Slate Conversations

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… royal pains.

The British Royals are far from the imperial power they once were. Whether you love the institution, hate it, or simply don’t care, it’s hard to deny that it feels like an artifact of another time.

Which is perhaps why Meghan Markle’s arrival on the scene – and subsequent departure, with Prince Harry at her side – threw so many people for a loop. Meghan continues to receive racist, sexist, and downright fabricated harassment from the public, and particularly the tabloids… and so do the people who defend her. 

Kristen Meinzer, culture critic and host of The Daily Fail, joins us again to explain why we need to care about Meghan — and defend her.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: [email protected]

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

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When Gwen applied for unemployment during the early days of the pandemic, she never thought she’d still be waiting for her benefits years later. Despite hours on the phone, countless emails and even a court appearance, Gwen is haunted by her inability to get the money she was approved for. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Marina Nitze, author of Hack Your Bureaucracy. Not only does Marina help Gwen find shortcuts in her state’s unemployment system, but she has useful advice for untangling any bureaucratic nightmare. 

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Fight Outrageous Medical Bills.

Do you have a problem that’s keeping you up at night? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, Kevin Bendis, and Jabari Butler.

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 How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work.

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On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth does a deep dive on wedding dresses. From the oldest family-run bridal shop in the United States, to a warehouse in New York, she explores what the modern wedding dress looks like. Along with brides-to-be Shannon Palus and Susan Matthews, Cheyna talks with Marteal Mayer, the owner of Loulette Bride in Brooklyn, and mother-daughter duo Shelly Mueller and Alyssa Pung, co-owners of Becker’s Bridal in Fowler, Michigan. 

In Slate Plus: Our weekly And Just Like That…recap. This week it’s episode four with Cheyna Roth and Slate culture writer Heather Schwedel. 

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Special thanks to Shannon Palus and Susan Matthews. 

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to [email protected].

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On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… don’t you know they’re talking ‘bout a revolution? 

July 4th celebrates one of the least bloody milestones of the American Revolution. But we have a complicated relationship with overthrowing the powers that be in this country – not to mention when other nations do it. 

We call what happened on January 6th, 2021 an insurrection. But what do we do with the George Floyd uprisings? Other efforts to buck the system? Who, as the “common man,” should we be rooting for? 

Geo Maher, writer and political organizer, once again joins us to make the case for good-faith insurrection, even when it’s messy. 

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: [email protected]

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As this year’s LGBTQ Pride Month ends, transgender Americans find themselves under political attack. At the same time, a number of transgender creatives are thriving, building bright careers and awareness of their community. Actress and activist Angelica Ross is one of those artists. She joins journalist Aisha Mills, who is filling in as host, on today’s episode of A Word. Ross talks about her own journey from struggling teen, to military service, to groundbreaking performer and entrepreuer. 

Guest: Actress Angelica Ross

Host: Journalist Aisha Mills, in for Jason Johnson 

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

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On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re diving into fairy tales. Slate book critic Laura Miller talks with author Kelly Link about her collection of fairy tale inspired short stories, White Cat, Black Dog. They discuss how fairy tales have influenced Kelly’s work, the allure of the “searching for a beloved” story, finding a community of female writers. 

In Slate Plus: Cheyna Roth and Luke Winkie discuss episode three of Max’s And Just Like That…

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to [email protected].

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last of our Pride month mini-episodes, host Jules Gill-Peterson is joined by Evan Urquhart, the community manager for Slate's comments section who also covers anti-trans propaganda on assignedmedia.org. They discuss Evan’s piece “Don’t Look Away From Queer Despair,” which was part of Slate’s “Not Quite Pride” package. In a galvanizing conversation, they discuss the need to resist putting on a happy face in these genuinely challenging times; the compulsion to create work that will leave breadcrumbs of hope for the next generation of queer and trans people, and supporting one another.

Items discussed in the show:

“Don’t Look Away From Queer Despair,” by Evan Urquhart

Slate’s “Not Quite Pride” package of stories

Assigned Media

This podcast was edited by Emily Charash and produced by June Thomas.

Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to [email protected].

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On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… gendering, everywhere, all at once.

In the final days of Pride Month, we wanted to turn our attention to another complicated and contentious facet of the LGBT+ dialogue: gender identity. If gender isn’t a binary, but a fluid spectrum, what do we do with our notions of sexism, misogyny, and toxic masculinity?

As it turns out, we do very much live in a patriarchal society — but the truth of how that society operates, and who it advantages, might be more complicated than you think.

Robin Dembroff, assistant professor in Yale University’s philosophy department, joins us.

 If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: [email protected]

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last few years have been overwhelming for Tracy. Her career was demanding and she experienced multiple deaths in her family. Recently, she changed jobs and is in a better place with her mental health, but something is still missing from her life. She’s just not sure what. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace brings on Samantha Clarke, happiness consultant, speaker, and author of Love it Or Leave It: How To Be Happy At Work. Samantha will help Tracy (and all of us) design a plan to find fulfillment. 

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Style Your Home Like a Pro.”

Do you have a problem that’s keeping you up at night? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, Kevin Bendis, and Jabari Butler.

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 How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During this LGBTQ Pride month, many members of the community are reflecting on a year of unprecedented political and legal attacks. One of the biggest battlefields has been in public schools and libraries, where books featuring LGBTQ stories have been the targets of censors. On today’s episode of A Word, guest host journalist Aisha Mills is joined by George M. Johnson, author of one of the most banned books, All Boys Aren’t Blue. They talk about the intersection of race and gender identity, and how Johnson has fought back against critics who call the book dangerous and inappropriate for children.

Guest: George M. Johnson, author of All Boys Aren’t Blue

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices