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The 2004 presidential race would be the first fully Fox News election—a contest that was framed by Fox, and fought on its terms. But the fight over Fox News was about more than just partisan politics. It also launched covert ops against reporters and let loose a secret army of online trolls. And when a Fox producer made serious allegations against Bill O’Reilly, the network showed just how far it would go to defend its biggest star—no matter the cost.
To read our full reporting on the most recent legal actions between Bill O'Reilly and Andrea Mackris, and learn more about how a non-disclosure agreement from two decades ago has kept Mackris silent, go to slate.com/foxnda.
Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-free listening to all of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now by clicking "Try Free" at the top of the Slow Burn show page on Apple Podcasts. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 10 of Slow Burn was written and reported by Josh Levin. It was executive produced by Lizzie Jacobs.
Slow Burn is produced by Sophie Summergrad, Joel Meyer, and Rosie Belson with help from Patrick Fort, Jacob Fenston, and Julia Russo.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
This season was edited by Susan Matthews and Hillary Frey.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Mix and sound design by Joe Plourde.
Our theme music was composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Derreck Johnson created the artwork for this season. Episode artwork by Ivylise Simones.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1As Fox News gathered strength, progressive activists turned to comedian Al Franken and fledgling online communities to punch back. But could the left put up a real fight without a Fox News of its own? And what did Fox’s critics miss when they focused only on its politics?
Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-free listening to all of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now by clicking "Try Free" at the top of the Slow Burn show page on Apple Podcasts. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 10 of Slow Burn was written and reported by Josh Levin. It was executive produced by Lizzie Jacobs.
Slow Burn is produced by Sophie Summergrad, Joel Meyer, and Rosie Belson with help from Patrick Fort, Jacob Fenston, and Julia Russo.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
This season was edited by Susan Matthews and Hillary Frey.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Mix and sound design by Joe Plourde.
Our theme music was composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Derreck Johnson created the artwork for this season. Episode artwork by Ivylise Simones.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After 9/11, the Fox News Channel rallied a huge portion of the country around the Bush administration’s vision of the world. But as the U.S. marched to war in the Middle East, journalists, liberal watchdogs, and comedians began pushing back. Could The Daily Show, Fox News’ own liberal pundits, or an employee-turned-whistleblower take Fox down a peg?
Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-free listening to all of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now by clicking "Try Free" at the top of the Slow Burn show page on Apple Podcasts. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 10 of Slow Burn was written and reported by Josh Levin. It was executive produced by Lizzie Jacobs.
Slow Burn is produced by Sophie Summergrad, Joel Meyer, and Rosie Belson with help from Patrick Fort, Jacob Fenston, and Julia Russo.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
This season was edited by Susan Matthews and Hillary Frey.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Mix and sound design by Joe Plourde.
Our theme music was composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Derreck Johnson created the artwork for this season. Episode artwork by Ivylise Simones.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For a decade and a half, CNN was peerless and ambitious, and it understood its place in the world. At least, it thought it did—until Fox News burst onto television screens. Could CNN save itself by becoming conservative or by going tabloid? And how would CNN and Fox respond when September 11 made the news more important than ever?
Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-free listening to all of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now by clicking "Try Free" at the top of the Slow Burn show page on Apple Podcasts. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 10 of Slow Burn was written and reported by Josh Levin. It was executive produced by Lizzie Jacobs.
Slow Burn is produced by Sophie Summergrad, Joel Meyer, and Rosie Belson with help from Patrick Fort, Jacob Fenston, and Julia Russo.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
This season was edited by Susan Matthews and Hillary Frey.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Mix and sound design by Joe Plourde.
Our theme music was composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Derreck Johnson created the artwork for this season. Episode artwork by Ivylise Simones.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Before he ran Fox News, Roger Ailes launched a very different kind of channel. America’s Talking was his vision of the future of television: a strange, slapdash, mostly apolitical cable network. When that dream got snatched away from him, Ailes went on a revenge mission—and made a connection with Rupert Murdoch.
Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-free listening to all of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now by clicking "Try Free" at the top of the Slow Burn show page on Apple Podcasts. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 10 of Slow Burn was written and reported by Josh Levin. It was executive produced by Lizzie Jacobs.
Slow Burn is produced by Sophie Summergrad, Joel Meyer, and Rosie Belson with help from Patrick Fort, Jacob Fenston, and Julia Russo.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
This season was edited by Susan Matthews and Hillary Frey.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Mix and sound design by Joe Plourde.
Our theme music was composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Derreck Johnson created the artwork for this season. Episode artwork by Ivylise Simones.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When the Fox News Channel launched in 1996, critics called it disorganized, incompetent, and laughably inept. But it wouldn’t be a joke for long. During the 2000 election, Fox News would captivate the nation – and just maybe change the fate of American democracy.
Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-free listening to all of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now by clicking "Try Free" at the top of the Slow Burn show page on Apple Podcasts. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 10 of Slow Burn was written and reported by Josh Levin. It was executive produced by Lizzie Jacobs.
Slow Burn is produced by Sophie Summergrad, Joel Meyer, and Rosie Belson with help from Patrick Fort, Jacob Fenston, and Julia Russo.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
This season was edited by Susan Matthews and Hillary Frey.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Mix and sound design by Joe Plourde.
Our theme music was composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Derreck Johnson created the artwork for this season. Episode artwork by Ivylise Simones.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For the two years leading up to May 21, 1979, gay activists followed the rules. They engaged in civil debates. They sought justice at the ballot box. They peacefully mourned the assassination of Harvey Milk. But the verdict in Dan White’s murder trial changed everything.
(If you—or anyone you know—are in crisis, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, anytime: Dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.)
Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock all episodes of Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs. Your subscription also gets you ad-free access to all your favorite Slate podcasts, plus other member exclusive content. Join now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Sophie Summergrad, Kelly Jones, and Joel Meyer.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.
Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On election night in 1978, gays and lesbians in California braced themselves for the statewide vote on Proposition 6. Less than a month after the results came in, a pair of killings shocked San Francisco and the nation.
Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock all episodes of Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs. Your subscription also gets you ad-free access to all your favorite Slate podcasts, plus other member exclusive content. Join now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Sophie Summergrad, Kelly Jones, and Joel Meyer.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.
Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Election Day approached, the campaign to defeat Proposition 6 faced formidable odds. John Briggs’ fundraising juggernaut was churning out cash, and public opinion polls were solidly in his favor. To turn the tide, gay rights activists unveiled a powerful symbol and gambled on the support of an improbable ally: Ronald Reagan.
(If you—or anyone you know—are in crisis, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, anytime: Dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.)
Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock all episodes of Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs. Your subscription also gets you ad-free access to all your favorite Slate podcasts, plus other member exclusive content. Join now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Kelly Jones, Joel Meyer, and Sophie Summergrad.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.
Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the early days of the anti-Briggs campaign, a Richard Pryor comedy set turned into a public fiasco and laid bare longstanding divisions in the gay community. With the movement low on cash and running out of time, thousands of gay Californians decided their only option was to tell the world who they really were.
(If you—or anyone you know—are in crisis, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, anytime: Dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.)
Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock all episodes of Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs. Your subscription also gets you ad-free access to all your favorite Slate podcasts, plus other member exclusive content. Join now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Kelly Jones, Joel Meyer, and Sophie Summergrad.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.
We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.
Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After decades of wandering and job-hopping, Harvey Milk found his purpose as a gay community leader with growing political ambitions. But his historic election was just the beginning. As John Briggs’ gay teacher ban gained momentum, it was up to Supervisor Milk and his allies to figure out how to stop him.
Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock all episodes of Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs. Your subscription also gets you ad-free access to all your favorite Slate podcasts, plus other member exclusive content. Join now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.
Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Kelly Jones, Joel Meyer, and Sophie Summergrad.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.
Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In 1977, John Briggs was a small-time state senator with big dreams. But Briggs’ plan to ban gay and lesbian teachers from California schools changed the arc of his life and career. Suddenly, he was a right-wing hero, and a villain of the gay rights movement. And his message seemed to be catching on all over the country.
Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Kelly Jones, Joel Meyer, and Sophie Summergrad.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.
Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the 1970s, San Francisco became a welcoming home for tens of thousands of new gay residents—and a modern-day Sodom for the American right. With a moral panic sweeping across the United States, a Florida orange juice spokeswoman inspired an ambitious California politician to launch his own campaign against lesbians and gays—one that would change the course of U.S. history.
(If you—or anyone you know—are in crisis, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, anytime: Dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.)
Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Kelly Jones, Joel Meyer, and Sophie Summergrad.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.
Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Before 1990, there had never been a documented case of a patient getting HIV from a health care worker. Kimberly Bergalis changed that. Her claim that she’d been infected by her dentist would captivate and terrify the country. And the dentist, David Acer, would be made into a villain without America ever knowing who he really was.
This episode was written by Kelly Jones and Josh Levin, One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.
This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Olivia Briley.
It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director. We had mixing help from Kevin Bendis. We had production help this season from Jabari Butler.
Join Slate Plus to get a special behind-the-scenes conversation at the end of our season about how we put together our 1990 stories. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Robert Mapplethorpe was one of the most famous photographers in the world—and one of the most controversial. When his work came to Cincinnati in 1990, it would be at the center of a vicious fight over obscenity and the First Amendment, one that threatened the future of art in America.
This episode of One Year was written by Evan Chung, One Year's senior producer. It was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Olivia Briley.
It was edited by Josh Levin, One Year’s editorial director, with Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.
Join Slate Plus to get a special behind-the-scenes conversation at the end of our season about how we put together our 1990 stories. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In March 1990, a story broke that shocked the nation: George H.W. Bush had banned broccoli from Air Force One. The frenzy that came next would change the fate of a vegetable—and maybe even alter the course of a presidency.
This episode was written by Olivia Briley and Josh Levin, One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.
This episode was produced by Olivia Briley and Kelly Jones.
It was edited by Joel Meyer and Evan Chung.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.
Join Slate Plus to get a special behind-the-scenes conversation at the end of our season about how we put together our 1990 stories. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A middle-aged single dad in Chicago was outraged by all the cigarette billboards popping up in Black communities. In 1990, he picked up a paint roller and became an anti-tobacco vigilante. And he did it all under a secret identity.
This episode was written by Josh Levin, One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.
This episode was produced by Kelly Jones, Olivia Briley, and Evan Chung. It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had mixing help from Kevin Bendis.
Join Slate Plus to get a special behind-the-scenes conversation at the end of our season about how we put together our 1990 stories. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pizza Hut’s adventure in the Soviet Union was unlike any restaurant opening before or since. It involved a fleet of submarines, a very special pizza topped with tuna and salmon, and a casual dining spot on a mission to change the world.
This episode was written by Kelly Jones and Josh Levin, One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.
This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Olivia Briley.
It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.
Join Slate Plus to get a special behind-the-scenes conversation at the end of our season about how we put together our 1990 stories. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this show we explore three different AI and machine-generated music technologies; vocal emulators that allow you to deep fake a singer or rapper’s voice, AI-generated compositions and text-to-music generators like Google Music LM and Open AI’s Jukebox, and musical improvisation technologies. We listen to the variety of music these technologies generate, and two guitarists face off against an AI in improvised guitar solos.
Along the way, we talk to philosophers of music Robin James and Theodore Gracyk about what musical creativity is and whether machines are more or less creative than human musicians, and Barry gives his take on each of the technologies and what they mean for the future of musical creativity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Curtis is setting aside a large chunk of money to donate to charity, and it is up to us to persuade him where he should donate it. Luckily, philosophers, economists, and the nonprofit world has been thinking a lot about this issue in recent years. On this episode, effective altruism’s defenders and critics try to persuade Curtis of where he should donate. Who is the most effective in persuading an ordinary person as to the right way to donate to charity? And do the recent scandals involving effective altruism’s biggest donor implicate its philosophical foundations?
We start with arguments that you should always try to save the most lives possible, no matter where they are on the planet. We then hear a critic of that view, who argues that local giving can also be a good. We then turn to the view that we should save humans from extinction from threats like pandemics, nuclear war, and AI takeover. And finally, we hear from a critic of that view, who says we should not blow future risks out of proportion.
Guests include philosophers Richard Yetter-Chappell (Miami), Savannah Pearlman (Indiana), Shakeel Hashim (Center for Effective Altruism), and Seth Lazar (Australia National University).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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So very very sorry for the loss of Grant Wahl. As displayed in this interview, just before his untimely death, Grant was one of the leading voices on US soccer, and our foremost journalist on the beautiful game.
Julia was 100% on here. I love hearing her voice.
let's be sure to get a sandwich shop plug in before talking about our feelings
you made all of my thoughts a reality in this show ahah
I enjoyed the podcast. There is one host however who has the extremely annoying habit of saying 'like' every two/three seconds. Does she listen to herself speak? The other two speakers were fine.
It must really pain this guy that in all of his attempts to try to phrase everything in terms of racism and exclusion, he was never actually able to provide a link between the position of rap music on the charts and some vast societal oppression or conspiracy. All he really did was point to a few noted incidents of bribery. But how much influence could that bribery have had? These charts were kept week after week after week and the bribery was the exception, not the rule. And for it to have the influence that he wants us to believe it had, that would have to be a lot of bribery on a very consistent basis and very widespread. That simply wasn't the case This is nothing new for this guy, though. He tried to blame the fall of disco on racism and homophobia so I knew what I was getting into when I started listening to this one. It's kind of sad, really. There was fertile ground here to really explore the nature of the charts and how they changed. But instead he preferred to try to turn thi
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to call b******* on yet another podcast. Janet Jackson did not suffer greatly in the public eye because of the wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl. Her popularity had already been flagging for quite awhile when that came about. There was about a week worth of people sort of scratching their heads but it's not like she didn't issue an apology. Everyone moved on. Unfortunately for Janet, they were already moving on to other artists long before that. Just as in another podcast he seems to want to blame the demise of disco on homophobia and racism, here again he fails to acknowledge that sometimes things just run their course.
You know, I was in college during this Janet Jackson album. But I had never heard the term "New Jack Swing" until I started listening to this guy's podcasts decades later. At no time did we refer to Janet Jackson's music or Keith sweat's music or Bobby Brown's music as "New Jack Swing." We had the term R&B, it seemed to do the trick, and that's what we called it. I get the distinct impression that terms like "New Jack Swing" are created by people trying to set themselves apart who want to convince themselves that they have worthwhile opinions.
I'm glad there was a man there to explain to the 13-year-old girl with the retainer how movies work.
I had to sub once I realized that this was the first in about a half-dozen reviews of this movie where the people doing the reviewing seemed to actually get what was going on in the movie they were watching. The one thing I would ask people to reconsider, though, is this assertion that runs like a thread through all of the reviews I've listened to, which is that the boyfriend is necessarily horrible. He doesn't seem like a particularly great guy, but most of his transgressions took place while under the influence of God knows what. By contrast, she is an anchor of a girlfriend. Seriously, ask almost any guy and he will tell you that there is no way he would want someone like that constantly around. I can't blame him for having wanted to have gotten rid of her a long time ago. I would say the worst thing about him was that he allowed the relationship to drag on because she was so needy all the time.
you can tell the bullshit right off the back lmao. C list superhero? yea you don't know much about the comics. this was the first ep. of the this cast and the last they have horrible memory with the other movies, they say the most unthought through shit, complains about moronic made up identity political issues in a movie. straight trash
Stephen might come off a bit snobby but it's part of the fun of it! He's the snooty one, he balances out Dana who is super sweet. I've gotten to know them over the years so now I wouldn't want them to change.
As a big fan of other Slate podcasts, I was pretty excited about this one, but it really is the weakest of the bunch. The participants are sooo snobbish, which I suppose makes sense, but it is not immediately apparent upon what grounds they are snobbish. On the Political Gabfest, Dickerson knows politics, Bazelon knows the law, Plotz...well, he's editor now so he does what he wants. On the Culture Gabfest, you get a couple of mildly literate twenty-somethings and a thirty-something talking down to the world. No thanks.
I agree with most of what has been said -- both the good and the bad -- yet this is still my favorte Slate podcast. Hearing the writers present such overly complicated, pretentious arguments about trivial details of pop culture makes me nostalgic for my college years. Outside of academia, there are few places where you can hear such trumped up commentary of, say, Miley Cyrus's decisions. There are lots of cringe-worthy moments, but, like that old college boyfriend who compared Seinfeld to Beckett, I actually find them endearing. Metcalf's accent is hard on my ears, though. Is it from a region I haven't visited, or is it the vocal manifestation of pretentiousness? I agree that Stevens and Turner are easier to take. Perhaps they will start to deflate more of Metcalf's pompous comments in the future. I wish the cultural gabfest recorded more than twice a month. In contrast, I find the political gabfest more grating by the week. They veer into in-jokes and tedious personal anecdotes that d
Sadly, the Slate Culture Gabfest doesn't hold a candle to the Political Gabfest. Even for a culture snob like me, this show is a little hard to take. One problem is the main host, Stephen Metcalf. He has a creepy way of overenunciating—it sounds like he chews each word twelve times before swallowing it. That, combined with his use of pretentious phrases like "the creative underclass" (referring to himself) and occasional lapses into French, induce mild nausea after prolonged exposure. The other participants, Turner and Stevens, are easier on the ears and slightly more down-to-earth. And all of the hosts are clearly intelligent and well-informed. But since they all have two conflicting opinions about almost everything, the conversation gets bogged down and goes nowhere. Everything good is a guilty pleasure, and everything bad has some sort of redemptive flipside. And you can cut the pretension in the air with a knife. The Culture Gabfest needs a co-host with a functioning BS detector. S