Decoder Ring

Cracking cultural mysteries.

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About the Show

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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The Making of This Season

Host Willa Paskin and producer Katie Shepherd discuss how this season of Decoder Ring came together.

The Mailbag Episode

From kids menus to succulents to the chicken that crossed the road, we answer your questions.

Encore: ‘You’ve Got Mail’ Got It Wrong

Who’s afraid of… Barnes & Noble? The now quaint conflict that inspired the 1998 romantic comedy.

Cellino & Barnes, Injury Attorneys, 800-888-8888

Cellino and Barnes became the literal poster-men for personal injury advertising.

How Preppy Became Streetwear

Ralph Lauren’s modern Ivy style was remixed by ’Lo-Heads.

The New Age Hit Machine

How a PBS pledge drive turned Yanni and John Tesh into rock stars.

The Butt and the Bustle

It may be old-fashioned, but the bustle still has a lot to tell us about race, sex and power.

The Truth About #TheDress

An unassuming photo of a party dress showed how seeing is believing.

McGruff Takes a Bite Out of Crime, Part 2

Did a trenchcoat-wearing dog’s catchy anti-drug anthems actually work?

McGruff Takes a Bite Out of Crime, Part 1

The unlikely origins of the trenchcoat-wearing bloodhound who tackled personal safety, guns, and drugs.

The Making of This Season

Host Willa Paskin talks about topics versus narratives, translating fabulists, and creating a soundscape for the world of Mae West.

The “Sex” Scandal That Made Mae West

Before she hit the big-screen, the sultry actress starred in a 1927 tabloid trial.

The First Alien Abductees

The alien abduction narrative started right here on Earth.

The Most Famous Poet No One Remembers

Searching for Rod McKuen.

The Mall Is Dead (Long Live the Mall)

For a supposedly dying place, the mall keeps hanging around.

How Decoder Ring Made This Season

Plus, an extended interview with writer and producer Damon Lindelof.

The Storytelling Craze

How storytelling became a product.

“We Got Ourselves a Convoy”

How a fake country star gave voice to frustrated truckers across America.

The Sideways Effect

How one movie changed American wine-drinking habits.

The Madness Behind “the Method”

Isaac Butler on how method acting became so widely misunderstood.