Hosts Alex Kirshner , Ben Lindbergh , and Lindsay Gibbs talk about the rainy and unforgiving weekend at the U.S. Open, where J.J. Spaun was the only player to finish under par. They also get into the shocking trade of Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants. Plus, journalist and host of the podcast Sonic Boom , Jordan Ritter Conn , joins to discuss how Seattle lost its iconic basketball team and how Oklahoma City has reaped the benefits. There’s also an Afterball from B...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Wired senior writer and producer of Black Twitter: A People’s History , Jason Parham, to attempt to explain the enigma that is “international bestselling author” Quan Millz. With titles like Old THOT Next Door and My Baby Daddy Is A Bedbug , Millz’s books have no trouble capturing the attention of the internet, so much so that the previously-anonymous author was forced to unmask himself to ward off a potential scandal. But who, exactly, are Millz’s book...
Jun 14, 2025•38 min
Little Richard was rock ‘n’ roll’s flamboyant architect. Lesley Gore sang that no one owned her. Sylvester was a gender-fluid icon who helped define disco. Freddie Mercury made rock operatic, and George Michael demanded freedom. What all of these LGBTQ artists had in common was bold hitmaking—and fear of being fully out of the closet. For decades, queer acts topped the charts while cloaking their true identities and paving the way for today’s more openly queer stars. For Pride Month, join Chris ...
Jun 13, 2025•57 min•Ep. 242
Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim dive into the online workplace drama surrounding a millennial founder’s hot take about 9-to-5 workers. Lindsey Carter is the CEO of SET Active, an influencer-targeted athleisure brand you may have seen on Kaia Gerber and Kendall Jenner. Recently, Carter complained in a now-deleted TikTok about office workers who leave right when the clock strikes 5 p.m. This is not the first time Carter has come under fire for questionable workplace practices, but this time, she’s Su...
Jun 11, 2025•28 min
On this week’s show, the secret word is: Pee-wee. Dana, Steve, and Julia discuss the new documentary Pee-wee as Himself. The fascinating two-part film, directed by Matt Wolf, attempts to reveal the complex man Paul Reubens behind the beloved, surprisingly subversive, goofball that was Pee-wee Herman. Next, they tee off to talk about Stick , the new comedy series starring Owen Wilson set in the world of professional golf. In the third segment, they’re joined by Atlantic staff writer Caity Weaver ...
Jun 11, 2025•56 min
At a time when inflation, tariffs, and stock market fluctuations are creating confusion and financial strain, we’ve assembled an unlikely panel of experts to answer your money questions, big and small. Our panel includes: Bethel Habte, a financial coach and author of the Deconstructing Money newsletter; Mark Blythe, economics professor at Brown University and author of Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers ; and Rebecca Auman, DSM’s go-to “practical witch” and host of the podcast Voices in the...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Hosts Alex Kirshner , Ben Lindbergh and Lindsay Gibbs discuss Carlos Alcaraz’s dazzling comeback win over Jannik Sinner in the men’s French Open finals. Then they welcome Kim Ng , the commissioner of the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League, to talk about all things pro softball. They also speak with professor and author Neil Longley about some of the reasons Canada’s Stanley Cup drought has persisted for so long. Finally, Alex has an Afterball on the implications of the House v. NCAA settleme...
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 14 min
After dating influencer TheWizardLiz revealed she had been cheated on, her viral tips for how to “keep” a man rang hollow. Candice Lim fills in Kate Lindsay on all the Wizard Liz lore, and how TikTok dating gurus are this decade’s Carrie Bradshaws. But with so much more of our lives on display, it’s riskier than ever for anyone to claim they’ve figured out the secret to love. Have these creators really cracked the code for a successful relationship, or are they just pickup artists in a new font?...
Jun 07, 2025•32 min
Decoder Ring is marking its 100th episode this year. To celebrate, we’re revisiting our very first episode from 2018, which asks: What happened to the laugh track? For nearly five decades, the laugh track was ubiquitous, but beginning in the early 2000s, it fell out of sitcom fashion. What happened? How did we get from The Beverly Hillbillies to 30 Rock ? In this episode we meet the man who created the laugh track, which originated as a homemade piece of technology, and trace that technology’s f...
Jun 04, 2025•32 min
On this week’s show, longtime hosts Julia, Stephen, and Dana are all together in-person to talk about Mountainhead, the new HBO Max movie from Jesse Armstrong, creator of Succession. Then, they dig into the new Amazon Prime series Overcompensating . Finally, they talk about the new PR junket, full of spicy food and odd quizzes, inspired by this Vulture article by Nicholas Quah . Endorsements: Dana : The Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt . ...
Jun 04, 2025•58 min
Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim break down the wedding weekend heard round TikTok starring one of r/NYCInfluencerSnark’s main characters. Jazmyn Smith (better known as @justjazzzyidk ) got married after a year-long engagement that was rife with criticism surrounding her relationship, her fiancé’s financial status, and more. But instead of burying the wedding, she brought her followers along by posting in real time, creating TikTok spreadsheets, and having her assistant run her account while she got...
Jun 04, 2025•32 min
Long before Celine Song was nominated for an Academy Award for her directorial debut, Past Lives , she was a struggling playwright in New York City with a side hustle: matchmaking. In this episode, Celine talks about how that experience inspired the plot of her new A24 movie, Materialists , starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. This podcast was produced by Zoe Azulay. Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membe...
Jun 03, 2025•40 min
Hosts Alex Kirshner , Ben Lindbergh and Lindsay Gibbs break down the NBA Finals and the savvy draft and trade decisions that led to this year’s showdown between two small-market teams. They also unpack the NHL Finals rematch between Edmonton and Florida and whether a Canadian team can finally reclaim glory. Finally, they speak with New York Times sports business reporter Ken Belson about looming tax code changes proposed by the Trump administration that could spell major headaches for NFL owners...
Jun 02, 2025•51 min
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced , to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives . Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cast, known as “MomTok,” claim their racy antics are breaking stigmas and modernizing gender roles. In reality, they’re weaponizing their misunderstanding of feminism for their own personal gain. This podcast is produced ...
May 31, 2025•44 min
The story of Nevermind, Nirvana’s genre-defining breakthrough, is a familiar one. Less well known is the saga of Billboard’s Modern Rock chart—and how college-rock staples of the 1980s like R.E.M. and The Cure gave way to heavier, more commercially dominant groups of the ‘90s like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and The Smashing Pumpkins. What sparked the grungification of the charts? How did Modern Rock become the new Top 40? And how did the Seattle sound pave the way for post-grunge b...
May 30, 2025•57 min•Ep. 240
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are going back to college and telling the tale of two Greek life chefs on TikTok. Kevin Ashton gained almost 5 million followers after posting recipes and behind-the-scenes footage of his life as a sorority house chef at the University of Nevada, Reno. Beloved by students who review his meals on their accounts, Ashton has brought a new spotlight onto the less glamorous side of Greek life. In contrast, pastry chef Grant Grocost has found an audience taking his followe...
May 28, 2025•32 min
On this week’s show an all-star team of super agents join Julia to gab including guest host Amy Nicholson, film critic for the Los Angeles Times . Their first mission: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, the supposed final installment of the Tom Cruise action juggernaut. Like Cruise on to a vintage biplane, Dana jumps on the call to discuss all the film’s death-defying stunts, clunky exposition, and lasting cultural impact. Next, they’re joined by Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion to dish o...
May 28, 2025•59 min
One week into a new WNBA season, hosts Alex Kirshner , Ben Lindbergh chat with co-host Lindsay Gibbs about Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and what’s ahead in the league’s looming collective bargaining talks. Then tennis writer Ben Rothenberg joins to preview the French Open and break down key storylines on and off the court. Later, the hosts tackle the future of the controversial "tush push" in the NFL. Lindsay wraps up with an Afterball on the persistent pay gap between men and women in tennis. WN...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 10 min
When blogger AJ Daulerio broke the Brett Favre sexting scandal in 2010, it became one of the biggest stories of his career. But it came at a cost: he had betrayed Jenn Sterger, the woman at the center of the story, who had confided in him as a friend and explicitly asked him not to name her. The fallout was immediate and lasting. Jenn became the target of relentless online harassment and scrutiny that has followed her for 15 years. AJ went on to face his own reckoning when his aggressive tabloid...
May 27, 2025•58 min
Vibe Check ’s Zach Stafford joins hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay to talk about influencers Jalen Noble and Monet Mcmichael’s new Texas farmhouse. Built in 1850, the property includes a gym and a “guest house” that many commenters pointed out likely has ties to slavery. What responsibility, if any, do owners of former plantations have to honor that history? And where did Jalen go wrong in his attempt to fight back against these allegations? This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitl...
May 24, 2025•45 min
Something seems to have happened to car headlights. In the last few years, many people have become convinced that they are much brighter than they used to be—and it’s driving them to the point of rage. Headlight glare is now Americans’ number one complaint on the road. The story of how and why we got here is illuminating and confounding. It’s what happens when an incredible technological breakthrough meets market forces, regulatory failure, and human foibles. So if you feel like everyone’s drivi...
May 21, 2025•40 min
In this week’s show, Dana and Julia are joined by guest host Isaac Butler to go through the A24, bromance looking glass to discuss Friendship , the surreal cringe comedy starring I Think You Should Leave’s Tim Robinson and the always friend-crushable Paul Rudd. Next, they share their thoughts on Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer, the new podcast by Prologue Projects and Leon Neyfakh about the improbable and complex story of the infamous talk-show host and one-time progressive politician. Finally, t...
May 21, 2025•55 min
Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim are joined by Slate staff writer Molly Olmstead to talk all things Pope Leo XIV, who made the internet go wild following a highly-covered conclave, strong Chicago ties, and a digital footprint that keeps unfurling. But another reason the Pope has seemed more exposed than ever before is because for some groups online, it’s becoming trendy to be Catholic. They break down the first days of our new pope and how recent converts are creating a new Catholic culture that not...
May 21, 2025•32 min
José Andrés is at the helm of more than a dozen restaurants and is famous for the humanitarian work that his organization World Central Kitchen does everywhere from Haiti to Gaza. But when it comes to parenting, José says he’s often felt less than confident. In this episode, he discusses his somewhat rocky upbringing in Spain, his successes and struggles as a chef and restauranteur, and his frustration that parenthood doesn’t come with a set of instructions. This episode was originally produced ...
May 20, 2025•35 min
Hosts Alex Kirshner , Lindsay Gibbs , and Ben Lindbergh discuss the surprisingly exciting NBA Conference semifinals and the downfall of the Boston Celtics’ aspiring dynasty. They also talk about Pete Rose’s newfound Hall of Fame eligibility, and the snooze-worthy PGA Championship. For Afterballs, Ben dives into Pope Leo’s sports allegiances. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel welcomes journalist Erica Ayala to discuss the state of the Professional Women’...
May 19, 2025•59 min
Influencer baby-naming has become a competitive sport, with people making predictions and even locking down Instagram handles before anyone has given birth. Despite this, most influencer baby names are…the same? If they’re not going rogue with “Malibu Barbie,” they’re reinventing the wheel with names like “Laikynn.” Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay dive into platforms like r/Tragedeigh , which document these ridiculous names in the wild, and try to figure out why influencers are getting increasingly...
May 17, 2025•29 min
The story of Nevermind, Nirvana’s genre-defining breakthrough, is a familiar one. Less well known is the saga of Billboard’s Modern Rock chart—and how college-rock staples of the 1980s like R.E.M. and The Cure gave way to heavier, more commercially dominant groups of the ‘90s like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and The Smashing Pumpkins. What sparked the grungification of the charts? How did Modern Rock become the new Top 40? And how did the Seattle sound pave the way for post-grunge b...
May 17, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 239
Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim explain the situation surrounding influencer Kayla Malec and beauty YouTuber James Charles. Malec is a 19-year-old TikToker who was in a 9-month relationship with a content creator named Evan Johnson. After their breakup, Malec posted a YouTube video accusing her ex-boyfriend of domestic abuse and violence. Days later , Johnson was charged by officials in Tennessee with domestic assault, and last week , he pled guilty to those charges and was sentenced to 18 months i...
May 14, 2025•21 min
On this week’s show, Steve, Dana, and Julia gab about Another Simple Favor , the sequel to Paul Fieg’s 2018 A Simple Favor , which again pits Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick in a twisty, noir comedy. Next, they discuss Amy Sherman Paladino’s new Franco-American ballet TV confection Étoile . Finally, they confer on the shocking conclave pick of an American pope with New York Times journalist and Vatican-watcher Ruth Graham. In the exclusive Slate Plus Bonus Episode, the panel spoils the heck out o...
May 14, 2025•50 min
A man delivers an unforgettable pickup line. A woman asks her Uber driver out on a date. A rancher swears off men and then, years later, suddenly develops feelings for the guy down the road. This week, listeners share offline dating stories for the ages, including charming meet-cutes, frustrating missed connections, and happily ever afters. We also hear from Maxine Simone Williams, founder of WeMetIRL , a company that hosts in-person dating events in Brooklyn, NY. To learn more about our Uber dr...
May 13, 2025•48 min
