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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576
The Culture Gabfest: The "Hurry Up with My Damn...
Slate's culture critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and June Thomas discuss Kanye West's "Yeezus" with Forrest Wickman and Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" with Glen Weldon. Also, they weigh the virtues of ambivalence. Show notes at www.slate.com/culturefest.
42 min
577
The Culture Gabfest: The Selfie Duckface Edition
Slate's culture critics Stephen Metcalf and June Thomas are joined by Nina Rastogi to discuss "Game of Thrones" (warning: spoilers), Joss Whedon's adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing", and the phenomenon of the "Selfie." Show notes at
40 min
578
The Culture Gabfest: Bondage Trousers Edition
Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss the new show "Graceland" with Meredith Blake, The "Punk: Chaos to Couture" exhibit at the Met with Simon Doonan and hating cultural objects with Slate's Carl Wilson.
50 min
579
The Culture Gabfest: Palatial Kitsch Edition
Slate's own Dana Stevens, June Thomas and David Haglund discuss "Before Midnight," the new HBO Liberace biopic "Behind the Candelabra" and unpack the bluster around likeable characters in fiction.
51 min
580
The Culture Gabfest: Prog Bots Into Darkness Ed...
Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas talk "Star Trek" with Matt Yglesias, discuss the new Daft Punk album "Random Access Memories" and debate the mind-numbing qualities of Google glass.
42 min
581
The Culture Gabfest: Luhrmania Edition
Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby," Marc Maron's new IFC series "Maron" with David Haglund and get to the bottom of Time Magazine's Millennials trend piece.
50 min
582
The Culture Gabfest: This is a Movie About Hope...
Slate's Stephen Metcalf, June Thomas and Dana Stevens discuss "Iron Man 3," Stephen Soderbergh's "State of the Cinema" address and the new Comedy Central show "Inside Amy Schumer."
38 min
583
The Culture Gabfest: ...but Mostly Pain Edition
Slate's Stephen Metcalf, June Thomas and Dana Stevens discuss Michael Bay's latest film "Pain and Gain," talk about morning TV with the New York Times' Brian Stelter, and ponder the Amazon's new TV show pilots.
41 min
584
The Culture Gabfest: A Rhythm of Liquids Edition
Slate writers Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas speak with Mason Currey about his book, "Daily Rituals," discuss the Sundance TV series "Rectify" and unpack the theories behind the camp aesthetic with Slate's Bryan Lowder.
48 min
585
The Culture Gabfest: The Mason Dixon Needs Some...
Slate writers Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas speak with Slate's Aisha Harris about the song "Accidental Racist," discuss Bitcoin with Slate tech writer Farhad Manjoo and then examine the new HBO series "Vice."
45 min
586
The Culture Gabfest: Pop Rocks in a Fanny Pack ...
Slate contributors Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss the passing of Roger Ebert, National Geographic's series about the 1980's and social class in Britain.
43 min
587
The Culture Gabfest: Auteurs Gone Wild Edition
Slate contributors Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and June Thomas discuss the Hollywood flop "Heavens Gate," Bryan Lowder's Slate story about 'gaybros' and the art of book recommendations.
45 min
588
The Culture Gabfest: Sprang Braake Forever Edition
Slate's Dana Stevens, June Thomas and John Swansburg discuss the Phil Spector biopic on HBO, Harmony Korine's "Spring Breakers" and the life and legacy of Lew Wallace, Civil War general and author of "Ben-Hur."
42 min
589
The Culture Gabfest: I Remain Your Ever Fond Se...
Slate's Dana Stevens, June Thomas and John Swansburg discuss the new crime drama "Top of the Lake," David Bowie's latest album and, fondly, the possible demise of the email signoff.
43 min
590
The Culture Gabfest: Meat Your God Edition
Slate's Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf and John Swansburg discuss History Channel's "The Bible," the results of VITA count and the death of the American pun.
42 min
591
The Culture Gabfest: I Guess We Should Ask You ...
Slate writers Dana Stevens, David Haglund and Forrest Wickman are joined by Mark Harris to discuss his piece for GQ on the leading man, Amanda Palmer's TED talk on crowdfunding and the PBS documentary "Makers: The Women Who Make America."
45 min
592
The Culture Gabfest: We Saw You're a Boob Edition
Slate critics Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf, Jody Rosen and David Haglund weigh in on the Oscars, the Harlem Shake meme and the HBO series "Enlightened."
43 min
593
The Culture Gabfest: Only Beyoncé Could Make me...
Slate critics Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf and Slate Deputy Editor Julia Turner discuss Beyoncé's documentary, Kindling Quarterly, a new magazine on fatherhood and the Oscar-nominated documentary "Searching for Sugarman"
46 min
594
The Culture Gabfest: Hump the Host Edition
Slate's Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf and June Thomas discuss the Broadway revival of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", the life and death of Aaron Swartz and the bigtime Oscar contender "Lincoln."
43 min
595
The Culture Gabfest: 6 Seconds of My Life Mana...
Slate's Dana Stevens, Julia Turner and Brow Beat blog editor David Haglund discuss Netflix's new series "House of Cards," the movie-making app Vine and gear up for the Oscars with "Silver Linings Playbook."
42 min
596
The Culture Gabfest: First, We Kill All the Cat...
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss the song "Thrift Shop" with Jody Rosen, unpack Dana's coined phrase "artisenal horror" and discuss the end of cats. 
48 min
597
Slate Culture Gabfest: This is an Aztec Sacrifi...
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss 'Zero Dark Thirty,' celebrity journalism and remember Pauline Phillips a.k.a. 'Dear Abby' with Slate columnist Emily Yoffe
45 min
598
The Slate Culture Gabfest Love and Death in a F...
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner discuss the Oscar-nominated film "Amour," the phenomenon of self-help and comedian Maria Bamford's "Special Special Special."
41 min
599
The Culture Gabfest: Falling Off the Treadmill,...
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, Julia Turner and columnist Daniel Engber discuss their favorite movies of 2012, NBC's "The Biggest Loser," and the decline of the shopping mall.
45 min
600
The Culture Gabfest: Plodding Recitative Edition
Slate critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, Julia Turner and Aisha Harris discuss the new Quentin Tarantino film "Django Unchained," the film adaptation of "Les Miserables," and the website Quora.
53 min