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Decoder Ring
Decoder Ring
Slate Podcasts

Decoder Ring is the show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit;... more

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Episodes

Reconsidering One of the “Worst” TV Shows of All Time

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

20 Nov 2024 · 1 hour, 4 minutes
A Feel-Good Story About the End of the World

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

06 Nov 2024 · 43 minutes
The Wrongest Bird in Movie History

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

23 Oct 2024 · 51 minutes
Selling Out (Encore)

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

09 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
Calling Dick Tracy! It’s Warren Beatty Again

Oscar-winner Warren Beatty first secured the rights to the comic book character Dick Tracy in the lead up to his... more

25 Sep 2024 · 48 minutes
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… Will He Want a Welfare Check?

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

11 Sep 2024 · 39 minutes
Chuck E. Cheese Pizza War (Encore)

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

28 Aug 2024 · 51 minutes
The Hysteria Over Mass Hysteria

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

14 Aug 2024 · 39 minutes
Standing Up for Sitting Down

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

31 Jul 2024 · 41 minutes
The Secret Life of Lawn Ornaments

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

17 Jul 2024 · 51 minutes
Decoder Ring
Reconsidering One of the “Worst” TV Shows of All Time
Decoder Ring