Culture Gabfest

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Culture Gabfest
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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 Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Culture Gabfest show page. Or, visit slate.com/cultureplus to get access wherever you listen.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Babygirls and Nickel Boys

    On this week’s show, Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe sits in for Stephen. First, the panel explores Babygirl and its kinks. The latest feature from Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn stars Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, and is fascinated by sex (mostly, as a concept.) Then, the three puzzle over Nickel Boys and the film’s audacious use of first-person point-of-view in filmmaker RaMell Ross’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Nickel Boys. Finally, what does a Hollywood smear campaign look like? The trio discusses the messy legal and PR conflict embroiling Blake Lively and former It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel checks in with Julia and production assistant Kat, as they share their experiences of the L.A. wildfires.   Email us at culturefest@slate.com.  Endorsements: Nadira: Transa by Red Hot Org. Specifically, “Is It Cold In The Water” performed by Moses Sumney and ANOHNI. Julia: Niksa sleep masks. Dana: Exploring your local college radio stations. She likes WFUV (owned by Fordham University) and Columbia University’s WKCR.  Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 18m

  2. 1 DAY AGO · BONUS • SLATE PLUS ONLY

    Bonus: Checking In with Julia and About the L.A. Wildfires

    On the exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, Julia and production assistant Kat recount their experiences in Los Angeles during the unprecedented wildfires. For resources and information, check out Mutual Aid LA’s spreadsheet. Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

    18 min

  3. 8 JAN

    The Brutalist’s Outsized Ambition

    On this week’s show, it’s an all-movie week! Isaac Butler — author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act and host of the new Criterion Channel series, The Craft of Acting — sits in for Stephen Metcalf. First, the panel explores The Brutalist, director Brady Corbet’s two-part epic following the life of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-born Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust then emigrates to the United States. Then, the three unpack Carry-On, an action thriller set in Los Angeles International Airport. It’s a well-made film with a dumb concept, and smashed Netflix records over the holiday. Finally, it’s that time of year again: Dana leads the panel through Slate’s Movie Club 2024, a cherished tradition in which she chats with other critics over email about the year in cinema. (Read her first post, here.) In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the all-movie theme continues, as the three spoil The Brutalist.   Email us at culturefest@slate.com.  Endorsements: Dana: Adaptation, directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman.  Julia: A two-part endorsement: (1) My Cousin Vinny and (2) the production design of Three Men and a Baby (that apartment!)  Isaac: “Eat What You Kill,” a masterfully reported piece by J. David McSwane for ProPublica.  Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 13m

  4. 8 JAN · BONUS • SLATE PLUS ONLY

    Bonus: The Brutalist is a Magic Trick

    On this week’s exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, Isaac Butler — author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act and host of the new Criterion Channel series, The Craft of Acting — sits in for Stephen Metcalf. Strap in as the panel spoils (and attempts to excavate meaning from) The Brutalist, director Brady Corbet’s overwhelming awards season darling. What is he trying to say with this film, exactly? Why do prominent characters suddenly fall away from the story? They discuss it all.

    21 min

  5. 2 JAN · BONUS • SLATE PLUS ONLY

    Bonus: Annual Call-In Show 2024 (Extra Special Question Edition)

    On this week’s exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, the panel dishes about pottery. Listener Dave asks: “what's your relationship to pottery? How do you drink your hot beverages in the morning or throughout the day? And then, is it okay to use an art object utilitarianly?” Oh, and the hosts have a lot to say.

    19 min

  6. 1 JAN

    Annual Call-In Show 2024

    On this week’s show, it’s one of the Gabfest’s most cherished traditions: the yearly call-in show. Dana, Julia, and Stephen answer listen-submitted questions that run the gamut – can cooking for one be a joy? Should philosophy be studied more? And how did you make your most recent friend?  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel dishes about pottery. Listener Dave asks: “what's your relationship to pottery? How do you drink your hot beverages in the morning or throughout the day? And then, is it okay to use an art object utilitarianly?” Oh, and the hosts have a lot to say.  Email us at culturefest@slate.com.  Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 7m

  7. 19/12/2024 · BONUS • SLATE PLUS ONLY

    Bonus: The Show Must Go On Edition

    On this week’s bonus episode, the panel travels down memory lane and discusses their history on stage: what roles they played, the reviews they received, and the first time someone had to flirt publicly.

    20 min

  8. 18/12/2024

    Ted Danson, Gumshoe Grandpa

    On this week’s show, the hosts indulge in the cozy pleasures of A Man on the Inside, a six-part Netflix series from showrunner and feel-good sitcom vet Michael Schur. Ted Danson stars as a grieving retired professor who is offered the chance to start life anew – and goes undercover inside a San Francisco retirement home. Then, the trio dives into The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s most daring — and most dangerous — film yet. Finally, the panel considers Kyle Chayka’s piece for the New Yorker, “2024 Is the Year Creators Took Over,” and discusses a few who stand out, including Haliey Welch, a.k.a. the “Hawk Tuah” girl.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel travels down memory lane and discusses their history on stage: what roles they played, the reviews they received, and the first time someone had to flirt publicly.   Email us at culturefest@slate.com.  Endorsements: Dana: Defector! Particularly, this piece by Patrick Redford, “The Hawk Tuah Memecoin Rug Pull Is the Apotheosis of Bag Culture.” Julia: In the Culture Gabfest’s first rewind endorsement, a clip from Julia that she still stands by to this day: her riffing on The Clapper sound activated light switch.  Steve: Brad Mehldau’s After Bach and After Bach II.  Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 9m
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Hosts & Guests

About

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 Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Culture Gabfest show page. Or, visit slate.com/cultureplus to get access wherever you listen.

Information

  • Channel
    Slate Podcasts
  • Creator
    Slate Podcasts
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    754
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2019 The Slate Group
  • Show Website
    Culture Gabfest
  • Provider
    The Slate Group LLC

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