Slate Culture Feed

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim dive into two internet stories they can’t stop thinking about. First, they explain how Montoya from Temptation Island became 2025’s crash-out king and created one of the first great international memes of the year. Then, they recap the journey of Onijah Andrew Robinson, an American who spent months in Pakistan after a catfish-gone-wrong, and used local media to become TikTok’s latest obsession.This podcast is produced by Alexandra Botti, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may never have thought very hard about scratch-off tickets, but that’s part of their power. They’re a form of gambling that’s simply a pedestrian part of American life. But not so long ago, they were risky and innovative, the killer app of their time and the must-play game of the state lottery. In this episode, Ian Coss, host of the new podcast series Scratch & Win, is going to walk us through the history of the scratch-off ticket: its invention, its popularization, and its connection to the explosion in gambling that’s now all around us. This episode of Decoder Ring was produced by Katie Shepherd. Decoder Ring is also produced by Willa Paskin, Evan Chung and Max Freedman. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.Scratch & Win is a production of GBH News. It is produced by Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss and edited by Lacy Roberts. Its editorial supervisor is Jenifer McKim with support from Ryan Alderman. Mei Lei is the project manager, and the Executive Producer is Devin Maverick Robins.If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at DecoderRing@slate.com. And you can also now call us at our Decoder Ring hotline — that number is 347-460-7281. We love hearing your ideas, and we especially enjoyed all the messages we got about our last episode on the ’90s swing craze. Keep ‘em coming! And even better, tell your friends to check us out.Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the poet and writer Kaveh Akbar likes something, he really likes it. As a high school student, he got hooked on poetry. In college, it was alcohol. This week, Kaveh talks to Anna Sale about the factors that led to his sobriety, and he explains exactly how he manages a life that’s full of healthy, wonderful obsessions as well as problematic ones.  Kaveh’s critically acclaimed novel Martyr! is now available in paperback. You can read about his temporary fixation on collecting basketball cards in GQ. Podcast production by Cameron Drews.Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh examine how the world-beating Chiefs ran into the brick wall that was the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl. They also speak to journalist and author Julie Kliegman about the Trump administration’s recent executive order aiming to ban trans women from sports. Plus, the panel examines the growing movement across sports to shorten game times.On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel dives into potential blockbuster moves in the NFL offseason.The Super Bowl (2:24): The Eagles are elite.Trump’s Trans Sports Ban (18:08): The repugnant executive order fueling trans discrimination across sports.Shorter Games (38:37): What's behind the push to bring playing time down?(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.)Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are not the world’s biggest sports fans, but are now more tuned in than ever thanks to TikTok. In today’s episode, the pair talk about how everything from fancams to fashion is giving audiences new entry points to a typically masculine space. But what happens when trends start to outway tackles? When followers start coming before free throws?This podcast is produced by Alexandra Botti, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, the hosts discuss Max’s new medical drama The Pitt – a show that we legally can’t call an ER reboot but does have Noah Wyle donning scrubs and handling the next bodily emergency yet again. Our regular hosts also discuss an article from the Intelligencer, The Cruel Kids’ Table about how young Republicans now feel empowered to bring cruelty back into public discourse. Finally, we welcome LA Film Critic Amy Nicholson to discuss the Oscar-nominated film September 5 about the hostage crisis during the 1972 Munich Olympics.Also, we’re looking for a new Production Assistant! To apply, send us an email introducing yourself and give two ideas for segments to culturegabfestassistant@gmail.com. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel tackles the biggest luminary question of the year: Do you use ‘The Big Light’? Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements:Dana: Just sort of a beautiful moment: Live wolf howls in Manitoba, Canada Julia: Branded in Memory | Signs.com / Draw Logos From Memory – Test your recall and see if you can recreate popular brand logosSteve: The Wired Starter Pack on bsky and Subscribe to WiredPodcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode notes: Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by meme historian and researcher Aidan Walker, whose Substack travels into the depths of meme lore. 2025 is off to a rocky start for several reasons, but the panel wonders if memes may provide a solution for getting through the year. Memes are a coping mechanism, especially for those who like dark humor in difficult times. And some memes help us make sense of the world at its most chaotic. From Distracted Boyfriend to Math Lady to Doge, ICYMI is walking through the history, layers, and positives of meme culture in our daily lives. This podcast is produced by Alexandra Botti, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2023, Anna and On The Media’s Micah Loewinger traveled to Montana to talk to Tasha Adams, the ex-wife of Stewart Rhodes, who founded the far-right paramilitary group, the Oath Keepers. Stewart had been charged with seditious conspiracy for his participation in the January 6 Capitol riots, and Tasha was eagerly awaiting sentencing: “I need him to stay locked away so my kids can legally cut contact with him when they’re 18.”Tasha described their decades-long marriage, from their courtship in a ballroom dance class in Las Vegas, to abuse and isolation as Stewart became transfixed on politics and apocalyptic ideas. She and her six kids managed to escape in 2018. And shortly after our conversation there was some good news for Tasha: her divorce was finalized, and Stewart got a long sentence – 18 years. Then Trump was re-elected, and on his first day in office he issued nearly 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 of his supporters in connection with Jan. 6. Among them was Stewart. This week we’re replaying our 2023 conversation with Tasha, as well as a portion of a follow-up conversation we recorded with her right before Trump’s inauguration.Watch: Trailer for ‘King of the Apocalypse’ Podcast production by Zoe AzulayDeath, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh look at the trade heard round the world that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The panel also discusses the sexual misconduct allegations against Ravens’ kicker Justin Tucker, as well as the sports betting scandal in the NBA that now involves Terry Rozier. In the Afterball, Lindsay breaks down the NFL Pro Bowl games played this past weekend.On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts dive into the Utah Hockey Club’s top-secret renaming saga.Luka to L.A.(3:18) The confounding trade of the basketball superstarJustin Tucker (26:29): The troubling reports of sexual misconduct by the Baltimore kickerGambling in the NBA (44:31): The investigation into NBA player Terry Rozier’s alleged gambling collusionAfterballs (1:00:50): Lindsay on the NFL Pro Bowl(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.)Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay, still recovering from Justin Baldoni’s leaked voice memo to Blake Lively, dive into the online war being waged between the two It Ends With Us actors. They explore how this is the latest scheme in what seems to be a playbook for PR teams to tear down women online, and ask how we can avoid falling victim to the trap.This podcast is produced by Alexandra Botti, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay, with production assistance from A.C. Valdez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.