Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Defector’s Drew Magary talk about the seeming decline of the Kansas City Chiefs. They also discuss who to root for in the World Series, the Houston Astros or the Atlanta Braves. Finally, they speak with Drew about his book The Night the Lights Went Out: A Memoir of Life After Brain Damage . Chiefs (3:54): What’s wrong with Patrick Mahomes and the former champs? World Series (25:47): Is the case against the Astros stronger than the case against the Braves? The Night...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Why have so many young women developed tic disorders during the course of the pandemic? Well, apart from the obvious pandemic-related stressors, TikTok could be a big part of it. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk to science journalist Maddie Bender about her report for Vice unpacking this medical mystery. They discuss the correlation between exposure to Tic Tok, a subculture on TikTok where influencers share videos of their tic-related symptoms, and the rise of young women who have d...
Oct 23, 2021•25 min
I talk with the Succession actor over egg creams and omelets in New York City. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, sign up! Every Wednesday, we send out podcast listening recommendations, your stories from our inbox, and behind-the-scenes updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 20, 2021•35 min•Ep. 322
This week, Steve and Dana are joined by Karen Han. First, Slate’s music critic Carl Wilson chimes in to discuss Todd Haynes’s new The Velvet Underground documentary, which he wrote beautifully about for Slate . Next, the panel (minus Dana) is joined by Slate staff writer Rebecca Onion to review Mike Flanagan’s newest Netflix horror series, Midnight Mass —which she also wrote lovingly about . Finally, the panel (minus Dana) is joined by Vulture senior editor and host of the Good One podcast, Jess...
Oct 20, 2021•59 min
Is it a bones day or a no bones day? That’s the question that’s swept across TikTok, thanks to Noodle the pug. Each morning, owner Jonathan Graziano wakes up and checks if his geriatric pug has bones or not, a helpful way of predicting what sort of day we’re all going to have. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle interview Jonathan (and Noodle) about his sudden viral fame, how Noodle is handling such celebrity, and exactly what it means to have a no bones day. Podcast production by Daniel Sc...
Oct 20, 2021•26 min
Joel Anderson and Josh Levin talk with Slate’s Alex Kirshner about the split between LSU and its coach Ed Orgeron. They’re also joined by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports for a preview of the 2021-22 NBA season. Finally, Stefan Fatsis speaks with Dave Zirin about his book The Kaepernick Effect . Orgeron (4:20): Why did LSU part ways with a championship-winning coach? NBA (29:53): What to expect from the Kyrie-less Nets and the LeBron/AD/Russ Lakers. The Kaepernick Effect (50:52): Looking back on...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 20 min
Emily Mariko’s salmon rice bowl video has taken TikTok by storm, with fans praising its deliciousness and even claiming that her video helped heal their relationship with food. On this episode of ICYMI, Rachelle and Madison figure out where this story fits into the diet culture conversation and explain how the reaction to Mariko’s dish is about much more than just the ingredients she’s using. Of course, they weren’t about to talk about a viral recipe without trying it, so the hosts took to the k...
Oct 16, 2021•29 min
“Punk happened, past tense.” That’s what Boomer-era critics and true-believer punks told the younger generations. Punk’s whole reason for being was rejecting the mainstream. But punk wasn’t just a movement—it was also a genre. And 20 years after it first emerged, punk went from underground to overground, dominating the radio for the first time. In this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy traces how punk traveled from Sid Vicious to strip mall, through the lineage of ’90s bands Green Day, Offsp...
Oct 16, 2021•42 min•Ep. 108
This week, Steve and Dana are joined by author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler. First, the panel reviews Sally Rooney’s most recent novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You? . Next, the panel discusses the new poignant and hilarious television series Reservation Dogs . Finally, the panel dissects the viral NYT Mag article “Who Is the Bad Art Friend?” in a larger discussion about literary responsibility. In Slate Plus, the panel discusses the choice to give up on media you just ...
Oct 13, 2021•57 min
As a child, Christy Carlson Romano starred in Disney Channel’s Even Stevens and voiced the character Kim Possible on the eponymous cartoon. Then she faded from the spotlight—until recently, when she reemerged as a chaotic YouTube genius. On this episode of ICYMI, Rachelle and Madison talk to Vanity Fair’s Chris Murphy about his recent profile of Romano and unpack why her candid, low-lift YouTube videos actually have quite the keen understanding of what drives clicks. Podcast production by Daniel...
Oct 13, 2021•26 min
Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk with Slate’s Alex Kirshner about the racist, sexist, and homophobic emails written by now-former NFL head coach Jon Gruden. Writer Roberto José Andrade Franco joins to discuss Mexican-American soccer star Ricardo Pepi. Finally, Chantel Jennings of the Athletic breaks down the WNBA playoffs. Gruden (4:07): What his emails reveal about the culture of the NFL? Pepi (209:07): The on-field and off-field significance of the USMNT’s new star. WNBA (51:47): What you nee...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 18 min
How many details must a writer change before real life turns into fiction? That’s a central question of “ Who Is the Bad Art Friend? ” the seismic New York Times Magazine article about a kidney donation, a Facebook post, and the subsequent fallout that has consumed social media this week. On today’s episode, Madison tries to summarize the story using only what she learned about it from reactions online. Then, Rachelle catches her up on the real story and all its bizarre details. Finally, they di...
Oct 09, 2021•26 min
Amanda's husband Sam had a lot of secrets, most of which she discovered after his death. That made grieving, and moving on, a lot more complicated. We're putting together an audio survival kit for listeners going through infertility. If you've struggled with infertility, tell us—what's helped you through it? Tell us about the things you've listened to, read, done or thought to yourself in a voice memo (please keep it to under a minute) and send it in to deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. If you're not alre...
Oct 06, 2021•28 min•Ep. 321
This week, Steve and Dana are joined by author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler. First, the panel discusses the social implications of Netflix’s biggest hit to date, Squid Game . Next, the panel reviews the incredibly divisive (and gory) Cannes Palme d’Or winning Titane . Finally, the panel is joined by writer, researcher, and host of the Talking Scared podcast, Neil McRobert, to dissect the horror genre trope of the Final Girl . In Slate Plus, the panel discusses representat...
Oct 06, 2021•56 min
It can feel nice to form bonds with people we don’t know by following their lives online! It can also be invasive. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison look at an instance of parasocial relationships gone wrong as one long-distance college couple’s reunion turned TikTok users into amateur investigators looking for signs of infidelity. Why did TikTok give these teens the true-crime treatment? Did they invite the scrutiny for even posting in the first place? To read more about parasocial relat...
Oct 06, 2021•23 min
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Tom Brady’s win over the Patriots. Meg Rowley of FanGraphs also joins to discuss the end of baseball’s regular season and the start of the playoffs. Finally, the Athletic’s Steph Yang helps assess the present and future of the National Women’s Soccer League. Brady vs. the Pats (03:09): Did the game live up to the hype? Was there too much hype? Baseball (28:23): Should we be sad about the lack of chaos or happy about the possibility of chaos...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Scams are everywhere. From the Fyre Festival to Anna Delvy to LuLaRoe, fraudsters just seem to be getting more and more popular these days. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison welcome Laci Mosley, host of the podcast Scam Goddess , to talk about her love of scams and scammers, how she’s been scammed herself, and why she thinks we are all so obsessed with these audacious grifters. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Oct 02, 2021•30 min
What happens when you hit speed bumps on the road to having kids? Today, your stories of IVF, IUI, adoption, choosing to not have kids and managing your expectations through it all. We're putting together an audio survival kit for listeners going through infertility. If you've struggled with infertility, tell us—what's helped you through it? Tell us about the things you've listened to, read, done or thought to yourself in a voice memo (please keep it to under a minute) and send it in to deathsex...
Sep 29, 2021•40 min•Ep. 320
This week, Steve and Dana are joined by author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler. First, the panel reviews Clint Eastwood’s most recent film Cry Macho . Next, the panel discusses the neoliberal parable that is Amazon’s docuseries LuLaRich . Finally, the panel discusses the advantages and pitfalls of eBooks. In Slate Plus, the panel discusses their favorite film credit sequences. Email us at culturefest@slate.com . Endorsements Dana : Generally: Explore.Org , a live nature cam ...
Sep 29, 2021•55 min
On today’s episode, it’s time for some High Speed Downloads: First, Rachelle and Madison tell you everything you need to know about a viral video of an unfortunate sea lion seeking refuge from a group of orcas. Then, they get to the bottom of a mythical version of Dear Evan Hansen featuring a digitally de-aged Ben Platt. Is it real? Finally, the hosts answer listener questions about the chair emoji on TikTok, “devious licks,” and “soaking.” (We bet you can’t guess which of those aren’t a weird s...
Sep 29, 2021•26 min
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about anti-vaxxers in the NBA. The Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy discusses allegations that the NWSL’s Washington Sprit have a misogynistic work culture, and Will Bardenwerper joins for a conversation about his Harper’s piece on the potential death of minor league baseball in small towns. NBA anti-vaxxers (4:36): How should the league deal with Kyrie Irving? Washington Spirit (26:33): What to do about alleged bad behavior in the National...
Sep 27, 2021•1 hr 16 min
The little lad who loves berries and cream is inescapable on TikTok right now. A character from a 2007 Starburst commercial, the little lad has transcended his advertising origins and become a meme all his own. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle explain how and why this lad has taken over your feeds, and why there are so many remixes of his audio. They also talk about all the remixes on TikTok featuring rapper Cupcakke, how these are all part of the ubiquity of advertising, and if there’s ...
Sep 25, 2021•26 min
In Part 2 of our 50th episode of Hit Parade, we go back 50 years, celebrating the semicentennial of the year when, critics claim, “music changed everything.” The Quiet Beatle became the Favorite Beatle, when Mick Jagger sang lyrics even he regrets, when Carole King graduated from songwriter to singer-songwriter, and commercial juggernaut, when blaxploitation took over the charts and the Oscars, and when the radio was somehow awash in Osmonds. It wasn’t a perfect year—but Hit Parade host Chris Mo...
Sep 24, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 107
Last year, a listener named Chloe had an unusual opportunity: to get on a Zoom call with the man who she says sexually assaulted her 10 years ago. If you or someone you know is a sexual assault survivor and you're looking for resources, we've compiled some helpful ones here: https://bit.ly/3EEC91h Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Every Wednesday, we send out podcast listening recommendations, your stories from our inbox, and behind-the-scenes updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org...
Sep 22, 2021•35 min•Ep. 319
This week, Steve and Dana are joined by culture writer extraordinaire, Karen Han. First, the panel reviews the definitely problematic, yet overall divisive, popular Netflix film Kate — which Karen wrote about . Next, the panel discusses when Hulu’s risk-taking Nine Perfect Strangers pays off and when it doesn’t. Finally, the panel is joined by Slate’s TV critic and host of Decoder Ring Willa Paskin to discuss the Emmys , the value of award shows, and the evolving way we consume television. In Sl...
Sep 22, 2021•54 min
While authorities searched for missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito, she was everywhere to be found on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram. Content creators, some well-intentioned and others simply chasing clout and clicks, turned the story of Gabby’s apparent death into the latest in true crime drama. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk about the murkiness of the true crime internet and the ethics of using tragedy for clicks. They’re joined later in the show by Hayley Toumaian , a TikTok creator a...
Sep 22, 2021•33 min
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by USA Today’s Marisa Kwiatkowski to discuss the Senate hearing on the FBI’s failures in the Larry Nassar case. They also assess Eli and Peyton Manning’s Monday Night Football debut and discuss whether the 2021 UConn Huskies are the worst college football team of all time. Nassar case (3:14): What stood out in the Senate hearings, and what will it take for the gymnasts to get closure? Mannings (23:18): How’d Peyton and Eli do on their first...
Sep 20, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Men’s Rights Asians are a group of men whose concern for anti-Asian racism in America has led them on a grim path of anti-Blackness and harassing Asian women. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison are joined by Slate’s Aaron Mak, whose recent cover story, “ Men’s Rights Asians Think This Is Their Moment ,” dove into his two year stint embedded in this online Reddit community and what he’s learned about their structure, tactics, and the vitriolic anger constantly simmering within it. Rachelle and...
Sep 18, 2021•26 min
This week, Steve and Dana are joined by author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler. First, the panel discusses how Paul Schrader’s most recent film, The Card Counter , replaces gambling and addiction with guilt and accountability. Next, the panel discusses the star-studded true crime satirical comedy, Only Murders in the Building . Finally, the panel is joined by Slate senior writer and ICYMI podcast host Madison Malone Kircher to discuss John Mulaney and parasocial relationship...
Sep 15, 2021•56 min
LulaRich , a new documentary from Amazon, tells the story of LulaRoe, a multi-level marketing company on selling leggings to women. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss their own encounters with MLMs, the importance of Facebook Live videos in this company's rise, and who the documentary chooses to ignore when telling this story. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 ...
Sep 15, 2021•28 min
