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.

Host

Decoder Ring: Ice-Cream Truck

 A creamy, dreamy summer treat, with a side of slashed tires.

Decoder Ring: Pillow Talk

A soft, fluffy mystery.

Decoder Ring: Chuck E. Cheese Pizza War

In the 1980s, two restaurant chains duked it out to become the preeminent robot pizza arcade.

Decoder Ring: “Videomate: Men”

Dating via VHS tape was the future, until it wasn’t.

Decoder Ring: Truck Nutz

Why would someone dangle plastic testicles from their bumper?

Decoder Ring: “Baby Shark”

Origins of an earworm.

Decoder Ring: The Grifter

Brett Johnson ripped off hundreds of people. Now, he has regrets.

Decoder Ring: Sad Jennifer Aniston

Deconstructing the tabloid saga of Jennifer Aniston.

When Us Met Jen

The history of the tabloid creation Sad Jennifer Aniston.

How Do You Start a Conspiracy Theory?

The wild and woolly tale of Ong’s Hat.

Decoder Ring: The Incunabula Papers

What lies at the heart of Ong’s Hat?

Decoder Ring: Hotel Art

Hotel art has vastly improved—but can it ever be good?

Decoder Ring: The Paper Doll Club

Who still plays with paper dolls?

Decoder Ring: The Basement Affair

Making love and performance art on a VH1 dating show.

Clown Panic

Decoder Ring investigates the history of clowns, phantom-clown panics, and the rise of the horror clown.

Decoder Ring: The Johnlock Conspiracy

The BBC insisted that John Watson and Sherlock Holmes aren’t gay lovers. Fans disagreed.

Decoder Ring: The Laff Box

What happened to the laugh track?