Slate Culture Feed

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 comments played out, and what comes next. NBA (25:44): Has fan behavior reached a new low or are we just paying closer attention?Biles (45:47): Why her new vault is so amazing, and why judges are undervaluing it.Afterball (63:26): Remembering Lee Evans, who staged a quiet protest at the 1968 Olympics.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.

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 goes off the air.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and 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.

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 Milli Vanilli helped create. Chris Molanphy continues to break down the history of Milli Vanilli mastermind Frank Farian’s musical career: from his burst of Billboard chart success, to the storied past of the Best New Artist Grammy award. From MTV News to Behind the Music, the Milli Vanilli story has been told and retold. But the Billboard chart feats achieved by Rob and Fab, and their accomplices, reveal just how addicted America was to their music—and maybe, how they won that Grammy.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.  Podcast production by Asha Saluja with help from Rosemary Belson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.org/donate. And sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep you up to date about what's happening behind the scenes at Death, Sex & Money. Subscribe today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Backyardigans has become so popular on TikTok that it topped the Spotify Viral 50 chart. Where did this trend begin, and what does it say about TikTok as a nostalgia factory?Podcast Production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.Follow us online at our new Twitter account @ICYMI_pod.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.

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, the hosts open up about their schedules, productivity, and hacks for cultural consumption in response to a listener question.Email us at culturefest@slate.comPodcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. EndorsementsDana: A series of films by Lois Weber on the Criterion ChannelJulia: A new daily news podcast from the L.A. Times called The Times: Daily news from the L.A. TimesSteve: The restaurant Feast & Floret in Hudson, New YorkFurther Reading“Enough With Literature as Self-Improvement!” by Laura Miller in Slatehttps://slate.com/culture/2021/03/wonderworks-angus-fletcher-review.htmlOutro music: "200 Dont's" by ConditionalSlate 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.

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Shutdown Fullcast’s Spencer Hall to discuss the start of the NBA playoffs and the spate of injuries befalling NBA stars. They also discuss Phil Mickelson’s PGA Championship triumph and Tim Tebow’s possible NFL return.NBA (2:46): How LeBron looks, and how injuries have changed pro basketball’s postseason outlook.Golf (18:30): How the 50-year-old Mickelson did it, and what his victory means for older athletes.Tebow (34:05): Will he make it as a tight end? Is it possible to have a good Tebow take?Afterball (51:04): Josh on the found art of Major League Baseball transaction logs.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.

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison chronicle the long, complicated life of Shrek online. They argue that the film, which premiered in 2001, was primed to become an internet meme before Shrek fans even got their hands on it. And then they explain all the different iterations, some funny and some downright creepy, of Shrek content that have kept the green ogre alive on the web for 20 years.You can check out the Shrek syllabus here.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.Follow us online at our new Twitter account @ICYMI_podSupport 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.

For a musical project that’s synonymous with deceit, Milli Vanilli sold an awful lot of records. They also have quite a legacy: a blend of pop, dance and rap that now seems commonplace but was still relatively novel in 1989. If you’ve danced to Europop that fronts like hip-hop, you’re living in a world Milli Vanilli helped create. In this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy breaks down the history of Milli Vanilli mastermind Frank Farian’s musical career: from his days with Boney M, a hit-making, half-real, half-fake group that was a precursor to his later scheme; to his enlistment of European model–dancers Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan to be the faux-frontpeople of Milli Vanilli. From MTV News to Behind the Music, the Milli Vanilli story has been told and retold. But the Billboard chart feats achieved by Rob and Fab, and their accomplices, reveal just how addicted America was to their music—and maybe, how they won that Grammy.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.  Podcast production by Asha Saluja with help from Rosemary Belson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former pro rock climber Mason Earle's career ended in 2018, when he was diagnosed with the chronic illness ME/CFS. He now spends most of his time in bed, and in a series of three phone calls, he reflects on his career and adjusting to life with a disability.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.org/donate. And sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep you up to date about what's happening behind the scenes at Death, Sex & Money. Subscribe today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.