Slate Culture Feed

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.Decoder Ring is a podcast about cracking cultural mysteries. Every month host Willa Paskin,Slate’s TV critic, takes on a cultural question, object, idea, or habit and speak with experts,historians and obsessives to try and figure out where it comes from, what it means and why it Matters.Today: The clown has existed in various forms for thousands of years, what changed and made us suspect and fear them? The modern birthday clown is a very recent invention, by going back into the history of clowns and clowning we see that clowns are far more complex and capable of far more expression than the kids entertainment of Bozo and Ronald McDonald. How those complex figures transformed into obligatorily sunny commercial mascots may also explain why they are increasingly seen as sinister today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You kind of learn what you're supposed to do. But nobody tells you anything." A conversation about what it means to be a man today, in partnership with FiveThirtyEight and SurveyMonkey.We're just starting this conversation about being a man, and we want you to be a part of it! Tell us your reactions to this episode on social media using the hashtag #ManhoodNow, or email us: [email protected] to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the World Cup with Slate’s Nick Greene and Slate’s Jim Newell joins to talk about golf’s U.S. Open. Plus, an interview with BuzzFeed’s Ken Bensinger about his book on corruption in soccer, Red Card. World Cup (2:20): Stefan, Josh, and Nick Greene discuss the start of the men’s World Cup in Russia, including exuberant Spanish-language goal calls, the World Cup debut of replay review, and whether American fans should root for archrival Mexico. U.S. Open (25:28): Stefan, Josh, and Jim Newell assess Brooks Koepka’s back-to-back wins at the U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson’s weird, possibly unethical putt, and everyone’s whining about the difficulty of the Shinnecock Hills course. Red Card (43:00): Stefan and Josh interview Ken Bensinger about how the U.S. got involved in investigating FIFA and what it was like to hang out at Sepp Blatter’s house. Afterballs (1:01:12): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bridge is back, and this time it's tackling some music trivia about the heyday of MTV, and some alt-rock favorites. Play along at home and quiz yourself by listening to The Bridge. If you’d like to be a contestant on an upcoming show, sign up for a Slate Plus membership, and then enter as a contestant here. You can also enter if you’re already a Slate Plus member. Want your question featured in an upcoming show? Email [email protected]. Podcast production by T. J. Raphael Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louis is at his wit's end with dating apps...so we called in reinforcements. Plus, some musings from Ceci.All summer, we're following a group of listeners as they date in real time around the country. We're calling this series Hot Dates—if you missed the introductory episode, go back and listen to it first. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin to talk about LeBron James' next stop; by Bruce Arena to discuss why the U.S. missed the World Cup; and by Slate's Jayson De Leon for a conversation about who to root for in Russia.LeBron's future (2:21): Nobody knows where the world's best player will end up. But where should he go? (Josh thinks New Orleans.)U.S. soccer (21:52): Former U.S. men's national team head coach Bruce Arena shares his thoughts on why Team USA missed the World Cup for the first time in 1986. Who to root for in the World Cup (39:28): Slate's Jayson De Leon stumps for Peru. How about Argentina? Perhaps Egypt?Afterballs(57:48): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of our summer daters has had some big changes in his love life already.Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Prine has been in the music business for 47 years, and at this point, he's fine being a self-proclaimed "oddball."Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the NBA finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors and the crazy story of anonymous Twitter accounts linked to Philadelphia 76ers GM Bryan Colangelo. Hockey writer Greg Wyshynski of ESPN joins the show to discuss the Stanley Cup finals between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights.NBA Finals (3:10): Stefan and Josh talk to Ethan Strauss of The Athletic about the first two games of the NBA finals.Bryan Colangelo (34:27): Stefan, Josh, and Ethan discuss the fallout from the discovery of Twitter burner accounts that revealed details about inner workings of the Philadelphia 76ers.NHL Finals (54:08): Stefan and Josh talk to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski about the Stanley Cup finals between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights. 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.Who gets to decide if Sherlock Holmes is gay? For over a century, fans of Sherlock Holmes have been analyzing, debating, and creating new texts with Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters. Decoder Ring explores the Johnlock Conspiracy, a fan theory about the BBC TV show Sherlock, positing the inevitability of a gay romance between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. With interviews from historians, journalists, and fans at the heart of this controversial idea, this episode explores this theory, how it played out in the real world, and whether this kind of fandom is a meaningful way of interacting with fiction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dating in 2018 can be frustrating. But a lot of you are doing it anyway...and some of you are letting us listen in. Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton to discuss the fourth straight Cavs-Warriors NBA Finals. NPR’s Gene Demby also joins to talk about the NFL’s anthem policy, and Deadspin’s Laura Wagner comes on for a conversation about her piece “So Who Is Barstool’s PFT Commenter?”Warriors and Cavaliers (2:16): Kevin Pelton explains whether the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics should’ve stopped shooting 3-pointers, how to predict playoff outcomes when teams don’t try their hardest during the regular season, and what to watch out for in the latest Warriors-Cavs championship series. NFL’s new anthem policy (21:46): Gene Demby talks with Stefan and Josh about the motivation behind the NFL’s new stand-or-else national anthem policy and how the league’s players will respond. PFT Commenter and Barstool Sports (41:32): Deadspin’s Laura Wagner assesses why media outlets haven’t revealed Eric Sollenberger’s identity and how his PFT Commenter character helps make Barstool Sports palatable. Afterballs (60:01): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even before the launch of MTV, the music video has been making pop songs buzzworthy. And since the early ’80s, it has transformed also-rans into hitmakers—from the Buggles and Duran Duran to Peter Gabriel and a‑ha. But until the early 2010s, watching a video didn’t count on the Billboard charts. That all changed thanks to YouTube—and the biggest immediate beneficiary from the addition of video to the charts was a rising pop star, incubated on the Disney Channel, but looking to change her image. Miley Cyrus was born into hitmaking, line-dancing, multimedia royalty, and she used video titillation—and even the social site Chatroulette—to top the charts. But what did all that provocation mean for…y’know, the music? And how is video still making hits—including the song that’s No. 1 this very week in 2018? Chris Molanphy explains it all. [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Marcus Thompson to discuss the Warriors and Steph Curry. Bloomberg’s Ira Boudway also joins to talk about legalized sports betting, and John Swansburg helps assess Tom Wolfe’s classic piece on NASCAR driver Junior Johnson. Golden State Warriors (4:20): With Steph Curry looking spry and healthy, can anyone stop the NBA’s best team? And what’s the deal with Curry’s mom fining him for cursing? Legalized sports betting (26:15): The Supreme Court’s huge ruling will change how leagues operate and how fans wager. Bloomberg’s Ira Boudway explains the ramifications. Tom Wolfe on Junior Johnson (44:35): Tom Wolfe’s Esquire piece “The Last American Hero Is Junior Johnson. Yes!” is a classic of new journalism. What did Wolfe get right about Johnson and NASCAR and what did he miss? Afterballs (1:11:40): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The bestselling author of An American Marriage talks about writing her own rules for adulthood.Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and guest host Mike Pesca discuss the start of the NBA conference finals and the debate over the debate over who’s the greatest, Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Stefan talks to Roger Bennett of Men In Blazers about Wayne Rooney’s reported move to America and Roger’s new book, Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica. And Stefan and Mike are joined by Nate DiMeo to discuss his essay in Mike’s new book, Upon Further Review, about the alternate history of tug-of-war. NBA (1:42): Stefan and Mike discuss Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Michael v. LeBron, and Charles v. Shaq.Wayne Rooney (22:04): Stefan and Roger Bennett of Men In Blazers talk about English striker Wayne Rooney’s reported move to D.C. United of Major League Soccer.Tug-of-War (40:24): Stefan and Mike talk to Nate DiMeo about imagining what would have happened if tug-of-war hadn’t been kicked out of the Olympics a century ago.Afterballs (56:01): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think you know music? Hit Parade, the pop-chart history podcast from Slate, is back with a new episode of The Bridge. In this monthly mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy answers some listener mail and invites one contestant onto the show to play some music trivia. Players also have the opportunity to turn the tables on him: They get a chance to try to stump Molanphy, a music journalist for the past 25 years, with their own trivia question. This month, The Bridge tackles the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and some some music trivia from the ‘00s. Play along at home and quiz yourself by listening to the The Bridge here. If you’d like to be a contestant on an upcoming show, sign up for a Slate Plus membership, and then enter as a contestant here. You can also enter if you’re already a Slate Plus member. Want your question featured in an upcoming show? Email [email protected]. Podcast production by T. J. Raphael Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis is joined by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin to break down the epic buzzer-beater by LeBron James in Game 3 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs and by hockey writer Sean McIndoe to discuss the Stanley Cup playoffs. Slate’s Christina Cauterucci and Juliet Macur of the New York Times talk about the exploitative treatment of NFL cheerleaders. And ESPN’s Sam Miller explains how there were more strikeouts than hits in the major leagues in a month for the first time ever.LeBron (3:15): Stefan and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin conduct a forensic breakdown of LeBron James’s seemingly impossible game-winning shot against the Toronto Raptors.NHL playoffs (21:39): Stefan and hockey writer Sean McIndoe discuss the Vegas Golden Knights, the Winnipeg Jets, a rare playoff suspension, and Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins licking his opponents.Cheerleaders (43:50): Slate’s Christina Cauterucci and Juliet Macur of the New York Times talk with Stefan about Juliet’s reporting on the treatment of cheerleaders for Washington’s NFL teamBaseballs (1:01:32): ESPN’s Sam Miller talks with Stefan about the decade-long rise in strikeouts and whether Major League Baseball needs to do something about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thousands paid off. Cuts to the beauty budget. A foster daughter. Our listeners share what's happened since appearing in our student loans episodes last year.Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin, Wosny Lambre, and Ethan Sherwood Strauss discuss the NBA playoffs. They also talk about Meek Mill’s release from prison and his relationship with the 76ers, and they ponder quarterback Josh Allen’s old, racial-slur-laden tweets. NBA playoffs (2:20): Josh, Wos, and Ethan assess the state of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the NBA’s most polarizing player, Russell Westbrook. They also examine LeBron James’ latest triumph and check in on the state of the Golden State Warriors. Meek Mill (22:35): Upon his release from prison, the Philadelphia rapper headed straight to the Sixers’ game against the Miami Heat. How did Mill forge such a tight connection with the team, and how did he become a cause célèbre for criminal justice reformers? Josh Allen (37:23): The Wyoming quarterback’s tweets were publicized the night before the NFL draft. Should we care about Allen’s social media misadventures, and how should we think about athletes’ old tweets more broadly? Afterballs (56:00): 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.Welcome to Decoder Ring! Decoder Ring is a monthly podcast about cracking cultural mysteries. Every episode we’ll take on a cultural object, idea, or habit and speak with experts, historians and obsessives to try to figure out where it comes from, what it means and why it matters. Why do we get so invested in fictional romances? What does it mean to wear a baseball hat backwards? Why do we clap? What do people think about all day? Decoder Ring explores questions and topics you didn't know you were curious about.In our first episode, we ask: What happened to the laugh track? For nearly five decades, it was ubiquitous, but beginning in the early 2000s, it fell out of sitcom fashion. What happened? How did we get from Beverly Hillbillies to 30 Rock? We meet the man who created the laugh track, which originated as a homemade piece of technology, and trace that technology’s fall and the rise of a more modern idea about humor. With the help of historians, laugh track obsessives, the showrunners of One Day at a Time and the director of Sports Night, we wonder if the laugh track was about something bigger than laughter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bon Jovi are many things: platinum-selling, chart-topping and now, Hall of Fame–inducted. That angers music critics, who have been slagging off this band of hard-rock prom kings since the 1980s. Among the haters is Hit Parade host Chris Molanphy, who has loathed Bon Jovi since high school. But even he can’t deny it: Bon Jovi are hugely influential. In the wake of their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Chris puts aside his animus to explain how the biggest band in hair metal have remained strangely relevant—thanks to their deathless hits, their album sales and, more recently, their influence on a certain hair-metal-loving Swedish pop producer. Email: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the NBA playoffs with Slate’s Nick Greene. The Irish Times’ Ken Early joins to talk about Arsene Wenger’s departure as Arsenal’s manager, and the MMQB’s Tim Rohan explores the history of the mock draft. NBA playoffs (2:00): The hosts are joined by Nick Greene to assess the first round, which has featured standout play from the Philadelphia 76ers, a shocking sweep by the New Orleans Pelicans, and LeBron James’ efforts to drag a subpar supporting cast past the Indiana Pacers. Arsene Wenger (21:25): Ken Early explains why the legendary Arsenal manager’s tenure went south and what his legacy will be in the Premier League. Mock drafts (40:30): Where did mock drafts come from and how have they eaten the world? Tim Rohan, who did an oral history of the mock draft for Sports Illustrated’s MMQB, comes on the show to explain. Afterballs (53:25): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think you know music? Hit Parade, the pop-chart history podcast from Slate, is rolling out a new feature. Every month, the show will test a listener contestant in a special mini episode called The Bridge. Host Chris Molanphy will invite one person onto the show to play some music trivia, and contestants have the opportunity to turn the tables on him: They’ll get a chance to try to stump Molanphy, a music journalist for the last 25 years, with their own trivia question. If you want to play along at home and quiz yourself, listen to the first episode of The Bridge here. If you’d like to be a contestant on an upcoming show, sign up for a Slate Plus membership, and then enter as a contestant here. You can also enter if you’re already a Slate Plus member. Email: [email protected] Podcast production by T. J. Raphael Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A 22-year-old who calls herself a “professional sugar baby” explains why she goes on dates with much older men for money—and why the men don’t always think of her as a sex worker.Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the musical Small Ball with Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell joins to talk about why the NFL is bad at scouting quarterbacks, and The Good Place’s Mike Schur explains his love for Dan Le Batard. Small Ball (1:55): The day after the Rockets’ win in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, general manager Daryl Morey talks about his passion for musical theater, which led him to commission a basketball-themed musical. Quarterbacks (18:00): Why can’t the NFL separate the Akili Smiths from the Carson Wentzes? Bill Barnwell crunched the numbers for ESPN and joins the show to theorize about why the league can’t figure out which signal-callers to draft. Dan Le Batard (37:39): Mike Schur, the creator of Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, discusses why he’s obsessed with the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and what makes it such a special radio show. Afterballs(57:17): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss Patrick Reed’s Masters win with Slate’s Jim Newell. The Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur also joins to talk about the Humboldt bus crash, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh helps assess Shohei Ohtahi’s amazing week. Masters (1:36): Jim Newell explains why first-time major champion Patrick Reed is so widely loathed, and they discuss whether we should be repulsed by Reed or feel bad for him. Canadian hockey tragedy (20:43): The bus crash in Saskatchewan that killed 10 youth hockey players and five adults joins a long list of horrifying sports accidents. Bruce Arthur and the hosts talk about the legacy of those events and the special place junior hockey holds in Canadian society. Baseball (31:26): Ben Lindbergh prognosticates about whether Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani can keep up his amazing pitching and hitting. They also chat about Giancarlo Stanton’s slow start and Gabe Kapler’s bizarre managing decisions. Afterballs(51:37): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dwayne Betts committed a carjacking when he was 16 years old. For his mom, Gloria Hill, it was just the first in a series of events in her life involving a gun.Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the women’s NCAA tournament with Jere Longman and Kara Lawson. Patrick Fort also joins to talk about emergency hockey goalies, and they interview Jack Alexander and Bill Bunten about sports before Brown v. Board. NCAA Tournament (2:20): The New York Times’ Jere Longman and ESPN’s Kara Lawson come on the show for a conversation about the last three games of the women’s basketball tournament, all of which were decided at the buzzer. Emergency Goalies (29:18): How did a full-time accountant end up playing goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks? Should baseball, football, and other sports have rules that allow non-professionals to suit up in an emergency? Sports Before School Desegregation (43:07): Jack Alexander played basketball for the all-black Ramblers. Bill Bunten played for the all-white Trojans. The two men reflect on sports before school desegregation, and how coaching legend Dean Smith helped integrate the Topeka High School basketball team. Afterballs(56:18): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1998, Madonna was at a career crossroads. After dominating the ’80s with hits like “Like a Virgin” and “Open Your Heart,” she spent the first half of the ’90s wavering between roles as a provocateur (Erotica, Sex) and adult-contemporary balladeer (“I’ll Remember,” “Take a Bow”). That’s when she took a sharp left turn, working with producers and deejays in the burgeoning electronica scene. If it even was a scene: The very term “electronica” was a music-business confection, and by 1997 it was more hype than hit. But the result of Madonna’s experiment—her acclaimed ’98 album Ray of Light—was not only one of her biggest smashes ever. It also helped turn electronic music into viable pop. Email: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin, ESPN’s Joel Anderson, and NPR’s Gene Demby discuss March Madness. They also talk about the sports world’s response to the police killing of Stephon Clark and how Kevin Love and DeMar Derozan started a conversation about mental health. NCAA Tournament (2:00): Josh, Joel, and Gene examine Loyola-Chicago’s Cinderella run to the Final Four, Duke’s ouster in the Elite Eight, and whether any women’s team other than the UConn matters. Stephon Clark (24:00): The hosts assess the sports world’s response the police killing of an unarmed black man in Sacramento, how activism is different in the NBA and NFL, and what it means that Eric Reid hasn’t yet been signed by an NFL team. Mental health in sports (38:00): Will Kevin Love’s Players’ Tribune piece help change the way we talk about athletes and masculinity? Should Royce White get more credit for starting the conversation about sports and mental health? Afterballs (52:30): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thom Tran was grazed by a bullet four days into his deployment in Iraq in 2003. He's spent the last 15 years figuring out what that moment means for him going forward.Death, Sex & Money is talking about masculinity! If you identify as a man, we want to know: what's the most confusing thing about being a man right now? Email us: [email protected] to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New York Times’ Marc Tracy to discuss UMBC. Deadspin’s Dom Cosentino comes on to talk about Kirk Cousins’ new contract. Plus: Dave Kindred on covering girls’ high school basketball. NCAA (1:27): Stefan, Josh, and Marc Tracy of the New York Times recap the first weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, including 16-seed UMBC’s historic win over 1-seed Virginia. Kirk Cousins (23:30): Stefan and Josh are joined by Dom Cosentino of Deadspin to discuss whether NFL players and agents will be emboldened by free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins’ groundbreaking guaranteed contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Dave Kindred (40:06): After retiring home to Illinois seven years ago, Dave Kindred began covering the local girls’ basketball team for fun. Then his wife suffered a massive stroke. Dave talks about the experience with Stefan and Josh. Afterballs( 56:30): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When musician Johnny Solomon hit rock bottom, he turned to his mom for help. Now, as his mom's health declines, he and his wife—and bandmate—have moved in with her to reciprocate. Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, if you haven't already. Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk with Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley about the NCAA Tournament, Slate’s Jim Newell joins to talk about Tiger Woods’ comeback, and ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz assesses the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets. March Madness (1:31):Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley chats with Josh and Stefan about how to be a college basketball fan without being a huge hypocrite. Plus: Can Penn become the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 in the history of the men’s tournament? Tiger Woods (19:47):Slate’s golf correspondent Jim Newell analyzes Woods’ second-place finish at the Valspar Championship, discusses Woods’ strange vocabulary, and looks at whether golf courses should be more patriotic. Raptors and Rockets (35:01): Kevin Arnovitz joins for a conversation about the NBA’s (maybe) two best teams. Are Toronto and Houston for real, and what explains their regular-season success? Afterballs (52:00): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest hosts Daniel Engber and David Epstein talk with Carl Bialik about robot line judges in tennis, Mike Pesca joins for a review of NBA tanking, and Florentina Hettinga discusses the science of the Paralympics. Robot umpires (1:47): Carl Bialik discusses the latest innovation in line-calling technology and how it might affect tennis. Tanking (18:25): Hang Up host emeritus Mike Pesca chats about why there’s more tanking than ever in the NBA and what might be done about it. Paralympics (36:09): Sports scientist Florentina Hettinga sheds light on debates over classification in the world of disability sports. Afterballs (45:39): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy took a mail-in DNA test to find out more about her genealogy...and learned more than she bargained for.Help us build the Death, Sex & Money starter kit! Go to deathsexmoney.org/starterkit and tell us your favorite episodes of the show. We'll enter you in a raffle to win a Skype karaoke session with Anna!Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis welcomes Slate’s Justin Peters and NBC Nordic skiing commentator Chad Salmela to recap the Winter Olympics. And journalist Ben Strauss and sports economist Andy Schwarz examine the government probe of NCAA basketball recruitment.Winter Olympics (1:42): Stefan and Justin Peters recap the final week of the Winter Olympics including the United States men’s curling team gold medal, Canada’s Olympic heartbreak, Mirai Nagasu’s post-skate comments, and more. Chad Salmela (22:23): Stefan and Justin interview NBC commentator Chad Salmela, who called the dramatic finish of the first-ever American gold medal in cross-country skiing.NCAA Basketball (37:12): Ben Strauss and Andy Schwarz join Stefan to explain the latest developments in the FBI’s investigation into men’s college basketball.Afterballs (57:30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watching this year’s Grammy Awards, it’s clear hip-hop is the dominant genre in popular music. But back in the ’80s, it was an influential but still underground style looking fora place on the charts and some mainstream respect. That is, until Run-DMC met Aerosmith. This month, how some out-of-favor ’70s rockers teamed up with the top crew in rap to remake an old hit—in the process, opening lanes for a trio of punks-turned-MCs, and a witty hip-hop lothario. We’re still feeling the reverberations today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The actor and writer is having a big year—but it took a lot of work, patience, and some financial help from her mom to get here.Check out the newest addition to our Opportunity Costs series: our class pride and shame website! See what your fellow listeners feel pride and shame about when it comes to their current class status, and add your feelings to the mix. Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin is joined by Slate’s Justin Peters and the Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen to talk about Elizabeth Swaney, Ester Ledecka, Nathan Chen, and more from the Olympics. PhillyVoice’s Kyle Neubeck also joins to discuss what’s wrong with Markelle Fultz.Winter Olympics (:59): Josh, Ben Cohen, and Justin Peters talk about the United States’ relatively tiny medal count in Pyeongchang and Norway’s enormous haul. They also discuss Nathan Chen’s “quad-ification” of figure skating and the rights and wrongs of Olympic tourism.Markelle Fultz (37:37): PhillyVoice’sKyle Neubeck talks with Josh about the mystery of the Philadelphia 76ers’ No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz. Does he have a shoulder injury or has he forgotten how to shoot?Afterballs (55:32) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk with Slate’s Justin Peters about the top stories from the Olympics, Jack Hamilton joins to look at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster shake-up, and Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl discusses what’s next for U.S. Soccer. Pyeongchang 2018 (1:00):Josh, Stefan, and Slate’s Justin Peters break down the start of the 2018 Winter Olympics, touching on figure skater Adam Rippon, North Korean propaganda, the shameful handling of Russia’s participation in the games, and snowboarding gold medalist Red Gerard. Cleveland Cavaliers (21:24):Slate’sJack Hamilton joins the hosts to talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ deadline deals, and whether LeBron was playing badly to force the team to make a move. U.S. Soccer (38:34): Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated chats with Josh and Stefan about why and how Carlos Cordeiro won the election for president of the United States Soccer Federation. Afterballs (55:36): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Veterinary medicine has a suicide rate that's one of the highest in the healthcare profession. For the veterinary community in Dallas, those statistics hit home last year.If you’re considering suicide, or are worried about someone who might be, please get help. We’ve compiled a list of resources here. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 and is open 24 hours a day.This piece was produced in partnership with the Dallas Morning News. See their photographs and video from the veterinary hospital in Dallas that we visited here.Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk with the Gist’s Mike Pesca about the Eagles’ win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. They’re also joined by Jeff Passan of Yahoo to discuss what can be done to fix Major League Baseball’s broken economic system. Super Bowl LII (1:15): The original Hang Up crew discusses all aspects of the Eagles’ thrilling 41-33 victory over the Patriots, including Nick Foles’ excellent play, Doug Pederson’s gutsy coaching, Bill Belichick’s benching of Malcolm Butler, and what’s next for Rob Gronkowski. MLB economics (35:40): Yahoo’s Jeff Passan assesses the different factors leading to baseball’s stalled free agent market, and how players and owners might resolve the stalemate. Afterballs (53:37): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin talks with Paula Lavigne of ESPN and Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley about the Michigan State sexual abuse scandal. ESPN’s Howard Bryant also joins to discuss the Australian Open, and the Root’s Damon Young assesses the NBA’s all-star draft. Michigan State (1:30): Paula Lavigne of ESPN’s Outside the Lines explains what she’s learned about the failures of the Michigan State athletic department to deal with sexual assault cases, and whether it’s right to focus on the school’s football and basketball programs. Australian Open (16:40): ESPN’s Howard Bryant discuss Roger Federer’s 20th major championship, Caroline Wozniacki’s first grand slam title, and how American Tennys Sandgren went from a fan favorite to a pariah in record time. All-star draft (34:55): The Root’s Damon Young helps Josh assess the NBA’s first-ever all-star draft and the seeming implosion of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Afterballs (59:50): Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes record executives and even the musicians themselves get it totally, completely wrong: thinking that throwaway, wacky song was destined for a single’s B-side, only to find it’s actually the No. 1 hit—from the Beatles to Beyoncé. At our first-ever live Hit Parade—recorded at The Bell House in Brooklyn, New York— host and trivia-meister Chris Molanphy and special guest Ted Leo break down some of the most improbable chart-toppers of all time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ernie Major self-identifies as "socially lower middle class, economically a bit better than that." But he also says status has never been something he paid much attention to. This episode is part of our series Opportunity Costs: Money and Class in America. All this week we're bringing you five conversations about the moments in life when you've felt your class status the most, in collaboration with our partners at BuzzFeed News. Find out more at deathsexmoney.org/opportunitycosts. Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a father and son whose family is in the 1%, having resources that "exceed their wants" brings its own set of challenges. This episode is part of our series Opportunity Costs: Money and Class in America. All this week we're bringing you five conversations about the moments in life when you've felt your class status the most, in collaboration with our partners at BuzzFeed News. Find out more at deathsexmoney.org/opportunitycosts. Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaimie Seaton got used to an upper class lifestyle while married to her banker husband and living overseas. Then she got divorced, and her financial picture totally changed.This episode is part of our series Opportunity Costs: Money and Class in America. All this week we're bringing you five conversations about the moments in life when you've felt your class status the most, in collaboration with our partners at BuzzFeed News. Find out more at deathsexmoney.org/opportunitycosts. Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ramal Johnson has a "middle class mentality," a working class paycheck, and upper class aspirations. This episode is part of our series Opportunity Costs: Money and Class in America. All this week we're bringing you five conversations about the moments in life when you've felt your class status the most, in collaboration with our partners at BuzzFeed News. Find out more at deathsexmoney.org/opportunitycosts. Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.And follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.