Slate Culture Feed

What do Chloe Bailey, Nina Simone, and Vice President Kamala Harris have to do with one another? We’re here to help you figure that out. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about how a cover of Simone’s “Feeling Good” turned into a story that ultimately felt anything but . But first, they examine Rachel Lindsay’s recent comments about the Bachelor franchise .  Podcast production by Danie...

To say that hydration is an invention is only a slight exaggeration. Back in the 1970’s and ‘80s, no one carried bottled water with them, but by the ‘90s it was a genuine status object. How did bottled water transform itself from a small, European luxury item to the single largest beverage category in America? It took both technological innovation, but even more importantly it took savvy marketing...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss NBA injuries, Kevin Durant’s heroics, and Ben Simmons’ struggles. Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern also joins to assess the Supreme Court’s decision in  NCAA v. Alston . Finally, David Epstein talks about distance runner Shelby Houlihan, who claims her positive drug test came from eating a burrito.   NBA (3:14):  What does the data say about NBA injuri...

From “woke bae” to “woke-a-cola,” the word woke has taken the internet and mainstream media by storm. But how many people who use the word actually know what it means? On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison (but, really, mostly Rachelle) explain the decades-old origins of the word, and how its meaning has evolved as it’s gone from Marcus Garvey to being sung by the likes of Erykah Badu and Child...

Let’s be clear: 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 melody. Some hits that appear on Billboard’s Rap charts feature literally no rapping. When did this change?...

Talking with kids about death. Telling family that you've fallen in love with a man in prison. Breaking up with a longtime friend. Today: the hardest conversations you've ever had. If you've got a hard conversation that you've been waiting to have, and need a push to do it, we want to hear about it for an upcoming series we're working on. Send a voice memo or an email to deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.  S...

This week Dana and Steve are joined by Monica Castillo, arts and culture reporter for Colorado Public Radio, to discuss In the Heights. Next, Atlantic staff writer Sophie Gilbert comes on to talk about HBO’s Hacks. Finally, Dana and Steve dive into Liz Phair’s new album, Soberish , with the expertise of Slate music critic Carl Wilson. In Slate Plus, Dana, Steve, and Carl talk about Gen X musicians...

On today’s episode, Madison is joined by producer Daniel Schroeder to talk about people accusing Billie Eilish of queerbaiting on Instagram. They then discuss the way TikTok seems to be replacing Craigslist as the spot for finding missed connections—but are the videos real? To find out, Madison interviews Val and Kaycie , two women who had a serendipitous encounter on a rooftop bar, only to lose t...

Welcome to a brand new season of Decoder Ring! On this episode, we investigate the wild world of soap operas through the lens of one legendary, decades-long, ripped-from-the-headlines storyline. The rape of Marty Seabrook dared to combine the melodrama of soaps with a serious examination of sexual assault, and over time morphed from an award-winning story about believing victims into a redemption...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen’s collapse at the UEFA European Championship. Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated also joins to talk about baseball pitchers slathering the ball with goo. Finally, Stefan and Josh interview Jon Wertheim about  Glory Days , his new book on sports in 1984.   Eriksen (2:14):  The agony of waiting to see if...

On today’s episode, Rachelle  and  Madison explain the latest drama surrounding online provocateur Trisha Paytas. They recap Paytas’ history online, how they’re connected to David Dobrik’s Vlog Squad, and why their podcast Frenemies is in predictable turmoil. Then, two new High Speed Downloads, first on the grifting of internet chef Darius Williams (aka @DariusCooks) and then on the woman who got...

The Japanese Breakfast musician talks about writing her memoir,  Crying in H Mart , why she's moving on from making art about grief and loss, and what's bringing her joy these days. Listen to Japanese Breakfast's latest album, "Jubilee," here , and  check out her  Crying in H Mart  Spotify playlist here . Are you new to our show? Check out our  starter kit  of some of our favorite episodes. And su...

This week Dana is joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams and Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk. First, the panel discusses the HBO mini-series  Mare of Easttown.  Next, they talk about Bo Burnham’s Netflix special  Inside.  Finally, Dana and Sam dive into the recent Amazon-MGM deal. In Slate Plus, the panel talks spoilers galore about  Mare of Easttown . Email us at  culturefest@slate.com . Podc...

On today’s episode, Rachelle finds out that Madison is an anthro-paul-ogist. Internet star Logan Paul faced off against Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match this weekend, so Madison takes Rachelle through the troubling origins of the Paul brothers, how they’ve been able to maintain their internet fame across multiple platforms despite a series of serious allegations, and why this fight is nothing mo...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Sam Anderson to discuss Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets. They also discuss the U.S. men’s national team’s win over Mexico and the retirement of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Durant (01:52):  What makes him unique among NBA superstars.   Soccer (21:44):  Is the U.S. men’s national team’s latest victory meaningful or meaningless? Coach K (4...

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, why it feels so exciting to see these two stars indul...

In this guest hosted episode, the Oscar-winning actor interviews the  Blindspotting  co-creator about growing up a "knucklehead," finding a creative partner, and avoiding jealousy. This episode was part of our 2019 Maternity Leave Lineup. Find all of our past guest hosted episodes at deathsexmoney.org. Are you new to our show? Check out our  starter kit  of some of our favorite episodes. And subsc...

On today’s episode,  Madison  and  Rachelle  examine a case of mistaken identity. One of TikTok’s best features is its algorithm, which specializes in surfacing videos seemingly tailor-made for the user. That is, until the algorithm gets an idea about the user that’s very, very wrong. They discuss why TikTok is convinced Madison is an ex-Mormon and Rachelle is a Marvel fanatic, and then field a nu...

This week Steve is joined by Slate senior editor Allegra Frank and Slate staff writer Karen Han. The group first discusses  Cruella , starring Emma Stone. Next, they discuss the television adaption of Colson Whitehead’s novel  The Underground Railroad.  Finally, the group is joined by Slate’s Hit Parade host Chris Molanphy to dive into Olivia Rodrigo’s breakout album  Sour. In Slate Plus, the pane...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about what Naomi Osaka’s French Open withdrawal reveals about athletes and mental health and athletes and the press. They also discuss the spate of atrocious fan behavior in NBA arenas, and Rebecca Schuman joins for a conversation about Simone Biles’ latest feat of gymnastics excellence. Osaka (2:20) : How the controversy over her French Open comme...

On today’s episode,  Rachelle  is joined by producer  Daniel Schroeder  to discuss the online legacy of  Keeping Up With the Kardashians . After 14 years and 20 seasons, the series is finally coming to a close, so Daniel and Rachelle look back at its infamous origins, trace the show’s evolving relationship with social media, and look ahead to what life might be like for all of us after the series...

In Part 2 of this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy continues his analysis of Milli Vanilli, the musical act that many of us who were around in 1989 listened to more than they might admit. They also have quite a legacy: a blend of pop, dance and rap that now seems commonplace but was still relatively novel then. If you’ve danced to Europop that fronts like hip-hop, you’re living in a world Mil...

The graphic novelist on hot flashes and self-loathing, loss and grief, and one painful punching bag.  Are you new to our show? Welcome! Make sure you subscribe in your podcast player, and check out our  Starter Kit . It's filled with our favorite episodes and with information about how to join our community.  Follow us on  Instagram ,  Twitter  and  Facebook . Support our work at  deathsexmoney.or...

This week Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss HBO Max’s film  Those Who Wish Me Dead , starring Angelina Jolie. Next, the panel is joined by Slate books critic Laura Miller to dive into a strange publishing trend—where literary criticism meets self-help. Finally, Slate’s technology editor Jon Fisher talks with the hosts about  M.O.D.O.K. , Hulu’s latest series on the Marvel character. In Slate Plus, th...

On today’s episode,  Madison  and  Rachelle  open with High Speed Downloads on two viral stories: the photos of Tessa Thompson, Rita Ora, and Taika Waititi sharing an apparent three-way kiss, and the journey of the woman who live-tweeted her cross-country flight to pursue a man who might be just not that into her. Then they examine how the song “Castaways” from the Nickelodeon show  The Backyardig...