be able to break us out of diet culture’s torturous cycle. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder and Rachell...

One of the most improbable blockbuster successes of the ’90s was Hootie and the Blowfish: a South Carolina bar band fronted by a Black lead singer that played jangly alt-pop. That singer, Darius Rucker, built a career that’s one of a kind. Rucker’s tastes growing up were eclectic, as were the influences on his young bandmates. Their Cracked Rear View album took a year to catch on, but then it domi...

The actor talks about having agency over her body, her relationships and her career, even as she lives with the trauma of sexual assault and infertility.  Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out a note from Anna, fascinating listener letters from our inbox, and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newslette...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined again by Slate’s Nitish Pahwa, this time to open up the mailbag. They answer questions about a child named Topher whose loud presence has swept across TikTok, Twitter’s bad bot decisions, and recent drama surrounding TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Pl...

This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen start by talking about the new AppleTV+ series Shrinking. Then they discuss the Oscar-nominated film Triangle of Sadness . Finally, they chat about modern etiquette, inspired by The Cut’s piece on the topic. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the closing of the “World’s Best Restaurant” Noma.    Email us at culturefest@slate.com . Endorsements:  Dana : I have...

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis are joined by NPR’s Gene Demby to discuss the trade of talented, problematic superstar Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks, and to preview the Super Bowl match-up between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Also, Sabreena Merchant of the Athletic helps explain what an unprecedented free-agent frenzy means for the WNBA.    Kyri...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Nitish Pahwa to discuss a major cheating scandal in the chess world this past fall between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann, and how the story just keeps going. They talk about Niemann’s rise on Chess.com, ways people have tried to cheat in the past, and why anal beads entered the conversation. Plus, they talk about Mittens, the evil chess b...

The country musician talks candidly about loss—of a generational family farm and the death of her newborn—and coping with infidelity and an abusive relationship with alcohol.  Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out a note from Anna, fascinating listener letters from our inbox, and updates from the show. Sign up at deaths...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Jamilah Lemieux, one of the columnists for Slate’s Care and Feeding advice column, and the host of Mom and Dad Are Fighting. They open up Jamilah’s internet diary, discussing how she got her career started online, what changed for her online after becoming a parent, and what sorts of online advice parents need right now. This podcast is produced by...

This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen start by talking about Natasha Lyonne’s modern take on Columbo , aka the new Peacock series Poker Face. Then they discuss Netflix’s Oscar-nominated All Quiet On The Western Front . Finally, the chat about the changed aesthetics of shopping, inspired by this Grub Street article .  In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the sleepover panic.    Email us at culturefes...

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Lindsay Jones of the Ringer to break down the NFL conference championship games, won by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Joel, Stefan, and Josh Levin discuss the impact of college athletes finally making money through name, image, and likeness rights. Finally, an interview with former Olympian Edie Thys Morgan about Mikaela Shiffrin,...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by journalist and author Cory Doctorow to discuss his latest piece, “ The Enshittification of TikTok ,” in Wired. They talk about the life cycles of online platforms, why nobody on the platforms have any understanding of the rules of the game, and why we’re in dire need of better regulations. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hamp...

The story of Fleetwood Mac is an oft-told rock n’ roll tale: British blues-rock band sells poorly until two Americans join, bringing California vibes and lots of drama. Everybody fights, cheats, drugs, and boozes. Out pops Rumours and tons of hits. It’s more complicated than that. Those two Americans—Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham—got all the media coverage and wrote many great songs. But the...

This week, we bring  our estrangement series  to an end with a live call-in show co-hosted by Anna Sale and WNYC’s Kai Wright, host of the  Notes from America  podcast. Kai and Anna heard from listeners all around the country about how stark disagreements — particularly around politics and key values — led to estrangement with families, long-time friends and also long-time romantic relationships....

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by NPR’s Aisha Harris to talk about the return of the discourse about Addy Walker, the first Black American Girl doll. They discuss Aisha’s great piece from 2016, “ The Making of an American Girl ,” their own histories with the doll, and why this discourse pops up so frequently. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy...

This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen start by discussing the film, Women Talking . Then they chat about the new U.K. import Traitors with Slate’s own Carl Wilson. Finally, they finish by talking ChatGPT and the coming of AI chatbots. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about this year’s Oscar nominations.    Email us at culturefest@slate.com . Also, we're hiring! If you'd like to apply to be the product...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin assess the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. They also discuss Tony Dungy’s history of anti-gay rhetoric, and whether NBC and the NFL should do something about it. Finally, Slate contributor Isaac Butler joins to talk about the rise of American men at the Australian Open and Netflix’s tennis reality series Break Point.   NFL (5:37):  The biggest tak...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Nadira Goffe to talk about Austin Butler and Kerrygold butter. First, High Speed Downloads return so Rachelle can explain why everybody was melting down about Irish butter online, and Nadira takes us through Austin Butler’s persistent Elvis accent. Then, they discuss the fact that Vanessa Hudgens’ online fans won’t let Austin Butler forget his ex-g...

Pico Iyer, author of "The Half-Known Life," reflects on deliberately walking away from his dream job, his decades-long friendship with Leonard Cohen, and surrendering to the unknown. Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out a note from Anna, fascinating listener letters from our inbox, and updates from the show. Sign up at...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by BuzzFeed’s Kelsey Weekman for a crash course in the history and significance of YouTuber MrBeast. Kelsey tells Rachelle all about how he first got started counting numbers to camera, his wild philanthropic stunts, and why his blandness is so arresting and unnerving at the same time. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, an...

This week, Dana and Julia are joined by Slate writer Dan Kois. They start by discussing HBO’s new series, The Last of Us , a video game adaptation with culture editor and writer at The New Yorker, Alex Barasch. Then they discuss the French film, Saint Omer , shortlisted for Best International Film at the 2023 Oscars. Finally, they finish by talking about Dan's essay on how the Trunchbull, the form...

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Bomani Jones to discuss the Cowboys’ blowout win over the Bucs and other storylines from the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs. They also talk about all the high-scoring games in the NBA this season. Finally, Joel and Josh interview pool legend Jeanette Lee, aka the Black Widow, who’s featured in the new documentary  Jeanette Lee Vs.   NFL (4:23):  Is T...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about the premiere of season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race . They talk about how the season seems to understand more than ever how the pandemic has affected the lives of its contestants, how the series’ relationship with the internet has changed over the years, and if this is the real way forward for the show. This podcast is...