Danny Lavery welcomes poet Elisa Gonzalez, whose first book, Grand Tour, will be published this month. Lavery and Gonzalez offer advice to someone who feels responsible for complicating their friend’s life by sparking their interest in transitioning. Another letter writer is wondering at what point would it be less painful to move on from an unsupportive dad. Plus a listener writes in to comment on the episode “Time to Move On”. Need advice? Send Danny a question here. Email: [email protected] If y...
Sep 12, 2023•54 min
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… popping the question. By The Knot’s estimates, we’re officially entering peak wedding season. And we know there are many, many controversial opinions we could tackle about weddings, but let’s start with that thing that precedes most weddings: the engagement ring. The ring – especially a diamond one – is an institution that feels like a foregone conclusion for couples taking the next step in their relationship. But does it need to be? Belinda Luscombe, author of...
Sep 12, 2023•32 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s rush time! Host Kat Chow is diving deep into the #BamaRush phenomenon that has taken over the internet recently. She’s joined by professor and New York Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom to talk about her recent article, “In Alabama, White Tide Rushes On” They dig into the very specific “type” of college student that joins the Alabama sorority, the race and gender implications of the Greek “Machine” and the cuteness of it all. Fighter Reading: Our A...
Sep 07, 2023•41 min
On this week’s episode brought to us by Slate’s The Waves, Tory Lanez has been sentenced for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and we have THOUGHTS. Scamfluencers co-host and former BuzzFeed reporter Scaachi Koul is joined by Refinery29 deputy director Kathleen Newman-Bremang to unpack why so many people turned against Megan despite Tory Lanez being a wasteman. They explain what exactly is a “Toronto Mans” and why this dangerous subsection of man is crossing American borders in the forms of Drake, t...
Sep 06, 2023•48 min
Katie was ready to graduate from college when the pandemic interrupted everything. Unceremoniously cut-off from her group of friends, she’s now in a new chapter of her life but struggling more than ever to find her people. Katie’s friendships at work feel surface-level and she’s anxious about opening up too much for fear of rejection. On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace brings in friendship coach Danielle Bayard Jackson. Don’t worry about finding your next BFF, Jackson says. Instead...
Sep 05, 2023•42 min
In this episode, Dr. Orna Guralnik (host of Showtime's Couples Therapy) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about what to do when a friend is obsessed with misogynistic love and relationship podcasts, when your husband just can’t figure out birthday gifts, and when you’re wondering “Does therapy just not work for me?” If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slat...
Sep 01, 2023•41 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about The Kiss. Scaachi Koul is joined by Women’s World Cup reporter for The Athletic and freelance sports reporter, Tamerra Griffin to talk about Spanish Soccer President, Luis Rubiales forcibly kissing player Jennifer Hermoso after Spain’s World Cup final win. They dig into the internal strife that was already going on within the Spanish team, Rubiales’s history of alleged misconduct, where the sport can go from here, and more. In Slate Plus: ...
Aug 31, 2023•37 min
As an end of summer treat, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim dive deep into the drama that engulfed BookTok earlier this August. Over the spring and early summer, hockey-themed romance novels enjoyed a rise in the BookTok charts, a rise that led to an influx of new fans into the hockey community. One team in particular, the Seattle Krakens, became the unofficial team of BookTok, with Swedish player Alex Wennberg receiving special attention. Sexualized commentary by content creators like Kierra Le...
Aug 30, 2023•37 min
As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on Nov. 9, 2022. What Next will resume regular programming next week. As Texas laws have become more discriminatory against trans individuals and their families, many wonder if they can even stay in the Lone Star State, especially when parents could be investigated as child abusers for providing healthcare to their children. This family made the diffi...
Aug 30, 2023•29 min
It’s a family joke that Dave and his 13 year-old son are the same person. So when his son found out he is autistic, Dave realized that he, too, is on the autism spectrum. The label is a comfort—a reassurance that his personality “quirks” have an explanation. But, at the same time, it’s led to all of these questions like should he tell people? What does this change, if anything? And how does he learn to navigate a neurotypical world? On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings in journalis...
Aug 29, 2023•43 min
As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on March 30. What Next will resume regular programming next week. Two weeks after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Lauren Hall found out the baby she was carrying had a fatal condition: her head and skull weren’t properly developing. Texas’s three overlapping bans on abortion forced her to fly to Washington to terminate the unviable pregnancy. With the Cen...
Aug 28, 2023•32 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, why can’t celebrities and sports organizations leave trans people alone? On the heels of the International Chess Federation excluding trans women from competing, and some terrible statements from singer Ne-Yo (remember Ne-Yo?) Waves host Scaachi Koul wants to know why everyone is so obsessed with trans people. She talks with cartoonist and author of the graphic novel, Boys Weekend, Mattie Lubchansky about why celebrities can’t help but get involved, why trans...
Aug 24, 2023•34 min
Susan never really got over saying goodbye to her eldest daughter, who left for college four years ago. She knew it would be sad, but she didn’t expect to be nauseous. Now her youngest is applying to college, and she’s already dreading drop-off next fall which makes her feel like a "pathetic loser." What can Susan do to prep herself for more heartbreak and a completely empty nest? On this episode of How To!, Amanda Ripley brings on Kelly Corrigan, best-selling author and host of the podcast Kell...
Aug 22, 2023•33 min
At first, cryptocurrency seemed like the solution to the problems sex workers have had with traditional banks. But as the US moves to regulate the crypto industry, many are finding it hasn’t worked out like they hoped. Guests: Joel Khalili, reporter at Wired Liara Roux, sex worker, organizer, and writer You can check out Joel’s reporting in Wired here. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus epis...
Aug 18, 2023•26 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Tory Lanez has been sentenced for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and we have THOUGHTS. Scamfluencers co-host and former BuzzFeed reporter Scaachi Koul is joined by Refinery29 reporter Kathleen Newman-Bremang to unpack why so many people turned against Megan despite Tory Lanez being a wasteman. They explain what exactly is a “Toronto Mans” and why this dangerous subsection of man is crossing American borders in the forms of Drake, the Weeknd, and more. In Slate...
Aug 17, 2023•47 min
This month, hosts Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder discuss Amazon Prime’s adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s best-selling queer rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue. They also speak with intersex activist and educator Pidgeon Pagonis about their memoir Nobody Needs to Know and the campaign to end nonconsensual surgeries on intersex kids. The hosts end the show, as always, with some new additions to the Gay Agenda. Items discussed in the show: Red, White, & Royal Blue, by Casey...
Aug 16, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Have you ever wanted to move to a new country? Picking up and starting over internationally can be rewarding, but also nerve-wracking. Our listener Sara has lived overseas for more than a decade, but she recently moved to Switzerland and is struggling to fit in. On this episode of How To!, founding host Charles Duhigg brings in Dr. Nassim Assefi who, amongst all of her interesting professional accomplishments, is a self-identified “global nomad.” She’s lived in over 10 countries and draws on her...
Aug 15, 2023•33 min
In Amicus’ summer series of conversations about books that expanded our thinking about justice and the courts, beyond the churn of headlines, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Joshua Prager to discuss his book The Family Roe: An American Story, about the unknown lives at the heart of Roe v Wade. Sign up for Slate Plus now to support our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 12, 2023•55 min
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem to discuss the Ohio vote not to make it harder to change the state constitution; Republican views on Donald Trump’s offenses; and emergency preparedness or the lack thereof. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jack Goldsmith for The New York Times: “The Prosecution of Trump May Have Terrible Consequences” The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters by Juliette Kayyem Charles M. Blow f...
Aug 10, 2023•57 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, former Buzzfeed reporter and current Scamfluencers host, Scaachi Koul is taking over hosting The Waves for the next few weeks. This week she’s digging deep into the life of First Lady hopeful, Casey DeSantis. Scaachi is joined by Washington Post reporter, Ruby Cramer. Ruby wrote a masterpiece on Casey DeSantis, “Tracing the power of Casey DeSantis.” They get into why Casey DeSantis scares Scaachi, how to properly make fun of Ron’s wife, and why the Ron and Ca...
Aug 10, 2023•37 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to writer Madeleine George, who recently adapted the classic Alison Bechdel comic Dykes to Watch Out For into an audio drama that stars Jane Lynch, Carrie Brownstein, Roberta Colindrez, and Roxane Gay. In the interview, Madeleine discusses the challenges of turning a piece of visual art into an audio-only narrative. She also talks about the 1980’s setting of the story and the continued relevance of the characters’ personal and political lives. After the intervie...
Aug 06, 2023•42 min
More people are watching women’s sports than ever before, and the U.S. has high hopes for the Women’s World Cup. Still, there’s a lag in media coverage and resources for women athletes, particularly women of color. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Subria Whitaker, the chief of the non-profit organization Grow the Game. They discuss why the growth of women’s sports still isn’t matched by media coverage and economic resources, and how that impacts audiences and athletes of ...
Aug 04, 2023•29 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking the Hollywood strikes. Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by longtime journalist and author of Burn It Down, Maureen Ryan to unpack the systematic oppression that has taken place behind the scenes of your favorite movies and television shows for decades. They dig into the structures in place to keep women and marginalized voices from getting to the top of the ladder, and how none of these stories are examples of one bad ap...
Aug 03, 2023•42 min
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… let’s get it on. Whether you watch porn or not — admit it, or not — adult entertainment shapes the way we think about sex, gender, and power. Our guest today argues that porn is an industry, but it’s also a genre, and it’s much closer to fantasy than it is to reality. But if we abandoned porn and replaced it with watching real people have real sex, we might not just shake off taboos; we might also become better lovers, and better people, too. Cindy Gallop, CEO ...
Aug 01, 2023•28 min
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice reach into the ICYMI mailbag to answer why TikTokers are pretending to be video game characters, how a city girl became an anti-feminist prairie wife, and why snacktime is getting an obnoxious rebrand. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 29, 2023•47 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, drag queens are under attack and being labeled bad for families and kids. But RuPaul’s Drag Race and Drag Race All Stars contestant Mrs. Kasha Davis is making people rethink the American Dream. She sits down with Slate senior supervising producer, Daisy Rosario to talk about the real life inspiration for the character of Mrs. Kasha Davis, her new music video showcasing the importance of Drag Story Hour, and why more people need to see happy queer families lik...
Jul 27, 2023•41 min
When the tech industry started rounds of layoffs this year, almost half of the people let go were women—even though they make up a much smaller percentage of the workforce. What does this say about women in tech, and efforts to diversify the industry overall? Guest: Emma Goldberg, a reporter who covers the future of work for the New York Times. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of ...
Jul 23, 2023•30 min
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice meet in person for the first time! They recap the July 10 attack on fanfiction site AO3 — Archive of Our Own — which caused a site outage and a state of panic for many writers, readers and their fandoms. The site was created in 2008 as an online fanfiction archive that soon became a safe haven for women and the queer community. So what happens when that safe haven is threatened by malicious hackers? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy...
Jul 22, 2023•38 min
In this episode, Jessica Valenti (a feminist columnist and author) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer readers’ letters about whether it’s okay to ghost friends who don’t respect your reproductive choices, how to deal with a spouse who is a slob, and when to tell your kids you’ve had an abortion. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. This week she answers a question about what to do whe...
Jul 21, 2023•49 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about Barbie. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth sits down with M.G. Lord, author of Forever Barbie and co-host of “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes” from LAist and So Cal Public Radio. They discuss the history of the Barbie doll and how she’s managed to endure, how Barbie might actually be feminist, and what the new Greta Gerwig movie gets right about Barbie. In Slate Plus: Episode 6 of our And Just Like That…recap. If you liked this episode check out Is Th...
Jul 20, 2023•33 min
