Slate Culture Feed

Dana Stevens hosts a selection of a few of our favorite Slate Plus bonus segments, offering them to our regular listeners for the first time. You'll hear Steve, Julia and Dana talk about the new live action CATS, discuss impactful nonfiction with Slate's Laura Miller, remember critic Harold Bloom, and decipher what went wrong with Jill Abramson's Merchants of Truth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Spencer Hall to talk about the College Football Playoff. They also interview Matthew Goodman about his book on the CCNY point-shaving scandal, The City Game. Finally, they review the greatest sports moments of the decade. College Football Playoff (01:45): How LSU destroyed Oklahoma and Clemson squeaked out a win over Ohio State. The City Game (23:36): A new book about the point-shaving scandal that rocked college basketball 70 seasons ago--and remains relevant today. Sports moments of the decade (53:42): LeBron, Serena, the USWNT, the Kick Six, and a lot more. Afterballs (01:18:41): Stefan and Josh on their personal sports moments of the decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team reflects together on the best Death, Sex & Money moments of 2019—things you heard on the show, and things you didn't.Donate to Death, Sex & Money before the end of the year, and we'll send you one of our fabulous Maternity Leave Lineup posters, signed by Anna Sale! Plus, you'll be supporting the work we do here at the show, and the community we're building together. Give now at deathsexmoney.org/donate.Sign up for our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and every Wednesday we'll send you podcast listening recommendations, listener letters from our inbox and updates from the show.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner take listener call-in questions, including what books, music, and beverages they would take to a well-appointed Alpine cabin and much, much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis to discuss the Dallas Cowboys’ demise. Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs also joins to talk about WNBA owner and incoming GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler. Finally, “barking dog” Jason Holt on his moment of basketball glory. Cowboys (01:24): Why has owner Jerry Jones accepted mediocrity for so long? And what’s next for one of the NFL’s showcase franchises? Kelly Loeffler (20:17): How will the league and its players handle having a Trump-supporting U.S. senator as an owner? Barking dog (36:01): Breaking down an iconic moment in sports history and everything that came after. Afterball (56:41): Josh on Egypt’s squash dominance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Music fans in 2019 are gobsmacked that the No. 1 song in America is not only a Christmas song but a 25-year-old recording: Mariah Carey’s holiday perennial “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Even more amazingly, it’s the first Christmas song to top Billboard’s Hot 100 in 61 years, since “The Chipmunk Song” in December 1958. This leads to so many “whys”: Why were there no Christmas No. 1s for six decades? Why didn’t ’60s, ’70s and ’80s holiday classics like “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” “Feliz Navidad” and “Last Christmas” become Hot 100 hits? Why did Carey’s classic not chart in 1994, when it was released—and why did it only start charting in the 2010s and seem to get more popular every year this decade?In this special holiday edition of Hit Parade we answer all of these questions, and explain how virtually everything had to change about the music business for Mariah’s Christmas chestnut to reach No. 1: from Billboard chart rules, to digital music technologies, to even the tragic passing of a fellow music diva. It all combined to give Carey her incredible 19th No. 1 on the Hot 100—just one chart-topper away from the Beatles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The musician on her "run and gun" days in the early '90s, and the two affairs that shaped her adult life.Sign up for our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and every Wednesday we'll send you podcast listening recommendations, listener letters from our inbox and updates from the show.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Support Death, Sex & Money today at deathsexmoney.org/donate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner talk to TV critic Willa Paskin about the state of the medium, discuss Mariah Carey's surprise Christmas number one hit, and discuss the Peloton ad that has the internet atwitter.This episode is brought to you by Everlane. Check out your personalized collection today at everlane.com/culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Undefeated’s Lonnae O’Neal to talk about Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri also joins to discuss baseball free agency. Finally, author Damon Young chats about the rise of Bronny James. Lamar Jackson (01:24): What’s the larger significance of this particular black quarterback? MLB free agency (18:47): Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole, and Anthony Rendon have all signed huge deals. What do those contracts say about the state of the game? Bronny James (33:50): There’s a lot of pressure on LeBron’s son. Over the weekend, he lived up to the hype. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this mid-month mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by The Bridge producer Asha Saluja to discuss the most recent full-length episode of Hit Parade, an exhaustive analysis of the top-charting singles of the 2010s. Chris tells Asha why Beyoncé, indisputably one of the decade’s most influential artists, didn’t make it into the episode. Then Chris and Asha talk about a few of their favorite singles of the decade--some made it onto the Billboard Hot 100, and others didn’t. Chris quizzes a Slate Plus listener with some music trivia, and the contestant turns the tables with a chance to try to stump Chris with a question of his own. Then, Chris teases the upcoming full-length episode of Hit Parade, which will be a look at Christmas music’s record on the Hot 100--including a record that just might be broken this year if a beloved holiday tune by a certain chart-running pop diva hits No. 1. And finally, Chris corrects the record on some mistakes he’s made in Hit Parade this year. Anyone remember “meekrat”? While this episode is available to all listeners, our trivia round is open only to Slate Plus members. If you are a member—or once you become a member—enter as a contestant here.Want your question featured in an upcoming show? Email a voice memo to [email protected] production by Asha Saluja. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At an annual pilgrimage back to a former Japanese American incarceration site, we hear from people reliving complicated childhood memories, and descendants looking for answers.For more about Japanese American incarceration and the language we use to talk about it now, check out this episode from the NPR podcast Code Switch, called "America's Concentration Camps?"Sign up for our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and every Wednesday we'll send you podcast listening recommendations, listener letters from our inbox and updates from the show.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Support Death, Sex & Money today at deathsexmoney.org/donate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss The Marriage Story, speak with author Simon Doonan about the death of the department store window display, and debate whether social media killed our sense of time - and the 2010s as a decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Banner Society’s Spencer Hall to discuss the college football playoff. The Athletic’s Wosny Lambre also joins to talk about the surging Los Angeles Lakers. Finally, the Wall Street Journal’s Louise Radnofsky explains skaters’ strange obsession with Schindler’s List. College football (01:53): Why Clemson is mad, how LSU got good, and other playoff-related matters. Lakers (24:18): Everything is going very well for LeBron and the Lakers. What could go wrong (and when will it go wrong)? Skating and Schindler’s List (44:56): Why do figure skaters perform Holocaust-inspired routines? Afterballs (01:00:15): Stefan on a soccer team named after hard liquor and Josh on a Supreme Court justice remembering some guys. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Nick Spark fell down a rabbit hole tracking down the origins of Murphy’s Law, the ubiquitous phrase that says “If it can go wrong, it will go wrong”. On this episode of Decoder Ring, we follow Nick on his journey while taking a few detours of our own to find out how Murphy’s Law was [maybe] born out of the rocket sled experiments of the dawning jet age. We talk to Nick, hear some of the recordings he collected during his own research, plus talk to researchers who are skeptical of Nick’s hypothesis, all to try and find out how an obscure engineering aphorism spread to world-conquering philosophical observation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a live show in Washington, D.C., Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by NPR’s Gene Demby to discuss the state of sports media. Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson also joins to talk about her comeback as a mother. Finally, Demby, Lindsay Gibbs, and Dave McKenna ponder ethical dilemmas in sports. State of sports media (01:38): How have our consumption habits changed since the death of Deadspin and the partial zombification of Sports Illustrated? Dawn Harper-Nelson (16:36): The hurdling champion on the highs and lows of her career and the challenges of returning to the track after having a baby. Ethical dilemmas (44:12): Would you report on an NCAA violation if you think NCAA rules are immoral? Afterballs (01:00:42): Stefan on the sad fate of wonderfully named minor-league baseball teams and Josh on a peeing dog at the Egg Bowl. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's the cliche: someone cheats, crockery is thrown, lawyers are called. But your stories about cheating were much more varied, with some unpredictable conclusions. If you like this episode, check out this week's episode of the Aria Code podcast, from our friends at WQXR. It's all about "Dove sono," the aria about infidelity from The Marriage of Figaro, and includes a conversation with sex advice columnist Dan Savage. Don't miss our weekly newsletter! Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter and we'll send you weekly audio picks, behind the scenes updates and letters from our listener inbox. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @deathsexmoney.Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss Knives Out, speak with New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie about Watchmen, and remember Clive James with Adam Gopnik. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Your life will be greatly enhanced by spending time with dying people," Anne Lamott says. "Death is not the enemy. Snakes are." Sign up for our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and every Wednesday we'll send you podcast listening recommendations, listener letters from our inbox and updates from the show.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Support Death, Sex & Money today at deathsexmoney.org/donate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All decades of pop music swing between trends and fads—but the 2010s was swingier than most. From the maximalist EDM of the early ’10s to the downbeat hip-hop of the late ’10s, the pop pendulum oscillated more widely than you may remember. The same decade that gave us Adele’s stately balladry, Katy Perry’s electro-froth and Taylor Swift’s country-to-pop crossover also gave us the Weeknd’s bleary indie-R&B and Drake’s moody rap. And Bieber—so. Much. Bieber.With just weeks to go before the end of 2019, Hit Parade walks through the last decade of the Hot 100, year by year, and asks: What was that? Arguably, what drove pop in the ’10s wasn’t just the production sounds of dance music or hip-hop but the technologies we used to consume music, as the shift from downloads to streams changed the contours of chart success. And in the end, one multigenre queen navigated these shifts better than most, finding pop love in a hopeless place. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Turner and Stephen Metcalf talk with guests about Gogglebox, a show that lets you watch Brits watch TV, Bon Appetit's "Gourmet Makes" on YouTube, and the best nonfiction books of the past 25 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin interviews the Athletic’s John Hollinger about his career inside and outside the NBA. Topics discussed include the rise of Luka Doncic, how Hollinger came up with player efficiency rating, his tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies, and trading Marc Gasol. Luka Doncic (02:15): How the 20-year-old became a star and how he could keep getting better. PER (07:55): The birth of the NBA’s most popular all-in-one statistic. Grizzlies (24:15): The highs and lows of the 2013 and 2015 playoffs. Marc Gasol (44:17): The ins and outs of trading one of the Grizzlies’ franchise players. Afterball (51:25): Josh on the inventor of the Nerf football. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hasan Minhaj was drawn to comedy because of its "radical honesty." But that hasn't always translated well to his personal life. Don't miss our weekly newsletter! Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter and we'll send you weekly audio picks, behind the scenes updates and letters from our listener inbox. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @deathsexmoney.Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dana Stevens, Julia Turner, and Stephen Metcalf are live in at the Granville Island Stage in Vancouver to discuss The Irishman, Schitt's Creek, and creepy ads that follow you around. In Slate Plus: Questions from the live audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Nate Jackson to discuss Colin Kaepernick’s workout and Myles Garrett’s helmet smash; the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh assesses the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme; and Asif Kapadia talks about his documentary Diego Maradona.Kaepernick and Garrett (02:58): Did Kaepernick hurt his chances to play in the NFL? And what should we make of Garrett’s burst of anger?Sign-stealing (24:59): Did the Astros do anything that other teams didn’t do? How effective is sign-stealing anyway?Diego Maradona (49:49): The director of Senna and Amy on how he made a film about Diego Maradona and what he learned about the soccer legend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this mid-month mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Ned Raggett, freelance music writer for All Music Guide and The Quietus and expert on the ’80s U.K. bands celebrated on the most recent full-length episode of Hit Parade. Chris and Ned discuss what they call the “holy quartet” of British postpunk bands—The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode and New Order—and Ned weighs in on the challenge of what to call this wave: Is it goth? mope-rock? Do these bands actually constitute a genre, or more of a generational cohort? Also, Chris quizzes a Slate Plus listener with some music trivia, and the contestant turns the tables with a chance to try to stump Chris with a trivia question of his own. And finally, Chris teases the upcoming full-length episode of Hit Parade, which will be a retrospective look at the 2010s. While this episode is available to all listeners, our trivia round is open only to Slate Plus members. If you are a member—or once you become a member—enter as a contestant here.Want your question featured in an upcoming show? Email a voice memo to [email protected] production by Asha Saluja. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dana Stevens, Julia Turner, and Stephen Metcalf are live in Los Angeles to discuss Parasite with the LA Times critic Justin Chang, happiness in the modern world, and Dickinson from Apple TV+, with showrunner Alena Smith. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Domestic violence. The ripples of the financial crisis. A new immigrant's dashed hopes. This is what we heard about two years ago after we asked, "Why'd you start driving for Uber?"Sign up for our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and every Wednesday we'll send you podcast listening recommendations, listener letters from our inbox and updates from the show.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Support Death, Sex & Money today at deathsexmoney.org/donate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Banner Society’s Spencer Hall to discuss LSU’s win over Alabama; by Slate’s Joel Anderson to chat about the NCAA going after Ohio State’s Chase Young and Memphis’ James Wiseman; and by the New York Times’ Lindsay Crouse to talk about runner Mary Cain’s allegations of abuse against Nike and coach Alberto Salazar. LSU-Alabama (02:17): How the Tigers broke their losing streak against the Tide. NCAA (22:51): The foolishness of amateurism enforcement is on display in the Young and Wiseman cases. Mary Cain (43:53): How the young runner’s allegations could change women’s sports. Afterballs (01:05:16): Stefan on Jeff Bezos and the NFL and Josh on Don Cherry’s “you people” rant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Jenna Karvunidis invented the gender reveal party, but now she has regrets. On this episode of Decoder Ring, we explore the pink and blue world of the gender reveal party, and how Jenna's small barbecue celebration turned into a global phenomenon that's gotten way out of control. We talk to psychologists, historians, critics, and business owners, to figure out why the gender reveal is having such a big, bizarre moment right now, and how we can best understand the strange power they hold over social media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angela worked in the collections industry for 15 years. Now, she's banned from the industry for life⁠—and is getting collection calls after falling behind on her own bills. We're still collecting your stories about the moments where race became a flashpoint in a friendship. Is there a conversation you had that you’re still thinking about? Something you couldn’t work through with a friend? Write us an email or record a quick voice memo and send it to [email protected] Don't miss our weekly newsletter! Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter and we'll send you weekly audio picks, behind the scenes updates and letters from our listener inbox. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @deathsexmoney.Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss Netflix's My Name is Dolemite, Apple TV+'s The Morning Show, and the mass resignations that took place at the website Deadspin with Slate's Tom Scocca.This episode is brought to you by Everlane. Check out your personalized collection today at everlane.com/culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by former Deadspin staffers Megan Greenwell, Tom Ley, and Barry Petchesky to discuss the site’s demise and what caused it. Topics covered include the conflicts between writers, editors, and management; journalism and private equity; and how Deadspin evolved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you were an angsty American teenager in the 1980s—whether in real life, or in a John Hughes movie—the rock you loved probably came from the United Kingdom, complete with droning vocals, brooding lyrics, goth hair, and black nail polish. The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division/New Order, the Smiths: All these U.K. postpunk acts were hard-pressed to score American hits in the first half of the ’80s—the era of fun-loving New Romantic bands like Duran Duran. But to Gen X teens, Robert Smith, Siouxsie Sioux, and Morrissey were icons.By the end of the decade, however, these bands became American hitmakers, especially after Billboard launched the music bible’s first alternative rock chart. Depeche Mode sold out a California stadium. New Order dominated dancefloors. The Smiths’ Johnny Marr became a guitar god, Morrissey an MTV crush object. And finally, in 1989, the Cure—dark, doomy, and moody as ever—were challenging Janet Jackson for the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Just in time for Halloween, Hit Parade tells the story of how spooky, spidery, U.K. mope-rock became chart-conquering pop.Podcast production by Justin D. Wright.Hosted by Chris MolanphyFollow @cmolanphy on Twitter / https://www.twitter.com/cmolanphy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a breast cancer diagnosis at 35, author Kate Pickert reflects on maintaining normalcy during treatment, why she didn't tell her daughter she was sick, and how she thinks about mortality now.Sign up for our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and every Wednesday we'll send you podcast listening recommendations, listener letters from our inbox and updates from the show.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Support Death, Sex & Money today at deathsexmoney.org/donate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Turner, Dana Stevens, and Stephen Metcalf discuss the horror classic Rosemary's Baby, the TV show Modern Love, and Morrissey's political legacy with the LA Times Randall Roberts. In Slate Plus: The Marvel vs. Scorsese kerfuffle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh to discuss the Astros’ massive World Series comeback. Deadspin’s Laura Wagner also joins to talk about Houston’s front office debacle, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham assesses Week 1 of the NBA season. World Series (03:37): How Houston turned it around and how Max Scherzer’s neck undid Washington. Astros front office (22:34): What the Astros’ arrogance reveals about the culture of baseball. NBA (39:22): Overreacting to the Warriors’ awful start, rookie Ja Morant’s star turn, and more. Afterballs (57:16): Stefan on the last gasps of segregation in baseball and Josh searches for a seven-game series without a home win. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In comedian Chris Garcia's new podcast, Scattered, he sets out to uncover the truth about his dad—a man who survived Castro’s labor camps only to lose his way in search of the American dream. Subscribe to our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter and we'll send you weekly audio picks, behind the scenes updates and letters from our listener inbox. Follow the show on Twitter @deathsexmoney and Facebook at facebook.com/deathsexmoney.Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss the film Pain and Glory with Slate's June Thomas, the podcast Dolly Parton's America, and the Slate profile of Lauren Gunderson, the most popular playwright in America, with author Dan Kois. In Slate Plus: cats vs. dogs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Jeff Passan to discuss the World Series matchup between the Astros and Nationals. The Ringer’s Kevin Clark also joins to talk about the Rams’ deal for Jalen Ramsey, and Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl assesses the U.S. men’s national soccer team. World Series (01:45): How Houston and Washington made it and what to watch for when they square off. Jalen Ramsey (19:47): Are the Rams outsmarting the rest of the NFL or outsmarting themselves? U.S. soccer (34:59): Gregg Berhalter’s gotten off to a rough start. Is it time for the USMNT to cut bait and start over? Afterballs (53:18): Stefan on the genius of @DonZemmer and Josh on a baseball walk-off conundrum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The writer and poet traces the joy and shame of learning about sex, mourning his mother, and finally feeling financially comfortable.Subscribe to our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter and we'll send you weekly audio picks, behind the scenes updates and letters from our listener inbox. Follow the show on Twitter @deathsexmoney and Facebook at facebook.com/deathsexmoney.Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf, and Julia Turner discuss the Breaking Bad movie El Camino, The Great British Baking Show, and the streaming wars and the future of television. In Slate Plus, the panel discuss the work of critic Harold Bloom who died this week with professor Al Filreis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Ethan Strauss to talk about LeBron James’ comments on China; the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh discusses the Nationals’ playoff run and why baseballs aren’t flying as far; and Ed Caesar assesses marathon record breakers Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei. LeBron, the NBA, and China (02:19): Why the league’s travails are getting worse, and what the NBA can (and should) do about them. MLB playoffs (20:50): The Nationals’ starting pitching triumphs and the decline of home runs in the postseason, explained. Marathoners (40:03): How Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier and Brigid Kosgei shattered the women’s world record. Afterballs (58:59): Stefan on CTE romance novels and Josh on shaking press boxes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this monthly mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Aisha Harris, culture editor for The New York Times’ Opinion section. Aisha and Chris discuss the Janet Jackson album Rhythm Nation 1814, the topic of the most recent full-length episode of Hit Parade. Aisha tells Chris about her early Jackson fandom, picks her all-time favorite Janet songs, and offers her opinion on the relevancy and influence of Janet’s sound today. Plus, Chris gives an inside scoop on the song template that Jackson’s longtime producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, used to generate multiple chart-topping hits. Chris quizzes a Slate Plus listener with some music trivia, and the contestant turns the tables with a chance to stump Chris with a trivia question of his own. While this episode is available to all listeners, our trivia round is open only to Slate Plus members. If you are a member—or once you become a member—enter as a contestant here. Want your question featured in an upcoming show? Email a voice memo to [email protected]. Podcast production by Asha Saluja. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Turner, Stephen Metcalf, and Dana Stevens discuss the film Joker, Transparent's musical finale episode, and the question of Gwyneth Paltrow with critic Wesley Morris. Producer's Note: You’ve probably noticed that this feed now features a lot of Slate culture podcasts beyond just our show. We’ve heard that some of you would prefer to get just the Culture Gabfest in your feed. If that’s you, Slate has created a new feed that should meet your needs. You can find it by searching for “Culture Gabfest” in Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Joshua Keating to talk about the NBA’s China kerfuffle. ESPN’s Sam Miller also joins to discuss the baseball playoffs and David Epstein assesses Alberto Salazar’s doping suspension and the world track and field championships in Qatar. NBA and China (02:02): How Daryl Morey’s tweet about the Hong Kong protests instigated an international incident and what the NBA should do about it. MLB playoffs (17:29): Does the Nationals’ bullpen strategy make sense? Can anyone beat the Astros? Salazar and Qatar (35:42): Why the legendary track coach got suspended, and what to make of the hot and poorly attended world track and field championships. Afterballs (55:26): Stefan on carrying jockstraps and Josh on a DVR patent war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work.In the early 1990's Bart Simpson became a breakout star while also becoming a target in the culture war, culminating in president George HW Bush speaking out against The Simpsons as an example of a degenerate American family. Today on Decoder Ring we try and figure out why the H-E double hockey sticks people were so worked up about Bart Simpson by examining the great underachiever t-shirt controversy, bootleg Bart merchandise, the rise of the religious right, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Betsy Mayotte knows that the student loan system is overcomplicated⁠—she worked inside of it for 20 years. Now she's tackling borrowers' problems, one email at a time. Explore more than 4,000 of your stories about student loans, find out where you fit in the student loan landscape and get resources for dealing with your debt at deathsexmoney.org/studentloans.Subscribe to our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter and we'll send you weekly audio picks, behind the scenes updates and letters from our listener inbox. Follow the show on Twitter @deathsexmoney and Facebook at facebook.com/deathsexmoney.Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf and Dana Stevens discuss the new Judy Garland biopic Judy with Slate's Sam Adams, Netflix's Unbelievable with Slate's Inkoo Kang, and welcome Simon Doonan back to the show to discuss his new book about the art and history of drag. In Slate Plus, more from the conversation with Simon Doonan.This episode is brought to you by Everlane. Check out your personalized collection today at everlane.com/culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Allison Benedikt to answer your questions about youth sports. Topics covered include whether and how to teach your kids how to talk trash, how to balance sports time with family leisure time, and whether it’s ethical to watch football if you don’t want your child to play football. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the mid-1980s, Janet Jackson broke away from her world-famous, hit-making family and, with her Control album, rebooted both her career and pop style in the New Jack Swing era. The challenge was following it up—and Jackson and her producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, didn’t make it easy on themselves.In 1989, they produced an ambitious album with a portentous title: Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. But what could have been Control, Part 2 instead was a visionary LP that reinvented the socially conscious album from the era of Marvin Gaye for the ’90s, and envisioned what pop would eventually sound like in the 21st century. Rhythm Nation was a smash, generating more hits—and bigger hits—than any album in history. In fact, if Jackson and her label hadn’t pulled their punches with one final radio single, she could have set an all-time Billboard chart record that would have overshadowed any of the Jackson family’s historic achievements.Podcast production by Chris Berube.HostChris MolanphyFollow @cmolanphy on Twitter / https://www.twitter.com/cmolanphy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.