Slate contributing writer and co-host of the podcast Split Zone Duo, Alex Kirshner is back in the host chair this week. Joining Alex is the founder of the Power Plays newsletter, Lindsay Gibbs , and Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald . The panel comb through NFL Week 1, the American near victories at the US Open, and Angel Reese’s season-ending injury. In the Bonus episode, Slate Plus members can hear a discussion about Deion Sanders' disappointing Buffaloes. NFL (3:13): The big budgets and big gamb...
Sep 09, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Candice Lim is joined by Wailin Wong, the co-host of NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money . Back in January, ICYMI explained everything you needed to know about Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise — a nine-month trip that TikTokkers on land and sea couldn’t stop talking about. Today, we’re checking in with our favorite boat that’s finally coming home, dispatching everything from geopolitical crises to engagements, and passengers who didn’t get back on board. This podcast is produced by Se’e...
Sep 07, 2024•45 min
On this week’s show, Slate’s books and culture columnist, Laura Miller, sits in for Julia. The panel begins with KAOS , Netflix’s new series that reimagines Greek mythology in modern times. Created by Charlie Covell ( End of the F***ing World ), KAOS stars Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, alongside a host of excellently cast deities. But is the show too self-satisfied and high off its own supply? The three investigate. Then, they dive into Close Your Eyes , a Spanish film made by Victor Erice ( The Spiri...
Sep 04, 2024•56 min
Candice Lim is joined by Rolling Stone writer CT Jones and Switched on Pop producer Reanna Cruz to hold a retrospective on the internet history of Charli XCX, the founder of brat summer and a decades-long digital icon. They’re going all the way back to 2012, when a girl from Essex named Charlotte Aitchison hit the main stage with “ I Love It. ” They’ll dissect their first Charli XCX memories, the 2016 song that changed Charli’s entire internet career, and how her pandemic album-documentary led u...
Sep 04, 2024•50 min
Your stories about how navigating weight and body size inside a relationship has sometimes made your partnerships stronger…and sometimes broken them apart. Since we originally recorded this episode in 2021, the way we talk about weight loss has changed with drugs like Ozempic. We want to hear more of your stories about weight and love especially if you’ve taken new weight loss medications. How has the experience impacted your close relationships? Record a voice memo or write us an email and send...
Sep 03, 2024•48 min
Candice Lim is joined by Zakiya Gibbons, the host and creator of the reality dating podcast Hang Up . On today’s episode, they explain YouTube’s biggest phenomenon of the past year — Skibidi Toilet . The animated, dystopian web series was created by Alexey Gerasimov, whose toilets have broken the internet and wracked up more than 43.5 million subscribers. Skibidi Toilet’s biggest fans seem to be Gen Alpha, who are congregating around a meme that Gen-Z can’t fully get behind. Therefore, does Skib...
Aug 31, 2024•34 min
For decades—literally since Woodstock—female musicians had battled music-industry perceptions that amassing too many of them, on the radio or on the road, was bad for business. And yet, by the ’90s, women were vital to the rise of alt-rock and hip-hop on the charts: from Suzanne Vega to Queen Latifah, Tracy Chapman to Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant to Missy Elliott. Sarah McLachlan harnessed this energy into an all-woman tour she dubbed Lilith Fair. Its string of sellouts from 1997 to ’99 affirme...
Aug 30, 2024•42 min•Ep. 211
On this week’s show, the hosts begin by reviewing Bad Monkey , a breezy new crime drama on Apple TV+ starring Vince Vaughn as a former police officer turned health inspector. It’s everything a summer show should be: laid-back, easy on the eyes, and set in warm, sunny Florida. Then, speaking of returns, the panel turns back the clock and tackles Homicide: Life on the Street, a groundbreaking cop show that debuted in 1993 and is now available to stream on Peacock. Finally, the trio considers A.I....
Aug 28, 2024•59 min
In the late 1970s, a new and unusual concept for a restaurant chain emerged in California—video games plus bad pizza plus animatronic characters. The result was Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre, an immensely popular chain with a pizza rat for a mascot. But the strangeness only starts there. Decoder Ring dives into the formation of Chuck E. Cheese’s and its rival, ShowBiz Pizza Place; the conflict between the two; and the odd personalities of the mechanical animatronics that inhabited both st...
Aug 28, 2024•45 min
Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe and former host of Vox’s The Weeds Jonquilyn Hill . Vice President Kamala Harris has been a public servant for more than 20 years, but her internet history is just as storied and rife with awkward singing , baffling laughter , and accidental viral hits . From coconut trees to Venn diagrams, ICYMI dives into Harris’ relationship with the internet, the K-Hive, and her hall of fame memes. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, D...
Aug 28, 2024•42 min
Climate activists Jess Serrante and Joanna Macy are 60 years apart. They’re also close friends who’ve been sharing stories and commiserating about the state of the world for the past 10 years. When Jess experienced a crisis and started questioning whether her activism was really effective, Joanna provided a framework that changed everything. In this episode, Anna talks to Jess about what she’s learned from Joanna about aging, activism, and managing the emotional ups and downs of caring about the...
Aug 27, 2024•48 min
Slate contributing writer and co-host of the podcast Split Zone Duo, Alex Kirshner hosts this week’s Hang Up and Listen. Alex is joined by The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh and founder of the Power Plays newsletter, Lindsay Gibbs for a discussion of private equity in the NFL and college football. Later, they break down the National Women’s Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association's new collective bargaining agreement. Plus, Joey Votto’s retirement and the decline of power players at first base in...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Candice Lim is joined by internet culture reporter and Embedded writer Kate Lindsay to explain Hannah Neeleman, better known as Ballerina Farm — the Mormon, Julliard-trained dancer who married a JetBlue nepo baby and became one of this year’s most intriguing, yet controversial influencers. They’ll check in on the state of tradwives, trace how Neeleman got here, and ask whether Ballerina Farm is a victim or a victor. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim...
Aug 24, 2024•34 min
On this week’s show, Rebecca Onion and Jenny Zhang fill in for Stephen. First, the panel tackles HBO’s Industry . The show is in its third season and has seen a huge increase in viewership. But is it a show worth of the coveted Sunday night timeslot? Then, they explore Alien: Romulus , a new addition to Xenomorph lore, with a controversial cameo. Finally, the panel talks about Sephora, beauty culture and tweens in a conversation inspired by Jia Tolentino’s new essay What Tweens Get from Sephora ...
Aug 21, 2024•56 min
Candice Lim is joined by writer, podcaster and YouTuber Allison Raskin, whose new book I Do (I Think) about Gen-Z and millennial marriages comes out October 15th. On today’s episode, Raskin takes us through her internet diaries which include the Substack app and her favorite internet conspiracy theories. But first, Raskin talks about her good (and bad) memories of working at Buzzfeed in its heyday, and the highs and lows of her most public friendship online. This podcast is produced by Se’era Sp...
Aug 21, 2024•37 min
Crystal met Hugh Hefner when she was 21 and he was 81. They spent 10 years together at the Playboy mansion before he died and she became a widow. In this episode she reflects on their marriage, and how she’s changed since. Crystal Hefner’s memoir is called Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself . Podcast production by Zoe Azulay Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus ! Members ge...
Aug 20, 2024•48 min
Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin reflect on hosting Slate’s sports podcast, which debuted in July 2009. Retrospective (6:51): How the show attempted to be an antidote to traditional sports talk radio. Old Afterballs (30:55): Josh on a 1934 battle between a scorpion and a spider. Stefan with an update to “Proud to Be an Astro” from Ball Four . New Afterballs (51:17): Josh on listener comments after the first episode of Hang Up and Listen. Stefan on a decade and a half of Afterballs. (Note: time codes...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Candice Lim is joined by Unladylike’s Cristen Conger, whose new podcast Conspiracy, She Wrote unravels women’s overlooked roles in today’s conspiracy culture. On today’s episode, they’re diving into Conger’s internet diaries, from her golden rules for engaging online to the conspiracy theory she secretly believes in. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 17, 2024•27 min
On this week’s show, June Thomas (author of A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture ) and Dan Kois (author of Hampton Heights ) fill in for Dana and Stephen. First, the panel tackles It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (the latter also directed and produced the film.) It’s a big, glossy melodrama laced with a domestic violence plot, and is the first film adaptation of BookTok star author Colleen Hoover. Then, the three explore Time Bandits , a new te...
Aug 14, 2024•57 min
“Hysteria” is an ancient word carrying thousands of years of baggage. Though the terminology has changed, hysteria has not gone away, and in its most baffling instances it can even be contagious. The idea of a mass psychogenic illness can be hard to wrap your head around. A group of people begins experiencing physical symptoms, because of something that started in one of their minds? In today’s episode Dan Taberski, the host of Hysterical , a new podcast about mass hysteria, walks us through the...
Aug 14, 2024•34 min
Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to play High Speed Downloads. On today’s episode, they’ll have exactly one minute to explain some of their favorite internet stories of late, including the mess surrounding It Ends With Us , why a Team USA gymnast has been asked to return her bronze medal, and what it means to be “ very demure .” This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 14, 2024•39 min
When Miranda July entered her early forties, she noticed a grim feeling emerge. “It wasn't coming from me,” she said, “I guess it came from this lack of imagery, or stories, or even just basic medical information about what was going to happen next with my body.” The dearth of information and near absence of cultural mythology about perimenopause and menopause became the catalyst for her novel All Fours , which came out in May and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. In this episode, Mira...
Aug 13, 2024•52 min
Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the Dream Team’s close calls on the road to gold, and the U.S. women’s basketball team’s narrow victory, too. They break down the quick overhaul of the U.S. women’s soccer team, which won its first gold medal since 2012. Finally, they assess whether the visually beautiful and athletically compelling Paris Games restored the Olympics’ luster. Basketball (4:12): The U.S. men and women survived gold-medal scares from host France. Soccer (19:25): The new-look U.S...
Aug 12, 2024•50 min
Candice Lim is joined by internet culture writer Steffi Cao, whose Substack recently started an advice column all about internet etiquette. On today’s episode, they’re answering reader questions such as: Should I report unhinged Facebook behavior? And should I get into political fights in the DMs? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 10, 2024•36 min
For decades—literally since Woodstock—female musicians had battled music-industry perceptions that amassing too many of them, on the radio or on the road, was bad for business. And yet, by the ’90s, women were vital to the rise of alt-rock and hip-hop on the charts: from Suzanne Vega to Queen Latifah, Tracy Chapman to Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant to Missy Elliott. Sarah McLachlan harnessed this energy into an all-woman tour she dubbed Lilith Fair. Its string of sellouts from 1997 to ’99 affirme...
Aug 10, 2024•47 min•Ep. 210
On this week’s show, it’s the return of a Cultfest favorite: The Annual Summer Strut Episode! As per tradition, the panel is joined by Slate’s pop music critic and chart analyst (and host of the podcast Hit Parade ) Chris Molanphy to celebrate his tenth (!!) year of Summer Strutting —before the four dive into their favorite picks from this year’s massive playlist, populated with song recommendations from our lovely listeners. You can find the panel’s collective favorites here, at the Summer Stru...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from this January about longform video essays. In this episode, Candice Lim is joined by Anisa Khalifa, a podcast producer and host of The Broadside from WUNC. They dissect the phenomenon surrounding video essays, which are not exactly new to YouTube, but finding a captivated audience in Gen-Z and millennial culture. From deep dives into The Hobbit to retellings of Greek mythology , the ability to analyze pop culture, cite sources and listen t...
Aug 07, 2024•31 min
When Angela first started working at a debt collection agency, she says she barely understood what her job was. "I was so completely awestruck that people didn't pay their bills," she told Anna in 2019, when this episode originally aired. Angela ended up working as a collector for 15 years, working her way up and getting monthly bonuses for getting people to pay up. But then, in 2018, she was accused of being part of a scheme to collect debt in unlawful ways, and was banned from the industry for...
Aug 06, 2024•31 min
Morgan Campbell, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Noah Lyles’ stunning win in the men’s 100 meters and Sha’Carri Richardson’s silver in the women’s. Slate’s Christina Cauterucci explains the controversy about the women boxers accused of failing a gender-eligibility test. Plus, Olympics potpourri, including NBC’s announcing fails, tennis genius, and archery thrills. 100 meters (2:34): Noah Lyles nipped Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in one of the most exciting races in Olympics history. Women’s ...
Aug 05, 2024•53 min
Candice Lim and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe curate the internet’s best memes and moments from the 2024 Paris Olympics thus far. From the best Snoop Dogg moment to their favorite Olympic TikToker , they begin with the question on everyone’s mind: who’s winning the gold medal for best Olympic crush? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim, with production assistance by Jared Downing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 03, 2024•51 min
