Culture Gabfest

On this week’s show, the panel returns to 1985 and reviews The Greatest Night in Pop, Netflix’s star-studded documentary about how “We Are the World” (a charity single performed by USA for Africa, a supergroup comprised of the most popular artists not only of the time, but arguably, ever) came to be and the legendary night it was recorded. Although it features cameos from Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, and more, the documentary manages to be quite modest in its ambition. Then, the three discuss Rustin, director George C. Wolfe’s biopic about Bayard Rustin, an advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. whose legacy has often been glossed over. Rustin stars a fantastic Colman Domingo as its titular lead and is a celebratory example of the importance of telling gay/queer stories with queer creatives above and below the line of production. Finally, it’s the Slate True-Crime Canon! Cheyna Roth, contributor to the Canon and author of Between Two Wars: A True Crime Collection: Mysterious Disappearances, High-Profile Heists, Baffling Murders, and More joins to break down the monstrous endeavor. 

(Roth’s other book is Cold Cases: A True Crime Collection)

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses Super Bowl LVIII and analyzes the advertisements, Usher’s half-time performance, and the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce love story at the center of it all. 

Email us at [email protected]. 

Outro music: "Self Made Woman" by Katharine Appleton

Endorsements:

Dana: Her perfect plane movie, Dumb Money, which features a superstar cast that’s always in-sync. 

Julia: Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane, an “all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston’s history.” 

Steve: A liquidus piano album by Mary Lou Williams, Zodiac Suite. The 1945 album seamlessly mixes classical and jazz influences throughout 12 pieces, each named for a different astrological sign. 

Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 

Hosts

Dana Stephens, Julia Turner, Stephen Metcalf

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On this week’s show, Extreme Friends of the Pod and co-authors of The World Only Spins Forward, Isaac Butler and Dan Kois, fill in for Dana Stevens and Julia Turner. The hosts begin by dissecting The Zone of Interest, filmmaker Jonathan Glazer’s audacious movie about the Holocaust that’s told through the lens of Nazi commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig as they live their somewhat ordinary lives in a compound outside of Auschwitz. The film has garnered both praise and severe critique from critics, many of whom are split on Glazer’s detached aesthetic and imaginative approach to depicting genocide. The Zone of Interest has racked up five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Then, the three dive into Nyad, the (maybe?) true story of marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, as she attempts to swim unassisted from Cuba to Florida. Annette Bening stars in the titular role alongside Jodie Foster, both of whom are up for Oscars (Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively). Finally, what is a good director, anyway? What does it look like, what does it mean, and is there a difference between producing, screenwriting, and directing – or is it some strange amalgamation of all three? These questions come from a listener, Emily, and the panel attempts to answer them. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses their film preferences while airborne, inspired by David Mack’s essay for Slate, “What Makes a Perfect ‘Plane Movie’?”

Email us at [email protected]. 

Outro music: "Pull Me Out" by Mike Stringer.

Endorsements:

Isaac: Dheepan (2015), an exquisitely directed movie from filmmaker Jacques Audiard. In it, three Tamil refugees must pose as a family to flee war-torn Sri Lanka but land in a Paris suburb blighted by drugs. 

Dan: For anyone in or heading to New York, check out Cole Escola’s play “Oh Mary!” The comedian stars as a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln and takes place in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. (You can also find Escola’s episode of Slate’s Working podcast here.) 

Steve: Rebecca Solnit’s meditation on the Bay Area, loneliness, and the human impulse towards succession: “In the Shadow of Silicon Valley” for the London Review of Books. 

Podcast production by Cameron Drews and Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 

Hosts

Isaac Butler, Dan Kois, Stephen Metcalf

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From our friends at Life and Art, a culture podcast of the Financial Times:

This week, we return to an old comfort classic: the 2003 Nancy Meyers romcom Something’s Gotta Give, starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. In it, two middle-aged people fall in love, but only after one heart attack, two younger lovers, some unexpected midnight pancakes and ample bickering. Does the movie still work today? How has the way we depict aging in film changed? And do we miss Nancy Meyers movies? Joining host Lilah Raptopoulos is comedian Negin Farsad, host of the podcast Fake the Nation, and FT senior corporate finance correspondent Eric Platt. This is one of his favourite movies.

https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/life-and-art-from-ft-weekend/id1179847741

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On this week’s show, Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe and Sam Sanders, host of Vibe Check fill in for Dana Stevens and Julia Turner. The hosts begin with a subversively brilliant Oscar contender, American Fiction, which is Cord Jefferson’s adaptation of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure. The filmmaker’s debut racked up five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and stars Jeffrey Wright as Thelonius “Monk” Ellis, a frustrated writer, in this heartfelt family melodrama encased in biting satire. (Catch Sam’s conversation with Cord Jefferson here.) Then, the three tread into familiar territory and dissect In the Know, Mike Judge’s (Beavis and Butthead, Silicon Valley, King of the Hill) latest show on Peacock which satirizes the world of public radio, specifically NPR, through the stop-motion animated lens of its third most-popular host, Lauren Caspian (voiced by Zach Woods). Finally, Oscar season is officially upon us, and with Oscar nominations, comes invariably, Oscar snubs. The panel explores this year’s nominees, and who may or may not have gotten the short end of the stick. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses a fun interactive from The New York Times, “The Menu Trends That Define Dining Right Now.” 

Email us at [email protected]. 

Outro music: “Bloody Hunter” by Paisley Pink

Endorsements:

Sam: An album he loves and owns on vinyl, Chameleon (1976) by the American singing trio Labelle. It’s pure R&B funk dazzle. 

Nadira: A threefold music endorsement: Midnight Dancer (1979) by the Philly soul group Silk, Spotify’s “create radio” function, and a compilation of Barbara Ackland’s greatest hits. 

Steve: A gorgeous, lofi home recording of Sandy Denny singing her classic, “Who Knows Where the Time Goes.” 

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 

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On this week’s show, Jamelle Bouie (Opinion columnist at The New York Times) sits in for Julia Turner. The hosts first begin with a trip to Ennis, a fictional Alaskan town at the heart of True Detective: Night Country, and review the fourth installment of the HBO Max anthology series. There’s a new showrunner at the helm, Issa López, who brings a desperately needed fresh take on the Lovecraftian True Detective format, along with the series’ two leads, played by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. Then, the three dissect Origin, director Ava DuVernay’s ambitious feature film adapted from the nonfiction book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by the American journalist Isabel Wilkerson. In the film, we accompany Wilkerson (played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) as she develops her theory of formalized subordination based on race in America through the lens of the caste system. Finally, Pitchfork, the rockstar’s digital paradise and essential music review site, announced that it would be laying off most of its senior staff and be folded into fellow Condé Nast publication, GQ. What does that mean for both Pitchfork and the future of music criticism? Slate’s music critic, Carl Wilson, joins to discuss. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, it’s the 25th anniversary of The Sopranos, and the panel discusses the series’ incredible legacy along with what it means for the stories of Tony, Dr. Melfi, Carmela, and more, to hit a quarter of a century. 

Email us at [email protected]. 

Outro music: “Ruins” by Origo.

Endorsements:

Dana: Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech by Brian Merchant, a nonfiction book about the “all-but-forgotten class struggle that brought nineteenth-century England to its knees.”

Jamelle: G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, historian Beverly Gage’s biography of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.

Steve: Two reviews of Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson’s biography of the SpaceX/Tesla CEO: “Ultra Hardcore” by Ben Tarnoff for The New York Review and “Very Ordinary Men” by Sam Kriss for The Point. 

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work.

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On this week’s show, Nadira Goffe sits in for Julia Turner. The hosts first begin by exploring an updated cult classic: Mean Girls, the movie musical version of the Broadway show based on the iconic 2004 film. The 2024 iteration stars Reneé Rapp as Regina George and Angourie Rice as Cady Heron. Then the three head to 17th century Edo-era Japan and review Blue Eye Samurai, an animated Netflix series about an ambiguously gendered, half-Japanese, half-white samurai (voiced by Maya Erskine) hell-bent on exacting revenge on the man responsible for their “monstrous” existence. Finally, consider the plight of January, a recent New York Times essay implores. The panel debates the merits of America's least-loved month and whether they agree with the assertion that the first 31 days of the year are the best. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discloses what books to read for self-reinvention, including Letters to a Young Poet and Nadira’s favorite Toni Morrison work. The conversation is based on Chelsea Leu’s piece for The Atlantic, “What to Read If You Want to Reinvent Yourself.” 

Email us at [email protected]. 

Outro music: “Lonely Calling” by Arc De Soleil

Endorsements:

Nadira: Embracing her tradition of endorsing music favorites, Nadira’s been loving Depression Cherry by Beach House, the indie duo’s 2015 studio album that’s dreamy, surreal, and comforting, and Cynthia Erivo’s sensational cover of “Alfie,” performed live at the Kennedy Center Honors for 2023 honoree Dionne Warwick. 

Dana: At the onset of every year, Dana chooses a mammoth book assignment for herself, and in 2024, that book was Middlemarch by George Eliot. She especially enjoys listening to the audiobook while hiking, which is narrated by the English actress Juliet Stevenson. 

Steve: Steve learned to Travis pick on the guitar! Thanks to a wonderful YouTube tutorial by Mike’s Music Method for the song “Blues Run the Game” by Jackson C. Frank. (And maybe if enough listeners request it, he might perform it for us…)

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work.

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On this week’s show, the hosts are first joined by Slate’s Heather Schwedel to discuss Anyone But You, a paper-thin adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, whose combined good looks and star wattage aren’t enough to save the flimsily written rom-com. (Although, despite the film’s rocky start, it’s become a sleeper smash at the box-office.) Then, the panel explores Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron (which premiered under the name, How Do You Live?, in Japan), a beautiful and astoundingly thematic film made by one of the world’s greatest living animators, as he reflects on his life, work, and the nature of creation. Finally, the Golden Globes returned on Sunday, January 7th. The hosts ask: with a beefed up voting body and new network home, did the disgraced awards show manage to overcome its many scandals and untarnish its reputation? 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel answers a listener question from Scott: are there any movies, TV shows, novels, books, albums, etc., that impacted you at a pivotal time in your life (not necessarily childhood) that you will not revisit due to the fact that it may not hold up? 

Email us at [email protected]. 

Outro music: “I Want a Change” by The Big Let Down

Endorsements:

Dana: Inspired by his incredible essay in The Intelligencer last week, Dana endorses Tom Scocca’s Substack, Indignity, which covers internet culture, the distortions of fame and identity, nature, the weather, daily news, and more. 

Julia: Do you use the right salt when you cook? The best fancy salt, according to Julia, is Carmargue Fleur de Sel, an exceptional French salt that comes in a sweet little tub with a cork lid. 

Steve: The earlier works of Dave Brubeck, one of the greatest jazz artists of all time, particularly the albums Interchanges ‘54 and Jazz Goes to College. Steve made a short playlist of his favorites, which can be found here. 

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work.

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On this week’s show, the hosts begin by jumping into the fantastical world of Wonka, a prequel to Roald Dahl’s enduring novel that explores the origins of its famously impish character, Willy Wonka, portrayed here by a wide-eyed, sugary sweet Timothée Chalamet. The musical film, directed by Paul King (Paddington, Paddington 2) isn’t the kind of movie you want to pick on–it undoubtedly has a warm heart–but has the effect of watching a lucrative homework assignment. Then, the three switch gears and review Maestro, a biopic (if you can even call it that) about one of America’s greatest cultural luminaries and public educators, Leonard Bernstein. Directed by and starring Bradley Cooper as “Lenny,” the film explores Bernstein’s complicated marriage with Felicia Montealegre (played spectacularly by Carey Mulligan) and the couple’s struggle to balance Lenny’s public genius with his life as a closeted gay man. (For more on Cooper’s prosthetic nose, read Mark Harris’ comprehensive essay for Slate, “The Bradley Cooper ‘Jewface’ Controversy Isn’t Really About That Nose.”) Finally, the panel is led by ringmaster extraordinaire, Dana Stevens, through Slate’s 2023 Movie Club, an annual digital roundtable featuring conversations between prominent film critics and writers as they look back through a year in film. This year, Bilge Ebiri (film critic for New York Magazine and Vulture), entertainment writer Esther Zuckerman, and film historian Mark Harris contribute, along with features from Nadira Goffe, Sam Adams, and the project’s editor, Dan Kois. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel embraces a post-holiday theme and discusses memorable gifts: their favorites and the ones that got away, inspired by a recent episode from the podcast Scriptnotes. 

Email us at [email protected].

Outro music: “Spinning the Wheels” by Dusty Decks

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This week, we revisit one of our favorite episodes of 2023! The panel begins by examining Barbie, Greta Gerwig’s hot pink, record-breaking movie about the iconic Mattel doll. Then, the trio dives into Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which chronicles the life of the “Father of the Atomic Bomb,” and explores whether the film achieves its aims. Finally, they are joined by Slate’s Chris Molanphy to discuss the controversy behind country singer Jason Aldean’s latest song, “Try That In A Small Town.”

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel is once again joined by Chris Molanphy to discuss all things Summer Strut. With the annual show just weeks away, the four pull back the curtain to detail their processes, weird observations, and more.

Email us at [email protected].

Endorsements:

Dana: In line with her theme of the week, “Yay movies and go, go, go to the theater,” Dana highly recommends Theater Camp, a delightful film by Ben Platt and Molly Gordon.

Julia: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe for zucchini pasta with crispy capers and pistachios isn’t the sort of thing Julia would normally endorse (for one, it’s extremely laborious and you will need to fry individual basil leaves), but it’s vegan, a showstopper, and completely worth it.

Stephen: In honor of the late singer, Stephen recommends two Tony Bennett albums: “The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album” (1975) and “Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall” (1962).

Outro music: “Last Sunday” by OTE.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work.

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This week, it’s the yearly call-in episode! Steve, Dana, and Julia dive into questions submitted by Culture Gabfest listeners. 

Outro music: “Forbidden Love” by OTE

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work.

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