This week, the panel begins by dissecting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, a zany piece of intellectual property that’s been taken off the shelf by Jeff Rowe, Seth Rogan, and a slew of animators and turned into a critical darling. Then, the trio reviews The Retrievals, a five-part narrative podcast hosted by Susan Burton for The New York Times and Serial Productions that chronicles the systematic ways American healthcare continually denies, discounts, and ignores women’s pain through...
Aug 16, 2023•58 min
This week, the panel is joined by pop critic and chart analyst (and host of Slate’s Hit Parade podcast) Chris Molanphy for our annual Summer Strut episode. The four dive into the longest listener-suggested summer playlist to date (this year, it’s a 682 song behemoth that adds up to approximately 42 hours!) and take turns in an electric, strut-ty roundtable discussion of their top picks. You can find their collective favorites here in the Summer Strut '23 Shortlist: https://open.spotify.com/playl...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 10 min
This week, the panel begins by diving into Theater Camp, a mockumentary-style comedy about gloriously talented misfits. Then, they pay tribute to Sinéad O’Connor, the dearly missed Irish singer, songwriter, and activist whose 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live rocked the world. Then, the trio is joined by screenwriter (and co-host of the Scriptnotes podcast) John August to discuss the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, what’s going on in Hollywood, and how this “double strike” feels different than ...
Aug 02, 2023•56 min
This week, 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 i...
Jul 26, 2023•57 min
This week, Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe fills in for Julia. The panel begins by discussing Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Tom Cruise’s latest romp against rogue A.I. Then, the trio review Wham!, a bittersweet and perhaps hollow documentary following the ‘80s English pop duo’s rise to fame. Then, they explore Spill, a new image-based platform claiming to be the next “Black Twitter” and its role in the current social media landscape. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the pa...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 3 min
This week, Slate writer and editor Dan Kois fills in for Julia. The panel begins by breaking down Joy Ride, Adele Lim’s raunchy first feature about four Chinese-American friends. Then, the panel dives into the second season of the reality show Claim to Fame. Finally, they examine the commodification of storytelling, inspired by Parul Sehgal’s essay “The Tyranny of the Tale” for The New Yorker. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses pickleball, America’s fastest growing sport. E...
Jul 12, 2023•58 min
This week, the panel begins by examining the final Indiana Jones crusade (probably), Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny. Then, they debate Boots Riley’s daring new television show, I’m a Virgo. Finally, the trio considers Turner Classic Movies and the fate of the beloved TV network. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel dives into the reliably controversial Agnes Callard’s latest piece, “The Case Against Travel.” Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: “The Joy of Trav...
Jul 05, 2023•57 min
This week, the panel begins with the question: is The Bear’s second season even better than its first? Then, the trio discusses Jennifer Lawrence’s new “sex” comedy, No Hard Feelings. Finally, they examine an essay by Jonah Weiner of Blackbird Spyplane, “Is Ssense hurting the cool-clothes eco-system?” about the online clothing emporium that’s growing like a weed. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel dives into former New York Times film critic—and current Book Review critic—A.O. Scott’...
Jun 28, 2023•59 min
This week, Dana Stevens is joined first by Slate senior editor Sam Adams and ICYMI co-host Candice Lim to examine Wes Anderson’s latest film, Asteroid City. Then, the trio discusses why the sixth season of Black Mirror feels so disjointed. Finally, Dana and Candice explore the ethics of true crime content—and its devout followers—with Slate podcast producer and host Cheyna Roth inspired by a recent piece by The Atlantic, “The Gross Spectacle of Murder Fandom.” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 1 min
This week, the panel is first joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams to review Past Lives, Celine Song’s gentle yet affecting directorial debut. Then, Dana and Stephen dive into The Ultimatum: Queer Love with Slate’s June Thomas. Finally, the trio debate the virtues of closed captioning, based on a recent piece by The Atlantic, “Why Is Everyone Watching TV With the Subtitles On?” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Dana and Stephen are joined by Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion to discuss the...
Jun 14, 2023•56 min
This week, the panel begins by unraveling Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Then, the three discuss Platonic, a new Apple TV+ show starring Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen. Finally, they are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie to examine the surprisingly wholesome journalism storyline found in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel reflects on their professional lives with a listener question: What is your relationship to your work after you’v...
Jun 07, 2023•56 min
This week, the panel begins by dissecting (and spoiling) the Succession finale. Then, the three discuss You Hurt My Feelings, a great new comedy by writer/director Nicole Holofcener starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Finally, they examine the Obama’s Netflix docuseries Working: What We Do All Day. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel gets deep with a question from Julia Turner: What is one small life thing you’re absolutely terrible at? Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Steph...
May 31, 2023•59 min
This week, Slate’s senior editor Rebecca Onion fills in for Julia. The panel begins by examining Sanctuary, a claustrophobic BDSM thriller starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. Then, they debate Freevee’s hard-to-define “reality” series Jury Duty. Finally, Dana and Stephen are joined by Slate music critic Chris Molanphy to discuss Morgan Wallen and his number one song, “Last Night” and the nature of cancel culture. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel talks about Martha Ste...
May 24, 2023•56 min
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen start by talking about the movie BlackBerry. Then they discuss the new Peacock series Bupkis. Finally, Slate’s Isaac Butler sits in to talk about the questions around Shakespeare’s identity that refuse to die. In Slate Plus, Steve's recent move and how physical place relates to phases of life. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: The vibes-based playlists on Matthew Perpetua’s YouTube channel Julia: Amityville: An Origin Story on MGM+ and Mis...
May 17, 2023•58 min
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen begin by talking about the new Amazon series, Dead Ringers. Then the L.A. Times’ Anousha Sakoui joins to discuss the WGA strike. Finally, Slate’s Dan Kois sits in to talk about the writing and revising of the story of digital media and Ben Smith’s book "Traffic.” In Slate Plus, the panel gets into the health of alcohol and caffeine, inspired by this Slate article: https://slate.com/technology/2023/04/alcohol-wine-drinking-healthy-dangerous-study.html Email us ...
May 10, 2023•55 min
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen begin by talking about the new Netflix series “The Diplomat.” Then Slate’s Heather Schwedel joins them to discuss the adaptation of Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Finally, they chat about weddings, as inspired by Slate’s recent wedding coverage. In Slate Plus, the panel gets into their relationships with Google Maps, prompted by this article in the Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/04/google-maps-world-perception...
May 03, 2023•56 min
This week, host Julia Tuner is joined by guest-hosts Jamelle Bouie and Nadira Goffe. In the first segment, they discuss The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which currently tops the box office and stars Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, and numerous other big stars. After that, the panel talks about Chimp Empire, a new Netflix nature series narrated by Mahershala Ali. Then they wrap things up with a conversation about A.I. music and the song Heart on My Sleeve, which sounds like a collaboration between Drak...
Apr 26, 2023•55 min
This week, Slate’s Sam Adams joins Dana and Stephen to talk about auteur Ari Aster’s newest film, Beau is Afraid. Then they discuss the new Hulu limited series, Tiny Beautiful Things. Finally, they chat about the state of the music business as inspired by this recent article: https://www.thenation.com/article/society/music-industry-ipod/ In Slate Plus, the panel goes deep into spoilers and specifics about Beau is Afraid. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: Sir John Soane’s Mus...
Apr 19, 2023•58 min
This week, Slate’s Rebecca Onion joins Julia and Stephen to talk about the Nike shoe story, Air. Then they discuss the new Netflix series Beef. Finally, Slate’s Carl Wilson joins to chat about the first full album by supergroup Boygenius. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about leftovers and food waste, inspired by Tamar Adler's book The Everlasting Meal Cookbook. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Rebecca: The new memoir Don’t Call Me Home by Alexandra Auder. Julia: Julia is endorsin...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr
This week, Slate’s own Nadira Goffe and Working co-host Isaac Butler join Dana to talk about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Then they discuss the new AMC series starring Bob Odenkirk, Lucky Hank. Finally, Slate’s Dan Kois joins to talk about the poet Maggie Smith and an essay that was excerpted from her new memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about Phantom of the Opera finally leaving Broadway after more than three decades. Email us at culturefes...
Apr 05, 2023•59 min
This week, Slate’s own Nadira Goffe joins Dana and Stephen as they begin by talking about John Wick 4. Then they discuss a new streaming series about fandom gone too far called Swarm. Finally, they chat about why classical music is getting more popular among young people. In Slate Plus, the panel discusses Freud’s comeback. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: Lorraine Hunt sings Handel Nadira: The app and website Music League Stephen: “The Trails of the Young: A Semester” by M...
Mar 29, 2023•59 min
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen begin by talking about Daisy Jones & the Six. Then they discuss the new film Palm Trees and Power Lines. Finally, writer Dan Charnas joins to chat about why it is time to finally legalize sampling in music. In Slate Plus, the panel answers a listener question about the practicalities of being a critic. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: The movie Smooth Talk from 1985. Julia: “You Didn’t” by Brett Young Stephen: The Poetics of Space by Gast...
Mar 22, 2023•59 min
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen start by discussing the wins and losses of Oscar night. Then, they’re joined by Slate’s Sam Adams to talk about his recent piece, “Peak TV Is Over. Welcome to Trough TV,” and the current state of streaming television. Finally, they try out TikTok’s new “Bold Glamour” filter and discuss how they feel about it. In Slate Plus, the panel discusses the recent New Yorker profile, “Agnes Callard’s Marriage of the Minds.” Email us at [email protected]. Endorsement...
Mar 15, 2023•59 min
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen begin by talking about Creed III. Then they chat about the Oscar-nominated animated short My Year of Dicks. Finally, a conversation about the history of the Oscars and their relevancy. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the poor state of projection at movie theaters. Editor’s note: In the episode, the historian Kim Phillips-Fein is incorrectly referred to as “he” instead of “she.” Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: Charlie Kaufman’s speec...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 2 min
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen begin by talking about the return of the Starz comedy Party Down. Then they discuss Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar-nominated performance in To Leslie. Finally, NPR’s Aisha Harris joins to chat about the newest entries to the Black Film Canon; a collaboration between Slate and NPR. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the controversial changes to Roald Dahl’s books. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: Nathan Hiller’s article ‘The End of the Engli...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr
This week, Dana and Stephen are joined by Jamelle Bouie, and they start by discussing Marc Maron’s new HBO comedy special From Bleak to Dark. Then they review the Oscar-nominated Polish film EO. Then, Slate writer Dan Kois joins to talk about his article on the importance of hanging out. In Slate Plus they talk about the Bing Chatbot and this article in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html Email us at [email protected]. Endorse...
Feb 22, 2023•58 min
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen start by talking about Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime performance with Slate’s Nadira Goffe. Then they discuss the new mockumentary series Cunk on Earth. Finally, they chat about Oscar-nominated documentary All That Breathes. In Slate Plus, the hosts discuss Leslie Jamison’s article in the New Yorker, “Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It,” about Imposter Syndrome. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: Burt Bacharach’s live concert with El...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr
In this episode of The Relentless, host Kristen Meinzer is joined by, not one, but two fearless Michelles who know that to be a successful leader, you need to take risks and have a strong support system. First, she speaks with Michelle “Mace” Curran, a former F-16 fighter pilot and the second woman to fly as Lead Solo in the Air Force Thunderbirds. Now an entrepreneur, Curran has made it her mission to empower others to make bold and brave choices. Afterwards, Kristen talks with Michelle Fermin,...
Feb 11, 2023•37 min
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen start by talking about the new AppleTV+ series Shrinking. Then they discuss the Oscar-nominated film Triangle of Sadness. Finally, they chat about modern etiquette, inspired by The Cut’s piece on the topic. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the closing of the “World’s Best Restaurant” Noma. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: I have great, great affection for Jason Segel. Nobody is talking about his children’s books. It’s this series call...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr
This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen start by talking about Natasha Lyonne’s modern take on Columbo, aka the new Peacock series Poker Face. Then they discuss Netflix’s Oscar-nominated All Quiet On The Western Front. Finally, the chat about the changed aesthetics of shopping, inspired by this Grub Street article. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the sleepover panic. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements: Dana: Kiss Me Petruchio is an hour long documentary about the 1981 Shakespeare i...
Feb 01, 2023•59 min
