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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501
"How Could You?" Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the Cosby scandal with Grantland writer Wesley Morris, the legacy of director Mike Nichols, and the cultural things the Gabbers are thankful for this year.
58 min
502
The Superfest East, Live in Brooklyn Edition
Culturefest joins the Political Gabfest and Hang Up and Listen, onstage at the Music Hall of Williamsburg with emcee Dan Kois, for a blockbuster show in front of a live audience.
75 min
503
A Rip Van Winkle in Time Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the film Interstellar, Lisa Kudrow's comeback TV series "The Comeback," and London taxi drivers' test The Knowledge with writer Jody Rosen.
57 min
504
The New York Review of Taylor Swift Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the shapeshifting Taylor Swift's latest incarnation with Slate music critic Carl Wilson, the documentary film about The New York Review of Books, 50 Year Argument, and Hollaback's...
59 min
505
Watching the Watchers Do the Watching Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the Edward Snowden documentary CitizenFour with Fred Kaplan, the camp TV comedy Jane the Virgin, and the human cost of protecting us from the Internet with Adrian Chen.
55 min
506
Live from Boston Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the new Alejandro González Iñárritu film Birdman and revel in the absurdity of "Sexiest Woman Alive" features. They also talk poetry with former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky.
89 min
507
Find Your Biatch Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss This American Life's wildly popular spinoff show Serial, talk with Dan Pashman about his book Eat More Better, and debate Zadie Smith's essay about New York.
59 min
508
You and Your Strange Ways Here in Hollywood Edi...
In a special live show in Los Angeles, Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens try to bridge the gulf between West Coast culture creators and East Coast critics. The Gabbers talk with actors Jenny Slate and Natasha Lyonne;...
90 min
509
That Balloon Dog Didn't Make Itself Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens take a tour the Jeff Koons exhibit at the Whitney Museum with curator Scott Rothkopf, and discuss the myth of the self-made man with Slate's John Swansburg.
67 min
510
If Bono Were a Chess Piece Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf and Julia Turner discuss U2 with Slate music writer Carl Wilson, the ignored world of competitive chess with Seth Stevenson, and Shonda Rhimes and representation with Slate's TV critic Willa Paskin.
53 min
511
"Oh, Grow Up!" Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss A.O Scott's article which asks, "Who or what killed adulthood?", fingerprint words, and whether Apple Watch is the beginning of our wearable future.
54 min
512
Talk of Shame Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens answer listeners calls from the Slate retreat at Mohonk Mountain.
60 min
513
Vancouver, France Edition
On this week's Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and David Haglund discuss Whit Stillman's Amazon pilot "The Cosmopolitans," the online gaming and spectator sport TV channel Twitch.tv, and whether it's good to be against the against...
50 min
514
Mmmm...Simpsons Edition
On this week's Culture Gabfest, Julia Turner, John Swansburg, and David Haglund discuss FXX's Simpson's marathon, the independent twist-filled romance The One I Love, and the Ice Bucket Challenge craze.
63 min
515
Precision of Language Edition
On this week's Slate Culture Gabfest, Slate critics Dana Stevens, Julia Turner, and guest Dan Kois discuss the film The Giver, ironic misandry, and the makings of a memorable movie soundtrack.
53 min
516
The Culture Gabfest: Good Night, Robin Williams...
Slate critics Dana Stevens, Julia Turner, and guest John Swansburg discuss the inestimable actor and comedian Robin Williams' career, Cinemax's the turn-of-the-century hospital drama The Knick, and the weather.
55 min
517
The Culture Gabfest: Not That Gomorrah Edition
Slate critics Steve Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Marvel's latest franchise movie Guardians of the Galaxy, whether plagiarism is that big of a deal, and the intricacies of writing a new Gabfest theme song with composer Nick Britell.
53 min
518
The Culture Gabfest: The Dumb Culture Gabfest E...
Slate critics Julia Turner, Dana Stevens, and Dan Kois discuss the Nathan Fielder's absurd advice on his Comedy Central TV show "Nathan For You," Blake Lively's lifestyle website Preserve, and the surprising literary power of children's books.
60 min
519
The Culture Gabfest: Ape Not Kill Ape Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the dark and violent sequel Dawn of the Apes, whether potato salad caused Kickstarter to jump the shark, and the timelessness of Weird Al Yankovic.
47 min
520
The Culturefest: Migrating Buns Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Richard Linklater's new movie Boyhood, whether E!'s plastic surgery reality show Botched actually has a moral universe, and whether Tinder is as female-friendly as it bills itself...
47 min
521
The Culture Gabfest: Babbling Brooks Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and guest June Thomas discuss the action blockbuster and political allegory film Snowpiercer, the campy and catty British TV import Vicious, and David Brooks tells us that we should all strive to be deep.
47 min
522
The Culture Gabfest: Grief Sandwich Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and guest John Swansburg discuss the rom com spoof They Came Together, the rapturously dark HBO show "The Leftovers," and The Onion's new clickbait parody website Clickhole.
47 min
523
Slate Culture Gabfest: Summer Strut 2014 Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss ABC Family's radical TV show The Fosters with Slate's June Thomas, the ethics of landmark conservation, and the results of this year's listener callout for summer songs that will...
50 min
524
The Culture Gabfest: This is Sparta Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss if the movie 22 Jump Street is too self aware to be any good, whether poetry can go mainstream, and how to predict your song of the summer with Slate's Chris Molanphy.
53 min
525
The Culture Gabfest: Re-Stephening Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner and Dana Stevens discuss the film Obvious Child, a movie that is radically blase about abortion, whether adults should be embarrassed to read Young Adult literature, and the case for bringing Home Economics...
47 min