Slate Culture Feed

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Defector’s Drew Magary talk about the seeming decline of the Kansas City Chiefs. They also discuss who to root for in the World Series, the Houston Astros or the Atlanta Braves. Finally, they speak with Drew about his book  The Night the Lights Went Out: A Memoir of Life After Brain Damage .   Chiefs (3:54):  What’s wrong with Patrick Mahomes and the former champs?  ...

Why have so many young women developed tic disorders during the course of the pandemic? Well, apart from the obvious pandemic-related stressors, TikTok could be a big part of it. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk to science journalist Maddie Bender about her report for Vice unpacking this medical mystery. They discuss the correlation between exposure to Tic Tok, a subculture on TikTok...

I talk with the  Succession  actor over egg creams and omelets in New York City. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, sign up! Every Wednesday, we send out podcast listening recommendations, your stories from our inbox, and behind-the-scenes updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org.  Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See a...

This week, Steve and Dana are joined by Karen Han. First, Slate’s music critic Carl Wilson chimes in to discuss Todd Haynes’s new The Velvet Underground documentary, which he wrote beautifully about for Slate . Next, the panel (minus Dana) is joined by Slate staff writer Rebecca Onion to review Mike Flanagan’s newest Netflix horror series, Midnight Mass —which she also wrote lovingly about . Final...

Is it a bones day or a no bones day? That’s the question that’s swept across TikTok, thanks to Noodle the pug. Each morning, owner Jonathan Graziano wakes up and checks if his geriatric pug has bones or not, a helpful way of predicting what sort of day we’re all going to have. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle interview Jonathan (and Noodle) about his sudden viral fame, how Noodle is handli...

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin talk with Slate’s Alex Kirshner about the split between LSU and its coach Ed Orgeron. They’re also joined by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports for a preview of the 2021-22 NBA season. Finally, Stefan Fatsis speaks with Dave Zirin about his book  The Kaepernick Effect .   Orgeron (4:20):  Why did LSU part ways with a championship-winning coach?   NBA (29:53):  What to ex...

Emily Mariko’s salmon rice bowl video has taken TikTok by storm, with fans praising its deliciousness and even claiming that her video helped heal their relationship with food. On this episode of ICYMI, Rachelle and Madison figure out where this story fits into the diet culture conversation and explain how the reaction to Mariko’s dish is about much more than just the ingredients she’s using. Of c...

“Punk happened, past tense.” That’s what Boomer-era critics and true-believer punks told the younger generations. Punk’s whole reason for being was rejecting the mainstream. But punk wasn’t just a movement—it was also a genre. And 20 years after it first emerged, punk went from underground to overground, dominating the radio for the first time.   In this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy trace...

As a child, Christy Carlson Romano starred in Disney Channel’s Even Stevens and voiced the character Kim Possible on the eponymous cartoon. Then she faded from the spotlight—until recently, when she reemerged as a chaotic YouTube genius. On this episode of ICYMI, Rachelle and Madison talk to Vanity Fair’s Chris Murphy about his recent profile of Romano and unpack why her candid, low-lift YouTube v...

This week, Steve and Dana are joined by author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler. First, the panel reviews Sally Rooney’s most recent novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You? . Next, the panel discusses the new poignant and hilarious television series Reservation Dogs . Finally, the panel dissects the viral NYT Mag article “Who Is the Bad Art Friend?” in a larger discussion about...

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk with Slate’s Alex Kirshner about the racist, sexist, and homophobic emails written by now-former NFL head coach Jon Gruden. Writer Roberto José Andrade Franco joins to discuss Mexican-American soccer star Ricardo Pepi. Finally, Chantel Jennings of the Athletic breaks down the WNBA playoffs. Gruden (4:07):  What his emails reveal about the culture of the NFL?   Pep...

How many details must a writer change before real life turns into fiction? That’s a central question of “ Who Is the Bad Art Friend? ” the seismic New York Times Magazine article about a kidney donation, a Facebook post, and the subsequent fallout that has consumed social media this week. On today’s episode, Madison tries to summarize the story using only what she learned about it from reactions o...

Amanda's husband Sam had a lot of secrets, most of which she discovered after his death. That made grieving, and moving on, a lot more complicated. We're putting together an audio survival kit for listeners going through infertility. If you've struggled with infertility, tell us—what's helped you through it? Tell us about the things you've listened to, read, done or thought to yourself in a voice...

It can feel nice to form bonds with people we don’t know by following their lives online! It can also be invasive. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison look at an instance of parasocial relationships gone wrong as one long-distance college couple’s reunion turned TikTok users into amateur investigators looking for signs of infidelity. Why did TikTok give these teens the true-crime treatment? D...

This week, Steve and Dana are joined by author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler. First, the panel discusses the social implications of Netflix’s biggest hit to date, Squid Game . Next, the panel reviews the incredibly divisive (and gory) Cannes Palme d’Or winning Titane . Finally, the panel is joined by writer, researcher, and host of the Talking Scared podcast, Neil McRobert,...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Tom Brady’s win over the Patriots. Meg Rowley of FanGraphs also joins to discuss the end of baseball’s regular season and the start of the playoffs. Finally, the Athletic’s Steph Yang helps assess the present and future of the National Women’s Soccer League. Brady vs. the Pats (03:09):  Did the game live up to the hype? Was there too much hyp...

Scams are everywhere. From the Fyre Festival to Anna Delvy to LuLaRoe, fraudsters just seem to be getting more and more popular these days. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison welcome Laci Mosley, host of the podcast Scam Goddess , to talk about her love of scams and scammers, how she’s been scammed herself, and why she thinks we are all so obsessed with these audacious grifters. Podcast prod...

What happens when you hit speed bumps on the road to having kids? Today, your stories of IVF, IUI, adoption, choosing to not have kids and managing your expectations through it all.  We're putting together an audio survival kit for listeners going through infertility. If you've struggled with infertility, tell us—what's helped you through it? Tell us about the things you've listened to, read, done...

This week, Steve and Dana are joined by author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler. First, the panel reviews Clint Eastwood’s most recent film Cry Macho . Next, the panel discusses the neoliberal parable that is Amazon’s docuseries LuLaRich . Finally, the panel discusses the advantages and pitfalls of eBooks. In Slate Plus, the panel discusses their favorite film credit sequences....

On today’s episode, it’s time for some High Speed Downloads: First, Rachelle and Madison tell you everything you need to know about a viral video of an unfortunate sea lion seeking refuge from a group of orcas. Then, they get to the bottom of a mythical version of Dear Evan Hansen featuring a digitally de-aged Ben Platt. Is it real? Finally, the hosts answer listener questions about the chair emoj...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about anti-vaxxers in the NBA. The Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy discusses allegations that the NWSL’s Washington Sprit have a misogynistic work culture, and Will Bardenwerper joins for a conversation about his Harper’s piece on the potential death of minor league baseball in small towns.   NBA anti-vaxxers (4:36):  How should the league d...

The little lad who loves berries and cream is inescapable on TikTok right now. A character from a 2007 Starburst commercial, the little lad has transcended his advertising origins and become a meme all his own. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle explain how and why this lad has taken over your feeds, and why there are so many remixes of his audio. They also talk about all the remixes on TikT...

In Part 2 of our 50th episode of Hit Parade, we go back 50 years, celebrating the semicentennial of the year when, critics claim, “music changed everything.” The Quiet Beatle became the Favorite Beatle, when Mick Jagger sang lyrics even he regrets, when Carole King graduated from songwriter to singer-songwriter, and commercial juggernaut, when blaxploitation took over the charts and the Oscars, an...

Last year, a listener named Chloe had an unusual opportunity: to get on a Zoom call with the man who she says sexually assaulted her 10 years ago.  If you or someone you know is a sexual assault survivor and you're looking for resources, we've compiled some helpful ones here: https://bit.ly/3EEC91h Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Every Wednesday, we send out podcast listening recommendations, y...

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...