Slate Culture Feed

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Errol Morris' study of Donald Rumsfeld in his latest documentary "The Unknown Known," HBO's tech industry send up "Silicon Valley," and why faster isn't necessarily better when it comes to reading. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis, Mike Pesca, and Mary Pilon preview the NCAA basketball finals and discuss with Andy Glockner what it's like to root for a Premier League team facing relegation. Finally, they talk about Monopoly's upcoming inclusion of "house rules."Show notes at www.slate.com/hangup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Darren Aronofsky's Hollywood version of Noah's Ark, how fame changes friendship in HBO's Doll & Em, and the TV recap website "Television Without Pity" going dark. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss the NCAA tournament’s surprising Final Four. They also talk about Northwestern football players getting the go-ahead to unionize, and they evaluate Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout’s huge contract extensions.Show notes at www.slate.com/hangup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone's a guest this week on the Culture Gabfest with Slate's Mike Pesca, John Swansburg, and Jessica Winter filling in for our usual hosts. The guest gabbers discuss the movie Muppets Most Wanted and what the Muppets mean to kids in 2014. Next, it's High Maintenance a fictional web series that follows a pot dealer into clients' homes, and lastly the effects of e-payments on tipping. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss FX's Cold War era throwback television show The Americans, whether Amazon is ruining literature, and the matriculation of trigger warnings into the college classroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the Oscar's highs and lows, Atlantic's article, "The Dark Power of Fraternities" with Slate's Mike Pesca, and why looking normal is the new fashion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the legacy of actor, writer, director and Ghostbuster Harold Ramis, Disney's latest animated juggernaut, and why writers are the worst procrastinators. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Amazon's online comedy sensation Transparent, the Italian Oscar contender The Great Beauty, and is the great era of branding coming to a close. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the latest toy-cum-blockbuster movie Legos, what Sochi reveals about Russia and the American imagination with cultural reporter Masha Gessen, and Twitter's history problem with Slate's Rebecca Onion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens are joined in the studios by Rosanne Cash to talk about her latest album The River and The Thread and New York Times Theater critic Jason Zinoman discusses the legacy of the actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the dark horse of this year's Best Picture nominees, Philomena, the webseries-turned-Comedy Central show Broad City, and Atlantic editor Scott Sossel's new book, My Age of Anxiety. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and David Haglund discuss Lena Dunham's photoshopped Vogue photo spread, Woody Allen's troubling personal life and their favorite literary punctuations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss HBO's "True Detectives," Will Farrell's mini-series parody "Spoils of Babylon," and the dearth of African American recording artists on the billboard charts in 2013 with Slate contributor Chris Molanphy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss "Her," Isaac Asimov's 1964 predictions about the present and critic anonymity with New York Magazine's restaurant critic Adam Platt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss "The Wolf of Wall Street," the BBC's "Call the Midwife Christmas Special," and Britney Spears' Vegas comeback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Christmas experiment, Culture Gabfest critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss the elements of language: vocabulary, conversation, and voice.Show page at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss the new movie American Hustle, the Danish TV political drama Borgen (with Slate TV critic Willa Paskin), and whether long-form journalism is something to trumpet. Show page at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner are joined by music critic Carl Wilson to discuss the new Coen Brothers film "Inside Llewyn Davis", Tom Scocca's essay on smarm, and interview the curator of the Met museum's textiles exhibit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, John Swansburg, and Julia Turner discuss the new HBO show "Getting On," a Twitter shaming that may have been a hoax, and the 100th anniversary of the crossword puzzle with Will Shortz. Show page at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss the new film "Nebraska", social media shopping site The Prowl and the ins and outs of the Thanksgiving meal. Show notes at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss the new film "The Dallas Buyer's Club", Rupert Murdoch with NPR Media Correspondant David Folkenflik and working conditions in academia.Show notes at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss the hit TV show Scandal, the new book Provence 1970 with author Luke Barr, and the closing of Blockbuster Video’s last stores. Show page at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss the controversial film Blue is the Warmest Color, French TV show, the Returned and speak with author Claudia Roth Pierpont about her new book Roth Unbound. Show notes at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner and Dana Stevens discuss Rock 'n' Roll great Lou Reed, Shakespeare and the effect of the internet on poetry. Show notes at www.slate.com/culturefest.This version corrects the quiet audio of the original. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner and Dana Stevens discuss director Steve McQueen's new film, 12 Years a Slave, Alec Baldwin's move to TV talk show host and podcast Welcome to Night Vale. Show notes at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner and Dana Stevens discuss the Tom Hanks thriller Captain Phillips, the SAT's essay section, and Alice Munro's Nobel Prize. Show page at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner and Dana Stevens discuss the Sandra Bullock/George Clooney movie Gravity, the new Showtime series Masters of Sex, and the evolution of cool. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner and Dana Stevens discuss the hip-hop artist Drake's new album “Nothing Was the Same,” the merits and downsides of hatchet-job books reviews, and the redesign of Apple's iOS7. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner and Dana Stevens discuss the Nicole Holofcener film "Enough Said" and Brooklyn as a global brand, plus New York Times contributor Chris Suellentrop guests for a discussion of video games as art and Grand Theft Auto V. Watch video of the hosts playing Grand Theft Auto and get other show links on the . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Dana Stevens, Julia Turner and Stephen Metcalf take calls from listeners on a wide range of topics, and Julia realizes just how much she loves a mouse who's also an architect. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss the new film "Salinger" and the state of The Onion, plus Adam Sternbergh of the New York Times guests to talk about what constitutes popularity today. Get show links . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and John Swansburg discuss the Joe Swanberg film "Drinking Buddies," Laura Helmuth's piece on the impact of longevity on humanity, and Simon Doonan's new book on his life. Get show links . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Julia Turner, John Swansburg, June Thomas and Aisha Harris discuss the Edgar Wright film "The World's End," Miley Cyrus' performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, and love and terror in amusement parks. Get show links . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Julia Turner, David Haglund, and Seth Stevenson discuss the romantic comedy "In A World," the New York Times' longform multimedia piece "The Jockey," and Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines." Get show links . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss Larry David's new HBO movie "Clear History," the problem of sexual harassment in university philosophy departments, and this year's summer strut playlist. Show links are . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss the new film "The Spectacular Now," the FX show "The Bridge," and nature and role of melody. Get show links . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss Woody Allen's surprise box office hit Blue Jasmine, the overt racism on the reality show Big Brother, and the drawing power in fiction of a good opening line.Show notes at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss the new Netflix show "Orange Is the New Black" and the documentary "The Art of Killing," and Simon Doonan joins them to talk about the British royal baby phenomenon. Find show links . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss the Guillermo del Toro film "Pacific Rim," the new Comedy Central show "Drunk History," and John Tierney's New York Times piece on nostalgia. Plus, Steve's wife Koethi Zan stops by to talk about her debut novel, "The Never List." Visit for links and additional info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate critics Dana Stevens, Julia Turner and Stephen Metcalf discuss the MTV show "Catfish," Frank Rich's column on the NSA and privacy, and Dana's tirade against flip flops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate's Dana Stevens, June Thomas and David Haglund discuss the New Yorker cover celebrating the defeat of DOMA, Pedro Almodóvar's latest film "I'm So Excited" and the new Showtime series "Ray Donovan" For links and more, head to: slate.com/culturefest Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate's own Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss the nature of the celebrity apology, the new CBS show "Under the Dome," and debate the end of the humanities. Show notes at: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate's culture critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and June Thomas discuss Kanye West's "Yeezus" with Forrest Wickman and Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" with Glen Weldon. Also, they weigh the virtues of ambivalence. Show notes at www.slate.com/culturefest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate's culture critics Stephen Metcalf and June Thomas are joined by Nina Rastogi to discuss "Game of Thrones" (warning: spoilers), Joss Whedon's adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing", and the phenomenon of the "Selfie."Show notes at Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss the new show "Graceland" with Meredith Blake, The "Punk: Chaos to Couture" exhibit at the Met with Simon Doonan and hating cultural objects with Slate's Carl Wilson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate's own Dana Stevens, June Thomas and David Haglund discuss "Before Midnight," the new HBO Liberace biopic "Behind the Candelabra" and unpack the bluster around likeable characters in fiction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas talk "Star Trek" with Matt Yglesias, discuss the new Daft Punk album "Random Access Memories" and debate the mind-numbing qualities of Google glass. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby," Marc Maron's new IFC series "Maron" with David Haglund and get to the bottom of Time Magazine's Millennials trend piece. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.