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On this week’s episode, our critics discuss the controversy surrounding The New Yorker cover commemorating the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. Was the image of Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie watching the news an appropriate one for a major civil rights victory? Then the gabbers take a look at Pedro Almodóvar’s new film I’m So Excited. Why has he returned to comedy when Spain is in the throes of an economic crisis? Finally, the crew considers Showtime’s new series Ray Donovan and asks why prestige dramas are so fixated on antiheroes.

Here are links to some of the things we discussed this week:

• “Moment of Joy,” the cover of this week’s New Yorker.
• June’s response to The New Yorker cover in Slate.
• Earlier New Yorker covers involving same-sex couples.
• Flavorwire’s Tyler Coates on why the cover is “infantilizing and offensive.”
• Barry Blitt’s Obama fist-bump cover.
• Dana’s review of I’m So Excited.
• June’s “Completist” column on Pedro Almodóvar, and her ranking of his films.
• June’s interview with Almodóvar.
• Maureen Ryan’s review of Ray Donovan in the Huffington Post.
• June’s Brow Beat post about Ray Donovan and antihero fatigue.

Endorsements:

June: The new ABC Family series The Fosters.

David: The Act of Killing, a forthcoming documentary about state-sanctioned murders in Indonesia.

Dana: A May 2012 discussion of New Yorker covers featuring Françoise Mouly, the magazine’s art editor, in conversation with the artists Barry Blitt and Bob Staake.

Outro: "I'm So Excited," by the Pointer Sisters

You can email us at culturefest@slate.com.

This podcast was produced by Julia Furlan. Our intern is Sam McDougle, and this week we had help from Sharan Shetty.

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