Slate Culture Feed

In 2015, Serial launched the case against Adnan Syed for the murder of Hae Min Lee in to the national conversation, but over the years the mistakes that show made continued to add up. Adnan Syed’s release from prison earlier this week would have been a great chance for the Serial team to admit their wrongs, but that was not the case . On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to talk...

The delightful and rebellious writer-director welcomes us into his apartment to talk about money, family, friendships, and colonoscopies.  Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox, and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and f...

It was impossible to get anything done the day the Queen died because Twitter was just too lively. All sorts of takes were had including the sympathetic, the critical, and the just plain funny. One specific strain of opinion criticized those who were laughing or rejoicing because they weren’t respecting the grief of the royal family. On today’s show, Nadira is back to talk to Rachelle about exactl...

This week, Julia and Dana invite different guests to temporarily fill in for Steve. First, Julia and Dana are joined by Slate’s technology editor, Jonathan L. Fischer, as they hulk out and lawyer out with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law . Then, the panel is joined by Slate’s music critic, Carl Wilson, to take a look at one of music’s larger-than-life figures, David Bowie, with the documentary Moonage Da...

Josh Levin, Joel Anderson, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham discuss the NBA’s suspension of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett’s bizarre decisions. Finally, Josh and Stefan Fatsis speak with Olympic champion Mark Spitz about the new documentary series  72—A Gathering of Champions . Robert Sarver (4:07):  Should Adam Silver have done more? Nathaniel Ha...

Rachelle knows a lot about internet culture, but tech…not so much. On today’s episode, Rachelle asks Lizzie O’Leary (host of What Next, TBD) about the latest developments in art created by artificial intelligence and whether or not TikTok is listening, before helping clear up a question about a popular video trope. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

What do you call a song that bombed on the charts back in the day, that now booms out of radios and streaming apps nationwide? Chris Molanphy has a name for these songs: legacy hits. Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.” Etta James’s “At Last.” The Romantics’ “What I Like About You.” Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.” Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime.”   Many catalysts can change a song’s trajectory, from mo...

Your stories about how your personal style has changed in the last few years, and the impact on not only what you wear, but how you see yourself and how you connect with others. You can check out Bill's art on his website or Instagram , and you can find Stephen's style on his Instagram , or listen to his music on SoundCloud . As for Afi's style inspirations, learn more about DapperQ here , and fol...

Harry Styles has recently been in the news for saying some silly things and allegedly spitting on Chris Pine. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe to talk through Harry’s wild history as an online character, what led us to recent events surrounding the new film Don’t Worry Darling , and why he might want to just stop talking and get back to work. This podcast is produced by...

This week, the panel begins by settling into the scenic Irish mystery of Bad Sisters . Then, the panel begrudgingly watches the Breitbart funded uh…indie film… My Son Hunter which may end up being the most interesting text the panel has discussed in a while. Finally, the panel is joined by co-host of Slate’s Working podcast and special friend of the pod, June Thomas, to discuss the recent death of...

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham discuss the opening weekend of the NFL season and the rise of tennis phenoms Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek. They’re also joined by Josh Levin (same name, different guy) to discuss how he made the final stage of American Ninja Warrior.   NFL (3:10):  The cognitive dissonance of a new season.   Tennis (23:27):  Why 19-year-old Carlos...

On today’s episode, Rachelle gets into the world of cooking videos. She speaks with Eater’s Bettina Makalintal about how online food content has changed over the years, taking something that we all do for ourselves and turning into a consumable performance. They discuss how this has changed our own approach to food offline and online, the expectations these videos engender in their viewers, and wh...

In her sixties, musician Lucinda Williams is more successful than ever. But with age has come a lot of loss. Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox, and updates from the show. Sign up at  deathsexmoney.org/newsletter , and follow the show on  Twitter ,...

The Broadway musical Hamilton did not originally contain much of a Christian message, but then the Door McAllen Church in McAllen, Texas got a hold of it. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about the latest TikTok sensation known as “Scamilton,” an unauthorized production of Hamilton staged by the Door McAllen Church and livestreamed on Youtube in early August. T...

This week, the panel begins by assessing the most expensive television show to date: Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power . Then, the panel breaks down Breaking , the John Boyega-led hostage crisis film that also includes one of the last performances of late actor Michael K. Williams. Finally, the panel discusses the pros and cons of child acting, a topic choice that was influenced by HBO’s The R...

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis speak with Rennae Stubbs of ESPN and Racquet about coaching Serena Williams at the U.S. Open. Alex Kirshner of Slate and Split Zone Duo joins to discuss the start of college football season and the new 12-team playoff. Finally, the New York Times’ Juliet Macur talks about her story on how the Afghan women’s soccer team escaped the Taliban.   Rennae Stubbs (3:24):  What...

Instagram has seen a recent influx of college “virginity club” accounts featuring sharp, funny memes about remaining chaste. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle put these accounts under the microscope. Is anything about these accounts real, or are they just a grift for merchandise and music promotion? After some internet sleuthing, they track down the creator of the most popular account, for...

Big Freedia is a reality TV star and fixture on New Orleans' bounce scene. But days after Hurricane Katrina, she was sleeping on the street outside of the city's convention center. This episode originally aired in 2015.  Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from ou...

On today’s show,  Madison  and  Rachelle  have a short discussion of the  recent beekeeper drama  on TikTok. Then, they’re joined by  Bobby Finger  and  Lindsey Weber , hosts of the  Who Weekly?  podcast, to discuss Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez getting back together. They talk about what it was like when the pair first got together in the early 2000s, and why it feels so exciting to see these tw...

This week, Dana and Julia are out but never fear, we’ve brought on two great guest host to join Steve: slate alumnus and NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie and senior editor at Slate, Sam Adams. First, the panel breaks down the moral quandaries of the socially unhinged HBO hit The Rehearsal . Then, the panel dips a toe into the dark side with the Aubrey Plaza-led film Emily the Criminal . Finally, the pa...

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Vinson Cunningham are joined by Ben Mathis-Lilley to discuss his new book on college football,  The Hot Seat . They also discuss the hype around American tennis star Coco Gauff and review the soccer documentary  Welcome to Wrexham .   The Hot Seat  (2:14):  Why does college football make so many of us insane?   Coco Gauff (24:54):  Is the publicity warranted, or is t...

While authorities searched for missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito, she was everywhere to be found on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram. Content creators, some well-intentioned and others simply chasing clout and clicks, turned the story of Gabby’s apparent death into the latest in true crime drama. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk about the murkiness of the true crime internet and the ethics o...

So, sure—Billy Joel’s first Top 40 hit, way back in 1974, was “Piano Man,” and the nickname stuck. But for a guy who became famous sitting behind 88 keys, few of his biggest hits are really piano songs. In fact, on all three of his No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, keyboards are  not  the primary instrument. The truth is, Joel isn’t the Piano Man, he’s the pastiche man. He has openly admitted t...

In 2018, David Buckel died by self-immolation to protest climate change. His husband Terry talks about respecting David's message while grieving him, and finding new joy in his own life.  For more Terry, listen to him on Vox’s Today Explained , along with Tim DeChristopher who was imprisoned for his climate activism, and if you are experiencing climate grief, we encourage you to go back and listen...

The realm of fan fiction is a wild, magical place to be, especially if that fan fiction is set at Hogwarts. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about All the Young Dudes , an extensive Harry Potter fan fiction that has inspired a fandom all its own, and just how that fandom came to be. But first, they chat about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and spend time listening to the fir...