Slate Culture

On this week’s show, the hosts dive into A Complete Unknown, director James Mangold’s surprisingly charming Bob Dylan biopic that’s all about fame and what it looks like to be adjacent to it. Then, the three explore Dick Wolf’s latest project: On Call, a half-hour cop procedural set in Long Beach, California that’s streaming on Prime Video. Finally, the trio remembers David Lynch, the iconic, singular filmmaker who passed away last week at the age of 78.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel goes electric themselves and responds to a listener question from Rob: “Would you reminisce about the most electric experience you’ve had consuming a piece of culture with other people?” Email us at culturefest@slate.com [culturefest@slate.com].  Endorsements: Dana: The Soul of the Dance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxWp5MC52V4], a one-hour documentary about ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina.  Julia: The Thursday Murder Club [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-thursday-murder-club-richard-osman/16881727?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqL28BhCrARIsACYJvkcgRMyN4_KpJHAgRh1Fc89lfkJ4mBYggdZoh8dgHMJ0J3ipjKYJTv0aAgm-EALw_wcB] by Richard Osman. Alos, Julia is looking for nonfiction recommendations about Japan! Email her at culturefest@slate.com [culturefest@slate.com].  Steve: Two Australia-related endorsements: (1) The Fatal Shore [https://www.bookstellyouwhy.com/pages/books/70495/robert-hughes/the-fatal-shore] by Robert Hughes. (2) BUSH [http://www.bush-group.com/], a restaurant in Sydney’s Redfern neighborhood.  Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Host Christina Cauterucci sits down with WIRED senior writer Kate Knibbs to unpack Meta’s alarming internal shifts, including its embrace of right-wing ideologies, the elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, and the policy changes that permit hate speech against gay and trans people. Together, they discuss why these changes are happening, how they align with broader political trends, and what it all signals about the future of tech, media, and LGBTQ+ rights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by ICYMI producer (and resident linguist) Alexandra Botti, who shares her experience attending the American Dialect Society’s words-of-the-year vote. Then, Candice and Kate break down 2024’s winners (the WOTYs), and predict what internet words we’ll be seeing in 2025. This podcast is produced by Alexandra Botti, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Hosts Alex Kirshner [https://www.splitzoneduo.com/], Ben Lindbergh [https://www.theringer.com/authors/ben-lindbergh], and Lindsay Gibbs [https://lindsaygibbs.com/] examine college football’s first twelve-team playoff and how Ohio State won it all. The panel then talks about the NFL playoffs with Jayden Daniels’ continued rise and Lamar Jackson’s sad defeat. They also chat about Roki Sasaki’s decision to join the Dodgers, plus an Afterball from Ben on goalie goals! On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts discuss the Biden administration's last-minute guidance on revenue sharing in college sports. CFB Championship (2:08) Ohio State wins it all. NFL playoffs (21:14): The sad collapse of the Detroit Lions. Roki Sassaki: (40:22): The predictable L.A. landing spot for the Japanese hurler. Afterballs (58:49): Ben on hockey goalie goals. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=Hang_Up&utm_source=show_notes] to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Connie is feeling compelled to get involved in her local community, but she’s never even attended a PTA meeting. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin enlists Eric Liu of Citizen University [https://citizenuniversity.us/] to explain how busy parents, introverts, and first-timers like Connie can test the waters of civic engagement in the Trump 2.0 era—without getting sucked under.  Eric is the author of You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen's Guide to Making Change Happen [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/eric-liu/youre-more-powerful-than-you-think/9781541773660/?lens=publicaffairs]. If you liked this episode, check out our companion episode, How To Become an Expat [https://slate.com/podcasts/how-to/2025/01/how-to-become-an-expat], or this recent conversation: How To Lead Your Local Nonprofit [https://slate.com/podcasts/how-to/2024/11/nonprofit-board-membership-and-the-politics-of-community-leadership].  For an upcoming episode, we want to hear from listeners affected by the disastrous wildfires in the Los Angeles area. If you’re able to do so during this stressful time, tell us about the questions and challenges you’re facing as you rebuild your home and your life. Send us a note at howto@slate.com [howto@slate.com] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001.  How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis. Want more How To!? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the How To! [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to/id1469631127] show page. Or, visit slate.com/howtoplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=How_To&utm_source=episode_summary] to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]