Slate Culture Feed

Ever since the ’60s, the recording industry emphasized the album over the single. By the ’80s, they were milking as many hits as possible from an album to convince you to buy it—from Thriller to Hysteria .  But in the ’90s, labels changed tactics and tried to kill retail singles—promoting hits to radio that you could only buy on full-length albums. Why? They wanted consumers to shell out for more...

Dana Stevens and Stephen Metcalf discuss the new film mother! with Slate's Jack Hamilton, Ken Burns Vietnam documentary series with Willa Paskin, and the art of theme park caricatures with producer Benjamin Frisch. It's pledge season! Join Slate Plus today as part of the Slate Plus promo drive! Sign up at Slate.com/cultureplus. The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by the Platinum Card from...

"I want it, so I take it." A serial shoplifter explains why she does it, and how—and the conflicted feelings she has about her daughter following a similar path.  Are you in Los Angeles? We want to see you at our live show next week! Tickets and info here . Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter and we'll send you great audio recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from t...

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin and Marcus Thompson of The Athletic discuss the wave of protests against Donald Trump’s remarks about the NFL. Then they talk about Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant’s recent Twitter snafu and his fragile psyche. And broadcaster and former U.S. soccer player Marcelo Balboa joins for a conversation about hot, new Major League Soccer team Atlanta United FC. NFL protes...

Dana Stevens, Julia Turner and Stephen Metcalf are live in Toronto to discuss Justin Trudeau as dreamboat meme factory, the critical under-recognition of Joni Mitchell with critic Carl Wilson, and the film Mudbound with director Dee Rees. It's pledge week on Slate podcasts! If you love the Culture Gabfest, support it by signing up for Slate Plus at Slate.com/CulturePlus and get ad-free shows and b...

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by NPR’s Gene Demby to discuss Jemele Hill and ESPN’s conservative trolls, by HBO’s Eric Raskin to talk about Golovkin-Alvarez, and by Ninja Warrior ’s Josh Levin for a conversation about obstacle course stardom. Jemele Hill (1:28): Gene Demby of NPR’s Code Switch comes on the show to explore why ESPN has become a target in the culture wars and the kinds of...

Need help with the debt you already have? Balancing loan payments with the rest of your life expenses? We tackle your questions in part two of our call-in specials about student debt. Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter and we'll send you great audio recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at  deathsexmoney.org/newsletter . Follow the show on Twi...

On this week’s Slate Culture Gabfest, Laura Bennett, Gabriel Roth, and Seth Stevenson discuss Bachelor in Paradise, a campy spin-off of the Bachelor franchise, and explore the sexual misconduct allegations directed at cast members on the show. Next, they talk about the third installment in the Trip film series, The Trip to Spain, starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Finally, the gabbers discuss D...

Is loan forgiveness a safe bet? When is college not a good investment? Is bankruptcy an option? Part one of our live call-in specials about student loan debt. Get your questions ready for our second night of live student loans call-ins TONIGHT (Wednesday, Sept. 13) from 8-9 pm ET. Watch and listen live at facebook.com/deathsexmoney.  The website that expert Rohit Chopra mentioned about public serv...

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New York Times’ Mark Leibovich to discuss the NFL’s opening weekend, by Racquet’s Caitlin Thompson to assess Sloane Stephens’ U.S. Open win, and by Mike Pesca for a debate about the Red Sox’s sign-stealing. NFL (1:08): Mark Leibovich describes his experiences in New England and Dallas during pro football’s opening week, and whether owners are getting...

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss the 40th anniversary re-release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, whether Taylor Swift represents Trump-era art with critic Jody Rosen, and fan fiction with Laura Miller.   The Culture Gabfest is brought to you by the Platinum Card from American Express. There’s a world of experiences waiting to open up with the Platinum Card. Backed by...

We check in with the Another Round  co-host about her long list of New Year's Resolutions, and why she says she's in "a much different place today" than she was at the top of the year. Get your questions ready for our LIVE student loans call-in episodes next Tuesday and Wednesday, September 12 and 13 at 8 pm ET! Watch our Facebook page  for more details. Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter an...

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by SB Nation ’s Spencer Hall to discuss college football. Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders also joins to talk about NFL tanking, and Ed Cunningham explains his move to quit his job as a football announcer for ESPN. College football openers (2:14): Spencer Hall talks about Texas A&M’s crushing loss to UCLA, Howard’s exhilarating win over UNLC, and other...

Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf, and Isaac Butler discuss the social media satire Ingrid Goes West, Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, and Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede with Aisha Harris.  The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Boll and Branch. Right now, get 50 dollars off your first set of sheets plus free shipping by going to BollandBranch.com and using promo code culture. And by Open Account,...

The latest storm to hit the Gulf Coast has us thinking back to the people we met two years ago, for the series we put together around the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina .  In our newsletter this week, we compiled a list of local and national organizations where you can donate to Harvey relief efforts. If you're not subscribed, sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter . We'll also send you gr...

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Wall Street Journal ’s Jason Gay to discuss  Floyd Mayweather’s win over Conor McGregor, by Ken Rosenthal to talk about the Athletic , and by Robert Lipsyte to assess Clay Travis and ESPN’s supposed liberalism. Mayweather-McGregor (1:30): Jason Gay, who watched the fight while high, explains why fans weren’t unhappy with the experience, and looks at w...

Julia Turner, Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss Steven Soderbergh's new film Logan Lucky, the eclipse with Atlas Obscura's David Plotz, and speech on the internet after Charlottesville.  The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Rocket Mortgage from Quicken Loans. Home plays a big role in your life. That’s why Quicken Loans created Rocket Mortgage. It lets you apply simply and understand t...

Katie Couric lost her husband to cancer in 1998. After 16 years of single parenthood, she remarried. But, she says, she still regrets the way she said goodbye the first time around. If you're in your 20s, we want to hear about your life dilemmas. Record a voice memo telling us what YOU need advice about. Send it to deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.  You can listen to Katie Couric's podcast here . Subscribe...

Stefan Fatsis is joined by former NFL player Hamza Abdullah and ESPN’s Howard Bryant to analyze race and sports. ESPN writer Mechelle Voepel and MinnPost.com’s Pat Borzi chat about the WNBA. And director Adam Hootnick discusses his documentary about Texas high-school football, What Carter Lost. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dana Stevens, Aisha Harris, and Julia Turner discuss HBO's Insecure with Slate's Veralyn Williams, the classic film Dr. Strangelove, and the Vulture article: "The Toxic Drama on YA Twitter" with Slate's Laura Miller. The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Sun Basket. Sun Basket sends organic, non-GMO ingredients right to your door, so you can skip the grocery store and prepare meals in jus...

Rachel Ward's husband, Steve, died unexpectedly when she was in her early 30s. Afterward, she says in some ways she re-experienced adolescence—while feeling older than ever.  Want to suggest a podcast episode for our Welcome to Adulthood playlist? Go here:  deathsexmoney.org/adulthood .  Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter and we'll send you great audio recommendations, fascinating letters fr...

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Johnette Howard to discuss Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension, tennis writer Ben Rothenberg comes on to talk about Sascha Zverev, and Mike Schur analyzes the Los Angeles Dodgers’ excellence. Ezekiel Elliott (2:16): Johnette Howard joins to review the domestic abuse allegations leveled against the Cowboys running back, if the NFL punishment system worked in this...

Dana Stevens, Julia Turner and Stephen Metcalf discuss The Public Theater's new production of Hamlet starring Oscar Isaac, Netflix's Friends From College, and the maligned genre of prog rock with Dave Weigel.  The Culture Gabfest is brought to you by the Platinum Card from American Express. There’s a world of experiences waiting to open up with the Platinum Card. Backed by the services and securit...

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ProPublica ’s David Epstein to discuss Usain Bolt’s loss to Justin Gatlin. The Irish Times ’ Ken Early also talks about Neymar’s record-setting transfer, and Josh and Stefan analyze Colin Kaepernick’s NFL exile. Usain Bolt (1:14): David Epstein joins to dissect Usain Bolt’s final competitive 100-meter race, Justin Gatlin’s surprise win, and how the sport...

Dana Stevens, Julia Turner, and Stephen Metcalf discuss Christopher Nolan's new film Dunkirk, the musical podcast 36 Questions, and sellouts with musician and writer Franz Nicolay. The show is brought to you by the Platinum Card from American Express. There’s a world of experiences waiting to open up with the Platinum Card. Backed by the services and security of American Express. And by Casper, an...