Decoder Ring
Decoder Ring is the show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.
1
Can the “Bookazine” Save Magazines?
Why is there a magazine all about Robert Redford in the CVS checkout lane?
33 min
2
Andrew Wyeth's Secret Nudes (Encore)
Why did America’s favorite artist hide 240 pieces of artwork from his wife?
50 min
3
Why Stylists Rule the Red Carpet
Avery Trufelman and Melissa Rivers on what the fashion police hath wrought.
38 min
4
The Gen X Soda That Was Just "OK"
Thirty years ago, OK Soda arrived in select stores and offered up a fizzy irony.
39 min
5
Why Do So Many Coffee Shops Look the Same?
Algorithms are shaping our world, even down to latte art.
29 min
6
2024 Teaser
1 min
7
The Forgotten Video Game About Slavery
In 1992, the company behind The Oregon Trail tried to simulate Black history. It did not go well.
43 min
8
The Dating Manual Unlike Any Other
The Rules became a controversial bestseller and sparked instant debate. But was the advice any good?
33 min
9
Mailbag: The Recorder, Limos, and “Baby on Boar...
We answer your questions about the ubiquitous musical instrument, ‘80s automotive luxury, and more.
36 min
10
When Art Pranksters Invaded Melrose Place
In the mid-1990s, an artist collective smuggled its provocative work onto the set of the hit TV show.
37 min
11
The Fast Decline of the Slow Dance
The rise and fall of an awkward rite of passage.
41 min
12
Fall 2023 Teaser
1 min
13
Think Catchphrases Are Dead? Eat My Shorts.
Bless up: It’s a whole episode about “Doh!”, “Dealbreaker!” and “Did I do that?”
36 min
14
The Quest for a Homemade Hovercraft
With his scouting days long over, a Slate producer enlists his dad for one last merit badge.
38 min
15
A Brief History of Making Out
Is deep kissing a universal human behavior?
32 min
16
What's Really Going On Inside a Mosh Pit?
The etiquette, science and enduring appeal of a concertgoing ritual.
29 min
17
The Great Parmesan Cheese Debate
Is a Wisconsin version more authentic than its beloved Italian counterpart?
40 min
18
Summer 2023 Teaser
On the new season of Decoder Ring: Cultural mysteries about a beloved Italian cheese, the science of mosh pits and a brief history of passionate kissing.
1 min
19
Who Owns the Tooth Fairy?
The Tooth Fairy’s freak flag is still flying.
34 min
20
Why You Can’t Find a Damn Parking Spot
Parking is a mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. We can get ourselves out of it.
33 min
21
The Artist Who Was Both Loved and Disdained
The painter LeRoy Neiman was adored by many Americans—but not the art critics.
33 min
22
The Curious Case of Columbo's Message to Romani...
Why does no one remember the T.V. detective’s Cold War missive?
36 min
23
The Curious Case of Columbo's Message to Romani...
Was the cigar-chomping detective also a Cold War diplomat?
39 min
24
Spring 2023 Teaser
Decoder Ring's upcoming season.
1 min
25
Slate Plus Exclusive: The Making of This Season
1 min