Episodes

  • On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: don’t scare me like that, colonizer.

    Understanding the legacy of colonialism is a project relatively few Americans have undertaken — and most have done so only relatively recently, at that.

    But understanding the forces that led to the foundation of this country, and the creation of modern racism as we know it, is an important project. And it’s one that is also increasingly hard to bring into schools — especially in places like Florida.

    Barry Mauer of UCF joins us once again to argue for teaching the ongoing project of colonialism… in the name of stopping it.

    If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: [email protected]

    Podcast production by Maura Currie.

    Want more Hear Me Out? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/hearmeoutplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • The trouble began when Sarah put a fern in front of her new condo. Nice, right? The woman who lives in the unit above didn’t think so, and without warning sent Sarah a slew of passive-aggressive notes. Sarah thinks it’s all a big misunderstanding, but now her neighbor refuses to even speak to her. Sarah is wracked with anxiety, struggling to sleep, and contemplating moving out. On this episode of How To!, we turn to stand-up comedian Tig Notaro, a cancer survivor and host of the new advice podcast Don’t Ask Tig, to help Sarah approach the situation with humor and clarity. When things don’t go your way, Tig says, you have to take back control of your own story. What would the hero in your favorite movie do? For Sarah, this means gardening with headphones and the Rocky theme on the soundtrack. 
    Do you have a problem that could use some humorous advice? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.
    If you liked this episode, check out “How To Talk to Strangers.”
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  • Before going on a kite-skiing trip to the Chilean mountains, Jim Harris and his longtime girlfriend broke up. She wanted to settle down, and he wanted to keep adventuring. On that trip, Jim broke his back and became paralyzed. After eight months of non-stop physical therapy his progress seemed to be stalled until one night at a concert he took magic mushrooms and noticed new movement in muscles that hadn’t worked since his accident. In this episode, Anna and Jim talk about his process of recovery, finding new identity, relationships, and ways to adventure and explore. 
    You can see Jim’s art and a portfolio of his wilderness adventures at PerpetualWeekend.com, and we first heard about Jim from an article in Outside Magazine.  
    Podcast production by Andrew Dunn.
    Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.
    And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].
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  • Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Pacers’ and Timberwolves’ Game 7 wins in the NBA’s conference semifinals. Slate’s Alex Kirshner also joins to talk about Scottie Scheffler’s arrest at the PGA Championship. Finally, they review Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s ultra-conservative commencement speech.

    NBA playoffs (3:11): Looking back at a pair of historic road victories.
     
    Scheffler (20:18): A bizarre weekend at Valhalla for the world’s no. 1 golfer.
     
    Butker (35:47): The Catholic football player launched himself into a culture war.

    Afterball (51:53): Stefan on where Giannis Antetokounmpo grew up and what he overcame.

    (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.)

    Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to June Thomas about her new book A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture. In the interview, June explains what it was like to bring journalistic rigor to a world that’s close to her heart. She also discusses her pivot to full-time book writing, the importance of passing history to future generations, and her use of the phrase “queer women” to describe a group that goes well beyond that label. 

    After the interview, Ronald and co-host Isaac Butler talk about culture and identity in their art. 

    In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, June designs her ideal queer space. 

    Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected] or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

    Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

    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 Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.
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  • In this week’s essay, John discusses the differences between moving around New York in 1991 and 2021; remembering 9/11 twenty years later; and more. 
     
    Notebook Entries:
    Notebook 75, page 12. September 2021
    Notebooks to Garret

    Notebook 75, page 13. September 2021
    Can you make a typo with handwriting? What’s a typo with handwriting called?

    Notebook 4. 1991
    We have to unplug the light to run the vacuum, so we do a lot of our vacuuming in the dark.

    Notebook 75. September 11, 2021
    Fritz want something?

    References:
    Smythson Notebooks in Blue
    9/11 ceremonies, events and coverage on 20th anniversary - CBS News
    Richard Drew on Photographing the “Falling Man” of 9/11 - CBS News

    Want to listen to Navel Gazing uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Navel Gazing and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/navelgazingplus to get access wherever you listen.
     
    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
    Email us at [email protected]
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  • Emily Bazelon talks with authors Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy, about their new book, Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals. They discuss the evolution of animal treatment in America, moral duties to animals, and how to care about more animals than our pets. 

    Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
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  • On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Aisha Harris, co-host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour and author of Wannabe: Reckonings With the Pop Culture That Shaped Me. The two discuss Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, the latest venture from the comedian behind the Emmy-award winning stand-up special Rothanial. In contrast, Reality Show has been greeted with a mixed critical reception but both Aisha and Rachelle agree that it’s a fascinating project by one of our generation’s most experimental comedians.
    This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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  • Drake didn’t know who he was messing with, and was never on Kendrick Lamar’s level in hip hop. That’s the verdict of cultural commentator and author Touré. On today’s episode of A Word, he joins host Jason Johnson to break down the meaning behind the brutal rap battle, and whether Not Like Us, BBL Drizzy, Family Matters and other songs central to the beef will rewrite the blueprint for diss tracks forever.

    Guest: Touré, host of the Touré Show podcast, and author of Nothing Compares 2 U: An Oral History of Prince 

    Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

    Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • The 2021 subreddit-coordinated effort to raise the price of Gamestop stock was, in some ways, a proof of concept: the little guy can get into the market and make some noise. Because even though that “meme stock” rose and fell, the idea of the meme stock went has changed the way our stock market works.

    Guest: Alex Kirshner, contributing writer for Slate.

    Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • Girl groups have long been underestimated—even by the producers and managers who created them.

    For women listeners, girl groups narrated profound emotions and expressed personal freedom—even when the singers were not so free themselves. For male listeners, girl groups provided inspiration, and a way to express matters of the heart.

    And for all listeners across rock and soul history, girl groups pushed music forward. In the ’60s, the Shirelles, Marvelettes, Ronettes and Shangri-Las kept rock afloat between Elvis Presley and the Beatles. In the ’70s and ’80s, girl groups from the Emotions to Exposé rebooted dance music. In the ’90s, En Vogue, TLC and Destiny’s Child fused hip-hop style with old-school soul—and the Spice Girls fired up a new generation through Girl Power.

    Join Chris Molanphy as we shimmy and strut through decades of bops to give girl groups the respect they deserve. You’ll love them tomorrow, because friendship never ends.

    Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.

    Want more Hit Parade? Join Slate Plus to unlock monthly early-access episodes. Plus, you’ll get ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • In this episode, Kiese Laymon (author of Long Division, How to Slowly Kill Yourself in America, and Heavy: An American Memoir) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to convince your strict religious parents to let you go to an out-of-state college, whether to report a coworker’s insensitive gym behavior to HR, and how to deal with a mom who forgets to take her medication and immediately uses a racial slur.
    If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.
    Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.
    This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie.
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  • On this episode: Jamilah sits down with author Ruby Russell to talk about her new book, Doing It All: The Social Power of Single Motherhood. They talk about the ways that single mothers upend the patriarchy — and why that’s a good thing.

    Lucy, Elizabeth, and Zak also circle up for a round of triumphs and fails — including an epic saga involving a hospital in the Philippines.

    Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.

    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 Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus to help support our work.

    Podcast produced by Maura Currie.
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  • When Miss USA abdicated her throne, people noticed that the first letters of each sentence of her resignation letter spell out “I am silenced.” Shortly thereafter, Miss Teen USA stepped down with a letter that opens with a quote from Nietzsche. 

    What’s going on at the Miss USA organization? Has the idea of a national pageant outlived its usefulness?

    Guest: Constance Grady, senior Culture correspondent for Vox. 

    Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler are joined by author Justin Taylor, to discuss the process behind his new novel, Reboot. Taylor published numerous short pieces, as well as a memoir, during the years he spent writing this novel, yet it took multiple iterations before this book felt right. Later they share tips for persevering through long creative processes and discuss how to find the finish line.

    Do you have questions or advice of your own about the creative process? Reach out at (304) 933-9675 or email us at [email protected].  

    Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews.
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  • Rachelle and Candice dive into their mutual obsession: the Selling Sunset subreddit. Across seven seasons, the Netflix reality show has taken viewers into a glamorous and over-the-top real estate agency in Los Angeles. Aside from selling mansions, the show’s most successful endeavor has been its online community, built on social media platforms like Reddit. r/SellingSunset has more than 250,000 followers with eagle-eyed fans posting daily about episode plotlines and off-season social media activity. Following the release of Selling the OC’s third season, ICYMI is rounding up the subreddit’s favorite moments from the original series and throwing in a few of their own.
    This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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  • This week Bryan and Jules are joined by new contributor Mathew Rodriguez for a round of advice. They tackle who gets to use ‘they’, raising polite and inclusive kids, and help one listener navigate the aggressive gender politics of straight weddings.
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  • For many Americans, wellness is about mitigating and navigating disease. They’re looking for reliable ways to live healthier, longer lives.
    But some are thinking even bigger than that and looking beyond what doctors view as the standard lifespan: 10, 20, 30, even 40 years beyond it. These people are often called “biohackers.”
    On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk to someone who’s considered the “Father of Biohacking” Dave Asprey on what exactly this movement is, and whether is it feasible for people who aren’t ridiculously rich.
    If you liked this episode, check out: We Don’t Need to Cure Autism
    Well, Now is hosted by Kavita Patel and Maya Feller.
    Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.
    Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to [email protected] 
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  • On this week’s show, the hosts begin by dissecting The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth chapter in the Apes franchise. Set “many generations” in the future, the latest installment (directed by Wes Ball and starring Owen Teague) is an undeniably well-crafted summer blockbuster – but does it achieve the level of complexity and thought its predecessors did? (Read Dana’s review for Slate for further analysis.) Then, it’s onto John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA, a six-part live Netflix special that aired during the streaming giant’s comedy festival. The conceit is thus: Netflix is a Joke attracts the best comedians in the world to LA, John Mulaney interviews them. But the final product is much stranger than that description, both a rejection and reinvention of the tired late-night talk show format, in which Mulaney interviews celebrities and non-celebrities, airs sketches, and delivers long monologues on the character of LA. Is Everybody’s in LA chaotic and sloppy, or a ragged delight? Our panel discusses. Finally, the trio is joined by Slate’s music critic, Carl Wilson, to eulogize the legendary musician and “producing engineer” (his preferred title) Steve Albini. Known for recording albums with Joanna Newsom, Nirvana, and the Pixies, among others, Albini considered himself a documentarian of sound and a technical expert, and brought his punk-rock ethic to everything he did. Read Steve Albini’s essay, “The Problem with Music” and his letter to Nirvana.
    In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses cultural arbitrage with Slate’s music critic, Carl Wilson, inspired by W. David Marx’s essay for The Atlantic, “The Diminishing Returns of Having Good Taste.” 
    Email us at [email protected]
    Endorsements:
    Dana: “Who’s Afraid of Judith Butler?” – a profile of the philosopher and gender theorist by Parul Sehgal for The New Yorker.
    Julia: “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter.
    Stephen: The delightful, catchy, and exuberant (with a tincture of melancholy) music of New Zealand band, Yumi Zuma. (Check out Steve’s playlist here.) 
    Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 
    Hosts
    Dana Stephens, Julia Turner, Stephen Metcalf
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  • Vivian’s eating disorder started in college. She meticulously tracked calories and the number on the scale. Once she graduated she became less rigid with food, but her fixation with numbers took a new form: budgeting and saving money. In this episode, Anna talks to Vivian about her long and complicated relationship to mental math, how tracking calories and paychecks has helped distract her from painful loss, and how she’s managing with her money anxieties now as she plans a wedding and prenup.
    Want to hear more about relationships and money? Check out an episode we made all about wedding costs last summer. And if you heard last week’s episode about a mobile health care clinic in rural Virginia, we have an important update from local reporting on the high levels of executive pay at the Health Wagon, which just prompted the Virginia legislature to cancel $800,000 of line item funding for the nonprofit. It's a developing story we'll be following.
    Podcast production by Zoe Azulay 
    Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.
    And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].
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