Culture Gabfest

Slate’s critics debate the week in culture, from highbrow to pop.

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About the Show

New York Times critic Dwight Garner says, “The Slate Culture Gabfest is one of the highlights of my week.” The award-winning Culturefest features Slate culture critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner debating the week in culture, from highbrow to pop.

Hosts

The “Folklorn” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Taylor Swift’s Folklore, school reopenings, and My Man Godfrey.

The “Summer Strut 2020” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on the songs of the summer.

The “Hamilton in the Trump Era” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on I May Destroy You, Hamilton, and Twister.

The “Toppling Teddy Roosevelt” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on the toppling of statues, Da 5 Bloods, and Center Stage.

The “Black Lives Matter” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on anti-racist reading lists, cop shows, and citizen-shot videos of police brutality.

The “Never Will I Ever Beef with Chrissy Teigen” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Never Have I Ever, Twitter beefs in the time of COVID-19, and Out of Sight.

The “Normal People?” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Normal People, John Krasinski’s Some Good News, and In a Lonely Place.

The “Don’t call me Shirley” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Unorthodox, the state of comedy, and Airplane!

The “Fetch the Patriarchy” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Mrs. America, Fiona Apple, and Local Hero.

“The Talented Mr. Quibi” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Quibi, John Prine, and The Talented Mr. Ripley.

The “Will Restaurants Survive?” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on the restaurant industry, Adam Schlesinger, and Sneakers.

The “Cool Cats and Kittens” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Tiger King, Paddington 2, and celebrity music telethons.

The “Walking into the Abyss” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on The Plot Against America, walking, and Big Night.

The “Viral Songs and Quarantine Culture” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Spenser Confidential, Reply All’s “The Case of the Missing Hit,” and culture during quarantine.

The “Cows and Capitalism” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on First Cow, You’ve Got Mail, and the millennial aesthetic.

The “Is Love Blind?” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Love Is Blind, tomboys, and coronavirus.

The “Portrait of Taylor on Fire” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Miss Americana, and “garbage language.”

The “Gender Swap” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on The Assistant, High Fidelity, and Jenny Odell.

“Parasite Without a Host” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on the Oscars, Star Trek: Picard, and television’s fantasy of New York.

“Boingity Boing Music” Edition

Slate Culture Gabfest on Ford v Ferrari, The Circle, and American Dirt.