Culture Gabfest

On this week’s monster mash, Steve, Dana, and Julia gather around the proverbial reanimation laboratory to take on the nutty, goth, and unbridled The Bride! Maggie Gyllenhaal’s feminist—or not, it’s up for debate—retelling of Frankenstein features a truly committed performance from Jessie Buckley. Do the disjointed pieces add to a coherent whole? They discuss. Next, they take a look at Paul McCartney: Man on the Run, the Morgan Neville documentary about the moment when the legendary songwriter and rockstar stopped being a Beatle and had to become something else. Finally, they wade through the morass of titles like How to Tame a Silver Fox and Ms. CEO’s Baby Daddy Is the Merchant of Death to explore the exceedingly cheap and increasingly popular world of vertical micro-dramas via the app ReelShort. In a bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, they tackle the question of when, in fact, one becomes an adult—inspired by a recent piece in The New Yorker by Shayla Love. And if you’re watching the Oscars this week, don’t miss a chance for a special live pre-show with your fave Gabfest critics. Dana joins Isaac Butler, Nadira Goffe, and Sam Adams on Thursday, March 12, for an Oscars preview unlike any other. They’ll weigh in on the sinners and saints of this year’s award season. Endorsements Dana: The compilation of Kris Kristofferson songs The Essential Kris Kristofferson, especially the first disc. Julia: The novels of Helen Garner, particularly The Spare Room. Steve: Jean Guéhenno's account of life in Occupied France Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944. --- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, Steve is joined by June Thomas, author of A Place of Our Own, and Michael Schulman, author of Her Again and Oscar Wars, for some rollicking Gabfest discourse. First up, they get all shook up by EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, the concert documentary directed by Baz Luhrmann from archival Elvis performance footage. Does the master of cinematic spectacle bring the King back to life? Next, they turn to The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, the new sitcom from 30 Rock co-creator Robert Carlock starring Tracy Morgan. Finally, they examine the uncanny and profound phenomena of posthumously-published celebrity interviews—including Eric Dane and Jane Goodall—of Netflix’s Famous Last Words specials. Existential bravery or exploitative trash? They discuss. In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, the panel weighs in on the best casting Oscar race. Endorsements Michael: The audiobook of the memoir I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally as narrated by the incomparable Richard E. Grant. June: Two niche podcasts featuring conversations with authors of biography including Bio, the official podcast of the Biographers International Organization, and Biographers in Conversation. Also, jumping on the Richard E. Grant train, the BBC parody cooking series Posh Nosh starring Grant and Arabella Weir. Steve: The recent essay “The Stony Dark Within” by Joy Williams about Rainer Maria Rilke in the New York Review of Books. -- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The original trio Steve, Dana, and Julia convene for a right cracker of a Gabfest as they discuss How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, the new comedic mystery from Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee. In the Netflix series, three longtime Belfast friends must revisit their childhood trauma to unravel the mystery of a fourth friend’s disappearance— raucous Northern Irish hijinks ensue. Next, they step into the unhinged dystopian Los Angeles of Gore Verbinski’s new film Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. In it a beleaguered time traveler played by Sam Rockwell must visit the same Norm’s diner 117 times to save the world from the menace of A.I.. Finally, they welcome Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci to unpack her recent piece “My Gun and Me” about her unlikely journey towards gun ownership during Trump 2.0—and how she’s not alone in doing so in her left-leaning, queer community. In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, they determine if there are indeed no comfortable reading positions, as a recent Slate essay by Luke Winkie attests. Endorsements Dana: The latest Today in Tabs entry from Rusty Foster "A.I. Isn't People." Julia: In lieu of an endorsement, a gripe: the much-hyped New York Times two-player word game Crossplay is just Scrabble! (If only there were a German word for this specific form of disappointment...) Steve: Rereading J.D. Salinger with some distance from one’s own adolescence— particularly Franny and Zooey and the short story "For Esmé—with Love and Squalor." And for a good critical reassessment, read Janet Malcolm's New York Review of Books essay "Justice to J.D. Salinger." -- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dana is joined by Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times film critic and host of the podcast Unspooled, as well as Jamelle Bouie, New York Times columnist and host of the podcast Unclear and Present Danger. They discuss love affairs, lustful, glamorous, and interspecies. First up, it’s the lustful as they take up Emerald Fennell’s bodice-ripping adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.” Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the doomed duo Cathy and Heathcliff, the adaptation promises an over-the-top, camp spin on the Gothic tale but does it offer enough depravity to really deliver? Next, it’s on to the glamorous with the Ryan Murphy-produced, CK One-scented limited series Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette about the tragic love story of the political scion and New York fashion It Girl. Finally, they discuss all the interspecies hijinks and backstage chaos in the delightful revival of The Muppet Show. In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, the trio of cinephiles celebrate recent reporting that movie theaters are cool again. Endorsements Jamelle: William Wyler's 1939 version of Wuthering Heights starring Laurence Olivier— and while you're visiting the Criterion Channel, check out their collection Mervyn LeRoy’s Pre-Code Films. Amy: Gore Verbinski's new film Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, in theaters now. Dana: The patient, observant documentaries of the recently deceased filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, several of which are available to stream on Kanopy. ---- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sugarcane fields! La casita! Piraguas! Lady Gaga! Ricky Martin! An actual wedding! Bad Bunny’s immense and boisterous Super Bowl Halftime show brought a whole Puerto Rican universe to Levi’s Stadium and into American viewers’ homes. Julia and guest hosts Nadira Goffe and Rebecca Onion revel in the joyful spectacle and are joined by Slate writer Joshua Rivera to decode the inclusive politics of this party. Next, the panel examines the bracing, anxiety-inducing film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Starring a ferocious and funny Rose Byrne and directed by Mary Bronstein, it’s a jittery, intense portrait of motherhood. Finally, they discuss the hugely popular podcast The Rest Is History and ponder how two British dudes—Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook—talking about things like the Battle of Carthage captured so much attention and admiration. In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, it’s time for some Wednesday morning quarterbacking to size up the big game’s real players: the commercials. Endorsements Nadira: The new album of footwork music OVERTIME by the underground hip hop outfit usertime and Marsh crane as well as the new album URGH by the English–French noise rock band Mandy, Indiana. Rebecca: The novel The Director by Daniel Kehlmann and the 2011 appropriately moody Bronte adaptation Wuthering Heights directed by Andrea Arnold. Julia: The new cookbook by Joshua McFadden Six Seasons of Pasta — try all the absurd little steps at least once, the cheese gravel is good! --- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Steve, Dana and guest host Sam Adams talk anti-authoritarian art in its many forms. First, they take up It Was Just an Accident, the Cannes Palme d’Or-winning film by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. Inspired in part by Panahi’s own experience being imprisoned for critiquing the Iranian government, his new film—made in secret from the regime— holds back little in its sharp political critique, rage, and… a surprising amount of comedy. Not surprising in its amount of comedy— but maybe in its frequently anti-authoritarian politics—is Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! The documentary series about the showbiz legend, produced by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, is a loving portrait of the long, unmatched, and revolutionary in its own way, career of Brooks. Inspired by the recent release “Streets of Minneapolis” by Bruce Springsteen, the panel dedicates its final segment to the state of protest music in 2026. Joined by music critic Carl Wilson, of the Slate and Crritic!, they discuss the long tradition and still potent power of singer/songwriters with acoustic guitars—and the many political artists who defy that stereotype. To hear some of the music they talked about, plus several more current protest songs, check out our 2026 Protest Playlist. In our bonus episode for Plus subscribers, the gang eulogizes the divine comic genius of Catherine O’Hara. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shuffling under the mortal coil this week (aka hosting the Gabfest), it’s our OG players Steve, Dana, and Julia. Like a morose Danish prince contemplating a human skull, they gaze upon the Oscar nominated Hamnet, based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell inspired by William Shakespeare’s life. Directed by Chloé Zhao and starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, Hamnet has brought some critics to tears and left others cold. Our hosts share where they landed. Next, they boot up the Netflix content machine to view The Rip, a new cop caper reuniting Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Do the boys from Boston (illogically playing Miami cops) make good again? Finally, they welcome New Yorker writer Clare Malone to discuss her recent profile of the deeply polarizing, newly-appointed head of CBS News Bari Weiss. In a special add-on, Isaac Butler leaves a voice memo to share his vituperative take on Hamnet—as outlined in a recent Slate piece. The Hamnet discourse continues in a bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus subscribers wherein the gang unpacks the film’s ending. Is the play indeed the thing? Endorsements Dana: The book Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell especially the audiobook version read by Jessie Buckley. Julia: The hilarious video of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck with Jimmy Fallon naming all the towns in Massachusetts on The Tonight Show, the sober, intelligent New York Times opinion round table between Lydia Polgreen, David French, and Michelle Goldberg about ICE raids in Minneapolis and the killing of Alex Pretti, and the still deeply timely film I’m Still Here. Steve: The film Sentimental Value and the double album Sing the Children Over & Sand In My Shoe by the singer/songwriter Kath Bloom as well as the Kath Bloom cover “Come Here” by the band The Concretes. -- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, our Gabfest panel includes Steve and guest hosts Nadira Goffe and Laura Miller with a typically eclectic collection of topics. First up, Dana hops on the call to decode the unspoken truths and dream imagery of Kleber Mendonça Filho’s film The Secret Agent. Set in 1970s Recife, Brazil and starring a very charming Wagner Moura, the film is a heterodox brew of political thriller, magical realism, and attentive character study about the everyday surreality of life under dictatorship. Next, it’s back to Westeros with a discussion of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a Game of Thrones prequel set 100 years before the original show based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy epic. Grounded and surprisingly funny, don’t expect dragons in this knight’s tale. Finally, they turn to “Gluttons for Punishment,” a recent Vulture article by Lila Shapiro about UPenn religious studies professor Justin McDaniel using some extreme, unorthodox measures to get his students to finish books. In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, the panel talks to Laura about the secret pleasures of wood stacking as discussed in her recent piece “The Art of the Holzhausen.” Endorsements Nadira: Some melancholy shoegaze pop from Scandinavia, specifically the albums Goodbyehouse by Snuggle and Big City Life by Smerz. Laura: The novels of Robert Jackson Bennett in his Shadow of the Leviathan series including Hugo-winning The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption. Steve: The Substack essay “The Wall Looks Permanent Until It Falls Down” by Adam Bonica about the cost of American exceptionalism. And a bonus one from Dana: Pictures of Ghosts, the documentary by The Secret Agent director Kleber Mendonça Filho about Recife, Brazil in the 1970s. -- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcasting is a privilege as Steve is joined by Dan Kois and Rebecca Onion to unpack and cackle at the domestic thriller schlockfest The Housemaid. Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried star in the Paul Fieg-directed tale of two women facing off to rule the McMansion roost. Next, Seyfried proves she’s got the range as the panel joins the chorus appraising her performance in The Testament of Ann Lee, the epic tone poem and musical biopic about the founder of the Shakers directed by Mona Fastvold. Finally, Julia hops on the call to join a conversation with Alia Hanna Habib, the influential book agent who is divulging hard-won publishing world insights in a new book Take It from Me and in the Substack Delivery & Acceptance. In a Slate Plus bonus episode, the panel addresses a listener questioner from a U.S. history teacher about syllabus-worthy pop culture. Endorsements Dan: The Ruth Asawa retrospective at MoMA which illuminates the work and life of the prolific artist. Rebecca: A bunch of books including Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards, The Ax by Donald E. Westlake, and True Grit by Charles Portis. Steve: The essay "East Side Story" about Marty Supreme by Nawal Arjini in the New York Review of Books. --- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Julia and Steve welcome guest host Sam Adams to deconstruct the aggravating, yet strangely charming, table tennis phenom on the make that is Marty Supreme. Played with “BDE off-the-charts” (Steve’s words) by Timothée Chalamet, the unceasingly shameless hustler may just be an avatar for our age. Speaking of avatars, we can’t avoid discussing Avatar: Fire and Ash, the latest installment of James Cameron’s immersive mega-franchise. Once again, the big blue folks peopling Pandora drew boku bucks at the box office… but do the Avatar films have any “cultural impact”? And what does “cultural impact” even mean? New Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman steps into the cultural cage match to debate this long-simmering internet argument. On this week’s bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, the hosts take up a listener question about “cultural bran muffins,” the bits of culture you know would be good for you if only you could get them down. The hosts confess their bran secrets. Endorsements Steve: The essay "Two Pins and a Lollipop" about Judy Garland by Bee Wilson in the London Review of Books. Sam: The album Penthouse by the band Luna, particularly the song "Chinatown." Julia: Slate's beloved annual tradition Movie Club which for its 2025 edition gathers film critics Bilge Ebiri, Alison Wilmore, Justin Chang, and our very own Dana Stevens for a rollicking exchange about the year in film. --- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the waning moments of 2025, Julia, Dana, and Steve say goodbye to the year that was with a beloved annual end-of-year tradition… our listener call-in show! And you delivered some great queries, dear listeners. The hosts tackle questions about everything ranging from under-dramatized historical eras to Wuthering Heights to wedding registry etiquette. They also zoom out to grapple with a fundamental philosophical question underlying this whole show’s existence and take a cue from Las Culturistas Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers for some Schimpfen und Toben. No endorsements this week. But for listeners in the New York area, don’t miss Steve when he joins Booker Prize-finalist Ben Markovitz for a conversation about his new novel The Rest of Our Lives on January 5, 2026 at the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble. For Slate Plus subscribers, the hosts delight in answering an additional listener question in an exclusive bonus episode. They share their ideal cultural outings with their co-hosts. --- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After thinking it was lost to the sands of internet time, our team uncovered a 2013 gem from the archives. In the “The Abstract Noun Edition,” your favorite Gabfesters talk about how we talk. Steve, Dana, and Julia discuss the elements of language: vocabulary, conversation, and voice. In paroxysms of polysyllables, they invoke their favorite writers—and their least favorite linguistic tics—to probe the best and worst of the English language. Why should you eschew the word “eschew”? What does “shibboleth” really mean? And where is the line between a strong voice and self-parody? Speaking of self-parody, check out these very on-brand 2013 Endorsements: Dana: The Sounding Joy, a CD collection of folk carols, collected by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and performed by Elizabeth Mitchell. (Now available on streaming.) Julia: Creating an iTunes playlist of all songs you’ve played more than 10 times and then shuffling them. You’ll rediscover old gems like “The Size of Our Love” by Sleater Kinney. Steve: The mind-bending “Monty Hall problem,” as originally described by Marilyn vos Savant in Parade Magazine. If you’re in New York on January 5, don’t miss some real life vocabulary, conversation, and voice when Steve joins Booker Prize-finalist Ben Markcovits for a conversation about The Rest of Our Lives — details here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s show, Dana and Steve are joined by guest host Rebecca Onion for a Gabfest first: a segment about something from the sprawling Taylor Sheridan television universe. They strap on their cowboy boots and hop in the pickup for a conversation on season 2 of Landman which stars a rangy and world-weary Billy Bob Thornton as an oil industry fixer. Next, they turn north of the border for some good, old fashioned, Canadian gay hockey romance. They discuss HBO’s surprise—and surprisingly graphic—hit Heated Rivalry. The series sure is steamy, but does it feature enough hockey? Finally, they mourn the passing of legendary filmmaker and Hollywood omnipresence Rob Reiner. They share their favorite moments from his films. Given those films include Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, The Princess Bride, and many more indelible classics, there’s much to share. Endorsements Rebecca: The podcast Posting Through It featuring hosts Jared Holt and Michael Edison Hayden discussing the ins and outs of rightwing infighting and the recipe Holiday Rocky Road by Sohla el-Waylly in New York Times Cooking. Steve: For more melancholic Christmas music, Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite. Also, the Booker Prize short-listed novel The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, who Steve will be in conversation with at an event on January 5, 2026 at the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble— details here. Dana: The Rob Reiner-directed documentary Defending My Life about his childhood friend Albert Brooks and this brilliant clip of Rob Reiner at his 2000 Friar's Club Roast reading from Roger Ebert's legendary pan of Reiner's film North . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode, Gabfest old friends Steve, Julia, and June Thomas convene on two showbiz works of midlife retrospection and regret: the new film Jay Kelly and Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. The former, directed by Noah Baumbach, stars George Clooney as the titular movie star looking back on his life while on a European train picaresque. The latter was a legendary flop for Sondheim, had a triumphant Broadway revival starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez, and now has arrived at movie theaters. In our third segment, the panel turns to another showbiz saga full of bitter regret: the fight to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery. Joined by writer and Hollywood watcher Mark Harris, they untangle the fight between Netflix and Paramount to outbid each other for the legacy film studio—and what it all has to do with Trump and the future of movie-going itself. In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, it’s back to join the Joined in our recap discussion of Pluribus episode 7 “The Gap.” Act now, there’s still time to leave us a voicemail with your burning cultural queries for our annual call-in show by calling us at 347-201-2397. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s show, Julia and Steve are joined by guest host Jamelle Bouie to crack mysteries corporeal and divine in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The latest entrant in Rian Johnson’s whodunnit franchise sees Daniel Craig return as detective Benoit Blanc to team up with an earnest—and earnestly handsome—priest played by Josh O’Connor. Next, they take on the hefty new Ken Burns documentary series The American Revolution, a sprawling, complicated, fife music-scored examination of this nation’s founding. Finally, are we experiencing a Great Stupidening? In a conversation about New York Magazine’s “Stupid Issue” and The Atlantic piece ‘A Recipe for Idiocracy,’ our smarty pants contemplate American idiocy. In an exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, the gang (with Dana!) recap Pluribus episode 6 “HDP.” Don’t forget: we want your cultural queries! We’re gathering your most pressing questions for our annual call-in show. If you’ve got a burning one, email us at culturefest@slate.com or give us a call and leave a message at: 347-201-2397. Endorsements: Jamelle: The sequels of the early '90s martial arts B-movie Best of the Best, specifically Best of the Best II and Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back. Steve: The Wong Kar Wai film In The Mood for Love. Julia: Joyride the new memoir by Susan Orlean. ----- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Something Wicked this way comes as Dana, Steve, and guest host Dan Kois gather round their proverbial cauldrons for an all-movie edition of the Gabfest. First up, of course, is Wicked: For Good the green/pink-hued conclusion to the alternative history of Oz. This sequel, which reunites Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as witch besties/mortal enemies, goes to surprisingly dark places. Next, they discuss Train Dreams, the contemplative and grandeur-filled adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella directed by Clint Bentley. Finally, they sit down for a long, rich conversation between friends in Peter Hujar’s Day, a chamber piece by Ira Sachs about art, friendship, and how much can happen in a single day. In our bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, Julia hops on the call to continue our recap series of Pluribus. The hosts get into all the details of Pluribus episode 5 “Got Milk.” We’re still taking submissions for our call-in show. If you’ve got a burning cultural question or topic you’d like our hosts to tackle, call and leave us a message at: 347-201-2397 Endorsements: Dan: Matching Minds with Sondheim by Barry Joseph, a whole book about Stephen Sondheim’s love of puzzles. Steve: The jazz album Mal/4 by Mal Waldron Trio and Tim (Let it Bleed Edition) by the Replacements. Dana: The Broadway production of Waiting for Godot that reunites none other than Bill and Ted with stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve got a cultural question or topic you’d like our hosts to tackle, now is your chance because we’re preparing for our annual call-in show! Call and leave us a message with your cultural query at: 347-201-2397 On this week’s show, Julia, Dana, Steve are off to the dystopian races with Edgar Wright’s adaptation of The Running Man. Based on a novel by Stephen King and starring movie-star-to-be Glenn Powell, the film is chockfull of adrenaline and stylish wit but does it overcome its own authoritarian bleakness? They discuss with Slate’s own Sam Adams. Next, they take a look at the oft-forgotten presidency and assassination of James A. Garfield in the Netflix limited series Death By Lightning, starring Michael Shannon, Matthew Macfadyen, and a whole lot of period accurate beards. Finally, they look to the heavens with the loftily ambitious, operatic, and polyglottal new album LUX by Rosalía. In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, they continue their recap series and get into the twists and turns of the fourth episode of Pluribus. Endorsements Dana: The 17th century nun and poet (a very Rosalía-like divine feminine) Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and particularly the poem "The Ripcord of Love" as translated by Ada Límon. Steve: Joyce Carol Oates’s iconic, lacerating subtweet for the ages—illustrated beautifully on Literary Hub—as well as the prolific author's essay about the novel We Have Always Lived In the Castle in The New York Review of Books. (Steve welcomes listener recommendations for their favorite Oates's novel.) Julia: The Alpine Men's Snow Boot from Xero, for when the Los Angeles Almanac predicts rain. Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hark, the holiday season is upon us—and with it the most solemn of festive traditions: a gift guide! In this video and podcast special, Slate hosts Dana Stevens, Chris Molanphy, and Willa Paskin beam-in from their collective hearths to deliver unto the internet their favorite gifts for culture lovers this holiday. In addition to sharing gifts, they also discuss the cultural artifact that is the “holiday gift guide,” and its history going back to the early 20th century, up to the modern day. See the entirety of the 1910 gift guide Our Special Holiday Gift-Book from Greenhut-Siegel Cooper, and Esquire’s ultra-mod gift guide from 1961. Check out our gift recommendations below: Dana Stevens’ Cozy Movie Night-In: The Salbree Collapsible Silicone Microwave Popcorn Popper & Amish Country Popcorn L'agraty Chunky Knit Blanket Throw The Adventures of Antoine Doinel, The Criterion Collection Box Set Chris Molanphy’s Hit Parade Collection: The Beatles’ Revolver CD Box Set Mad Men Blu-Ray Box Set Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year, by Michaelangelo Matos Willa Paskin’s Fruit-Themed Trompe-l'œil Housewares: Cantaloupe-shaped bowls in the style of Bordallo Pinheiro 4-Pack Orange-Shaped Candle Stocking Stuffer Cherry-Shaped Toilet Brush Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, Steve, Dana, and Julia merge their consciousnesses—so to speak—to reflect on Pluribus, the latest television saga from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. In this unlikely body snatchers/sci-fi mashup, Rhea Seehorn plays a woman intent on saving the world from… eternal happiness? What exactly it needs saving from—or if it needs saving at all—is fodder for much discourse. Next, they turn to the ruminative and funny family drama Sentimental Value, directed by Norwegian auteur Joachim Trier and starring Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve. Finally, they take a look at a recent piece in The Ankler by Richard Rushfield crunching the numbers to reveal that, since #MeToo, troublingly few major films have been directed by women. In an exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, it’s time to party! Or rather, it’s time for a reflective discussion about parties as pieces of personal culture. Endorsements Dana: Reading up on the historical figure Jean Ross, the writer and activist who inspired both the song “These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)” and the character Sally Bowles of Goodbye to Berlin/Cabaret notoriety. Julia: Kate McKinnon talking with Amy Poehler on Good Hang and Jennifer Lawrence talking with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang on Las Culturistas— celebrities interviewing celebrities isn’t all bad! Steve: By Night in Chile by Roberto Bolaño and the Dutch indie rock band Bettie Serveert— especially this playlist. … Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s show, Steve, Dana, and Julia pull up proverbially barstools at Sardi’s to discuss Richard Linklater’s latest film Blue Moon, which is about one night in the life of Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart. As played by a transformed Ethan Hawke, Hart is witty, needy, and totally captivating. Next, they travel Down Cemetery Road by way of a conversation about the new conspiracy series starring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson based on a novel by Mick Heron of Slow Horses fame. Finally, they turn to a piece of real estate that may forever live in infamy as “The Pussy Palace” thanks to Lily Allen’s brutally honest and stunningly well-crafted album West End Girl. On an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, the hosts take up the issue of biographical pictures—aka biopics— and Slate’s recent package Portrait Mode about the ubiquitous film genre. Endorsements: Dana: Lily Allen’s song “The Fear”— to listen to and perform at karaoke. Julia: A boule of chocolate sourdough bread from the bakery of Milo & Olive in Los Angeles. Steve: Roberto Bolaño's novella By Night in Chile and Ella Fitzgerald singing “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” on the album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Song Book. Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices