In 1980, a variety show debuted on NBC called Pink Lady and Jeff. Its stars were a pair of Japanese... more

The fear that the Earth could be destroyed by a killer asteroid is an anxiety that pops up all the... more

There is a prominent bird in the 2000 film Charlie’s Angels that makes absolutely no sense. This so-called Pygmy Nuthatch... more

Whatever happened to selling out? The defining concern of Generation X has become a relic from another era. How that... more

(While we work on the next season of Slow Burn we're showcasing new episodes from Slate's narrative podcast Decoder Ring.) Oscar-winner... more

The 2004 presidential race would be the first fully Fox News election—a contest that was framed by Fox, and fought... more

As Fox News gathered strength, progressive activists turned to comedian Al Franken and fledgling online communities to punch back. But... more

After 9/11, the Fox News Channel rallied a huge portion of the country around the Bush administration’s vision of the... more

For a decade and a half, CNN was peerless and ambitious, and it understood its place in the world. At... more

Before he ran Fox News, Roger Ailes launched a very different kind of channel. America’s Talking was his vision of... more

When the Fox News Channel launched in 1996, critics called it disorganized, incompetent, and laughably inept. But it wouldn’t be... more

Adults have a long history of trying to find morals and lessons in children’s literature. But what happens when a... more

In Slow Burn’s 10th season, host Josh Levin takes you back to a crucial inflection point in American history: the... more

In the late 1970s, a new and unusual concept for a restaurant chain emerged in California—video games plus bad pizza... more

“Hysteria” is an ancient word carrying thousands of years of baggage. Though the terminology has changed, hysteria has not gone... more

If you’re lucky, it’s possible you’ve never thought much about sitting. It’s just something your body does, like breathing or... more

In this special bonus episode host Christina Cauterucci interviews Silvana Nova and Larry Hermsen. Silvana is the person you see raising... more

Lawn ornaments are everywhere—but for something so ubiquitous, they’re also mysterious. What’s the person with the flamingo or the gargoyle... more

Listen in as host Christina Cauterucci joins special guests, Eric Marcus, host of Making Gay History, DeRay Mckesson, activist and host of Pod Save... more

For the two years leading up to May 21, 1979, gay activists followed the rules. They engaged in civil debates.... more

On election night in 1978, gays and lesbians in California braced themselves for the statewide vote on Proposition 6. Less... more

As Election Day approached, the campaign to defeat Proposition 6 faced formidable odds. John Briggs’ fundraising juggernaut was churning out... more

In the early days of the anti-Briggs campaign, a Richard Pryor comedy set turned into a public fiasco and laid... more

After decades of wandering and job-hopping, Harvey Milk found his purpose as a gay community leader with growing political ambitions.... more

In 1977, John Briggs was a small-time state senator with big dreams. But Briggs’ plan to ban gay and lesbian... more

In the 1970s, San Francisco became a welcoming home for tens of thousands of new gay residents—and a modern-day Sodom... more

In 1978, state senator John Briggs put a bold proposition on the California ballot. If it passed, the Briggs Initiative... more

The jalapeño is the workhorse of hot peppers. They’re sold fresh, canned, pickled, in hot sauces, salsas, smoked into chipotles, and... more

Pop culture is full of fictional bands singing songs purpose-made to capture a moment, a sound. This music doesn’t organically... more

Magazines have fallen on hard times – especially the weekly news, fashion, and celebrity mags that once dominated newsstands. The... more

In 1986, Andrew Wyeth was the most famous painter in America. He was a household name, on the cover of... more

Like a manager or an agent or a publicist, a stylist has become a kind of must-have accessory for well-dressed,... more

Thirty years ago, a new kind of soda arrived in select stores. Instead of crowing about how spectacular it was,... more

Hosted by Christina Cauterucci. Coming in May 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The eerie similarity of coffee shops all over the world was so confounding to Kyle Chayka that it led him... more

Before 1990, there had never been a documented case of a patient getting HIV from a health care worker. Kimberly... more

Robert Mapplethorpe was one of the most famous photographers in the world—and one of the most controversial. When his work... more

In March 1990, a story broke that shocked the nation: George H.W. Bush had banned broccoli from Air Force One.... more

A middle-aged single dad in Chicago was outraged by all the cigarette billboards popping up in Black communities. In 1990,... more

Pizza Hut’s adventure in the Soviet Union was unlike any restaurant opening before or since. It involved a fleet of... more

In 1992, a Minnesota-based software company known for its educational hit The Oregon Trail released another simulation-style game to school... more

From the moment it was released in 1995, The Rules was controversial.. Some people loved it—and swore that the dating... more

We receive a lot of fantastic show ideas from our listeners—and we’re grateful for each and every one. For our... more

In the mid-1990s, the prime time drama Melrose Place became a home to hundreds of pieces of contemporary art—and no... more

Judging from teen dramas on Netflix, the slow dance seems to be alive and well. But when you talk to... more

Ten years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, 25 women who’d been disfigured by the blast came to the United... more

Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine transformed America and the world in ways that seemed unimaginable. But in 1955, there was a... more

When Alaskans wanted their own mental-health facility, a rumor took hold all over America. This week, Evan Chung traces the... more

In the early days of television, women struggled to find their place. In 1955, they got it: forecasting the weather,... more

In 1955, the frontiersman Davy Crockett became the most famous man in America, more than a century after his death... more

The Cannon Street All-Stars dreamed of playing in the 1955 Little League World Series. Their biggest obstacle didn’t come on... more

Once you start listening for catchphrases in everyday life—you can’t stop hearing them. From the radio era’s “Holy mackerel!” to... more

When Slate’s Evan Chung was a kid, he was obsessed with a mysterious advertisement that ran for decades in the... more

Kissing—the romantic, sexual, steamy kind—is so ingrained in us that it just seems like a fact of life. Like breathing... more

Parmesan is a food—but it’s not just a food. Italy’s beloved cheese is often paired with a deep craving for... more

The mosh pit has a reputation as a violent place where (mostly) white guys vent their aggression. There’s some truth... more

Join host Joel Anderson and special guests for Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas LIVE in D.C. (July 25, 2023 at... more

Anita Hill’s accusations launched urgent and heated conversations about racism and sexual harassment. They also stoked an anger in Clarence... more

When Clarence Thomas got nominated to the Supreme Court, his behavior during the 1980s would get put under a microscope.... more

Clarence Thomas went to Yale Law School because he thought it was a good fit for his left-wing politics. But... more

Growing up in Georgia, Clarence Thomas wanted to make his mark. His goal was to become his hometown’s first Black... more

Clarence Thomas is one of the most powerful figures in America today. Nearly every issue of national consequence has his... more

We pride ourselves on being grounded, rational beings, but flitting amongst us is a mystery: the Tooth Fairy. This flying... more

Parking is one of the great paradoxes of American life. On the one hand, we have paved an ungodly amount... more

We bring you a special episode from Sidedoor, a podcast about the treasures that fill the vaults of the Smithsonian.... more

Last week, we put on the proverbial raincoat and made like Columbo to investigate Peter Falk’s claim that he recorded... more

Not too long ago an old clip surfaced of Peter Falk on David Letterman, in which he told an intriguing... more

Hosted by Joel Anderson. Coming in May 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re really lucky to get a lot of listener emails, suggesting topics for the show. In this episode, we’re going... more

(This episode originally aired in March 2020.) The 1998 romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, is... more

Ross Cellino and Steve Barnes were two Buffalo-based lawyers who became the literal poster-men for personal injury advertising. They poured... more

We bring you a special episode from the Articles of Interest podcast hosted by Avery Trufelman about the incredible reach... more

For this episode, a story from Slate senior producer Evan Chung about how Yanni, John Tesh and a number of... more

Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade has been named Apple Podcasts Show of the Year! We’re so honored by this award and... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

In 1942, federal officials targeted a group of Black Americans who were allegedly hoping for a Japanese invasion. They uncovered... more

For about two decades towards the end of the Victorian era, in the 1870s and 1880s, a large bustle-enhanced bottom... more

Six months after Pearl Harbor, Japan launched another attack on the United States. This time, Axis forces actually invaded, turning... more

In the history of viral images, #TheDress has got to be in the top 10. This unassuming photo of a... more

In March 1942, a new nightly radio show hit the American airwaves. The stated goal of Station Debunk was to... more

On Aug. 1, 1942, the nation’s recording studios went silent. Musicians were fed up with the new technologies threatening their... more

There were 1.8 million weddings in 1942, the most that had ever been recorded in a single year in American... more

At the beginning of World War II, the greatest threat to the American war effort wasn’t the Nazis or the... more

McGruff the Crime Dog arrived on the scene at the dawn of the 1980s, just as a firehose of anti-drug... more

McGruff the Crime Dog arrived on the scene at the dawn of the 1980s, just as a firehose of anti-drug... more

After Joe Mauri gets evicted from his New York apartment, he becomes a star in the USSR, the subject of... more

On May 16, 1986, a man with a bomb held an entire elementary school hostage in the tiny town of... more

In Seattle, a pack of voracious sea lions decimates the local fish population. When fireworks and an underwater air horn... more

Black residents of Indianola, Mississippi, were fed up with decades of separate-and-unequal classrooms. When a white outsider got hired as... more

Rumors about the legendary gangster Al Capone’s buried treasure transform an abandoned Chicago hotel into the center of the entertainment... more

This week, Evan Chung tells the story of the American teachers who competed for an unprecedented prize: a spot on... more

Basketball star Isiah Thomas had an audacious plan to transform Detroit: asking criminals to stay on the good side of... more

In the early 1930s, Mae West’s dirty talk and hip swiveling walk made her one of the biggest movie stars... more

When you think of an alien abduction, what do you picture? Humanoid creatures, medical experiments, lost memories retrieved through hypnosis?... more

Rod McKuen sold multiple millions of poetry books in the 60s and 70s. He released dozens of albums, was a... more

(While we work on the next season of Slow Burn we're showcasing Slate's other narrative podcasts, starting with a new... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

In 1970, 22-year-old Shirley Wheeler got an illegal abortion in Florida. When she refused to tell the police who performed... more

After the largest civil disturbance in American history, Los Angeles faced a daunting task. Dozens of people had been killed... more

On April 29, 1992, Los Angeles had erupted into chaos. Over the following days, thousands of people took to the... more

In March 1991, Black people in Los Angeles had seen the videotape of Rodney King being beaten. In November, they’d... more

A year after they were caught on tape beating Rodney King, four LAPD officers went on trial. None were convicted.  How... more

This week, we're highlighting a few excerpts from this season's Slate Plus episodes—interviews with George Holliday, professor Edward Chang, L.A.... more

Rodney King never asked to be famous. The video that captured his beating at the hands of four LAPD officers... more

In 1991, Daryl Gates was the face of the LAPD. Over the course of his 13-year tenure as chief, he... more

In March 1991, the video of the Rodney King beating was national news. The LAPD was under intense scrutiny and... more

On the night of March 2nd, 1991, at a remote intersection just outside of L.A., four police officers surrounded an... more

In 1992, a jury failed to convict the four Los Angeles police officers who'd been captured on videotape beating Rodney... more

After Maria Rubio saw Jesus on a tortilla, her family got besieged by believers and gawkers and the national press.... more

Alex Haley’s Roots displayed the brutal realities of slavery to more than 100 million Americans. The book and mini-series also made a... more

America’s top weed evangelist and the nation’s drug czar shared the same goal: to loosen up the country’s marijuana laws.... more

Three stories from one day in August 1977. Elvis Presley dies, and the National Enquirer goes after the ultimate tabloid... more

Medical authorities said that Laetrile was dangerous quackery. It became a sensation anyway. Diana Green saw this drug made from... more

Mary Shane made history with the Chicago White Sox, becoming the first woman hired as a legitimate major-league baseball announcer.... more

Decoder Ring is Slate's show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object,... more

Slate's new podcast One Year and will introduce you to people and ideas that changed American history--one year at a... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

On Feb. 5, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell went to the United Nations to make the Bush administration’s closing... more

Four men in Congress—two from each party—helped determine whether President George W. Bush would be given the authority to invade... more

This week, we're highlighting a few excerpts from this season's Slate Plus episodes—interviews with Ann Curry, Slate writers and editors... more

In the year leading up the invasion, George W. Bush sketched his justification for the war: good vs. evil, us... more

To start a war of choice, you need a casus belli—a case for war. Why did the Bush administration settle... more

Just hours after 9/11, American decision makers had already started thinking about attacking Iraq. When the anthrax attacks began a... more

Eighteen years have passed since the United States invaded Iraq. It’s a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people... more

In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq without provocation. Most Americans supported the war—as did most politicians and intellectuals, both... more

We're excited to introduce you to I Spy, a production of Foreign Policy. Each week on I Spy, a former... more

A few excerpts from Season 4's bonus interviews, and a special Slow Burn announcement. Want more Slow Burn? Subscribe to Slate... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

David Duke wasn’t content being a state representative. He wanted to go national, and in 1990 he expanded his base... more

In 1989, a Black 12-year-old girl in New Orleans found the David Duke phenomenon, and Duke himself, hard to comprehend.... more

In 1989, David Duke got a foothold in American politics. To build on that victory, he’d have to fend off... more

David Duke dreamed of becoming the charismatic leader who’d bring racism to the masses. He tried to make that dream... more

In the first half of the 1980s, it looked like David Duke’s career as a professional racist was over. But... more

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a white supremacist became an American political phenomenon. David Duke’s rise to power... more

A special edition of Slow Burn features Joel Anderson live on stage, with legendary producers Nashiem Myrick and Easy Moe... more

Slow Burn's Watergate season is now a TV docu-series, premiering Feb. 16 on Epix. Read more about it in this... more

Hey Slow Burn listeners. We have something special for you this week. It's an episode of Broken Record, a music podcast from Pushkin... more

Slate Plus members get a bonus episode of Slow Burn every week. This is a preview of the bonus episodes... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

In this episode: In the summer of 1996, Tupac Shakur seemed to be on the verge of a decision—about what... more

In this Slow Burn bonus episode, host Joel Anderson and producer Christopher Johnson discuss the growing feud between Tupac and... more

In this episode: Tupac claims—loudly, publicly, and with very little evidence—that he’s been sleeping with Faith Evans, Biggie’s estranged wife. Want... more

In this episode: Gangsta rap becomes a huge money maker. Civil rights activist C. Delores Tucker and conservative culture warrior... more

In this episode: Biggie releases “Who Shot Ya,” an instant hip-hop classic that Tupac takes as a personal affront. Tupac... more

In 1992, Ronald Ray Howard shot and killed Texas state trooper Bill Davidson. His lawyer argued he’d been driven to... more

On the first episode of Slow Burn’s third season: How a violent robbery severed Tupac’s friendship with Biggie Smalls and... more

In its first two seasons, Slow Burn looked back at two of the biggest stories of the late 20th century—the... more

Linda Taylor was a con artist, a kidnapper, maybe even a murderer. She was also America’s original “welfare queen,” the... more

A special edition of Slow Burn features Leon Neyfakh live on stage. In the second of two episodes, Leon was... more

A special edition of Slow Burn features Leon Neyfakh live on stage. In the first of two episodes, Leon was... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

Every week, Slate Plus members get a special episode of Slow Burn in which Leon Neyfakh talks to people connected... more

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock... more

Some of the most withering criticism of Clinton came from a coalition of conservative activists whose political views were bound... more

Aside from Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, the most pivotal player in the Clinton impeachment saga may have been Linda... more

What happened between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky? Why did it happen? And what are we supposed to do about... more

When Bill Clinton went to Washington, rumors and accusations from his Arkansas past went with him. But even his most... more

In 1993, Bill and Hillary Clinton moved into the White House on a swell of optimism. In less than a... more

For 11 hours, Monica Lewinsky faced off against federal prosecutors who wanted her to help them take down the president... more

The saga of Bill Clinton’s impeachment is rich with forgotten characters, surprising subplots, and opportunities to reflect on just how... more

A special edition of Slow Burn features Leon Neyfakh live on stage in New York City. On April 19th, Leon... more

What had to happen for the Watergate scandals to end Richard Nixon’s career? And was his downfall inevitable? In the... more

Slate Plus members get a bonus episode of Slow Burn every week. This week, we're releasing some samples of those... more

What did Richard Nixon do when he felt the walls closing in? How did the country respond? And what did... more

Why were so many Americans ready to believe conspiracy theories after Watergate? How did those beliefs help trigger Nixon‘s downfall?... more