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.


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Entertainment News
Arts
Film Reviews
451
Radio Radio Edition
Stephen Metcalf and Dana Stevens discuss the career of Elvis Costello on the heels of his recent memoir, "Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink" with Slate's Carl Wilson, Drake's viral Hotline Bling video with Slate's Leon Neyfakh, and Adele's...
53 min
452
Ah Aliens, Ah Humanity Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss CW's musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, whether NASA has discussed a super alien race with Slate's Bad Astronomer Phil Plait, and the digitally annotated Bartleby the Scrivener with Slate's...
56 min
453
Pry This Lectern Out of My Cold Dead Hands Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Laura Miller discuss Spielberg's Cold War Movie "Bridge of Spies," Kathryn Schultz’s recent New Yorker takedown of Henry David Thoreau, and whether the lecture still has a place in the college...
51 min
454
If Only Garfield Had Taken Off His Clothes Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Rahmin Bahrani's latest film 99 Homes, our identity obsession with Wesley Morris, and Dana Stevens's travelogue meditation about her recent trip to Japan. The Slate Culture Gabfest is...
57 min
455
#TeenLife Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the blockbuster science movie The Martian, Fox's standout fall TV show The Grinder, and whether Hamlet is fat.The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Braintree. Looking to set up...
51 min
456
Sugar and Spice and Blood Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss ABC's How To Get Away Murder with Slate's TV critic Willa Paskin. Plus, we're joined by Jody Rosen, the critic at large for "T" the style magazine of The New York Times, to talk about Ryan Adams...
67 min
457
Live from Chicago Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens are live in Chicago this week and discuss the film Black Mass, the sketch comedy of Second City, and the cultural phenomenon known as Donald Trump.The Slate Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Open...
79 min
458
Hot and Cold Running Sonnets
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the FXX anti-romantic comedy "You're the Worst," Stephen Colbert's late night debut, and whether it's OK to be a Luddite.
51 min
459
Binocular G Edition
Dana Steves, Willa Paskin, and Seth Stevenson discuss FX CEO John Landgraf’s recent remarks about how there is “simply too much television” available today, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen IFC mockumentary series Documentary Now, and...
46 min
460
Bullets or Exposition Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Slate's Laura Miller discuss Narcos, Netflix original series about the Medellín drug cartel, Jonathan Franzen's new book Purity, and the refusal of some first-year students at Duke to read Allison...
49 min
461
"Will There Be a Zombie Around the Corner?" Edi...
Julia Turner and June Thomas discuss the film Diary of a Teenage Girl with Slate's Laura Miller, the Walking Dead pre-quel, Fear of Walking Dead with Slate's Mike Vuolo, and the Ashley Madison hack with Slate's Amanda Hess.
59 min
462
911 is a Leitmotif Edition
Stephen Metcalf and Julia Turner discuss the HBO mini-series Show Me A Hero based on a landmark housing integration case with Slate's Jamelle Bouie, the N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton with Slate's John Swansburg, and Amazon work...
61 min
463
Lite in August Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Seth Stevenson discuss Netflix's Wet Hot American Summer reboot, the David Foster Wallace biopic End of Tour with Slate's Jessica Winter, and the morals of air conditioning.
50 min
464
#Squadgoals Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the Mission Impossible franchise's latest installment, Rogue Nation, girl squads with Slate's Katy Waldman, and the problem of country music for people who don't like country with Carl...
45 min
465
Go Set a Pet Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss The Look of Silence, filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer's companion to his 2012 documentary The Act of Killing. Also, Slate's national correspondent, Will Saletan, talks about GMOs and fearmongering....
63 min
466
Haders Gonna Hade, Hackers Gonna Hack, Gawkers ...
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Amy Schumer's debut film Trainwreck, the cyberpunk thriller Mr. Robot on USA Network, and the latest dustup at Gawker. The Slate Culture Gabfest is sponsored by the Great Courses,...
50 min
467
What a Long Strange Trip We Ignored Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the TV show Catastrophe, the Grateful Dead with Slate's John Swansburg, and the book The Next Next Level with author Leon Neyfakh. The Slate Culture Gabfest is sponsored by Harry's, the...
56 min
468
It's Not Bro Time It's Go Time Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Slate's Mike Pesca discuss Magic Mike XXL, the Nina Simone documentary "What Happened, Miss Simone?", and whether the American actor is in decline. Slate's Culture Gabfest is sponsored by Boll & Branch,...
54 min
469
Quinquennial Strut Edition
Julia Turner, Dana Stevens, and Slate's Chris Molanphy discuss the Brian Wilson biopic Love and Mercy, the songs of summer (or not), and reveal their favorite summer struts for 2015.
61 min
470
Life, Money, Art Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Pixar's latest film Inside Out, the art of currency design, and tour the new Whitney Museum with curator Scott Rothkopf.Slate's Culture Gabfest is sponsored by Squarespace. Start building your...
67 min
471
"Should We Consult Here or in My Bungalow?" Edi...
Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and June Thomas discuss the Hollywood's latest reboot of Jurassic World, the legacy of Ornette Coleman with Slate's Fred Kaplan, and interview the United States' new poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera. Slate...
51 min
472
The Culture Gabfest: Spy. UnReal. Wow. Episode
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the film Spy starring Melissa McCarthy, Lifetime's fictional reality tv show UnReal, and finally guest Dan Kois joins to talk about his recent visit to the Clickhole writers’ room.Our...
52 min
473
Whack-A-Guest Edition
Stephen Metcalf and Dana Stevens are joined by Emily Bazelon to talk about Laura Kipnis and Title IX, Rebecca Onion to discuss whether generation titles are bogus, and Carl Wilson to talk about Jim O'Rourke's new album Simple Songs.This episode of...
53 min
474
I See Floating Hearts Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss M. Night Shyamalan's TV show Wayward Pines, the webcam app Periscope, and whether nerd culture is dumbing down cinema with Slate's Jamelle Bouie.This episode is brought to you by Squarespace....
47 min
475
Badass Matriarchy Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss George Miller's Mad Max remake and the Mad Men finale with Slate's Jessica Winter and John Swansburg.The Slate Culture Gabfest is sponsored by NatureBox, shipping tasty and guilt-free snacks...
48 min