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.
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51
Why Stylists Rule the Red Carpet
Avery Trufelman and Melissa Rivers on what the fashion police hath wrought.
38 min
52
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
53
Why Do So Many Coffee Shops Look the Same?
Algorithms are shaping our world, even down to latte art.
29 min
54
2024 Teaser
1 min
55
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
56
The Dating Manual Unlike Any Other
The Rules became a controversial bestseller and sparked instant debate. But was the advice any good?
33 min
57
Mailbag: The Recorder, Limos, and “Baby on Boar...
We answer your questions about the ubiquitous musical instrument, ‘80s automotive luxury, and more.
36 min
58
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
59
The Fast Decline of the Slow Dance
The rise and fall of an awkward rite of passage.
41 min
60
Fall 2023 Teaser
1 min
61
Think Catchphrases Are Dead? Eat My Shorts.
Bless up: It’s a whole episode about “Doh!”, “Dealbreaker!” and “Did I do that?”
36 min
62
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
63
A Brief History of Making Out
Is deep kissing a universal human behavior?
32 min
64
What's Really Going On Inside a Mosh Pit?
The etiquette, science and enduring appeal of a concertgoing ritual.
29 min
65
The Great Parmesan Cheese Debate
Is a Wisconsin version more authentic than its beloved Italian counterpart?
40 min
66
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
67
Who Owns the Tooth Fairy?
The Tooth Fairy’s freak flag is still flying.
34 min
68
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
69
The Artist Who Was Both Loved and Disdained
The painter LeRoy Neiman was adored by many Americans—but not the art critics.
33 min
70
The Curious Case of Columbo's Message to Romani...
Why does no one remember the T.V. detective’s Cold War missive?
36 min
71
The Curious Case of Columbo's Message to Romani...
Was the cigar-chomping detective also a Cold War diplomat?
39 min
72
Spring 2023 Teaser
Decoder Ring's upcoming season.
1 min
73
Slate Plus Exclusive: The Making of This Season
1 min
74
The Mailbag Episode
From kids menus to succulents to the chicken that crossed the road, we answer your questions.
34 min
75
Encore: ‘You’ve Got Mail’ Got It Wrong
Who's afraid of... Barnes & Noble? The now quaint conflict that inspired the 1998 romantic comedy.
36 min