Slate Culture Feed

A few years ago, I asked you to share your near-death experiences. You told us about car accidents...plane crashes...illness...suicide. And, you told us what happened after, when you didn't die. Today: your stories about life after near death. You can hear more of my conversation with Elizabeth Caplice, who died in July 2016, here. We're still collecting your stories about the hardest conversations you've ever had. Send us a voice memo or an email: deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. 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. Plus, we'll send you audio recommendations, letters from our inbox and a note from Anna. Join the Death, Sex & Money community and subscribe today.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss the Oscar-nominated documentary Collective. Next, the group is joined by June Thomas, senior managing producer of Slate podcasts, to discuss Law & Order: Organized Crime. Finally, the panel dives into Substack, the newsletter platform journalists are flocking to.In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the Oscars.Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.Email the hosts at culturefest@slate.comEndorsements Dana: The Narcotic Farm Julia: Party Down Steve: Anne Briggs, particularly this songFurther ReadingCharlie Warzel’s recent Twitter thread on Galaxy BrainOutro Music"What Do You Want From Me" by OTESlate Plus members get a bonus segment in each episode of the Culture Gabfest and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Madison and Rachelle talk to Rolling Stone senior writer EJ Dickson about PissTok, a new TikTok trend in which people are making jokes about urination kinks. She recently reported on the videos, which have attracted tens of millions of views, for her magazine. They discuss how kink has become memified, what this says about the rise of sex positivity in mainstream discourse, and whether or not it’s a step in the right direction. Also, Madison places a call to Apple support.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.

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Ken Early of the Irish Times to talk about European soccer’s proposed Super League. They also discuss the NFL’s top quarterback prospects and they debate whether Triller Fight Club is the future of boxing. Super League (2:10): What is this new soccer proposal? Why is it making everyone so mad? Is there any way to stop it? Quarterbacks (21:40): What we know about Trevor Lawrence and crew, and why so many QBs will likely get picked at the top of the first round. Boxing (38:52): Are Jake Paul, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Evander Holyfield the salvation for a dying sport? Afterball (52:19): Stefan on the San Diego Sockers music video “One for the Thumb.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher discuss the latest development in the world of The Bachelor and how it all plays into the show’s relationship with social media. First they dig into the news that former Bachelor Colton Underwood has come out as gay on Good Morning America. Then they get into the show’s love-hate relationship with Instagram, examining how the series has become a launchpad for influencers and explaining how social media has become its public editor, leading to everything from this year’s casting of the first Black Bachelor to host Chris Harrison’s ouster.To read more about Underwood's season of the show, check out our producer Daniel Schroeder’s piece on the subject.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.

Taylor Swift’s new album is a reboot of an old album: Fearless, her 2008 chart-topping juggernaut that made her the biggest star on the Billboard charts. But Fearless (Taylor’s Version)—filled with banjos, steel guitars and fiddles—is also a reminder for those who forgot: Swift was once the top act in country music, too. From Dolly Parton to Shania Twain, the Chicks to Faith Hill, no country artist has ever crossed over to pop the way Taylor did, utterly dominating one genre before she took over another. In this episode, Chris Molanphy focuses on Taylor: the country years, dissecting how she gradually, step by step, became the new queen of pop one irresistible song at a time. She went from interviewing bigger stars on MTV’s red carpet one year, to being the talk of the Video Music Awards the next—even before Kanye took that microphone away from her. He told Taylor he would let her finish, but the game was already over. Swift had the most played song in the USA. Podcast production by Asha Saluja, with help from Rosemary Belson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happened when a 27-year-old listener deep in credit card debt asked their older sister for financial help. If you're struggling with consumer debt, check out these resources. Support Death, Sex & Money by becoming a sustaining member today. Sign up to donate $10 a month, and we'll send you Anna's upcoming book, Let's Talk About Hard Things, and invite you to join us for a special book club discussion. Most importantly, your donation will support our work and help keep this community strong. If you can, please give today at deathsexmoney.org/donate.We want to hear about the hardest conversations you've ever had. Send us a voice memo or an email: deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And stay in touch with us! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep you up to date about what's happening behind the scenes at Death, Sex & Money. Plus, we'll send you audio recommendations, letters from our inbox and a note from Anna. Join the Death, Sex & Money community and subscribe today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher look at the way the COVID vaccines have seemed to develop online personalities. They discuss how the memes and merch inspired by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson can actually encourage vaccine hesitancy—which is all the more disappointing since there are actually some pretty informative TikToks out there about COVID-19. Next, they speak to a few Slatesters who might not have purchased vaxx merch but definitely made their own reckless online purchases, by buying things through targeted Instagram ads. Do these impulse buys ever bring us the joy we think they will?For more on this topic, check out “How Pfizer Became the Status Vax” by Slate’s Heather Schwedel.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.

This week Steve is joined by Slate senior editor Allegra Frank and writer/editor Dan Kois. The group first dives into the What Lies Below, the wild No. 1 movie on Netflix. Next, they discuss the Netflix series Worn Stories. Finally, the panel is joined by Slate music critic Carl Wilson to talk about Prince’s vault of unreleased music, as covered in Sunday's episode of 60 Minutes. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about how their parents influenced their music taste.Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.Email the hosts at culturefest@slate.comEndorsementsDan: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtryAllegra: serpentwithfeet’s DEACONSteve: “Averted Intimacies” by Elaine Blair in the New York ReviewSlate Plus members get a bonus segment in each episode of the Culture Gabfest and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the sports world’s pandemic purgatory. They also ponder what sports feats have still yet to be achieved. Finally, Luke Epplin joins to discuss his book Our Team and the story of Larry Doby, the second player to break baseball’s modern color barrier.Pandemic purgatory (3:11): What to make of the Texas Rangers’ full stadium and the Vancouver Canucks’ 20-plus positive COVID tests.Rare sports feats (20:30): The Padres have, at last, thrown a no-hitter. What achievement can we cross of the list next?Larry Doby (35:37): The first Black player in the American League was a pioneer in his own right.Afterball (54:30): Joel on North Carolina’s JV men’s basketball team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.