How an introverted Swedish producer and a showbiz kid from Louisiana made the late 1990s’ most influential No. 1 hit

Julia Turner, Dana Stevens, and Stephen Metcalf discuss the Coen Bros. new film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, HBO's Elena Ferrante adaptation My Brilliant Friend, and the art of adaptation.

Julia Turner returns with Stephen Metcalf and Dana Stevens to discuss the film Widows, The British import The Bodyguard on Netflix, and the life and work of William Goldman and what the role of screenwriter means today.

Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf, and Laura Bennett discuss the Melissa McCarthy vehicle Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Netflix's filthy but heartfelt puberty cartoon Big Mouth, and the death of Stan Lee with Slate's Jamelle Bouie.

Dana Stevens and Stephen Metcalf are joined by The Atlantic's David Sims, host of the podcast Blank Check to discuss the two new Orson Welles projects on Netflix, Robyn's new album Honey, and the concept of the "blank check" in the film industry.

On this spooky scary edition of the show: Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf, and Isaac Butler discuss the new Halloween reboot, Netflix's Haunting of Hill House, and the absence of women in horror film direction.

Ong's Hat, or The Incunabula Papers, is a conspiracy theory that arose on the early internet. Combining cutting edge science, mysticism, and obvious hokum, it intrigued thousands of people who tried to find out what it all meant.

What finally got hip-hop to the top of the Billboard charts? Whether conscious or gangsta, trippy or lascivious, rap’s early ’90s arrival at No. 1 started a party—but some rappers literally bum-rushed the show.

Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss the new movie First Man, the Netflix streamer Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, and Slate's New American Songbook with culture editor Forrest Wickman,

Dana Stevens, Julia Turner, and Stephen Metcalf discuss the new film Private Life, the legacy of Doctor Who and its new Doctor played by Jodie Whitaker, and Kanye West at the White House.

The panel discusses the film A Star is Born, the TV documentary America to Me, and brings critic Wesley Morris into the studio to discuss his New York Times Magazine piece "The Morality Wars" about the state of art criticism.

Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens discuss Jim Carrey and Michel Gondry's new show Kidding, the CBC podcast Uncover: Escaping NXIVM, and the purpose and practice of dad jokes.

What Happened to Hotel Art

How did the Bee Gees survive the fall of disco—the falsettos? The white suits? It was the songs—from ’60s British Invasion, to ’70s R&B, to ’80s country, even ’90s hip-hop.

Julia Turner, Dana Stevens, and Gabriel Roth discuss the new season of the podcast Serial, the recent spate of post-#metoo essays by disgraced men, and the Amazon show Forever.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Aline Brosh McKenna

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Sam Anderson discuss Paul Feig's new film A Simple Favor, Sam's book Boom Town, and the delightful tradition of New York Post headlines inspired by "Beat the Meatles".

Dana Stevens, Julia Turner, and Stephen Metcalf discuss the screen-based film Searching, Ariana Grande's album Sweetener, and the life and work of Burt Reynolds.