Slate Culture Feed

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, “ Br...

You know the  Tootsie  Shot. It’s that shot from the movies: a really busy midtown street, protagonist smack in the middle of it all, everyone going somewhere. It’s one of the most recognizable shots in film. It can be found in  Working Girl, Midnight Cowboy, Wall Street ,  Heartburn ,  Elf ,  Bridget Jones’s Diary ,  The Devil Wears Prada ,  The Wolf of Wall Street , and so many more. This is a s...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by New York Times Tokyo bureau chief Motoko Rich to discuss the troubled run-up to the Olympics. They also talk about the dominance and humility of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Finally, they review  Space Jam: A New Legacy .   Olympics (2:53):  The Summer Games face positive coronavirus tests, public antipathy, and heat and hum...

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison turn the show into a sports podcast. First, they discuss the recent news in college sports that allows athletes like Sedona Prince to finally make money off their personal brands, a major shift after years of schools profiting off of students without compensation. Then, they talk about how even though the Olympics haven’t begun, they’re getting an early sta...

Bruce Springsteen has been a legend so long, it’s easy to forget that, for his first decade, he had trouble getting a hit. Yes, even the legendary “Born to Run”: It missed Billboard ’s Top 20. And yet, several of Springsteen’s songs became big hits for others: the song with the misheard lyric about “a deuce” that went to No. 1 for a British band. The song he couldn’t finish that became a hit for a...

I talk with the writer about going through fertility treatments in her late 30s, and why being "on the IVF train" made her get more comfortable with situations out of her control.  Have you had to jump through medical or legal hoops to start a family? Tell us the moment you realized that becoming a parent was going to be more difficult than you expected. Send in an email or voice memo to deathsexm...

On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle talk about two of the internet’s favorite subjects: cats and Wendy Williams. First, they talk about the story that made “Slate” itself trend on Twitter: the debate surrounding a Slate essay published last week in which writer Alexis Nowicki revealed that the 2017 New Yorker story “ Cat Person ,” which became the first work of short fiction ever to go viral,...

This week, Steve is joined by Allegra Frank, Slate senior editor, and Heather Schwedel, Slate staff writer. First, the panel discusses the new Marvel blockbuster Black Widow. Next, they talk about the AMC show Kevin Can F**k Himself . Finally, the hosts are joined by Alexis Nowicki to discuss her essay in Slate “ ‘Cat Person’ and Me .” In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the rabbit holes they fel...

In the year 2000, Dan Kois was a junior book agent working on selling a secretive book proposal called  IT , a codename for what would eventually be revealed as the Segway personal scooter. This is the story of the invention and development of a potentially revolutionary device, how Dan may or may not have doomed it, how the hype got out of control, and how that speculation helped birth the modern...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Nicky Bandini of the Guardian to discuss Italy’s victory over England in the Euro 2020 final. Next, they talk about Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chris Paul, and the first three games of the NBA Finals. Finally, they assess the pitching and hitting phenom Shohei Ohtani. Euro 2020 (4:19):  Italy beat England but the final was marred by racist and...

GETTR, a new social media network from former Trump aide Jason Miller, launched on July 1 and quickly became an unmanageable mess. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss this low-budget Twitter clone, how it got overrun with hentai, and why its privacy issues may indicate that the network is already dead. If you’d like to read more on GETTR, Slatester Aaron Mak wrote about what happened...

When musician Johnny Solomon hit rock bottom, he turned to his mom for help. As his mom's health declines, he and his wife—and bandmate—move in with her to reciprocate.  Check out our podcast playlist roundup of recent audio recommendations from our newsletter here . And if you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, sign up! Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fasc...

This week Dana is accompanied by Allegra Frank, Slate senior editor. First the panel is joined by Slate’s music critic Carl Wilson to discuss Summer of Soul , a documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival . Next, the panel discusses season two of the Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave with Vulture senior editor Jesse David Fox . Finally, Carl returns to talk about the productions...

Zola , a new movie based on the infamous Twitter thread by Aziah “Zola” Wells King , follows a part-time stripper who goes on a weekend trip to Florida with a new friend to make money, and how things quickly escalated until their friendship fell apart. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk to Tony-nominated playwright and screenwriter Jeremy O. Harris about how he and director Janicza Brav...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson’s marijuana suspension. Penn State professor Amira Rose Davis joins to discuss Olympic hammer thrower Gwen Berry and Black women activists in sports. And finally, a look at the first week of new name, image, and likeness rules in the NCAA.   Sha’Carri Richardson (02:28):  Why is marijuana a banned substance in th...

Ilona Granet was a New York art-scene fixture who won the praise of the art world when she put up anti-harassment street signs in lower Manhattan in the mid- 1980s. Her career seemed like a sure thing, but three decades on, and so much more art later, it still hasn’t materialized, even as her contemporaries are now hanging in museums. This episode is not about the familiar myth of making it, but t...

Black dance creators on TikTok are sick of white influencers stealing their work without credit. Now, they have collectively refused to choreograph dance challenges for the app’s latest trendy hit, Megan Thee Stallion’s new song, “Thot Shit.” On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss the origins of this strike, the ineptitude of white dancers trying to create their own dances for the song,...

In Part 2 of this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy continues his analysis of when singing became central to rap music. Rap has always been musical. But back in the day, rappers generally, well, rapped: talked in cadence over a beat. Fans judged MCs primarily by their rhymes and rhythms, not their melodies. Now? Rappers are mostly singers: MCs from Drake to DaBaby slip seamlessly in and out of...

This week Dana and Steve are joined by Slate staff writer Karen Han. First, the panel discusses the movie Zola . Next, they talk about the British sitcom We Are Lady Parts . Finally, the panel is joined by Seth Stevenson, the host of Slate’s Thrilling Tales of Modern Capitalism, to discuss the past, present, and future of HBO.  In Slate Plus, the panel talks about Conan O'Brien's departure from la...

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison are joined by Buzzfeed’s Scaachi Koul to discuss her recent piece, “ Why Bo Burnham, Jenna Marbles, and Shane Dawson All Logged Off. ” They talk about the cesspool that is YouTube fandom, how precisely Bo Burnham articulates the problems of constant internet consumption, and the three ways logging off may be possible: deleting your content, apologizing a lo...

If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you can binge the whole season of Decoder Ring right now, plus ad free podcasts, bonus episodes, and much more. On this episode, we explore the misunderstood history of Muzak, formerly the world’s foremost producers of elevator music. Out of the technological innovations of World War I, Muzak emerged as one o...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss NFL player Carl Nassib’s historic announcement. They also talk about the key players and storylines in the NBA conference finals. Finally, they assess the Week in Sports Idiocy.   Nassib (1:55):  The significance of an active NFL player coming out.   NBA (24:09):  What Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trae Young have in common.   Week in Sports Idiocy ...

On Wednesday, Britney Spears spoke in court against her current conservatorship, which began in 2008. In recent years, fans have speculated that Spears was being controlled against her will by her father through this conservatorship, and started the #FreeBritney movement in an attempt to break her out of it. On today’s episode,  Madison and Rachelle break down the history of Spears’ conservatorshi...

Miguel Llapa's mother was told her son wouldn't live past age 2 because of a health condition. Now, he's going to college — and yearns for independence on his own terms.  Support Death, Sex & Money today at  deathsexmoney.org/donate . Check out our Game Changer series conversation with BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe here .  If you're new here, check out our  starter kit  of some of our favorite episo...

This week Dana and Steve are joined by Slate staff writer Karen Han. First, the panel discusses the Pixar movie Luca. Next, they talk about the first two episodes of Marvel’s TV show Loki. Finally, the panel is joined by Willa Paskin and Benjamin Frisch, the host and producer of Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast, to discuss the making of the new season. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about whether seei...