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PODCAST

Culture Gabfest

New York Times critic Dwight Garner says “The Slate Culture Gabfest is one of the highlights of my week.” The award-winning Culturefest features critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner debating the week in culture, from highbrow to pop. For more of Slate’s culture podcasts, check out the Slate Culture feed.Want more Culture Gabfest? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on

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All Episodes

58:48

A Haunting in Venice Kicks Off Spooky Season

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/09/20

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

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53:23

Is Rotten Tomatoes Certified Rotten?

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/09/13

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

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56:35

Bottoms Queers the High School Comedy

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/09/06

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

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59:35

Gran Turismo is Cynical and Glorious

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/08/30

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

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58:32

Passages Is Not For the Prudes

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/08/23

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

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58:07

Ninja Turtle...Masterpiece?

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/08/16

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

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70:26

Summer Strut 2023

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/08/09

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

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56:26

Theater Camp Breaks a Leg

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/08/02

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

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56:49

Barbenheimer Blockbuster Bonanza

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/07/26

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

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58:53

Tom Cruises Off a Cliff

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/07/19

This week, Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe fills in for Julia. The panel begins by discussing Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Tom Cruise’s latest romp against rogue A.I. Then, the trio review Wham!, a bittersweet and perhaps hollow documentary following the ‘80s English pop duo’s rise to fame. Then, they explore Spill, a new image-based platform claiming to be the next “Black Twitter” and its role in the current social media landscape. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel

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62:53

Tom Cruises Off a Cliff

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/07/19

This week, Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe fills in for Julia. The panel begins by discussing Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Tom Cruise’s latest romp against rogue A.I. Then, the trio review Wham!, a bittersweet and perhaps hollow documentary following the ‘80s English pop duo’s rise to fame. Then, they explore Spill, a new image-based platform claiming to be the next “Black Twitter” and its role in the current social media landscape. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the

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58:09

A Raunchy Joy Ride

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/07/12

This week, Slate writer and editor Dan Kois fills in for Julia. The panel begins by breaking down Joy Ride, Adele Lim’s raunchy first feature about four Chinese-American friends. Then, the panel dives into the second season of the reality show Claim to Fame. Finally, they examine the commodification of storytelling, inspired by Parul Sehgal’s essay “The Tyranny of the Tale” for The New Yorker. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses pickleball, America’s fastest growing

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57:07

Indiana Jones and the Lady From Fleabag

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/07/05

This week, the panel begins by examining the final Indiana Jones crusade (probably), Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny. Then, they debate Boots Riley’s daring new television show, I’m a Virgo. Finally, the trio considers Turner Classic Movies and the fate of the beloved TV network. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel dives into the reliably controversial Agnes Callard’s latest piece, “The Case Against Travel.” Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: “The Joy of

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59:29

The Bear's Second Course

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/06/28

This week, the panel begins with the question: is The Bear’s second season even better than its first? Then, the trio discusses Jennifer Lawrence’s new “sex” comedy, No Hard Feelings. Finally, they examine an essay by Jonah Weiner of Blackbird Spyplane, “Is Ssense hurting the cool-clothes eco-system?” about the online clothing emporium that’s growing like a weed. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel dives into former New York Times film critic—and current Book Review critic—A.O. Scott’s

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60:37

Black Mirror Shows Netflix Its Ugly Reflection

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/06/21

This week, Dana Stevens is joined first by Slate senior editor Sam Adams and ICYMI co-host Candice Lim to examine Wes Anderson’s latest film, Asteroid City. Then, the trio discusses why the sixth season of Black Mirror feels so disjointed. Finally, Dana and Candice explore the ethics of true crime content—and its devout followers—with Slate podcast producer and host Cheyna Roth inspired by a recent piece by The Atlantic, “The Gross Spectacle of Murder Fandom.” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment,

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55:49

Closed Captions: On or Off?

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/06/14

This week, the panel is first joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams to review Past Lives, Celine Song’s gentle yet affecting directorial debut. Then, Dana and Stephen dive into The Ultimatum: Queer Love with Slate’s June Thomas. Finally, the trio debate the virtues of closed captioning, based on a recent piece by The Atlantic, “Why Is Everyone Watching TV With the Subtitles On?” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Dana and Stephen are joined by Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion to discuss the

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56:25

The Spider-Verse Proliferates

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/06/07

This week, the panel begins by unraveling Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Then, the three discuss Platonic, a new Apple TV+ show starring Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen. Finally, they are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie to examine the surprisingly wholesome journalism storyline found in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel reflects on their professional lives with a listener question: What is your relationship to your work after you’ve

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58:41

Did the Succession Finale Succeed?

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/05/31

This week, the panel begins by dissecting (and spoiling) the Succession finale. Then, the three discuss You Hurt My Feelings, a great new comedy by writer/director Nicole Holofcener starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Finally, they examine the Obama’s Netflix docuseries Working: What We Do All Day. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel gets deep with a question from Julia Turner: What is one small life thing you’re absolutely terrible at? Email us at

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56:26

Sanctuary Is No Fifty Shades of Grey

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/05/24

This week, Slate’s senior editor Rebecca Onion fills in for Julia. The panel begins by examining Sanctuary, a claustrophobic BDSM thriller starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. Then, they debate Freevee’s hard-to-define “reality” series Jury Duty. Finally, Dana and Stephen are joined by Slate music critic Chris Molanphy to discuss Morgan Wallen and his number one song, “Last Night” and the nature of cancel culture. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel talks about Martha

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58:29

How the BlackBerry Got Squashed

Culture Gabfest ·

2023/05/17

This week, Dana, Julia, and Stephen start by talking about the movie BlackBerry. Then they discuss the new Peacock series Bupkis. Finally, Slate’s Isaac Butler sits in to talk about the questions around Shakespeare’s identity that refuse to die. In Slate Plus, Steve's recent move and how physical place relates to phases of life. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: The vibes-based playlists on Matthew Perpetua’s YouTube channel Julia: Amityville: An Origin Story on MGM+ and

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1,333 results

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