Colbert is Cancelled Edition

Colbert is Cancelled Edition

Author: Slate Podcasts July 23, 2025 Duration: 59:32

Disinfect your groceries and mind the 5G, on this week’s show Steve, Dana, and guest host Sam Adams dive into the dread-inducing world of Ari Aster’s Eddington. Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, the neo-Western explores the conspiracy-brained, mentally unstable summer of 2020 when COVID brews unrest in a small town. Like said town, the panel is divided.

Next, they talk about why one of the biggest selling musical acts of all time has been both a national treasure and a forever punchline in their discussion of the documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes. Finally, they take on what CBS’s decision to cancel the Late Show with Stephen Colbert means for both late night TV and democracy itself with New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik.

In an exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, the panel shares their feelings about phone location sharing.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com

Endorsements:

Dana: The best use of a Billy Joel song in a soundtrack: "Carded and Discarded," episode 7 of Freaks and Geeks:

Sam:  The anti-establishment, anarchist British Post-punk band the Mekons’ 1989 album The Mekons Rock n’ Roll.

Steve: Stephen Colbert talking with Dua Lipa about faith and comedy and Esbjörn Svensson Trio’s “Somewhere Else Before” from the album Live in Gothenberg.


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Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch


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Each week, the lively and insightful critics of Culture Gabfest gather to dissect what’s happening across the cultural landscape. Hosted by Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner, the conversation flows effortlessly from the latest film releases and television phenomena to books, music, and broader artistic debates, blending highbrow analysis with genuine pop enthusiasm. Their dynamic is less a formal review and more like eavesdropping on a brilliant, sometimes heated, coffee chat between friends who happen to be experts. You’ll hear them grapple with the nuances of a challenging new series, champion an overlooked artist, or passionately disagree about a blockbuster’s merits, all with a sharp wit and deep knowledge that clarifies your own thinking. This Slate Podcasts production has become an essential weekly ritual for many, praised by voices like New York Times critic Dwight Garner for its consistent intelligence and engaging rapport. For those who can’t get enough, a Slate Plus subscription offers ad-free listening and additional bonus segments, extending the discussion even further. Tuning into this podcast feels like getting a curated, conversational briefing on everything that matters in arts and entertainment, delivered with a personal touch that reminds you why culture is worth talking about in the first place.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 862

Culture Gabfest
Podcast Episodes
Does Voice-Over Kill the Killer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:38
This week, the panel is joined first by Isaac Butler, co-host of Slate’s Working podcast and author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act, to debate the merits of David Fincher’s The Killer and whether…
Priscilla's Heartbreak Hotel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:45
This week, the panel begins by discussing Priscilla, Sofia Coppola’s new film starring Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi that’s based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir, Elvis and Me, and features an otherworldly courtship, gild…
Scorsese’s Killer Epic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:03
This week, the panel begins by reviewing Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese’s film based on David Grann’s 2017 non-fiction book about the plot of white Americans to steal the Osage Nation’s headrights in the 192…
Swifties at the Movies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:04
This week, the panel begins by diving into Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, a glittery and extremely fun concert movie starring the singer-songwriter-producer-mogul that’s already become the highest grossing concert document…
Roald Dahl, Wes Anderson Style [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:25
This week, the panel begins by reviewing The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson’s faithful adaptation of a 1977 Roald Dahl short story, that doubles as a sumptuous meta-commentary on the director’s exacting app…
Is the Golden Bachelor Bachelor Gold? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:22
This week, the panel begins by dissecting The Golden Bachelor, the latest spin-off of the classic reality TV series starring a 72-year-old bachelor searching for love amongst a group of women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s.…
Gael García Bernal and Gay Lucha Libre [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:35
This week, Dana and Stephen are once again joined by Kat Chow, author of the memoir Seeing Ghosts. The panel begins by jumping into the ring with Cassandro, the oddly conflict-adverse biopic about the lucha libre superst…
A Haunting in Venice Kicks Off Spooky Season [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:18
This week, Stephen and Dana are joined by long-time friend of the pod and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, June Thomas. The panel begins by puzzling over the return of Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot in A Haunting in…
Is Rotten Tomatoes Certified Rotten? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:23
This week, Stephen and Dana are joined by guest host Kat Chow, journalist and author of the 2021 memoir Seeing Ghosts. The panel begins by wading through HELL, Chris Fleming’s new hour-long comedy special that’s both puz…
Bottoms Queers the High School Comedy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:35
This week, the panel jumps into Bottoms, the chaotic second feature from director and co-writer Emma Seligman that satirizes… something (what that thing is, they have yet to discover). They then discuss Telemarketers, a…