Demi Moore Gives Substance to The Substance

On this week’s show, Julia and Stephen are joined by Slate writer and senior editor, Sam Adams. Why do we tell fictional stories about real people?‌ The panel ponders this question as they discuss two biopics: The Apprentice and Saturday Night. The Apprentice is an uncanny portrait of Donald Trump, a young striver under the tutelage – and spell – of his mentor, Roy Cohn. But does the film offer any new information or ideas? Saturday Night, on the other hand, is the often obnoxious tale of the frenetic 90-minute countdown before Saturday Night Live’s first broadcast in 1975. Finally, the panel is joined by The Atlantic staff writer Charlie Warzel to discuss his recent and prescient piece, “I’m Running Out of Ways to Explain How Bad This Is.”In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses f*cking profanity, a conversation inspired by a listener question from Jonathan. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:Sam: Separated, a documentary by Errol Morris. (Read Sam’s review here.)Julia: Ten, Nine, Eight, a wonderful children’s book by Molly Bang. Steve: Laura Miller’s book review of Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell for Slate. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.

On this week’s show, Dana and Stephen are joined by Supreme Friend of the Podcast (SFOP) Isaac Butler, author of The Method:‌ How the Twentieth Century Learned to‌ Act. The trio first explores The Wild Robot, DreamWork Animation’s handcrafted, lovingly made film that’s the surprise of the year. Lupita Nyong’o voices ROZ, an old-fashioned robot powered by supremely advanced A.I. who must learn about and adapt to her new wild surroundings.Then, they dissect Nobody Wants This, a new Netflix series starring Kristen Bell (who plays a sex podcaster) and Adam Brody as a hot rabbi. Although there are obvious charms, the show’s “will they, won’t they” rom-com beats can often feel, at best, gratingly familiar, and at worst, bizarre and unthoughtful, particularly in its portrayal of Jewish women. Finally, the Criterion Collection, is “a catalog so synonymous with cinematic achievement that it has come to function as a kind of film Hall of Fame,” writes Joshua Hunt for The New York Times. The panel dives into the wonderful world of ‘Closet Picks,’ a viral video format in which celebrities and movie buffs head into the Criterion Collection stockroom and pluck high-quality DVDs and Blu-rays off its shelves while explaining their personal significance. Also mentioned in this episode:‌“The Wild Robot Has an Intelligence That’s Anything But Artificial” by Dana Stevens for Slate.“‘Nobody Wants This’ Pits Jewish Women Against ‘Shiksas.’ Nobody Wins.” By Jessica Grose for The New York Times.In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel extols the joys of being on the ground. Inspired by Chris Black’s column for GQ, “How I Learned to Love a Layover,” the trio discusses how they spend their time in airports. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:Dana:‌ “Abbas Kiarostami’s Childhood Films,”‌ a collection of 17 films by the renowned Iranian filmmaker made about or for children.Isaac:‌ The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, directed by Isao Takahata.Stephen:‌ “The Song That Connects Jackson Browne, Nico and Margot Tenenbaum”‌ by Bob Mehr for The New York Times.Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 

On this week’s show, the hosts are joined by a very special fourth panelist: Wesley Morris, a critic at The New York Times and the host of The Wonder of Stevie, a new podcast on Audible. First, the quartet explores The Substance, a lurid, monstrous body horror flick by writer-director Coralie Fargeat. Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading Hollywood icon who is so repulsed by the idea of aging, that she purchase a black-market drug known as “the substance.”‌ The film caused a commotion at Cannes this year, where audience members reportedly walked out in disgust and the remaining crowd gave it a 13-minute standing ovation. Then, the panel dives into The Wonder of Stevie with its host. The new six-part Audible series explores the career of Stevie Wonder and “uncovers the untold story of an extraordinary artistic journey that shaped the greatest creative era in popular music history.”‌ On the show, Wesley is joined by guests including Barack and Michelle Obama, Questlove, Smokey Robinson, and more. Finally, the hosts discuss A.I. slop and the onslaught of online garbage and language model detritus. This conversation was inspired by Max Read’s piece for New York Magazine, “Drowning in Slop.”‌In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Wesley Morris sticks around for a classic Slate spoiler special, and joins the hosts in dissecting The Substance and the film’s controversial, bloody, and borderline nauseating third act. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:Dana: Stevie Wonder and Gilbert Gil performing live in Brazil in 1995.Julia:‌ Today on Trail, Rusty Foster’s spin-off newsletter miniseries about hiking the Appalachian Trail with his son.Stephen:‌ British singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya’s album, My Method Actor.Wesley: Vote for your favorite songs of the past 25 years, and add to WXPN radio’s definitive list of the “885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century.”‌Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.Disclosure: A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. As of 9/26/24, the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across the Bond Account is greater than 6%. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore, a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule. Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. See https://public.com/disclosures/bond-account to learn more.

On this week’s show, two of our favorite Slate-sters, Nadira Goffe (culture writer)‌ and Dan Kois (author of Hampton Heights), fill in for Dana Stevens and Stephen Metcalf. The trio first pays a visit to Gotham, and reviews Max’s The Penguin, an odd, unevenly paced mob show that doubles as DC Comics intellectual property. Sporting a prosthetic face, Colin Farrell reprises his role as the titular character (also known as Oz Cobb) and adds a new layer of humanity to the villainous Penguin. Then, the three discuss Sundance darling My Old Ass, a charming coming-of-age film by writer-director Megan Park, in which teenage Elliot (played by Maisy Stella) meets her future self (Aubrey Plaza) while tripping on shrooms. Finally, the panel tackles Am I The Asshole?‌‌ and explores the classic Reddit forum’s many pleasures.Mentioned in this episode:‌ Colin Farrell’s Long Waddle to The Penguin (Isaac Butler, Slate.) In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses Robert Caro’s The Power Broker with staff writer Henry Grabar, who in his essay, “Read Another Book,” offers a counterpoint to the weighty tome: maybe it’s OK to skip this one. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:Nadira: Sean Wang’s film Dìdi; a playlist of metaphorically violent songs, inspired by Charli XCX’s “Sympathy is a Knife.”‌ (Also, if anyone has any intel on “Life Is a Death Wish”‌ or Golden Age Ensemble, please reach out!)Dan:‌ Thank Goodness, an extremely funny video game.‌ Available on most gaming platforms. (He also strongly recommends watching this video about the game’s developers!)Julia:‌‌ ColorKu, a vibrant and beautiful puzzle game.Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.

On this week’s show, the hosts begin by reviewing one of Netflix’s hottest movies at the moment, Rebel Ridge. Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge is a revenge thriller that tackles the very real issue of civil asset forfeiture. And while the film’s cleverness is up for debate, the panel agrees on one thing: the star of Rebel Ridge, Aaron Pierre, is fantastic (“each of his eyes deserves a special Oscar nod,”‌ describes Steve.)‌ Then, the trio explores His Three Daughters, a tear-jerking death-watch drama that follows three estranged sisters trapped in a claustrophobic New York City apartment. The film is written and directed by Azazel Jacobs and stars Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, and Carrie Coon. Finally, musician and Friend of the Pod Franz Nicolay joins to discuss his new book, Band People:‌ Life and Work in Popular Music. In the exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, the panel is joined by Slate staff writer Nitish Pahwa to discuss the fate of the Internet Archive and controlled digital lending. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:Dana: Inspired by today’s Plus conversation, Dana endorses the Media History Digital Library, “a conservation and access project for historical printed materials related to cinema, broadcasting and recorded sound,” hosted on the Internet Archive.Julia:‌‌ An actually good protein bar:‌ Papa Steve’s No Junk Protein Bar.Steve:‌ Colm Tóibín’s essay on James Baldwin for The New York Review, “The Pitch of Passion.”Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.

On this week’s show, the hosts revisit Beetlejuice (1988), the seminal film that marked Tim Burton’s arrival onto the scene as a sort of grim fairy tale teller. 36 years later, the director and much of the original cast return for its sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a surprisingly sincere tale about the nature of death and grieving. Or, is it a total mess?‌‌ The hosts discuss. Then, the three dive into English Teacher,‌‌ a hilarious new FX‌ series in which Brian Jordan Alvarez (previously known for online comedies like The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo)‌ plays Evan Marquez, a high school English teacher in Austin, Texas. Finally, chat podcasts (like the one you’re listening to right now)‌ are like dating and improv – to work, they necessitate a certain level of chemistry, intimacy, and vulnerability. The hosts are joined by New York Times culture critic Reggie Ugwu to discuss his recent piece, “What Makes Good Chemistry?‌ For Chat Podcasts, It’s Fundamental,”‌ as well as the Gabfest’s early days, the hosts first impressions of one another, and how they went about building their own unique rapport. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Julia joins last week’s productivity discourse and widens its scope, and the hosts discuss the nature of “hacking life” and how our relationship to productivity reflects current American ideals. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:Dana:‌ A‌ spice shop that’s been in the news:‌ Penzeys Spices, in Pittsburgh. Check out Helen Rosner’s 2018 piece on the shop for The New Yorker, as well as Penzey’s sweet and spicy Cake Spice.Steve: Howard’s End, a novel by E.M. Forster.Julia: A‌ two-parter:‌ (1) The single best piece of criticism about Avatar:‌ The Way of Water, performed by English Teacher cast member Jordan Firstman (it’s the second slide in the Instagram reel).(2)‌ Season 8, episode 5 of Frasier entitled ‌“Taking Liberties.”‌ Victor Garber is a hilarious guest star – this is Frasier at his best.Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.

On this week’s show, Slate’s books and culture columnist, Laura Miller, sits in for Julia. The panel begins with KAOS, Netflix’s new series that reimagines Greek mythology in modern times. Created by Charlie Covell (End of the F***ing World), KAOS stars Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, alongside a host of excellently cast deities. But is the show too self-satisfied and high off its own supply?‌ The three investigate. Then, they dive into Close Your Eyes, a Spanish film made by Victor Erice (The Spirit of the Beehive)‌. After 30 years away from the medium, the filmmaker returns with a beautiful meditation on the nature of art and identity. Finally, the hosts contemplate Spotify: is the streaming service a glorious cornucopia or the algorithm that ate your music?‌ This conversation is inspired by this essay by Tiffany Ng for the MIT‌ Technology Review:‌ “How to break free of Spotify’s algorithm.”‌In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel hacks productivity, inspired by a recent episode of Vergecast, “What’s in a productivity system?”Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:Dana: Motivated by Choire Sicha’s review for The Strategist, Dana’s endorsement this week is a goofy desk timer:‌ the mooas Dodecagon Time Ball Mini Timer. Laura:‌ Entitlement by Rumaan Alam, a novel that’s to be published soon. Steve:‌ “Never Going Back Again,”‌ a song off of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album, performed by Lindsey Buckingham. Steve’s currently learning to play it on the guitar, which gave him a newfound appreciation of the song itself. Make sure to check out Buckingham’s performance at USC.Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong. 

On this week’s show, the hosts begin by reviewing Bad Monkey, a breezy new crime drama on Apple TV+ starring Vince Vaughn as a former police officer turned health inspector. It’s everything a summer show should be: laid-back, easy on the eyes, and set in warm, sunny Florida. Then, speaking of returns, the panel turns back the clock and tackles Homicide:‌ Life on the Street, a groundbreaking cop show that debuted in 1993 and is now available to stream on Peacock. Finally, the trio considers A.I. in the arts, inspired by Curtis Sittenfeld’s guest essay for The New York Times:‌ “An Experiment in Lust, Regret and Kissing.”‌In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses the experience of dropping your children off at college. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:Dana: Close Your Eyes, a film written and directed by Victor Erice. Julia: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. Steve: The entire state of California. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.HostsDana Stephens, Julia Turner, Stephen Metcalf

On this week’s show, Rebecca Onion and Jenny Zhang fill in for Stephen. First, the panel tackles HBO’s Industry. The show is in its third season and has seen a huge increase in viewership. But is it a show worth of the coveted Sunday night timeslot? Then, they explore Alien: Romulus, a new addition to Xenomorph lore, with a controversial cameo. Finally, the panel talks about Sephora, beauty culture and tweens in a conversation inspired by Jia Tolentino’s new essay What Tweens Get from Sephora and What They Get From Us. On this week’s exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, the panel talks about watching horror movies as a critic. Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:REBECCA: Two endorsements: First, Health and Safety: A Breakdown by Emily Witt. This memoir from a New Yorker writer is a fascinating look at “changing perceptions of life.” Second, pistachio milk. It’s tasty. JULIA: This week’s Hang Up and Listen marks the end of an era. “What a gift this show has been.” DANA: The Review of Beauty, a substack from Jessica Delfino. Dana knows she may have endorsed it in the past, but given the third topic this week it is too fitting to not mention it again. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong. HostsDana Stevens, Julia Turner, Rebecca Onion, Jenny Zhang

On this week’s show, June Thomas (author of A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture) and Dan Kois (author of Hampton Heights) fill in for Dana and Stephen. First, the panel tackles It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (the latter also directed and produced the film.) It’s a big, glossy melodrama laced with a domestic violence plot, and is the first film adaptation of BookTok star author Colleen Hoover. Then, the three explore Time Bandits, a new television show from Jermaine Clement, Iain Morris, and Taika Watiti starring, among others, a sublime Lisa Kudrow. The Apple TV+ series is based on Terry Gilliam’s 1981 film of the same name and follows a ragtag bunch of bandits as they thieve and travel through time. Finally, in light of its 20-year anniversary, the trio considers Yelp – does the crowd-sourcing review platform still hold power in 2024? This conversation was inspired by Jaya Saxena’s Eater piece, “Everybody Gets a Star.”On this week’s exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, the panel goes on the hunt for the wonderful, elusive “perfect cracker.”Email us at [email protected]. Endorsements:JUNE: A very well-reviewed book from two years ago: Katheine Rundell’s Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne.DAN: The Ministry for the Future: A Novel by Kim Stanley Robinson.JULIA: First Class Tailors on Wilshire Blvd., which boasts a 4.7 Star rating on Yelp.Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong. HostsJune Thomas, Dan Kois, Julia Turner