Slate Culture

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Our Editor's Take

From details of the latest box office hits to debates on the tackiness of Christmas, Slate Culture is all about culture. The online magazine Slate runs this podcast feed. This long-running digital publication focuses on current events, culture, politics, and business.

Slate Culture brings together episodes from across Slate's podcast network. This show features episodes from several different programs. These include Slate's lifestyle series Outward and Well, Now, and Culture Gabfest.

Culture Gabfest episodes offer an examination of cultural events from the previous week. These include the highbrow and the not-so-highbrow. The show's regular hosts are culture critics Stephen Metcalf and Julia Turner. Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is a regular host as well. In the episode "Culture Gabfest: We're Saving Our Own Lives," the three dissect The Greatest Night In Pop. This Netflix documentary goes back to look at the 1985 recording of "We Are the World." Stephen, Julia, and Dana also explore the biopic Rustin and talk about the best movies to watch on a plane.

Hit Parade episodes also feature in the Slate Culture feed. Pop critic and chart analyst Chris Molanphy hosts this show. Chris examines songs, artists, and music genres from throughout the decades. He explores various themes, such as why some songs become hits. Chris considers the historical significance of popular music too. In some episodes, he recounts the musical journeys of specific bands and artists. In "Hit Parade: Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture Edition Part 1," Chris discusses the rise of the rap group OutKast. He explains the band's long-term impact on the hip-hop genre.

Slate Culture is for those who don't want to miss a thing when it comes to lifestyle topics. Several new episodes may premiere in a single day. Some listeners may opt to select their favorite titles from the releases. For those who can't get enough, several other Slate podcasts are also available. These include the daily news show What Next, the parenting podcast Care and Feeding, and Political Gabfest.

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Episodes

Culture Gabfest: Furiosa’s Glower
5d ago
Culture Gabfest: Furiosa’s Glower
On this week’s show, the hosts begin by jumping into Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, a prequel to George Miller’s 2015 Fury Road, in which Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Furiosa, an arachnid beauty who’s stolen as a child and becomes a wasteland road warrior. She’s a “strong, silent type,” typical of the action film genre, but does that trope mean something different with a female protagonist in 2024? The panel discusses. (Read Dana’s review of Furiosa!) Then, the three chat Hit Man, Richard Linklater’s latest starring Glen Powell as Gary Johnson, a college professor who moonlights as a fake gunman for hire. It’s a delightful rom-com tucked within a thriller—a romantic thriller, if you will–that manages to feel like a hangout film despite its ridiculous premise. (Read Dana’s review of Hat Man!) Finally, ScarJo or FauxJo? Tech journalist and author of Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech Brian Merchant joins the panel to parse through Silicon’s Valley’s latest scandal: Scarlett Johansson accusing ChatGPT of stealing her voice for its new interface program. (Read Brian’s newsletter about it!) In the exclusive slate Plus segment, the hosts answer an excellent listener question from Michael Schulman: What fictional works of art-within-the-art would you most want to see on their own? Email us at culturefest@slate.com.  Endorsements: Dana: An interview between Richard Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth, whose stories Linklater adapted in the films Bernie and Hit Man, for Texas Monthly.  Julia: Monopoly Deal, a well-designed family card game.  Stephen: A poem by Janet Frame, “Scarlet Tanager, Saratoga Springs” which was featured on the Yumi Zouma song, “Lie Like You Want Me Back - Alternative Version.” Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices