Stuck in the Backrooms Edition

Announcing: Julia's New Show!

L.A. World is a new weekly podcast from L.A. Material, the local news outlet that Julia Turner helped launch earlier this year. The show helps you understand what's happening in Los Angeles. Every episode, Julia is joined by hosts Hayes Davenport and Antonia Cereijido to walk you through L.A.'s top stories, offering context and distinctive insight you can't get anywhere else. A great listen for Angelenos, and for curious people everywhere. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ [https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits] at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Granola Edition

A eulogistic weepfest? A “valediction forbidding mourning”? A conscious unthroupling? All of the above? Believe it or not, the time has come for Steve, Dana, and Julia to convene the Culture Gabfest panel for the very last time.  Before saying goodbye, they look back at the very first piece of culture they ever gabbed about on their inaugural episode in February 2008: the film Juno. Does the indie darling written by Diablo Cody, directed by Jason Reitman, and starring Elliot Page as a sardonic, pregnant teenager hold up after 18 years? And, what does rewatching it in 2026 reveal about how culture has changed? They discuss. Next, the panel welcomes on the grand poobah of SFOPs June Thomas to counsel them through the inevitable change in one’s cultural habits that comes after a big life transition. They get into why June stopped watching TV and the truly wild mix of things in her YouTube algorithm.   Finally, we hear from you our dear, dear listeners. Steve, Dana, and Julia respond to some of your many beautiful emails and voice memos.   In our bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, past Gabfest producers spill the beans on what it was like to make this show over the years. And, as always, thank you so much for being a listener. Endorsements Dana: The forthcoming book about translating ancient texts by beloved past Gabfest guest Emily Wilson, Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature [https://bookshop.org/p/books/crossing-the-wine-dark-sea-journeys-through-ancient-literature-emily-wilson/7ac46e1380472f69?ean=9781324099406&next=t]. June: The podcast Drafting the Past [https://draftingthepast.com/] hosted by Kate Carpenter about the craft of writing history. Julia: Manhattan Beach's indie bookstore Pages [https://pagesabookstore.com/] and On the Calculation of Volume (Book 1) [https://bookshop.org/p/books/on-the-calculation-of-volume-book-i-shortlisted-for-the-2025-international-booker-prize-solvej-balle/39837e132ef254c6?ean=9780811237253] by Solvej Balle (definitely the first 30 pages and maybe the whole five book series). Steve: In addition to the music of Red Garland [https://open.spotify.com/artist/35iymrFS4VnsKn35ebHKX9?si=4cF4GtENSMq0ZPBPbGbjEg], I Capture the Castle [https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-capture-the-castle-deluxe-edition-dodie-smith/b29e25c3ab2fa759?ean=9781250146694&next=t] by Dodie Smith, and the poem “The Writer [https://poets.org/poem/writer]” by Richard Wilbur, Sparrowbush Bakery [https://sparrowbushbakery.com/], a tiny, rustic bakery in Livingston, New York that is only open Fridays and Saturdays and serves the best bread made from fresh stoneground flour from locally grown grains you’ll ever taste. Where in the World to Find the Culture Gabfest Dana: Writing film reviews on [https://slate.com/author/dana-stevens]Slate.com [http://slate.com] and kicking around a book idea that is still in the early stages. You can find updates and commentary on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/thehighsign.bsky.social].  Steve: In the wind, to the sands... and also working on a new book about, among many other things, the 1980s. Julia: Editing L.A. Material [https://lamaterial.com/] and soon appearing weekly on L.A. Material's about-to-launch podcast L.A. World [https://lamaterial.com/podcast]. Also, on Twitter/X [https://x.com/juliaturner?lang=en], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/msjuliaturner/], and Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/juliaturner.bsky.social]. June: At her newsletter Where Are All the Emails [https://buttondown.com/WhereAre]? For the time being, listeners can also still reach the panel by emailing culturefest@slate.com. And to keep tabs on the Gabfesters, subscribe to their brand-new newsletter, the Culture Gabletter [https://culture-gabletter.beehiiv.com/], to receive occasional updates, endorsements and more.  -- Podcast production by the immensely talented Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by the brilliant Daniel Hirsch. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ [https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits] at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Granola Edition

A eulogistic weepfest? A “valediction forbidding mourning”? A conscious unthroupling? All of the above? Believe it or not, the time has come for Steve, Dana, and Julia to convene the Culture Gabfest panel for the very last time.  Before saying goodbye, they look back at the very first piece of culture they ever gabbed about on their inaugural episode in February 2008: the film Juno. Does the indie darling written by Diablo Cody, directed by Jason Reitman, and starring Elliot Page as a sardonic, pregnant teenager hold up after 18 years? And, what does rewatching it in 2026 reveal about how culture has changed? They discuss. Next, the panel welcomes on the grand poobah of SFOPs June Thomas to counsel them through the inevitable change in one’s cultural habits that comes after a big life transition. They get into why June stopped watching TV and the truly wild mix of things in her YouTube algorithm.   Finally, we hear from you our dear, dear listeners. Steve, Dana, and Julia respond to some of your many beautiful emails and voice memos.   In our bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, past Gabfest producers spill the beans on what it was like to make this show over the years. And, as always, thank you so much for being a listener. Endorsements Dana: The forthcoming book about translating ancient texts by beloved past Gabfest guest Emily Wilson, Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature [https://bookshop.org/p/books/crossing-the-wine-dark-sea-journeys-through-ancient-literature-emily-wilson/7ac46e1380472f69?ean=9781324099406&next=t]. June: The podcast Drafting the Past [https://draftingthepast.com/] hosted by Kate Carpenter about the craft of writing history. Julia: Manhattan Beach's indie bookstore Pages [https://pagesabookstore.com/] and On the Calculation of Volume (Book 1) [https://bookshop.org/p/books/on-the-calculation-of-volume-book-i-shortlisted-for-the-2025-international-booker-prize-solvej-balle/39837e132ef254c6?ean=9780811237253] by Solvej Balle (definitely the first 30 pages and maybe the whole five book series). Steve: In addition to the music of Red Garland [https://open.spotify.com/artist/35iymrFS4VnsKn35ebHKX9?si=4cF4GtENSMq0ZPBPbGbjEg], I Capture the Castle [https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-capture-the-castle-deluxe-edition-dodie-smith/b29e25c3ab2fa759?ean=9781250146694&next=t] by Dodie Smith, and the poem “The Writer [https://poets.org/poem/writer]” by Richard Wilbur, Sparrowbush Bakery [https://sparrowbushbakery.com/], a tiny, rustic bakery in Livingston, New York that is only open Fridays and Saturdays and serves the best bread made from fresh stoneground flour from locally grown grains you’ll ever taste. Where in the World to Find the Culture Gabfest Dana: Writing film reviews on [https://slate.com/author/dana-stevens]Slate.com [http://slate.com] and kicking around a book idea that is still in the early stages. You can find updates and commentary on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/thehighsign.bsky.social].  Steve: In the wind, to the sands... and also working on a new book about, among many other things, the 1980s. Julia: Editing L.A. Material [https://lamaterial.com/] and soon appearing weekly on L.A. Material's about-to-launch podcast L.A. World [https://lamaterial.com/podcast]. Also, on Twitter/X [https://x.com/juliaturner?lang=en], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/msjuliaturner/], and Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/juliaturner.bsky.social]. June: At her newsletter Where Are All the Emails [https://buttondown.com/WhereAre]? For the time being, listeners can also still reach the panel by emailing culturefest@slate.com. And to keep tabs on the Gabfesters, subscribe to their brand-new newsletter, the Culture Gabletter [https://culture-gabletter.beehiiv.com/], to receive occasional updates, endorsements and more.  -- Podcast production by the immensely talented Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by the brilliant Daniel Hirsch. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ [https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits] at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Toy Story 5 Crushes It at the Box Office Edition

The Gabfest’s end is nigh but we’ve still got a few bits of culture to gab upon. This week, Steve and Dana are joined by longtime Gabfest star pinch hitter Dan Kois.  First up for consideration: Pixar’s Toy Story 5. In this fifth installment of the computer animation studio’s flagship franchise, the threat to the vital bond between toy and child are computers themselves. Will Pixar, of all entities, save us from the threat of screentime? Maybe not. Is it nice to be back with Woody, Buzz, Jesse and the gang of plushies, dolls, and various transitional objects? Maybe so. Next, the panel drops into the indie comedy ecosystem of the streaming service Dropout TV and talks about its chaotic cult hit game show Game Changer, now in its eighth season. Does the goofy hijinks therein offer a framework for the future of TV? They discuss.    Finally, supreme, very special friend of the program (SVSFOP) Wesley Morris joins to talk about the New York Times’ package on the six sentences that define America [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/08/arts/declaration-of-independence-words.html] and his essay in it about Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/08/arts/nina-simone-mississippi-goddam-civil-rights-song.html].” In our bonus episode, Wesley sticks around to theorize with Steve, Dana, and Julia about the point of even having podcasts about culture. Endorsements Dana: "What Steven Spielberg Taught Me About Fear, Catharsis, and Being Human [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/magazine/steven-spielberg-movie-theater-disclosure-day.html]" by Wesley Morris in The New York Times as well as, maybe for the first time ever for Dana in Gabfest history, a piece of technology: the MacBook Neo [https://www.apple.com/macbook-neo/]. Julia: The ongoing career—after composing the Gabfest theme [https://slate.com/podcasts/culture-gabfest/2014/12/making-a-theme-song]—of the composer Nicholas Britell including his work for the NBA [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/arts/music/nba-finals-music.html]and particularly the composition "Agape [https://music.apple.com/us/album/agape/1440307473?i=1440307642]" on the film score of If Beale Street Could Talk [https://music.apple.com/us/album/if-beale-street-could-talk-original-motion-picture-score/1440307473].  Wesley: The potato salad recipe in Pearl Bailey's cookbook Pearl's Kitchen: An Extraordinary Cookbook [https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31946946799&dest=USA]. Dan: Writing fan mail to authors whose work you love. Also, the music of the recently departed South African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim [https://music.apple.com/us/artist/abdullah-ibrahim/3924942], particularly the album Mindif [https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-enja-heritage-collection-mindif/1363873828]. Steve: The semi-fictionalized documentary about David Hockney A Bigger Splash [https://www.criterionchannel.com/a-bigger-splash] and Philip French's review of it for BFI [https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/bigger-splash-reviewed-1975-david-hockney]. Also, David Denby's 1990 New York Review of Books essay "The Real Thing [https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1990/11/08/the-real-thing/]" about the documentarian Frederick Wiseman.  -- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com [culturefest@slate.com].  Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ [https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits] at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Toy Story 5 Crushes It at the Box Office Edition

The Gabfest’s end is nigh but we’ve still got a few bits of culture to gab upon. This week, Steve and Dana are joined by longtime Gabfest star pinch hitter Dan Kois.  First up for consideration: Pixar’s Toy Story 5. In this fifth installment of the computer animation studio’s flagship franchise, the threat to the vital bond between toy and child are computers themselves. Will Pixar, of all entities, save us from the threat of screentime? Maybe not. Is it nice to be back with Woody, Buzz, Jesse and the gang of plushies, dolls, and various transitional objects? Maybe so. Next, the panel drops into the indie comedy ecosystem of the streaming service Dropout TV and talks about its chaotic cult hit game show Game Changer, now in its eighth season. Does the goofy hijinks therein offer a framework for the future of TV? They discuss.    Finally, supreme, very special friend of the program (SVSFOP) Wesley Morris joins to talk about the New York Times’ package on the six sentences that define America [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/08/arts/declaration-of-independence-words.html] and his essay in it about Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/08/arts/nina-simone-mississippi-goddam-civil-rights-song.html].” In our bonus episode, Wesley sticks around to theorize with Steve, Dana, and Julia about the point of even having podcasts about culture. Endorsements Dana: "What Steven Spielberg Taught Me About Fear, Catharsis, and Being Human [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/magazine/steven-spielberg-movie-theater-disclosure-day.html]" by Wesley Morris in The New York Times as well as, maybe for the first time ever for Dana in Gabfest history, a piece of technology: the MacBook Neo [https://www.apple.com/macbook-neo/]. Julia: The ongoing career—after composing the Gabfest theme [https://slate.com/podcasts/culture-gabfest/2014/12/making-a-theme-song]—of the composer Nicholas Britell including his work for the NBA [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/arts/music/nba-finals-music.html]and particularly the composition "Agape [https://music.apple.com/us/album/agape/1440307473?i=1440307642]" on the film score of If Beale Street Could Talk [https://music.apple.com/us/album/if-beale-street-could-talk-original-motion-picture-score/1440307473].  Wesley: The potato salad recipe in Pearl Bailey's cookbook Pearl's Kitchen: An Extraordinary Cookbook [https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31946946799&dest=USA]. Dan: Writing fan mail to authors whose work you love. Also, the music of the recently departed South African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim [https://music.apple.com/us/artist/abdullah-ibrahim/3924942], particularly the album Mindif [https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-enja-heritage-collection-mindif/1363873828]. Steve: The semi-fictionalized documentary about David Hockney A Bigger Splash [https://www.criterionchannel.com/a-bigger-splash] and Philip French's review of it for BFI [https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/bigger-splash-reviewed-1975-david-hockney]. Also, David Denby's 1990 New York Review of Books essay "The Real Thing [https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1990/11/08/the-real-thing/]" about the documentarian Frederick Wiseman.  -- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com [culturefest@slate.com].  Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ [https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits] at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.