Slate Culture Feed

How did poop get cute? On this episode of Decoder Ring we trace the rise of cute poop from the original Japanese poop emoji to more modern poop toys which rely on the Youtube algorithm to get seen and sold.Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner are joined by Jen Agg to talk about the fate of the restaurant industry. Next, they bring on New York Times Magazine contributing writer Jody Rosen to discuss the passing of Adam Schlesinger. Finally, the panel dives into Julia’s favorite movie and comfort watch—Sneakers. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Culture Gabfest each week, and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses their results to the Statistical "Which Character" Personality Quiz.Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen.Outro Music: “All Kinds of Time” by Fountains of Wayne EndorsementsJody: The singer Bill Withers, particularly his albums Naked & Warm and ’Justments. Jonathan Cecil’s audiobook reading of P.G. Wodehouse’s Uncle Fred in the Springtime. Dana: Interview with Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn on the Ringer podcast “The Watch.”Julia: “Nutmeg” from A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!Steve: The songwriter Marty Donald of The Lucksmiths found here in Steve’s Spotify playlist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I'm just a lucky guy," John Prine told me in our 2018 interview. We will miss him.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the push to bring football back and the psychology around restarting sporting events with crowds. Hurdling champion Dawn Harper-Nelson also joins to discuss how her life has changed now that the Olympics have been postponed.NFL (4:04): Donald Trump wants games to start back up again by August or September. Is that realistic? Dawn Harper-Nelson (26:25): Our live show guest from December returns for an update on her life and her training now that the Summer Games are off the calendar for 2020.Afterballs (47:24): Joel on Bobby Bowden, Stefan on Fountains of Wayne’s “All Kinds of Time,” and Josh on a 1948 race between old baseball men. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Songwriting icon Bill Withers died this week at 81 years old. Today, we revisit my conversation with him—from the very first episode of Death, Sex & Money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few weeks back, we created a Pandemic Tool Kit for those of us who are staying home during the COVID-19 crisis. But we also wanted to hear from those of you who can't stay home right now because your jobs have been deemed essential—about what's on your mind right now, and what's helping you cope. These are your stories. Are you in financial flux right now due to COVID-19? Tell us about it at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.Sign up for our newsletter today at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter. And follow our show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @deathsexmoney. 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 on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf is joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams and Slate podcast producer Daniel Schroeder discuss the wildness of Tiger King. Then, Steve teams back up with Dana Stevens and Julia Turner to talk about one of his favorite comfort watches: Paddington 2. Finally, the panel analyzes celebrity in the age of coronavirus by exploring the two recent telethons respectively hosted by Elton John and James Corden.On the Slate Plus segment this week, the panel discusses Bob Dylan’s newest song.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Culture Gabfest each week, and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Rachael Allen. Outro Music: "The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)" by Julie LondonEndorsementsDana: The singer Julie LondonJulia: Hoosker Doosker Tug of War gameSteve: “They Survived the Spanish Flu, the Depression and the Holocaust,” by Ginia Bellafante in the New York Times“A Star in a Stoneboat,” by Robert Frost Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hit Parade takes you back to the turn of the millennium when, for a couple of years, it seemed like a Latin pop star was topping Billboard’ Hot 100 every few weeks: Ricky Martin. Jennifer Lopez. Enrique Iglesias. Marc Anthony. Carlos Santana. Shakira. This wave of Latin crossover was hard-fought and a long time coming—from “La Bamba” to “Macarena,” Spanish-language hits in the 20th century had been treated like novelties by record buyers and radio programmers.The Latin boom of 1999 changed all that—but did it go far enough? How did we get from the slick Spanglish of “Livin’ la Vida Loca” to the Spanish-first success of “Despacito” and “Mi Gente”? And how did Ritchie Valens and João Gilberto prepare America for J.Lo and Shakira triumphing at the Super Bowl?Podcast production by Justin D. Wright.Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. 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 are joined by the Athletic’s Joe Vardon to talk about the push to get games back on television. They also discuss the HBO documentary The Scheme, and Josh interviews tennis player Kristie Ahn about what an athlete does when she can’t leave her house.Sports on TV (03:16): TV networks have paid billions to televise sports. What’s going to happen to all that money? And will those dollar signs push leagues to get games on TV as soon as possible?The Scheme (18:24): Is the HBO documentary on corruption in college basketball worth watching? And what should we think of its protagonist, Christian Dawkins?Kristie Ahn (39:37): What’s life like for a pro tennis player who can’t be on the court?Afterball (01:02:13): Stefan on the spitball and the Spanish flu pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We asked essential workers to write in about what they need, and what they're thinking about. Here's what one surgical nurse in Ohio told us.Not subscribed to our newsletter yet? Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter. And follow our show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.