I love Hit Parade but this lullaby of broadway episode GOT ME. Loved hearing about the intersection of pop music and broadway cast recordings through the ages. You guys, listen to the end. You won’t be sorry. Epic performance of Requiem, little dude. Congratulations!

I value this podcast because it always exposes me to something in the forefront of culture, and a range of things. I did not love the hosts on first listen, but they have grown on me over time. Often I find myself bringing up something I heard on culture gabfest to friends or my partner to chew it over. I appreciate the new things I learn from this!

I love this show and have listened for years but lately feel like there have been *so many* other podcast episodes in the feed. I just counted and 11 of the last 15 episodes were non-Gabfest ones: episodes of Spoiler Special, Hit Parade, Decoder Ring, and Flashback, none of which I’m signed up for or interested in. I understand doing one feature episode to introduce a new podcast but posting continued episodes in this feed is making me nuts.

I’ve been listening to this for 7 years and just realized I am long overdue to post a review. When I first started listening, I was turned off by the obnoxiousness of the host and guests. I thought I’d stick around if only to pick up a bit of vocabulary and modestly improve my pop culture literacy. Turns out that Stephen, Dana and Julia grow on you over time. I became hooked. I feel like my week isn’t complete if I don’t have me-time to listen to this show.

This is a podcast that I’ve enjoyed, and is nice for appearing on a Wednesday when everything else comes out on Tuesday or Thursday, but after the latest instance of sponsored content creep I unsubscribed.

This podcast is at its best when it is limited to the three principals—if someone is away, they should not bring in other Slate writers to co-host because it is painful to listen to the fluff and sentence fragments of other Slate writers who manage to say nothing at all insightful yet with outpaced ego. Stevens, Metcalf, and Turner have a delicate balance of thoughtfulness, erudition, openness, and speak in full sentences. When other voices interrupt that, it’s a disappointing podcast week.

Are there new hosts on this pod? I listened to The Handmaid's Tale S2 spoiler hosted by Christina Cauterucci, Veralyn Williams and Lena Wilson. It was interesting but Veralyn Williams interrupted the other hosts at least 4 times by my count. Interrupting is a pod pet peeve of mine, never did get to hear the end of points the hosts were trying to make before the interruptions. —- The regular hosts are prone to casually spoiling. “Spoiler Alerts” are supposed to come before one spoils the viewing experience for others, not after.

It would take too long to describe how boring, self-indulgent, and truly out of date these folks’ opinions and reviews are. So I am going to find another pop culture podcast that has some actual taste. I suggest anyone reading this do the same.

I have been subscribed to this podcast for ages, and I used to like it, but I agree with everyone who says the show has become jaded and kind of dull. Steve didn't used to believe his own hype and the hosts had a kind of self-deprecating humour in previous years, but now they seem overly smug. My real issue is how a podcast that has one episode a week is constantly spamming other Slate crap I have absolutely no interest in. I don't want any of these other pods. Put them in their own feeds, and stop trying to make me like Mike Pesca. Not going to happen.

I was interested in a real critical review of Anderson’s new movie. Instead I stopped it midway after the thousandth “like” from one of the reviewers, Inkoo, and how she “like” hated all his work “like” since the beginning of time. How is this person employed? I wanted to hear some takes on what was problematic about his film and it’s treatment of people of colour. Avoid this podcast.