Culture & The Arts

  • The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Game

    On The Gist, Joe Biden again.Then Mike speaks with Slate blogger Ben Mathis-Lilley about impeachment.And we end with an interview with Chris Molanphy, who is back to run through the nominees for this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He and Mike talk about the new nominees, those who’ve appeared time and again, and the game theory of it all. Chris is the host of Hit Parade and writes the column “Why Is This Song Number One?”Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Samantha’s Journey into the Alt-Right, and Back

    Since 2016, Andrew Marantz has been reporting on how the extremist right has harnessed the Internet and social media to gain a startling prominence in American politics. One day, he was contacted by a woman named Samantha, who was in the leadership of th

  • Cosmic Queries – Between Planets and Stars, with Jackie Faherty

    What lies hidden in the murky hallways of the cosmos? Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist Jackie Faherty, PhD, and co-host Chuck Nice answer your fan-submitted questions on brown dwarfs, interstellar objects, Planet 9, and more!NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons and All-Access subscribers can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://www.startalkradio.net/show/cosmic-queries-between-planets-and-stars-with-jackie-faherty/Thanks to this week’s Patrons for supporting us:Scott Peterson, Kody Krier, Anette Woolsey, Joe Aguirre, Daniel Hargrove, Jill BurkeyImage Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt.

  • 303: Sunny Days: The History of Sesame Street in America and the World

    This month marks the 50th anniversary of Sesame Street, the children’s television show that has made an indelible mark on American culture, not to mention people all over the world. So on this episode of BackStory, Brian, Ed and Joanne explore the history

  • The Disagreement Is The Point

    In hearings this week, House Democrats sought to highlight an emerging set of facts concerning the President’s conduct. On this week’s On the Media, a look at why muddying the waters remains a viable strategy for Trump’s defenders. Plus, even the technol

  • Robert Earl Keen: Texas Troubadour

    At the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, Texas, Americana singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen describes how his early days spent in Houston barrooms led to a career in music, how he first met his longtime friend, Lyle Lovett, and why his daughter had to talk him into doing his own podcast. Then he demonstrates one of his superpowers: knowing every U.S. president’s birthday. Plus, things get cheesy when contestants play a really gouda music parody game.

  • Portrait Of: Gabby Rivera

    When Gabby Rivera wrote her coming-of-age novel “Juliet Takes a Breath” in 2016, she didn’t know that it would get her attention from an unusual place: Marvel Comics. They asked her to write for America Chavez, their first queer Latina superhero. Gabby said yes. But as she was writing for their superhero, she found herself swept up in #comicsgate, an online harassment campaign against the comic book industry’s efforts to include more women, people of color, and LGBTQ characters. In this “Portrait Of,” Maria talked to Gabby about her beginnings as a writer, her difficult experience with #comicsgate and about returning to comic book writing.

  • Alex Talks to Nick Kroll

    Comedian Nick Kroll became a star by playing a cast of over-the-top characters like Bobby Bottleservice and Gil Faizon. But for years he was careful to keep his own story out of his comedy. Now, with his hit show Big Mouth, Nick is taking on his most challenging material yet: his adolescence. 

  • Tim Heidecker: The Craziest Day of My Career

    The Craziest Day Of My Entire Career is a segment where we let some of our favorite people tell us the wildest stories from their long and storied time in showbiz. This time it’s Tim Heidecker, a comedian, actor and creator of intricate worlds in which he often plays a fictionalized version of himself. One of these alter-Tim’s is Special Agent Jack Decker, a spy that could easily be the illegitimate spawn of Trump and Chuck Norris. He’ll tell us about a time when this character for his show Decker was just a little too on the nose, just a little too close for comfort.

  • Songs That Make You Cry, Opinions on The Replacements & FKA twigs

    For one reason or another, everyone has got a handful of songs that make them cry. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot share some of the songs that bring tears to their eyes. They also review something old and something new: they revisit The Replacements’ album Don’t Tell a Soul 30 years later and share their thoughts on the new record from FKA twigs.