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
WTF is an NFT? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:16
This week Steve and Dana are joined by Slate editor Allegra Frank. First, they discuss Coming 2 America, the sequel to the 1988 film Coming to America starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall Next, they chat about the Pedr…
Silent or Silenced [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:20
This week Steve, Dana, and Julia are joined by Slate’s executive producer of podcasts Alicia Montgomery for a segment about Oprah’s widely viewed interview with Meghan and Harry. Then the hosts discuss the ever-growing p…
Allen v. Farrow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:18
This week Steve and Dana talk to Slate senior editor Sam Adams about the HBO documentary Allen v. Farrow, which examines the legal battle between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow in the early 90's and the sexual assault allega…
Secrets of the New York Times Spelling Bee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:56
This week Steve, Dana, and Julia talk about Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland. Next, they dig into their obsession with the New York Times’s Spelling Bee puzzle and interview its creator, 24-year-old Sam Ezersky. Finally, they disc…
Oops I Did It Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:15
This week Steve and Dana are joined by Jessica Winter, editor at the New Yorker and author of the upcoming novel, The Fourth Child. They kick off the show by discussing Saint Maud, the critically acclaimed horror film by…
$13,000 Bottle of Whine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:56
Steve, Dana, and Julia kick things off by discussing Minari, the semi-autobiographical movie by the filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung that focuses on a Korean family trying to build a life for themselves in rural Arkansas. After…
Magic or Manipulation? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:50
Stephen, Dana, and Julia begin this week's show by talking about Locked Down, the rom-com heist movie starring Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor that's set during the early days of the pandemic. Then they discuss Derek…
Revenge is a Dish Best Served French [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:13
This week Stephen, Dana, and Julia start by discussing Promising Young Woman, the revenge thriller starring Carey Mulligan and written and directed by Emerald Fennell. Then Slate culture writer Karen Han joins the show t…
Sound of Marvel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:12
This week Stephen, Dana, and Julia take a look at Sound of Metal, the debut movie from writer/director Darius Marder, about a heavy metal drummer who loses his hearing. Then they discuss WandaVision, the new Marvel TV sh…
Country So Unreal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:01
This week Stephen, Dana, and Julia talk about the National Geographic miniseries, City So Real, about the 2019 mayoral race in Chicago and the social and political issues that fueled it. Then New York Times writer Charli…