On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by producer Daniel Schroeder to discuss the online legacy of Keeping Up With the Kardashians . After 14 years and 20 seasons, the series is finally coming to a close, so Daniel and Rachelle look back at its infamous origins, trace the show’s evolving relationship with social media, and look ahead to what life might be like for all of us after the series goes off the air. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the ...
May 29, 2021•24 min
In Part 2 of this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy continues his analysis of Milli Vanilli, the musical act that many of us who were around in 1989 listened to more than they might admit. They also have quite a legacy: a blend of pop, dance and rap that now seems commonplace but was still relatively novel then. If you’ve danced to Europop that fronts like hip-hop, you’re living in a world Milli Vanilli helped create. Chris Molanphy continues to break down the history of Milli Vanilli master...
May 28, 2021•44 min•Ep. 94
The graphic novelist on hot flashes and self-loathing, loss and grief, and one painful punching bag. Are you new to our show? Welcome! Make sure you subscribe in your podcast player, and check out our Starter Kit . It's filled with our favorite episodes and with information about how to join our community. Follow us on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . Support our work at deathsexmoney.org/donate . And sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep you up to date about what's happening behind the sc...
May 26, 2021•34 min•Ep. 306
This week Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss HBO Max’s film Those Who Wish Me Dead , starring Angelina Jolie. Next, the panel is joined by Slate books critic Laura Miller to dive into a strange publishing trend—where literary criticism meets self-help. Finally, Slate’s technology editor Jon Fisher talks with the hosts about M.O.D.O.K. , Hulu’s latest series on the Marvel character. In Slate Plus, the hosts open up about their schedules, productivity, and hacks for cultural consumption in response to...
May 26, 2021•57 min
On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle open with High Speed Downloads on two viral stories: the photos of Tessa Thompson, Rita Ora, and Taika Waititi sharing an apparent three-way kiss, and the journey of the woman who live-tweeted her cross-country flight to pursue a man who might be just not that into her. Then they examine how the song “Castaways” from the Nickelodeon show The Backyardigans has become so popular on TikTok that it topped the Spotify Viral 50 chart. Where did this trend begin...
May 26, 2021•25 min
Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Shutdown Fullcast’s Spencer Hall to discuss the start of the NBA playoffs and the spate of injuries befalling NBA stars. They also discuss Phil Mickelson’s PGA Championship triumph and Tim Tebow’s possible NFL return. NBA (2:46): How LeBron looks, and how injuries have changed pro basketball’s postseason outlook. Golf (18:30): How the 50-year-old Mickelson did it, and what his victory means for older athletes. Tebow (34:05): Will he make it as a tight e...
May 24, 2021•1 hr
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison chronicle the long, complicated life of Shrek online. They argue that the film, which premiered in 2001, was primed to become an internet meme before Shrek fans even got their hands on it. And then they explain all the different iterations, some funny and some downright creepy, of Shrek content that have kept the green ogre alive on the web for 20 years. You can check out the Shrek syllabus here . Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Fol...
May 22, 2021•26 min
For a musical project that’s synonymous with deceit, Milli Vanilli sold an awful lot of records. They also have quite a legacy: a blend of pop, dance and rap that now seems commonplace but was still relatively novel in 1989. If you’ve danced to Europop that fronts like hip-hop, you’re living in a world Milli Vanilli helped create. In this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy breaks down the history of Milli Vanilli mastermind Frank Farian’s musical career: from his days with Boney M, a hit-maki...
May 20, 2021•54 min•Ep. 93
Former pro rock climber Mason Earle's career ended in 2018, when he was diagnosed with the chronic illness ME/CFS. He now spends most of his time in bed, and in a series of three phone calls, he reflects on his career and adjusting to life with a disability. Are you new to our show? Welcome! Make sure you subscribe in your podcast player, and check out our Starter Kit . It's filled with our favorite episodes and with information about how to join our community. Follow us on Instagram , Twitter a...
May 19, 2021•53 min•Ep. 305
This week Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss Netflix’s animated film The Mitchells vs. the Machines . Next, the panel dives into the cultural resonances of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck aka “Bennifer.” Finally, the group is joined by Isaac Butler, co-host of Slate’s Working podcast , to talk about the latest Zoom version of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot . In Slate Plus, Isaac Butler joins the hosts to talk about the state of theater and what its reopening will look like in the coming months. E...
May 19, 2021•57 min
For the past week, while the violence between Israel and Palestine has escalated, a separate battle has accelerated on social media, one fought with rocket emojis and celebrities like Israeli actress Gal Gadot and Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid getting involved. If you don’t post, are you tacitly anti-Palestine? Anti-semitic? If you do post and you fumble some of your history, are you nothing but a hashtag activist? (What about if you get it right?) In this episode, Madison and Rachelle ...
May 19, 2021•26 min
Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham to discuss the rise of the New York Knicks and the start of the NBA playoffs. The Athletic’s Chantel Jennings also joins to talk about the start of the WNBA season. Finally, Joe Drape of the New York Times assesses the case against racehorse trainer Bob Baffert. NBA (3:42): Does the Knicks’ return to non-terribleness matter? And what are the big storylines going into the playoffs? WNBA (24:42): The return of Sabrina Io...
May 17, 2021•1 hr 9 min
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss the latest news about Chrissy Teigen and Courtney Stodden. Earlier this week, Stodden, who rose to fame as a teenager in the early 2010s after marrying middle-aged character actor Doug Hutchison, came forward saying that they had been harassed on Twitter by Teigen, who sent tweets wishing for their death. Teigen has since apologized, but this news highlighted the disgusting ways people used to talk about young girls on the internet, and how Teigen...
May 15, 2021•25 min
A self-described "fiery ball of ambition," Avery Trufelman of The Cut podcast wonders how she'll know whether or not she wants to have a kid. Are you new to our show? Welcome! Make sure you subscribe in your podcast player, and check out our Starter Kit . It's filled with our favorite episodes and with information about how to join our community. Follow us on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . Support our work at deathsexmoney.org/donate . And sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep you up to ...
May 12, 2021•40 min•Ep. 304
This week Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss Tina Fey’s new Peacock sitcom Girls5Eva. Then the panel dives into vaccine personalities—how did Pfizer really become the “ status vax ”? Finally, the group discusses Netflix film The Disciple with LA Times film critic Justin Chang. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about their relationship with cars, courtesy of a listener question. Email us your questions at culturefest@slate.com Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja. Production assistance by...
May 12, 2021•56 min
Rachelle and Madison discuss Elon Musk’s episode of Saturday Night Live . Specifically they break down the ”Gen Z Hospital” sketch , where everybody seems to be speaking in internet slang, and the backlash to it. Rachelle explains how all the language used isn’t just from the internet or from Zoomers but from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). This isn’t a new thing, of course—white Americans have been appropriating Black culture for as long as America has been around—but as this Paper ...
May 12, 2021•26 min
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the upcoming NBA play-in tournament. They also discuss the latest brouhaha over violence in the National Hockey League and they assess NFL wide receiver DK Metcalf’s performance against pro sprinters. NBA (2:49): Why LeBron James hates the play-in games and most everyone else loves them. NHL (21:21): Does hockey have a cultural problem or a Tom Wilson problem? DK Metcalf (43:03): He didn’t come close to winning. He still proved something. A...
May 10, 2021•1 hr 12 min
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss Facebook upholding their ban of Donald Trump from their platform—sort of. Then they interview someone about their own experience getting banned: legal journalist Rachel Stone, who was banned from Twitter after she jokingly threatened the man who cautions you to take a break from scrolling through TikTok. Finally, the debut of our new segment Galaxy Brain, where we explore some of the wildest theories on the internet, starting with a listener email...
May 08, 2021•26 min
I talk with my friend and colleague Noel King about getting comfortable with uncomfortable conversations in my personal life, and why she thinks my brain is a "little bit different." Are you new to our show? Welcome! Make sure you subscribe in your podcast player, and check out our Starter Kit . It's filled with our favorite episodes and with information about how to join our community. Hear more from Noel King on Death, Sex & Money , in the episode she reported about reparations to Chicago ...
May 05, 2021•57 min•Ep. 303
This week Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss the Netflix film Stowaway with Slate book and culture columnist Laura Miller. Then the panel dives into the French dramedy Call My Agent! with New Yorker staff writer Lauren Collins. Finally, the group discusses the social realities and challenges of the CDC’s new guidelines on masking outdoors . In Slate Plus, the hosts discuss the ending to Stowaway and other spoilers from the film. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Rachael A...
May 05, 2021•58 min
On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle answer a couple of listener questions in a new segment we’re calling Read Receipts. First, they explore the origins of the “this shit bussin’—sheesh” meme that’s all over TikTok and why teens are getting their parents to do it. Then Rachelle digs into the drama currently embroiling the fan-fiction website Archive of Our Own, explaining whether the nonprofit’s latest fundraising drive is a scam (it’s not), and why the site both is and isn’t a safe haven fo...
May 05, 2021•28 min
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin welcome a trio of guests. Master Tesfatsion of Bleacher Report discusses the NFL draft. Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer explains why moving back the pitcher’s mound could boost Major League Baseball’s anemic offenses. And Rebecca Schuman talks about the leotard, the unitard, and the sexualization of female gymnasts. NFL draft (3:06): Five quarterbacks got picked in the first round. No one really knows if they’ll succeed. Baseball (26:09): A minor league i...
May 03, 2021•1 hr 13 min
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison explain the controversy surrounding an NFT of Chadwick Boseman’s head that was connected to, but not sanctioned by, the Oscars. Then they run through a series of High-Speed Downloads covering why Ryan Gosling trended last weekend, Mark Zuckerberg’s sunscreen photo , a flash of TikTok drama involving Doja Cat , and the celebration of Ed Balls Day . Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Si...
May 01, 2021•23 min
In Part 2 of this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy continues his analysis of Taylor: the country years, dissecting how she gradually, step by step, became the new queen of pop one irresistible song at a time. She went from interviewing bigger stars on MTV’s red carpet one year, to being the talk of the Video Music Awards the next—even before Kanye took that microphone away from her. He told Taylor he would let her finish, but the game was already over. Swift had the most played song in the ...
Apr 30, 2021•50 min•Ep. 91
Making a guest mad about money. Getting called out. Digging into my own beliefs about monogamy. These are the hardest conversations I've had here on the show, as a podcast host, parent and partner. Hear more of the interviews we excerpted in today's episode: My Awkward Money Talk With Sallie Krawcheck Why She Steals: Your Reactions The Sex Worker Next Door Chaz Ebert On Life Without Roger A Son and His Mom Laugh Through Darkness (featuring Bex Montz and Katie Ryan) A Son, A Mother And Two Gun Cr...
Apr 28, 2021•35 min•Ep. 302
This week Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss the Oscars in a pandemic year. Then the panel dives into the Bob Odenkirk action flick Nobody . Finally, the group discusses the allegations of workplace harassment against the producer Scott Rudin, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter . In Slate Plus, the panel talks about the fallout surrounding sexual assault allegations against Blake Bailey , who published a biography of Phillip Roth earlier this month. Podcast production by Cameron Drews and J...
Apr 28, 2021•56 min
Madison and Rachelle pour one out for Yahoo Answers. To remember the site’s important place in internet history, they’re joined by J.T. Sexkik, the creator of the infamous video “ How Is Prangent Formed .” They talk to him about his earliest memories of the question-and-answer forum, its wildest moments, and what the internet is losing with its demise. Plus, we exorcise our IKEA shopping demons with a little help from TikTok comic Scott Seiss . Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek Jo...
Apr 28, 2021•29 min
Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Tariq Panja of the New York Times to discuss European soccer’s Super League fiasco. Stefan, Josh, and Joel Anderson then talk about Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry’s absurd month. Plus, an interview with researcher Joanna Harper about transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports. Super League (2:11): Why did it implode? What comes next? Stephen Curry (26:04): Assessing one of the most incredible months in the history of the NBA. Joanna Har...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 13 min
On this episode, Madison and Rachelle discuss how the phrase “body positivity” has lost all meaning. They talk about how the body-positivity movement started as a way to advocate for fat acceptance, including with respect to such tangible issues as healthcare and employment, but how the phrase has been co-opted into memeable soundbites on TikTok and Instagram that serve no real purpose beyond gaining likes and follows. (At least Lizzo gets it .) They also share how an excessive focus on body-con...
Apr 24, 2021•27 min
A few years ago, I asked you to share your near-death experiences. You told us about car accidents...plane crashes...illness...suicide. And, you told us what happened after, when you didn't die. Today: your stories about life after near death. You can hear more of my conversation with Elizabeth Caplice, who died in July 2016, here . We're still collecting your stories about the hardest conversations you've ever had. Send us a voice memo or an email: deathsexmoney@wnyc.org . Follow us on Instagra...
Apr 21, 2021•34 min•Ep. 301
