Culture Gabfest

This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen bring you their yearly call-in episode where they answer questions from Culture Gabfest listeners. 

In Slate Plus, the panel answers one final question from a listener named James. 

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

Outro music: "Blue Nights and Yellow Days" by Matt Large.

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This week, we're taking a break from our usual programming to bring you a great episode of Slate's "Working" podcast. In it, host June Thomas talks to author Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who recently adapted her novel Fleishman is in Trouble into a limited series for Hulu.

After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss the faulty metric of character likeability in both fiction and nonfiction. They also chat about creative collaboration and tough career decisions. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Taffy tells a story about her upcoming novel, Long Island Compromise. 

If you enjoy this episode, make sure to subscribe to Working wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.

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This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen get started by discussing Avatar: The Way of Water. Then they discuss the new Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan. Finally, they finish by talking about the new Lensa AI art app and all the photos it’s generating online.

In Slate Plus, the panel answers a listener question about which works of art they like to revisit again and again?

Email us at [email protected].

Endorsements

Dana: Spending an afternoon at the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents in Berkeley, California.

Julia: The videos of Front Porch Dad on Instagram. 

Stephen: The essay “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” by Simon Callow about Paul Newman in the New York Review of Books.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

Outro music: "Lonely Calling" by Arc De Soleil.

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, Isaac Butler and Dan Kois fill in for Stephen and Dana, joining to chat about Netflix’s new series, Wednesday. Then, they talk about the documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Finally, they discuss what our Spotify Wrapped results tell us about ourselves. 

In Slate Plus, the panel shares a fun follow-up on one of Julia’s recent endorsements. 

Email us at [email protected].

Endorsements

Dan: I’m endorsing a delightful book called What Artists Wear by Charlie Porter. It is exactly what it sounds like. This book really reminded me that art is work and it demands respect as a result of that, but it also reminds you that artists are often total, delightful weirdos. 

Julia: Somehow I didn’t yet share the song that I liked best in 2022. It’s a song I considered submitting for Summer Strut. Frankly, I’m a little bit embarrassed because it’s a song about having breasts and really enjoying having breasts. It’s “Coconuts” by Kim Petras. It’s very funny and very peppy. 

Isaac: I’m endorsing Connie Willis’ wonderful novel, To Say Nothing of the Dog. It is incredibly funny. The Victorian era gets satirized brilliantly. It’s just a soup-to-nuts delight. If you’re looking to have a really fun week of reading on your hands, this book is a great bet. 

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

Outro music is "Pike Place Market" by Rockin' For Decades.

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This week, the Gabfest team starts by discussing Spirited, the new AppleTV+ musical comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. Then, they talk about comedian Matt Rogers’ new Showtime special, Have You Heard of Christmas?. Finally, a chat about the sending and receiving of holiday cards. 

In Slate Plus, the panel talks about when the holiday season officially begins for each of them.

Email us at [email protected].

Endorsements

Dana: Natalie Walker is a wonderful actress, singer, and performer. My Christmas gift to you is to send you down a rabbit hole of her work, and I suggest that you start with her performance of the song Cabaret. She was in Matt Rogers’ special but not singing or performing cabaret. 

(Also, listeners can learn about Dana's weeklong series in Berkeley here: https://bampfa.org/program/camera-man-buster-keaton.)

Julia: About 10 years ago on the show I described my favorite childhood picture book which was long out of print. Well now for some reason the book is being republished in a new edition in the U.S. and Australia. The book is Need a House? Call Miss Mouse! and it is written by George Mendoza and illustrated by Susan Smith. I am so glad this book is going to be available. 

Steve: This is one of the weirder endorsements I think I’ve ever dropped. I’m endorsing Lana Del Rey. She joins a list of artists who manage to get deep, deep, deep into the weird shallows of the American character. I think there’s something special happening in her music. 

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

Outro music is "What Do You Want From Me" by OTE.

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, Sam Adam sits in for Julia as the panel begins by reviewing Steven Spielberg’s new semi-autobiographical film, The Fablemans. Then, a discussion about the Hulu limited series Welcome to Chippendales. Finally, a chat about Ticketmaster. 

In Slate Plus, the panel answers a listener question about the songs that make us cry. 

Email us at [email protected].

Endorsements

Dana: Inspired by chatting about the new Chippendales series this week, my endorsement is the true, non-fictionalized version of the story told by the podcast Welcome to Your Fantasy. 

Sam: Endorsing a very specific version of A Christmas Carol. The one-man show version currently on Broadway performed by Jefferson Mays is excellent. Sometimes I find myself wondering if there is any need for another version of A Christmas Carol and this sort of answers that question. 

Steve: Singer/songwriter Jessica Pratt is very highly regarded and I wanted to get into her music, but I had trouble until I listened to the song, Back, Baby. Also, saxophonist Ike Quebec. I am absolutely digging his album Blue & Sentimental. 

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

Outro music is "Stone Cookies" by Dusty Decks.

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, Jamelle Bouie sits in for Dana as the panel begins by reviewing She Said, the new film about investigating the Harvey Weinstein story. Then, a discussion about the Hulu limited series Fleishman is in Trouble. Finally, they chat about the auction of Joan Didion’s private items. 

In Slate Plus, the panel talks to the very online Jamelle Bouie about the recent wild weeks of Twitter. 

Email us at [email protected].

Endorsements

Jamelle: The Criteron release of Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. Biopics have fallen out of style for the most part. I rewatched it last year and I came away struck not just by the sheer ambition of it, but the extent to which it is such a love letter to classic Hollywood.  

Julia: My endorsement is episode 10 of Andor. It’s a great episode in a bunch of ways, but also the episode ends with an incredible monologue by Stellan Sarsgaard. It’s an incredible piece of writing and performance. 

Steve: I like this song. I don’t know much about it, but a friend sent it to me. It’s Super Rich Kids and it’s a cover of a Frank Ocean song. This version is from Trio SR9 featuring Malik Djoudi

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

Outro music is "Did I Make You Wait" by Staffan Carlen.

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, Nadira Goffe sits in for Julia as the panel begins by reviewing the Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever. Then, a discussion about the Selena Gomez documentary, My Mind & Me. Finally, they chat about Gen Z’s impact on the midterms and the election of Maxwell Alejandro Frost. 

In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the art they resisted at first, but came to love.  

Email us at [email protected].

Endorsements 

Dana: I will recommend Spielberg, a 2017 documentary about Steven Spielberg that I happened to watch on HBO because I was reviewing his new movie The Fablemans which is auto-biograohical or semi-autobiographical and has a lot of stuff about his childhood. So naturally I went back to try and what his actual childhood was like. Low and behold, this doc about Spielberg is really good. Available to stream on HBOMax.

Nadira: I was inspired by the Selena Gomez documentary to bring something that is a piece of celebrity journalism. The 15K word piece Frank Sinatra has a Cold by Gay Talese is one of my favorite pieces of journalism ever. There’s a really fun version on Neiman Storyboard with annotations both by someone interviewing Gay Talese and then Gat Talese responding to those questions. Also, I don’t know how familiar you are with Moses Sumney but he is a queer Ghananian-American artist from California who makes, I’d describe it as etherial avant-garde jazz rock. He’s so good. The lack of performing during the pandemic pushed him to make a sort of live conceptual concert film called BLACKALACHIA that he released last year. I saw him perform a live version of this concert film arrangement earlier this year in Brooklyn and it was one of the top 10 live shows in my life. 

Steve: In the forthcoming New York Times Magazine, but it’s already up on the web, there is a longform interview with Brian Eno. The thing about Eno is, talk about someone who deserves the elder statesman label! He’s just stayed so vital and he’s such an intellectual. It’s a great interview. I could go on and on about Eno. 

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

Outro music is "Any Other Way" by Particle House.

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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In this episode of The Relentless, we look at how the people we surround ourselves with can help us move fearlessly on the road to success. Host Kristen Meinzer is joined by two inspiring guests who know that turning visions into reality means pushing past fear and, to do that, you need a solid support system.

First, she talks to Aida Rodriguez, a comedian, writer, and actor, whose career took off when she stopped listening to critics and started aligning with people who resonated with her authenticity. Aida is unafraid to be vulnerable in her comedy, often talking about her own life story from surviving two kidnappings to experiencing homelessness. With an HBO stand-up special under her belt and another HBO comedy series in the works, Aida’s comedic talent is undeniable, but the real key to her success lies in the trusting relationships she’s built with people who help her stay fearless.

Later in the episode, we hear from Dan Kruse. As President of the number one CENTURY 21 affiliate in the world, Dan takes an immense amount of pride in the support network he’s built for his agents and brokers. If he’s succeeding, so are they. 

Guests

Aida Rodriguez: Comedian, Writer, and Actor

Dan Kruse: President, CEO, and Owner of CENTURY 21 Affiliated in Madison, Wisconsin

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This week, the panel begins by reviewing the Weird Al biopic, Weird. Then, a discussion about the entire run of Derry Girls. Finally, Matt Levine joins to explain crypto. 

In Slate Plus, the panel takes on a listener question and talks about comfort food. 

Email us at [email protected].

Endorsements

Dana: A movie I saw a couple of weeks ago that is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. If you can see it will depend on where you are but keep your eyes open for this Hindi-language documentary called All That Breathes. 

Julia: I’d like to recommend an Instagram account and that Instagram account is by the name of Hot Dads of Picture Books and it is what it says. It’s basically somebody curating pictures of smokeshow dads from picture books. I can’t attest to its future longevity but I appreciate its commitment to the bit. 

Steve: The wonderful Mimi Parker, drummer and vocalist of the band Low, has died. I really truly love their music so I’m endorsing both Low and their music but also very much the remembrance by Slate’s own Sam Adams. Low made this crazy, wonderful, spooky rock and roll music that I adore. 

Outro music: "Ruins" by Origo

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

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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