Slate Culture Feed

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 seeing movies in the theater is a tradition worth preserving.Email us at culturefest@slate.comPodcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Cleo Levin.Outro music is "Eightball" by Gabe Nandez.EndorsementsDana: The playlist of the music found in James Baldwin’s apartment, “This Giant Prehistoric Rhino Was the Biggest Land Mammal to Walk the Earth” by Jack Guy and Zixu Wang for CNNKaren: Try making ice cream at homeSteve: The writing of Janet Malcolm in the New York Review of Books and The New YorkerFurther Reading“How Gay Is Pixar’s Luca?” by Marissa Martinelli for Slate“The Many Contradictions of Owen Wilson” by Isaac Butler for SlateSlate Plus members get ad-free podcasts, a bonus segment in each episode of the Culture Gabfest, full access to Slate's journalism on Slate.com, and more. Sign up now at slate.com/cultureplus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 from brands like Gatorade and Perrier to turn the concept of hydration, and dehydration into problem they could solve via their wares. Today, hydration has branched out from athletics to wellness to skincare, but the actual science behind all of it is pretty sketchy. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 injuries? And what happened to the Nets and Sixers? Alston v. NCAA (24:13): Does this week’s unanimous ruling put the college sports business model in peril? Houlihan (46:50): The case against the American track star, and why she might be telling the truth. Afterball (66:33): Stefan on the on-field death of NFL player Chuck Hughes.Podcast production by Margaret Kelley.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Childish Gambino to being wielded as a slur by the likes of Mike Huckabee.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, and Jasmine Ellis.Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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?In this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy walks through the history of hip-hop—from Gil Scott-Heron to Lil Nas X—to trace the evolving role of melody in rap’s conquest of the charts. The broadening of rap to include more female MCs, from Queen Latifah to Lauryn Hill, had a lot to do with it. But all roads lead through rap-and-B’s power couple, Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The pivot point may have been when Queen Bey realized she could sing with triple-time flow like the baddest MC. Podcast production by Asha Saluja.Hit Parade episodes are now split into two parts, released two weeks apart. For the full episode right now, sign up for Slate Plus and you'll also get The Bridge, our Trivia show and bonus deep dive. Click here for more info.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Support Death, Sex & Money today at deathsexmoney.org/donate.If you're new here, check out our starter kit of some of our favorite episodes. And subscribe to our weekly email newsletter! Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org.Follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 and how they’re aging gracefully—or not.Email us at culturefest@slate.comPodcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.Outro Music: "Any Other Way" by Particle HouseEndorsementsDana: The soundtrack to Bo Burnham’s InsideCarl: Clairo’s single “Blouse” and the series Feel Good (especially the placement of “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers)Steve: Herzog by Saul BellowFurther Reading“In the Heights Fumbles Some of Its Changes, but It Still Soars” by Dana Stevens for Slate“’In the Heights’ Film Review: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Stage Hit Becomes a Screen Celebration” by Monica Castillo for the Wrap“What Hacks Proves About Jean Smart” by Sophie Gilbert for the Atlantic“An Alt-Rock Queen Returns to Take Back Her Crown” by Carl Wilson for SlateSlate Plus members get ad-free podcasts, a bonus segment in each episode of the Culture Gabfest, full access to Slate's journalism on Slate.com, and more. Sign up now at slate.com/cultureplus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 touch before being reconnected via TikTok.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder & Derek John.Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 arc for the rapist at its heart. This is the story of those who made it happen: the producers, actors, writers, and the soap opera machine itself: the perpetually moving, forever-churning, complex system that create the miracle that is the daily soap opera.  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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 the soccer star was OK. Sticky stuff (22:28): What will baseball’s powers that be do about the game’s latest scandal? 1984 (43:58): How Michael Jordan, Lakers vs. Celtics, Martina Navratilova, and more changed the sports landscape forever. Afterball (60:25): Stefan, Josh, and Jon Wertheim on the French Open.Podcast production by Margaret Kelley.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.