Slate Culture Feed

This week, the panel begins by discussing Priscilla, Sofia Coppola’s new film starring Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi that’s based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir, Elvis and Me, and features an otherworldly courtship, gilded cages, and whole lot of mumbling. Then, the three review Anatomy of a Fall, an excellent French movie directed and co-written by Justine Triet that, on the surface, looks like a courtroom drama, but dives deep into the discrepancies and lies that make up a marriage. Finally, they conclude with a spicy topic: Hot Ones, the viral celebrity interview show that forces guests to eat increasingly hot chicken wings while answering surprisingly well-researched questions. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel gets into spoiler territory and discusses the dramatic, twist-y ending of Anatomy of a Fall.  

Email us at [email protected]. 

Endorsements:

Dana: The French History Podcast hosted by Gary Girod, which covers unique and interesting aspects of French culture. She recommends starting with the episode “Thomas Jefferson’s Paris.” 

Julia: Owen Gleiberman’s essay for Variety, “In ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ Is Leonardo DiCaprio Playing a Dumb Hick, a Pitiless Sociopath… or a Muddle?” Also, in light of actor Matthew Perry’s recent passing, she’s bumping his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing up on her must-read list.

Stephen: Naples ‘44 written by Normal Lewis, a landmark novel that highlights the author’s dry wit and ability to detail the extent of human suffering. 

Outro music: “Backwards” by Staffan Carlen

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

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the veil is thin.

It’s easy to forget, between the plastic skeletons and cheap chocolate, that Halloween was — and is, for many cultures — very much about the reality of death. 

As the Northern Hemisphere goes dormant for the winter, it’s worth remembering that the circle of life includes death. And instead of a punchline or a thing to be feared, we might actually celebrate death, when we can. And who better to consult on how to do that than modern-day witches?

Helen Berger, sociologist and researcher at Brandeis University, joins us to discuss.

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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Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Joel Anderson are joined by Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley to assess the latest developments in the Michigan sign-stealing extravaganza. The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh also joins to break down the World Series matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers. Finally, Stefan, Josh, and Joel discuss how to talk about Dwight Howard, the future basketball Hall of Famer who’s been accused by a man of sexual assault.

Michigan (5:52): Is Jim Harbaugh in trouble?

World Series (27:27): These might not be the best teams in the major leagues but it is a great match-up.

Howard (49:57): There’s never been a story like this in the NBA.

Afterball (1:08:55): Stefan on the etymology of the “tush push” and its upstart rival, the “Brotherly Shove.”

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This week, host June Thomas talks to Katherine Howe, a writer of both historical fiction and nonfiction books. In the interview, Katherine starts by discussing her upcoming novel A True Account, which tells a fictional story about the very real Golden Age of Piracy. Then she talks about her work collaborating with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on historical nonfiction books. Their latest is called Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune. 

After the interview, June and co-host Kristen Meinzer discuss the challenges of juggling multiple projects and the use of “storytelling habits.” 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Katherine shares some of her favorite works of historical fiction. She also explains her fascination with witches. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected] or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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 Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

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On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim walk through DJ Envy’s latest legal troubles, which include seminars, flipping houses and a Ponzi-like scheme. Then, they’re joined by legal affairs reporter Meghann Cuniff, whose extensive coverage of the Tory Lanez trial crowned her the Batman of Black Twitter. Cuniff talks about her first internet memory, how she ended up covering the Lanez trial and how the DJ Envy allegations may play out.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

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HEY! HO! LET’S GO!! Is this chant: (a) a movement of disaffected hipsters, (b) walkup music for a baseball player, or (c) a really catchy bop? How about all of the above?

The legendary New York nightclub CBGB was the birthplace of punk. But it was also the future of pop: the Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Blondie. To varying degrees, these acts either became hitmakers, tried to reshape their music for the charts, or influenced generations of future multiplatinum stars.

Honestly? Their music was pretty infectious from the jump, even if it was too advanced for the ’70s hit parade. The music we called punk contained multitudes: the improvisatory jazz-rock of Television. The demented anthems of the Ramones. The quirky funk of Talking Heads. The stylistic eclecticism of Blondie—who scored four No. 1 hits in four different genres.

Join Chris Molanphy on a journey back to New York’s dirty days to try to answer: When did CBGB punk morph into chart pop?

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HEY! HO! LET’S GO!! Is this chant: (a) a movement of disaffected hipsters, (b) walkup music for a baseball player, or (c) a really catchy bop? How about all of the above?

The legendary New York nightclub CBGB was the birthplace of punk. But it was also the future of pop: the Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Blondie. To varying degrees, these acts either became hitmakers, tried to reshape their music for the charts, or influenced generations of future multiplatinum stars.

Honestly? Their music was pretty infectious from the jump, even if it was too advanced for the ’70s hit parade. The music we called punk contained multitudes: the improvisatory jazz-rock of Television. The demented anthems of the Ramones. The quirky funk of Talking Heads. The stylistic eclecticism of Blondie—who scored four No. 1 hits in four different genres.

Join Chris Molanphy on a journey back to New York’s dirty days to try to answer: When did CBGB punk morph into chart pop?

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.

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

In this episode, Maeve Higgins (author of Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl From Somewhere Else) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to respond when everyone thinks your toxic ex is brave and amazing, where to turn when your absentee dad has done psychedelics and forgiven himself a little too enthusiastically, and what to do when you can’t stop making nasty comments to your dog.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. 

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months. 

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

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On this week’s episode of The Waves, Golden Bachelor Gerry is rapidly approaching hometown dates and needs to narrow the pool down to three. To get there, we have a passionate one-on-one date and a high-stakes group date. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth and Dating While Gray host Laura Stassi give their thoughts.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

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

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 Waves. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus.

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The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business, with a player population that’s more than 60 percent African American. Yet the league’s owners, leadership, and reporters don’t reflect that diversity. In his role as an NFL Media journalist, Jim Trotter repeatedly questioned officials, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, about the league’s lack of diversity. After he lost his job, Trotter filed a lawsuit, claiming racial discrimination and retaliation. On today’s episode of A Word, Trotter joins host Jason Johnson to talk about career, his court case, and the importance of having more African American journalists covering professional football.

• Sandy Nunes, Vice President Talent Management On-Air at National Football League, declined to comment

• Stephen A. Smith, host of ESPN’s First Take, declined to comment.

Guest: Jim Trotter, senior opinion writer for The Athletic

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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