Well Played

There’s a lot happening at Netflix. Its South Korean show “Squid Game” became a surprise hit, and then it sparked controversy with a Dave Chappelle special many of its own employees called out as transphobic. “The Closer” and “Squid Game” might not seem to have much in common — other than being the most talked about things on Netflix right now. But they both represent big swings for the world’s biggest streaming platform, and it’s not clear if they’re going to be home runs. You’ll hear from: Zoe Schiffer, senior reporter at The Verge covering labor and workplace organizing. Sharon Kwon, therapist, psychiatric social worker, writer, & mental health advocate. Want more Skimm? Sign up for our free daily newsletter Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our obsession with space travel has always gone hand in hand with pop culture. And now that space is more accessible than ever, Hollywood has its sights set on a new, way more expansive studio. You’ll hear from: Dr. Teasel Muir Harmony, curator of the Apollo Spacecraft Collection, professor at Georgetown University and author of Apollo to the Moon: A History in 50 Objects. Swapna Krishna, journalist covering space, tech, and pop culture at outlets such as Engadget, StarTrek.com, The Verge, and more. Co-host of the podcast Desi Geek Girls. Eric Kohn, New York–based Executive Editor & Chief Critic at IndieWire. Want more Skimm? Sign up for our free daily newsletter Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicki Minaj still has the kind of starpower that can hijack a news cycle with a few tweets. Has she been using it to silence the voice of a woman her husband was arrested for assaulting? You’ll hear from: Dr. Jameta Barlow, community health psychologist and an assistant professor of writing at The George Washington University Carmen Alvarez, the bookstagrammer behind the @tomesandtextiles Instagram page. She recommends “Gods of Jade and Shadow” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Donna Johnson, the bookstagrammer behind the @thisbrownegirlreads community and Instagram page. She recommends “Daughters of the Stone” by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa. Check out more of theSkimm’s Hispanic Heritage Month book recs here. Want more Skimm? Sign up for our free daily newsletter Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key, with special help from Luke Vargas, and Ciara Long. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A PSA for the pop-culture obsessed: If you’re wading into this sea of TikTok videos, internet outrage, and celebrity news, you’re gonna want to bring us along. Welcome to Pop Cultured with theSkimm — the show that breaks down the stories you can’t stop thinking about. Coming October 12, with fresh episodes every Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices