Slate Culture Feed

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh revisit the whirlwind week for the U.S. men’s hockey team, after their gold medal win, and SOTU and White House visits. Then, the Ringer’s Megan Schuster joins to preview the new season of Formula 1 and its broadcasting move to Apple TV. To close, Ben breaks down what to look out for in the World Baseball Classic, which starts this week.

On the bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts share their highs and lows of watching the Winter Olympics.

Hockey and Politics: (3:45): The U.S. men’s hockey team gets their Big Macs
F1 (20:02): Formula One’s new home at Apple
WBC (44:24): The American baseball dream team still has an uphill battle

(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.)

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Podcast production and editing by Kevin Bendis, with production assistance from Patrick Fort.

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On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay and Slate staff writer Luke Winkie debrief after Luke’s scene report from outside Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home. The 84-year-old was reported missing on February 1, and ever since, true-crime creators have been livestreaming from her home, spreading theories, and profiting off her disappearance without any journalistic or investigative experience. Independent creators redefining news and media isn’t necessarily a bad thing, so why does this feel so sinister?

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay.
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These days, country and pop acts regularly invade each other’s territory. But in Nashville during the 1970s, “crossover” was a dirty word. Then came two rising stars who offered up a new hybrid of Americana-style pop.

John Denver infused his folk balladry with homespun lyrics about country roads and wide-open skies. Olivia Newton-John sang over twangy melodies that belied her British-Australian roots. Both faced backlash—especially when they started topping the country and pop charts simultaneously and winning prizes that used to go to Nashville legends.

Eventually, both artists outgrew country music. Denver became a ubiquitous entertainer and beloved Muppet wingman. Newton-John dazzled in the film Grease, then reinvented herself as a leather-clad siren unafraid to get physical.

Join Chris Molanphy as he traces the parallel rise of two country-pop titans from the Rocky Mountains to Xanadu.

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On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay and senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario reflect on the 2026 Winter Olympics—but not just what happened out on the ice. There was a different Olympics unfolding on social media, with viral moments from the ceremony that deserve their own gold, silver, and bronze medals. Kate and Daisy rank them, and also finally break their silence on the internet’s other current fixation: Punch the monkey.

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay.
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The original trio Steve, Dana, and Julia convene for a right cracker of a Gabfest as they discuss How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, the new comedic mystery from Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee. In the Netflix series, three longtime Belfast friends must revisit their childhood trauma to unravel the mystery of a fourth friend’s disappearance— raucous Northern Irish hijinks ensue.

Next, they step into the unhinged dystopian Los Angeles of Gore Verbinski’s new film Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. In it a beleaguered time traveler played by Sam Rockwell must visit the same Norm’s diner 117 times to save the world from the menace of A.I..

Finally, they welcome Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci to unpack her recent piece “My Gun and Me” about her unlikely journey towards gun ownership during Trump 2.0—and how she’s not alone in doing so in her left-leaning, queer community.

In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, they determine if there are indeed no comfortable reading positions, as a recent Slate essay by Luke Winkie attests.

Endorsements

Dana: The latest Today in Tabs entry from Rusty Foster "A.I. Isn't People."

Julia: In lieu of an endorsement, a gripe: the much-hyped New York Times two-player word game Crossplay is just Scrabble! (If only there were a German word for this specific form of disappointment...)

Steve: Rereading J.D. Salinger with some distance from one’s own adolescence— particularly Franny and Zooey and the short story "For Esmé—with Love and Squalor." And for a good critical reassessment, read Janet Malcolm's New York Review of Books essay "Justice to J.D. Salinger."

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Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch.

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