The Culture Gabfest: Only Beyoncé Could Make Me Not Like Beyoncé Edition
Slate's podcast about the new Beyoncé documentary, the dad magazine Kindling Quarterly, and the Oscar-nominated documentary Searching for Sugar Man.
The Culture Gabfest has moved! Find new episodes here.
Listen to Culture Gabfest No. 231 with Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner by clicking the arrow on the audio player below:
And join the lively conversation on the Culturefest Facebook page here:
The sponsors of today’s show are Shutterstock.com and Stamps.com. Go to Shutterstock.com and use the offer code “SLATE1” for 30 percent off new accounts. Go to Stamps.com and use the promo code “CULTUREFEST” for your no-risk free trial and bonus offer.
Culturefest is on the radio! “Gabfest Radio” combines Slate’s Culture and Political Gabfests in one show—listen on Saturdays at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. on WNYC’s AM820.
On this week’s episode, our critics discuss Life is But a Dream, the documentary about Beyoncé that is written, directed by, and starring … Beyoncé. The Gabfesters then review the inaugural issue of Kindling Quarterly, the magazine that aims to fill the void of parenting-related content for the fathers of the creative class. Finally, continuing the conversation in the lead-up to the Academy Awards, they discuss Searching for Sugar Man, the captivating Oscar-nominated documentary about the obscure singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez.
Here are some links to the things we discussed this week:
- Nitsuh Abebe on Beyoncé and Life is But a Dream for New York.
- Beyoncé’s halftime performance at the 2013 Super Bowl and her rendition of the national anthem at the second inauguration of President Barack Obama.
- Noah Berlatsky for the Atlantic on why we don't call Beyoncé a genius.
- In the New York Times, Christopher Maag on Kindling Quarterly.
- “What a New Dad’s Magazine Says about 21st Century Fatherhood” in the blog Role Reboot.
- Alex Williams for the New York Times on “hipsturbia,” or enclaves of parenting age hipsters located outside New York City.
- Sasha Frere-Jones on Searching for Sugar Man for The New Yorker online.
- “Myth-making” in Searching for Sugar Man and what the documentary omits.
- Singer-songwriters Syd Barrett (a founding member of Pink Floyd) and Nick Drake.
Endorsements:
Dana’s pick: Jack Prelutsky, the prolific children’s poet in the vein of (but preferable to) Shel Silverstein, specifically his books Something Big Has Been Here and It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles, both illustrated by James Stevenson.
Julia’s pick: The most Internet-y thing you’ll ever see: the viral video of goats yelling like humans.
Stephen’s pick: Following a recent monument tour of Washington D.C.: the Lincoln Memorial and Lincoln’s second inaugural address, which is inscribed in the memorial itself.
Outro: “Sugar Man” by Rodriguez
You can email us at culturefest@slate.com.
This podcast was produced by Julia Furlan. Our intern is Sally Tamarkin.
Follow us on the new Culturefest Twitter feed. And please Like the Culture Gabfest on Facebook.