Culture Gabfest

This week, the panel begins by exploring Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé with Slate culture writer (and Beyhive stan) Nadira Goffe. The renowned pop diva’s theatrical debut works both as a well-oiled concert documentary as well as a surprisingly heartfelt deconstruction of Knowles’ previously impenetrable image of perfection. Then, the three consider Todd Haynes’ May December, an emotionally curious, tonally dissonant study of life’s gray areas starring Natalie Portman, longtime collaborator Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton. Loosely based on the real-life relationship between Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, Haynes (and screenwriter Samy Burch) questions Hollywood’s penchant for sensationalizing tragedy and the ways humans interact with each other. Finally, they are joined by EEFOP (Exceedingly Exceptional Friend of the Pod), Slate writer Dan Kois to discuss Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Lost Christmas!, a posthumous sequel to Theodor Geisel’s iconic 1957 children’s book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The original IP has been marketed and re-imagined within an inch of its life – but does new author Alastair Heim invoke any of the source materials’ sincerity or deeper meaning? In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel answers a listener question from Timothy: “When reading for pleasure, how do you choose what to read next?” We’re also accepting submissions to our yearly call-in show, where Dana, Julia, and Stephen answer questions from Culture Gabfest listeners. Get in touch! Submit a question by calling (260) 337-8260 or emailing us at culturefest@slate.com. Outro music: “Spinning the Wheels” by Dusty Decks Endorsements: Dana: A two-part endorsement that goes together like wine and cheese: If I Should Fall from Grace with God, the third studio album by Irish folk-rock band The Pogues, and “Shane MacGowan Leaves the Astral Plane,” a wonderful essay by Amanda Petrusich at The New Yorker, which memorializes the late frontman. Don’t know where to start with The Pogues’ catalog? Dana recommends “A Rainy Night in Soho.” Julia: Drawing inspiration from this episode’s children’s book segment, Julia endorses the Little Blue Truck series (written by Alice Schertle and illustrated by the late Jill McElmurry) alongside her favorite Theodor Geisel work, Hunches and Bunches. “It’s the Beyoncé of Dr. Seuss books.” Steve: Paris is Burning, which pairs beautifully with Beyoncé’s Renaissance. Jennie Livingston’s landmark 1990 documentary is one of the most moving films Stephen has ever seen, and provides a vibrant snapshot of New York City’s drag-ball scene in the ‘80s. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dana and Julia are joined by Jamelle Bouie, Opinion columnist at The New York Times and co-host of Unclear and Present Danger. The panel begins by diving into Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, a visually sumptuous biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix that attempts to chronicle the legendary historical figure’s life and reduce him to human size, yet fails to do so within its 2 ½ hour runtime. Then, the three jump into Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, a new eight-part animated Netflix series that offers an alternate version of its protagonist, Scott Pilgrim (who was first depicted in Bryan Lee O'Malley’s series of graphic novels then later in Edgar Wright’s cult classic film, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), and reunites much of the movie’s brilliant original cast. Finally, they discuss André 3000’s New Blue Sun, a transcendent ambient album laced with flute-base soundscapes that on its face seems like a complete departure from the rapper’s previous work in Outkast, but actually depicts a piece of him that’s been present in his music all along. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel takes advantage of Jamelle’s baking prowess and discusses best practices and tips in the kitchen, before turning to the eternal, all-important question: When you bake, do you use a measuring scale? And if so, why? We’re also accepting submissions to our yearly call-in show, where Dana, Julia, and Stephen answer questions from Culture Gabfest listeners. Get in touch! Submit a question by calling (260) 337-8260 or emailing us at culturefest@slate.com. Outro music: “By the Riverside” by Lindsey Abraham Endorsements: Jamelle: The 4K restoration of one of his favorite movies, The Fugitive (1993), starring Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford. It’s an underrated and beautiful Chicago movie. Julia: A deep cut from her personal Summer Strut playlist: Bob Dylan’s 1997 song “Not Dark Yet,” which appeared on the album Time Out of Mind. Dana: Inspired by their discussion of André 3000’s new album, Dana endorses a different avant-garde flute enthusiast: Eric Dolphy, the American multi-instrumentalist and bandleader. Specifically, his fantastic 1964 jazz album, Out to Lunch. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by reviewing The Curse, a cringe-worthy Showtime series co-produced by Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie. Fielder and Emma Stone star as Asher and Whitney Siegel, a newlywed couple at the center of a reality HGTV show built on narcissism, gentrification, and lies. Then, the three jump into Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, which Dana describes as a “sadsack Christmas classic,” starring Paul Giamatti as a curmudgeonly misanthrope professor alongside newcomer Dominic Sessa and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The three play misfits being held over at a prep school during the winter break of 1970. Finally, the trio is joined by Dwight Garner, book critic for The New York Times, to discuss his delightful new memoir, The Upstairs Delicatessen: On Eating, Reading, Reading About Eating, and Eating While Reading. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel commemorates Jezebel, the now-shuttered women-focused news and cultural commentary site, and reflects on their relationships with media geared towards women overall. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: Life on Our Planet on Netflix, a nature documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman that tells the four-billion-year story of life on Earth. It’s perfect for at-home family viewing over the holidays. Julia: A hilarious bit Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone did on Jimmy Kimmel Live! while promoting The Curse. In response to a less-than-glowing review of his acting skills in The New York Times, Fielder shows up in-character as a nonchalant, totally not stilted bad boy alongside Stone’s non-acted self. Stephen: “Camus on Tour,” an excellent tour de force essay by Vivian Gornick in The New York Review of Books, in which she covers Camus’ Travels in the Americas: Notes and Impressions of a New World. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Hosts Dana Stevens, Julia Turner, Stephen Metcalf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dana and Stephen are joined by Supreme Friend of the Pod, Isaac Butler, who co-hosts Slate’s Working podcast and is the author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act (which is now available in paperback!). The panel begins by pondering Dream Scenario, a provocative new film from Norwegian writer-director Kristoffer Borgli. The nightmarish social satire stars Nicolas Cage as Paul Matthews, a hapless middle-aged biology professor who begins appearing randomly in people’s dreams in a tale about anonymity and the cycle of virality. Then, the three speak with the brilliant author and classicist Emily Wilson about her recent translation of Homer’s the Iliad, and her unique approach to metered verse and how she came to access the interior lives of Hector, Patroclus, Achilles, and more. Finally, the trio discusses Coyote vs. Acme, a completed film based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 comic in The New Yorker, that was shelved last week by Warner Bros. (reportedly in favor of a $30 million tax write-off) then un-shelved when the studio received backlash for being “anti-art.” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel descends into a different kind of nightmare: The Beatles’ music video for “Now and Then.” Has director Peter Jackson created a touching CGI tribute to the legendary band? Or has he engineered something truly evil? Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: The Public Domain Review, an online journal and not-for-profit project dedicated to “the exploration of curious and compelling works from the history of art, literature, and ideas.” She’s only just begun to scratch the site’s surface, but recommends starting with “W.E.B. Du Bois’ Hand-Drawn Infographics of African-American Life.” Isaac: Deadloch, an Australian feminist noir comedy set in a fictional working class fishing village that’s been, as he describes, “gentrified by the most granola crunchy lesbians on earth.” Stephen: The song “New Romantic” by British folk singer-songwriter Laura Marling, specifically her extraordinary 2006 live performance of it when she was quite young at a now-closed music venue in West London. Outro music: “Any Other Way” by Particle House Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel is joined first by Isaac Butler, co-host of Slate’s Working podcast and author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act, to debate the merits of David Fincher’s The Killer and whether the director’s latest “thriller” (which stars Michael Fassbender) is a masterful example of craft or simply a logic-free time-suck. Then, Dana, Julia, and Stephen explore the world of Letterboxd, the self-proclaimed “Goodreads of movies” that may be the only positive social media platform left. Finally, the trio is joined by Extreme Friend of the Pod Chris Molanphy to discuss his wonderful new book, Old Town Road, which considers Lil Nas X's debut single as pop artifact, chart phenomenon, and cultural watershed. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel asks: what’s the deal with long movies? Are today’s films getting longer or is it just a figment of our imagination? Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: A hometown endorsement of Slate’s excellent coverage of the Sam Bankman-Fried trial, specifically a piece by Nitish Pahwa entitled “The Days the Chips Fell,” which chronicles what Pahwa witnessed in the courtroom the day Bankman-Fried was found guilty. Julia: The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese’s iconic 1978 concert documentary that captures the Band’s legendary farewell performance in San Francisco. It depicts a very specific image of the male rockstar era, highlighting both the vanity and vulnerability of its stars. Dana also wrote about The Last Waltz for Slate in 2012! Stephen: Taken by the retro-feel of The Holdovers’ trailer, Stephen endorses the song featured in it, “Silver Joy” by Damien Jurado. Outro music: “Go Slow” by Daniel Fridell Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by discussing Priscilla, Sofia Coppola’s new film starring Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi that’s based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir, Elvis and Me, and features an otherworldly courtship, gilded cages, and whole lot of mumbling. Then, the three review Anatomy of a Fall, an excellent French movie directed and co-written by Justine Triet that, on the surface, looks like a courtroom drama, but dives deep into the discrepancies and lies that make up a marriage. Finally, they conclude with a spicy topic: Hot Ones, the viral celebrity interview show that forces guests to eat increasingly hot chicken wings while answering surprisingly well-researched questions. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel gets into spoiler territory and discusses the dramatic, twist-y ending of Anatomy of a Fall. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: The French History Podcast hosted by Gary Girod, which covers unique and interesting aspects of French culture. She recommends starting with the episode “Thomas Jefferson’s Paris.” Julia: Owen Gleiberman’s essay for Variety, “In ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ Is Leonardo DiCaprio Playing a Dumb Hick, a Pitiless Sociopath… or a Muddle?” Also, in light of actor Matthew Perry’s recent passing, she’s bumping his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing up on her must-read list. Stephen: Naples ‘44 written by Normal Lewis, a landmark novel that highlights the author’s dry wit and ability to detail the extent of human suffering. Outro music: “Backwards” by Staffan Carlen Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by reviewing Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese’s film based on David Grann’s 2017 non-fiction book about the plot of white Americans to steal the Osage Nation’s headrights in the 1920s, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone. Then, the three are joined by Dan Kois, writer and editor at Slate and author of Vintage Contemporaries, to puzzle over Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, a scripted audio series based on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer that’s written and performed by many of the original cast, with one glaring omission: creator and showrunner Joss Whedon. Finally, the trio asks: Why is the internet no longer fun? The once utopian dream of democracy has turned into a hellscape, according to Kyle Chayka’s essay in The New Yorker, “Why the Internet Isn’t Fun Anymore.” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel shares their relationships (or lack thereof) with audiobooks, inspired by Paul Grimstad’s essay “Confessions of an Audiobook Addict for The New Yorker.” Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: The Genius Behind Hollywood’s Most Indelible Sets, a profile of Jack Fisk, the master production designer behind Killers of the Flower Moon and many other films. Julia: While watching Sleepless in Seattle with her husband, Julia discovered her new favorite sound clip: When Meg Ryan dishes with Rosie O’Donnell about her budding romance with Tom Hanks, O’Donnell responds comically while chomping a bite of egg salad into her mouth, in a way that deserves to become a meme. Stephen: The little-known, up-and-coming writer Shakespeare (according to Stephen, he’s “very good” if not “a little antique-y”), specifically in the context of Killers of the Flower Moon. The film’s final scenes recall The Tempest in many ways. Outro music: “Back to Silence” by OTE. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by diving into Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, a glittery and extremely fun concert movie starring the singer-songwriter-producer-mogul that’s already become the highest grossing concert documentary of all time. Then, they discuss Beckham, a surprisingly candid four-part docu-series on Netflix directed by Fisher Stevens that chronicles the footballer’s meteoric rise to stardom and paints an intimate portrait of his home life with Victoria Adams, a.k.a. Posh Spice. Finally, the three dissect “Why Culture Has Come to a Standstill,” a provocative essay authored by Jason Farago, the New York Times critic at large. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel embraces sweater weather with a discussion inspired by Amanda Mull’s essay for The Atlantic, “Your Sweaters Are Garbage.” Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: One of Dana’s favorites from the New York Film Festival this year is Anatomy of a Fall (which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes!) Directed by Justine Triet, this murder mystery thriller becomes a psychological study of a marriage when a suspicious tragedy strikes a family living in the French Alps. “It’s the kind of film you want to see then immediately debate over drinks with friends.” Julia: A fantastic piece of writing on Insider, “The Great Zelle Pool Scam” by Devin Friedman, that uses the funny personal essay form–some reporting, a few confessions, observational humor, and the occasional insight–to levy an attack on Zelle, a massive, poorly regulated major part of our financial infrastructure. Stephen: “Picasso’s Transformations” an essay by the art critic Jed Perl, published in The New York Review of Books (which is celebrating its 60th anniversary). Outro music: “Lonely Calling” by Arc De Soleil Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by reviewing The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson’s faithful adaptation of a 1977 Roald Dahl short story, that doubles as a sumptuous meta-commentary on the director’s exacting approach to his craft. Then, the three discuss The Super Models, Apple TV+’s docu-series that glossily chronicles the lives and careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista, a.k.a. The It Girls of ‘90s fashion. Finally, they puzzle through a controversy sweeping the behavioral science community: What happens when so-called “lying experts” falsify their own data? Recent allegations against well-known thought leaders in the field, Francesca Gino and her frequent collaborator, Dan Ariely, have unleashed a host of ethical issues and questions within the academic sphere. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel honors Spooky Season by sharing their first encounters with terrifying movies. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: Joni Mitchell, the celebrated singer-songwriter, recently released Archives – Volume 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975), a five-CD box set of archival treasures: never-before-heard demos, unearthed session outtakes, and recordings of live performances. (Also, if you’re not a Mitchell fan, what are you even doing here?) Julia: Julia has doubled down and listened raptly to every episode of Strike Force Five, the late-night host podcast from Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver. Apparently, the men eventually found their groove! It’s an unusual product that reveals much about their respective talents. Stephen: Lydia Loveless, an amazing alt-country songwriter, and her superlatively strong sixth album, Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again. Stephen endorses Loveless so enthusiastically, he’s even created a playlist of his favorite songs of hers: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vAPq5ZGCRB3kJLOFzZ4rF?si=4a4d5619bb6e40c0&nd=1 Outro music: “Break The Line” by Coma Svensson Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by dissecting The Golden Bachelor, the latest spin-off of the classic reality TV series starring a 72-year-old bachelor searching for love amongst a group of women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. Sincerity ensues… or does it? Then, the three return to the ‘80s to discuss A24’s re-release of Stop Making Sense, Jonathan Demme’s seminal 1984 Talking Heads concert movie that’s widely regarded as the apex of the genre. Finally, they investigate the celebrity apology video aesthetic, an artform that’s been attempted—and by no means, perfected—by Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Russell Brand, and Drew Barrymore recently, as an unusual document of the times. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses the meme and viral TikTok trend, “How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” and the ways it encourages a faux-performance of gender on the internet. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: In the spirit of revelatory live shows, Dana endorses The Bengsons, a folk-rock duo (by married couple Abigail and Shaun Bengson) whose recent concert she describes as “performance art.” Julia: “Stop Talking” by Miya Folick, one Julia’s favorite songs from the 2023 Summer Strut Mega-mix, that exasperatedly laments about a friend whose brain space has been eaten up by some boy–and Folick doesn’t want to hear about it anymore! Stephen: Lucky in Paris by saxophonist Lucky Thompson, a relatively under-the-radar record that has become one of Stephen’s top five jazz albums of all time. Outro music: “On the Keys of Steel” by Dusty Decks. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dana and Stephen are once again joined by Kat Chow, author of the memoir Seeing Ghosts. The panel begins by jumping into the ring with Cassandro, the oddly conflict-adverse biopic about the lucha libre superstar and exótico gay icon, Saúl Armendáriz, who is played terrifically by Gael García Bernal in a provocative, tour-de-force performance. Then, the trio wades into comedian–and future Daily Show host hopeful–Hasan Minhaj’s thorny web of lies with Slate staff writer, Nitish Pahwa, who detailed the devastating impact of Minhaj’s many falsehoods in his essay, “Hasan Minhaj Meant Something to Brown Americans. Was It All an Act?” Finally, the three react to “The 40 Greatest Stand-Alone TV Episodes of All Time,” written by the Slate Staff, a massive labor of love and fun thought experiment that spans The Sopranos, Atlanta, The Larry Sanders Show, Black Mirror, and High Maintenance. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses the impact the last few years have had on their lives, inspired by Katy Schneider’s essay for The Cut, “The Pandemic Skip.” Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: Dana sent this to everyone she knows–family, friends, etc. It’s a new interview with Martin Scorsese, written by Zach Baron for GQ entitled “Martin Scorsese: ‘I Have To Find Out Who The Hell I Am.’” In addition to films and moviemaking (his latest, Killers of the Flower Moon, is set to be released in October), the legendary director, now 80, also speaks candidly about life, its inevitable end, and his own mortality. It’s a dream of an interview and absolutely sublime. Kat: Small Things Like These, a beautifully written historical fiction novel by Claire Keegan about the horrific conditions women and children endured at Magdalene Laundries in Ireland. Stephen: “Quantum poetics,” an essay in Aeon written by William Egginton, a professor of humanities at James Hopkins University. In it, Egginton describes the ways Argentine short story author, Jorge Luis Borges, and German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg “converged on the notion that language both enables and interferes with our grasp of reality.” Outro music: “Forbidden Love” by OTE Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Stephen and Dana are joined by long-time friend of the pod and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, June Thomas. The panel begins by puzzling over the return of Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot in A Haunting in Venice, the actor-director’s third Agatha Christie whodunit adaptation. Then, they dig into Jann Wenner’s disastrous New York Times interview with David Marchese in which the Rolling Stone co-founder manages to disgrace himself in almost every conceivable way. Finally, the trio concludes by discussing Naomi Klein’s new book, Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World, which captures the strange ways selfhood is performed in the internet age. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel reveals their cleaning playlists and audio accompaniments, inspired by Lindsay Zoladz’ essay for The New York Times, “A 20-Minute Cleaning Playlist.” Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: The wonderful world of Better Call Saul table reads (which can be found on YouTube), specifically, the one for “Switch,” Season 2, Episode 1. June: As someone who enjoys reading biographies of unpleasant people, June endorses A Thread of Violence by Mark O’Connel, which chronicles the gripping tale of one of the most scandalous murders in modern Irish history. Stephen: The West Cork podcast, a non-fiction series reported and hosted by Sam Bungey and Jennifer Forde about the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Outro music: “Mother” by The Big Let Down. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Stephen and Dana are joined by guest host Kat Chow, journalist and author of the 2021 memoir Seeing Ghosts. The panel begins by wading through HELL, Chris Fleming’s new hour-long comedy special that’s both puzzling and delightfully goofy. Then, the three consider Astrakan, a deeply dark and unsettling first feature from director David Depesseville, and attempt to parse through the film’s (intentionally?) ambiguous messages. Finally, they conclude by discussing Rotten Tomatoes, the widely used critical review aggregation site and subject of the recent Vulture exposé by Lane Brown, “The Decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes,” which details a “gaming of the system” by Hollywood PR teams. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel dives into the 2023 U.S. Open, specifically the effect of extreme heat on gameplay and how the sport will need to contend with climate change going forward. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Kat: C Pam Zhang’s brilliant upcoming novel The Land of Milk and Honey. Dana: One of the best novels she’s read in years, Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas. Stephen: The Guest by Emma Cline, a novel that serves as a “carefully observed ethnography of the super rich.” Outro music: “On the Keys of Steel” by Dusty Decks. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel jumps into Bottoms, the chaotic second feature from director and co-writer Emma Seligman that satirizes… something (what that thing is, they have yet to discover). They then discuss Telemarketers, a Michael Moore-style documentary that exposes the telemarketing industry’s dark underbelly in a weirdly captivating tour de force. Finally, the trio takes on Strike Force Five, a new Spotify podcast hosted by late-night veterans Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers that deals with the ins and outs of the trade and raises money for their striking writing staffs. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel considers the joys of trains and sleeper cars, inspired by Bryn Stole’s essay for Slate, “Wake on a Train.” Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: A very funny, investigative piece in The Guardian by Elif Batuman: “Proust, ChatGPT and the case of the forgotten quote.” Julia: In a wonderfully kismet moment, Julia stumbled upon Hilltown Hot Pies, a neapolitan-ish pizzeria in the Berkshires run by chef Rafi Bildner, who previously owned one of Stephen’s favorite pizza spots in Ghent. Stephen: “The Inheritance Case That Could Unravel an Art Dynasty” by Rachel Corbett for The New York Times Magazine, an essay that lays bare an empire built on shell companies, weird art depots, and paintings sequestered in vaults. Outro music: “Break The Line” by Coma Svensson Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia is joined by Slate associate culture writer Nadira Goffe and Jamelle Bouie, opinion columnist at The New York Times. The panel begins by test driving Gran Turismo, a sports movie that is essentially a Playstation commercial based on popular intellectual property and “real life.” Then, they explore Mask Girl, a visually stylish K-drama that tackles men, capital letters, systemic violence, Korean beauty standards, and fame through smart social satire. Finally, the three discuss the virtues, or lack thereof, found in Oliver Anthony’s number one hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond” (which Jamelle also covered in his essay “The Irony in the ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’”). In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel considers prep, preppy style, and their relationships to the American art form, inspired by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela’s piece for The New Republic, “We’re All Preppy Now.” Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Jamelle: The films of Satoshi Kon, the legendary Japanese film director, animator, and screenwriter. Jamelle particularly enjoys Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress, which he calls a “love letter to mid-century Japanese filmmaking.” Julia: A recent tomato sandwich devotee, Julia endorses Eric Kim’s furikake tomato sandwich recipe for The New York Times. It calls for Wonder Bread, a bit of mayonnaise, heirloom tomatoes, and a sprinkling of the dry Japanese condiment. Nadira: British neo-funk electronic collective, Jungle, and the dance-based music videos for their latest album, Volcano, specifically “Candle Flame,” “Dominoes,” and viral sensation “Back on 74,” brilliantly choreographed by Shay Latukolan. Outro music: "Warefare" by Sandra Bjurman Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Hosts Julia Turner, Nadira Goffe, Jamelle Bouie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dana is joined by Slate’s books and culture columnist, Laura Miller, and senior editor Rebecca Onion (who are filling in for Julia and Stephen). The panel begins by unraveling Passages, the sexy but also, at times, repelling feature from director Ira Sachs about a complicated love triangle. The film received a controversial NC-17 rating from the Motion Picture Association. Then, they head to Detroit to discuss Justified: City Primeval, FX’s revival of the Raylan Givens cult classic that ran for six seasons. Finally, the three consider Michael Oher’s recent legal allegation that the Tuohy family (immortalized in the 2009 Oscar-winning movie The Blind Side) never really adopted him but instead, placed him in a conservatorship. It’s a scandal at the fascinating convergence of exploitation, fame, race, and adoption. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel examines nature writing and their relationship to the form, inspired by Jonathan Franzen’s essay for The New Yorker, “The Problem with Nature Writing.” Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Laura: Her quest for a new detective series (that isn’t stupid or cliché) is over: Laura endorses Deadloch, a Prime Video comedy set in Tasmania that’s equal parts genuine mystery and delicious social satire. Rebecca: Anya Liftig’s memoir, Holler Rat, beautifully recounts her upbringing where she often felt caught between two worlds: the comfortable, upper-middle-class life in Connecticut where she lived, and the summers spent in Appalachia, her mother’s home. Dana: A behind-the-scenes video for, what could potentially be the song of the summer, “I’m Just Ken” has just been released. In it, we see Ryan Gosling rehearsing and cameos from Greta Gerwig, Simu Liu and co-writer Mark Ronson, and it’s just super fun. Outro music: “I Want a Change” by The Big Let Down. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. This episode is sponsored by the podcast About the Journey. Learn more here: https://traveler.marriott.com/about-the-journey/ If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by dissecting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, a zany piece of intellectual property that’s been taken off the shelf by Jeff Rowe, Seth Rogan, and a slew of animators and turned into a critical darling. Then, the trio reviews The Retrievals, a five-part narrative podcast hosted by Susan Burton for The New York Times and Serial Productions that chronicles the systematic ways American healthcare continually denies, discounts, and ignores women’s pain through a series of events that unfolded at the Yale Fertility Clinic. Finally, they are joined by Wesley Morris, critic at large at The New York Times, to discuss his tour de force essay, “How Hip-Hop Conquered the World,” and how the history of the radical art form is as porous and complex as the nation itself. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel commemorates hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with a lightning round of personal accounts about their first encounters with the form. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: Since their conversation about Sinéad O’Connor a few weeks ago, Dana has dived even deeper into the late Irish singer/songwriter’s oeuvre. One gem she found was The Year of the Horse, a concert documentary recorded live in 1990 at Forest National, Brussels. It’s a fantastic snapshot of a live performance at a very specific time in O’Connor’s life. Julia: Taylor Swift fans! Julia recently attended Swift’s concert in Los Angeles and was struck by the overall kind, positive, and good vibes of the crowd. Fans of all ages and body types exchanged bracelets with one another, trading “Hi Barbie!” greetings, which made the concert-going experience feel even more special. Stephen: It may be difficult to convince a teenage girl in 2023 to listen to Tom Waits’ catalog, but Stephen has done exactly that: he created a playlist for his daughter called “Broken Bicycles,” which highlights Waits’ extraordinary ability to write a pop melody. Outro music: “Spinning Wheels” by Dusty Decks. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. This episode is sponsored by the podcast About the Journey. Learn more here: https://traveler.marriott.com/about-the-journey/ If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel is joined by pop critic and chart analyst (and host of Slate’s Hit Parade podcast) Chris Molanphy for our annual Summer Strut episode. The four dive into the longest listener-suggested summer playlist to date (this year, it’s a 682 song behemoth that adds up to approximately 42 hours!) and take turns in an electric, strut-ty roundtable discussion of their top picks. You can find their collective favorites here in the Summer Strut '23 Shortlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Ivpm4HVLsMw3LFwkgp7lw?si=90d2d26d65264157 To view Dana, Steve, Julia, and Chris's personal shortlists, and the original massive playlist, check out the Summer Strut show page at slate.com/culturefest. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel does an additional round of their Strut-iest picks. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. This episode is sponsored by the podcast About the Journey. Learn more here: https://traveler.marriott.com/about-the-journey/ If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by diving into Theater Camp, a mockumentary-style comedy about gloriously talented misfits. Then, they pay tribute to Sinéad O’Connor, the dearly missed Irish singer, songwriter, and activist whose 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live rocked the world. Then, the trio is joined by screenwriter (and co-host of the Scriptnotes podcast) John August to discuss the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, what’s going on in Hollywood, and how this “double strike” feels different than others past. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel chews over our relationships to our digits, inspired by the delightfully small yet cerebral piece by Charlie Warzel for The Atlantic, “In Praise of Phone Numbers.” Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: While not released on one of her albums, Sinéad O’Connor’s performance of “The Foggy Dew” with The Chieftains at the 1995 IRMA awards in Dublin perfectly captures the singer’s gift for singing live. Julia: A big fan of lighting candles at dinner, Julia recommends Mole Hollow, a Massachusetts-based company that produces stunning handmade candles in bright, vibrant colors. John: Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone’s novel, This is How You Lose the Time War, is a beautiful and intimate story with science fiction influences, told through the exchanging of letters, epistolary-style. Shout out to Twitter user @maskofbun for the viral recommendation. Stephen: He doesn’t normally join the bandwagon of clear winners, but Patrick Radden Keefe’s profile of art dealer Larry Gagosian for The New Yorker is so impressive, it left Stephen speechless. Outro music: “Forbidden Love” by OTE Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. This episode is sponsored by the podcast About the Journey. Learn more here: https://traveler.marriott.com/about-the-journey/ If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by examining Barbie, Greta Gerwig’s hot pink, record-breaking movie about the iconic Mattel doll. Then, the trio dives into Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which chronicles the life of the “Father of the Atomic Bomb,” and explores whether the film achieves its aims. Finally, they are joined by Slate’s Chris Molanphy to discuss the controversy behind country singer Jason Aldean’s latest song, “Try That In A Small Town.” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel is once again joined by Chris Molanphy to discuss all things Summer Strut. With the annual show just weeks away, the four pull back the curtain to detail their processes, weird observations, and more. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: In line with her theme of the week, “Yay movies and go, go, go to the theater,” Dana highly recommends Theater Camp, a delightful film by Ben Platt and Molly Gordon. Julia: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe for zucchini pasta with crispy capers and pistachios isn’t the sort of thing Julia would normally endorse (for one, it’s extremely laborious and you will need to fry individual basil leaves), but it’s vegan, a showstopper, and completely worth it. Stephen: In honor of the late singer, Stephen recommends two Tony Bennett albums: “The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album” (1975) and “Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall” (1962). Outro music: “Last Sunday” by OTE Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices