TikTok doesn’t know you better than you know yourself, even if you think it does. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison talk about two different ways the app leads people down dangerous paths. First, they discuss the recent uptick in posts and advertisements focused on diagnosing mental and physical health issues, and how it’s so easy to convince yourself that you’re suffering from whatever malady TikTok has presented. Then, they discuss the tragic death of Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst , who di...
Feb 12, 2022•26 min
Elvis impersonator Brendan Paul marries as many as 75 people a day in the Las Vegas wedding chapel he owns. But while his portrayal of Elvis generally leans into kitsch, his view on The King's life goes deeper. "A lot people go, 'I bet you wish you were Elvis,'" he told me. "And I always go, 'Not really.'" This episode is a collaboration with Condé Nast Traveler and their new love and travel series. Read more about Brendan and find other essays about love and travel here. Did you know we have a ...
Feb 09, 2022•29 min•Ep. 334
Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers might not be the most expected pairing, until you look at their willingness to embrace conspiracy nonsense. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison and joined by Vulture’s Rachel Handler to discuss her recent piece, “ What Do Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley ‘Agree to Disagree’ About? ” They talk about the history of weird beliefs these two celebrities have, how it’s no longer fun to believe in conspiracy theories, and why these two should just log off. Podca...
Feb 09, 2022•25 min
This week, Culture Gabfest is coming to you live from The Strand Bookstore in NYC for a special event! In this live taping, Steve interviews Dana about her new book ( Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century ) and Isaac Butler about his new book ( The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act ). In Slate Plus, Dana and Isaac answer some questions from the audience. Email us at culturefest@slate.com . Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Pro...
Feb 09, 2022•56 min
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by the New York Times’ John Branch to discuss Chinese-American skier Eileen Gu. They also talk about Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and ponder the 76ers’ Ben Simmons problem and the Nets’ various conundrums. Eileen Gu (6:02): What to make of her decision to represent China at the Beijing Games. Flores (23:40): Can anything change the NFL’s hiring practices? NBA (43:15): Should we sympathize with Ben Simmons? Can the Nets turn it arou...
Feb 08, 2022•1 hr 15 min
Last month, a Tennessee school board voted to ban Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel about the Holocaust, Maus , from their eighth grade curriculum. This caused Maus to experience the "Streisand effect." On the show today, Rachelle and Madison explain the origins of the Streisand effect as an online phenomenon, how it helped Maus ’ recent sales skyrocket, and why this short-term publicity isn’t really the solution to bans like these. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on A...
Feb 05, 2022•27 min
Rihanna is having a baby, and Romance Twitter is furious. On today’s show, High Speed Downloads are back! Madison and Rachelle will zoom through all the important news about Rihanna’s baby bump reveal and Romance Twitter’s toxic reaction to an innocuous tweet. Then, they explain exactly what’s going on with podcast host Joe Rogan over at Spotify, and why it’s so difficult for platforms to part ways with their big personalities. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on Aca...
Feb 02, 2022•26 min
This week, the panel is first joined by author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler, to discuss the new Joel Coen rendition of The Tragedy of Macbeth . ( Buy Isaac’s new book! ) Then, the panel is joined by author and Slate correspondent, Justin Peters, to explain the phenomena of Joe Rogan and the recent Spotify controversy. Finally, the panel discusses the decision to rebrand the famous advertising characters of the Mars candy M&M’s. In Slate Plus, the panel answers listene...
Feb 02, 2022•56 min
Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and special guest Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker discuss the NFL’s conference championship games and Tom Brady’s (probable) retirement. Then, they talk about Rafael Nadal’s record-setting Australian Open victory. Finally, Grant Wahl joins Josh and Stefan to assess the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s frigid loss to Canada. NFL (2:32): How did the Chiefs blow it? Is Joe Burrow as charismatic as he thinks he is? Tennis (26:32): How Nadal staged the best comeback of his...
Feb 01, 2022•1 hr 15 min
In the past few weeks, Britney Spears has been posting all sorts of Notes App screenshots about how hurt she is by what her sister is saying on her press tour while promoting her new book Things I Should Have Said , by Jamie Lynn Spears. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle read the tweets, and the whole book, so you don’t have to. They talk about the origins of this fight, what’s caused it to resurface, and why a lot of this really has to do with their childhoods. Podcast production by Danie...
Jan 29, 2022•26 min
In part two of our deep dive into Daryl Hall & John Oates' genre-defying streak on the pop charts, Chris Molanphy argues they were also more cutting-edge than you may realize, essentially inventing their own form of cross-racial new wave after spending the ’70s trying everything: rock, R&B, folk, funk, even disco. At their Imperial peak in the early ’80s, Hall and Oates commanded the pop, soul and dance charts while still getting played on rock stations. And decades later, when the Rock ...
Jan 28, 2022•57 min•Ep. 119
André De Shields shares his wisdom from 50 years on the stage, and 76 years on this earth. You can find our original conversation from our Opportunity Costs series with Ramal Johnson here . Find out more at deathsexmoney.org/class . Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox, and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter , and follow...
Jan 26, 2022•35 min•Ep. 333
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the hit song from Disney’s Encanto, is sitting at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, and that’s all thanks to TikTok. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about the songs from Encanto currently dominating the platform, and why people online seem to love to hate Lin-Manuel Miranda. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Correction: This podcast incorrectly stated that TikTok is included in the Billboard Hot 100 chart calculations, misnam...
Jan 26, 2022•26 min
This week, Slate’s TV critic and host of the podcast Decoder Ring , Willa Paskin, and poet, essayist, podcast host, and author, Nichole Perkins, fill in for Dana and Julia. The panel begins by taking a spin with Julian Fellowes’ (creator of Downton Abbey ) new show The Gilded Age . Then, the panel debates about Kenny G and the installment of the docuseries Music Box: Listening to Kenny G . Finally, the panel ponders Ted Gioia’s question: is old music killing new music ? In Slate Plus, the panel ...
Jan 26, 2022•59 min
Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Lindsay Jones to discuss the NFL playoffs. Then, Ben Proudfoot joins for a conversation about Lusia Harris, the subject of his documentary short “The Queen of Basketball.” Finally, they speak with Oliver Roeder about his book Seven Games . NFL (2:21): How did the Chiefs-Bills magic happen? Are Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers done? Lusia Harris (30:12): The life and legacy of a basketball pioneer. Seven Games (50:24): How machines have changed...
Jan 25, 2022•1 hr 21 min
The name on every TikTokker’s lips is “West Elm Caleb,” a New York City twenty-something whose dating practices and history have come under major scrutiny, after women started posting videos about their negative experiences with him. Things quickly got out of control as more and more people got swept up in the gossipy drama. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle talk to some of the women who shared their own stories about dating Caleb online. Then, they discuss how this is a moment both about...
Jan 22, 2022•28 min
Jaimie Seaton got used to a lavish upper class lifestyle while married to her banker husband and living overseas. Then she got divorced, and her financial picture totally changed. This episode was part of our 2018 series Opportunity Costs: Money and Class in America . Find out more at deathsexmoney.org/class . Read Jaimie's essay for BuzzFeed here . Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendatio...
Jan 19, 2022•28 min•Ep. 332
AOL Instant Messenger launched 25 years ago, but at the time nobody understood exactly how important it would be in shaping the way we all interact online. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison talk to AIM expert Caroline Moss about the early years of the platform, the playful shenanigans people got up to on there as teens, and how it led us to the world of always being online. Caroline hosts the podcast Gee Thanks, Just Bought It! Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on...
Jan 19, 2022•25 min
This week, the panel begins by pondering Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, The Lost Daughter . Then, the panel gushes about the fresh workplace comedy Abbott Elementary . Finally, the panel discusses everyone's latest obsession : the word game Wordle. In Slate Plus, the panel enters spoiler territory as they continue to puzzle out The Lost Daughter . Email us at culturefest@slate.com . Endorsements Dana: An LA related endorsement: The Academy Museum (run by the Academy of Motion Picture Art...
Jan 19, 2022•59 min
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend. Then they talk about the rise of the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant. Finally, Defector’s Kalyn Kahler joins for a conversation about nepotism in NFL coaching. NFL (4:50): Do expanded playoffs mean worse games? Ja Morant (24:55): Was his block the best ever? Is he the NBA’s next superstar? Nepotism (44:54): How big of a problem is it, and can anything be done to fix it? Afterball (1:08:14): Josh, Joel, and Stefa...
Jan 19, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Yellowjackets is a new series on Showtime about a team of high school girls who, while on a flight to a soccer game, crash in the Canadian wilderness. It follows their struggle for survival and how that experience shaped those who made it out of the woods alive. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle sing their own personal Yellowjackets praises , explain why it’s the latest addition to the Puzzle Box TV canon, and discuss how Reddit is the best place for fandom communities—like the one that’s qu...
Jan 15, 2022•26 min
Daryl Hall and John Oates: Their songs were earworms, their videos cheap and goofy. John Oates’s mustache and Daryl Hall’s mullet are relics of their time. And…for about five years, their crazy streak on the pop charts was comparable to Elvis, the Beatles and the Bee Gees. They were also more cutting-edge than you may realize, essentially inventing their own form of cross-racial new wave after spending the ’70s trying everything: rock, R&B, folk, funk, even disco. At their Imperial peak in t...
Jan 15, 2022•56 min•Ep. 118
The author and popular Peloton instructor tells me about running through trauma, changing careers, and how motherhood has changed how she values her time. Listen to our "Anthems of Change" playlist on Spotify. Are you subscribed to our newsletter? You should be! 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/newsletter . Support Death, Sex & Money by becoming a monthly sust...
Jan 12, 2022•33 min•Ep. 331
Empaths and the great book exchange pyramid scheme are filling up our feeds again. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison explain why every few months, posts circulate about a book exchange that sounds too good to be true, and why empaths aren’t really a thing—unless you’re in a science fiction story. Plus, they play Wordle ! Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 12, 2022•25 min
This week, author and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, Isaac Butler fills in for Steve ( pre-order Isaac's book! ). First, the panel debates the merits of Adam McKay’s star-studded cautionary tale Don’t Look Up . Then, the panel is joined by film historian and journalist Mark Harris to outline the debt we owe to the late Sidney Poitier—a legend whom he speaks about in his book Pictures at a Revolution . Finally, the panel is joined by author and staff writer for the New Yorker, Kathryn Schulz...
Jan 12, 2022•56 min
Hey Hit Parade fans! Here's an episode from another show we think you’ll like. Slate's history podcast One Year introduces you to people and ideas that changed American history, one year at a time. The new season of One Year covers 1995, a year when homegrown terrorists attacked Oklahoma City and America went online. This episode is about “Macarena”—yes, that “Macarena,” the song and the dance that became the defining left-field pop happening of the mid-’90s. This bilingual song by a pair of Spa...
Jan 11, 2022•58 min•Ep. 117
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Georgia’s win over Alabama in the college football title game. Then they break down the wild ride that was the Chargers-Raiders NFL regular-season finale. And tennis writer Ben Rothenberg helps unpack the saga of unvaccinated Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. College football (2:44): How the Bulldogs took down the Tide. Chargers-Raiders (23:08): The game theory behind the crazy almost-tie. Djokovic (44:12): Why did an Australian court all...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 25 min
Elmo has been filling up the TikTok and Twitter feeds these past few weeks with his unique pronunciations and feud with a pet rock. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison try to chart the arc of this recent virality, and explain why Elmo is a member of the Black community. They also watched Hype House on Netflix so you don’t have to. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 08, 2022•26 min
Huge Ma, founder of the website TurboVax, a.k.a. “Vax Daddy,” is running for office, and Taylor Swift has claimed 2022 as her own. On the show today, Madison and Allegra talk about how branding queen Taylor Swift is feeling 2022, and then Madison interviews Huge about creating TurboVax, how his online experiences have informed his campaign, and which Taylor Swift track is the theme of his campaign. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for ...
Jan 05, 2022•21 min
This week, the panel begins by breaking down just what makes HBO’s pandemic series Station Eleven so successful with Slate’s senior managing producer of podcasts and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, June Thomas. Next, the panel appreciates the legacy that writer Joan Didion left behind. Finally, the panel rehashes the 2021 edition of Slate’s Movie Club (including Dana’s list of the year’s best films) while discussing the future of film. In Slate Plus, the panel responds to Parul Sehgal’s arti...
Jan 05, 2022•55 min
