Culture Gabfest

Culture Gabfest “Do-Over, Please” Edition

Slate’s Culture Gabfest on The Rehearsal, Emily the Criminal, and the relationship between gentrification and quiet.

Episode Notes

This week, Dana and Julia are out but never fear, we’ve brought on two great guest hosts to join Steve: slate alumnus and NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie and senior editor at Slate, Sam Adams. First, the panel breaks down the moral quandaries of the socially unhinged HBO hit The Rehearsal. Then, the panel dips a toe into the dark side with the Aubrey Plaza-led film Emily the Criminal. Finally, the panel discusses the article “Why Do Rich People Love Quiet?” by Xochitl Gonzalez for The Atlantic.

In Slate Plus, the panel discusses the relationship between race and food, based on the article “What We Talk About When We Talk About ‘White People Food’” by Jenny G. Zhang for Bon Appétit.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements
Sam: The new New York City Center’s “Encore” production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods—now showing at the St. James Theater in New York City.

Jamelle: Inspired by his podcast Unclear & Present Danger: the 1992 Bill Duke film Deep Cover starring Laurence Fishburn and Jeff Goldblum, which is a great example of relatively modern neo-noir and a fascinating political artifact of the 1990s.

Steve: A previous endorsement update: Steve has finished and approves the 1980 novel The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard. Steve’s real endorsement for the week: the album Crest by Swedish hip-hop artist Bladee, especially the songs: “Desire is a Trap” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Nadira Goffe.

Outro music is “What Do You Want From Me” by OTE.

About the Show

New York Times critic Dwight Garner says, “The Slate Culture Gabfest is one of the highlights of my week.” The award-winning Culturefest features Slate culture critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner debating the week in culture, from highbrow to pop.

All episodes

Hosts

  • Sam Adams is a Slate writer and senior editor.

  • Jamelle Bouie is a New York Times opinion columnist. He was formerly Slate’s chief political correspondent.

  • Stephen Metcalf is Slate’s critic at large. He is working on a book about the 1980s.