Culture Gabfest: American Fiction, Oscar Contender?
On this week\u2019s show, Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe and Sam Sanders, host of Vibe Check fill in for Dana Stevens and Julia Turner. The hosts begin with a subversively brilliant Oscar contender, American Fiction, which is Cord Jefferson\u2019s adaptation of Percival Everett\u2019s 2001 novel Erasure. The filmmaker\u2019s debut racked up five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and stars Jeffrey Wright as Thelonius \u201cMonk\u201d Ellis, a frustrated writer, in this heartfelt family melodrama encased in biting satire. (Catch Sam\u2019s conversation with Cord Jefferson here.) Then, the three tread into familiar territory and dissect In the Know, Mike Judge\u2019s (Beavis and Butthead, Silicon Valley, King of the Hill) latest show on Peacock which satirizes the world of public radio, specifically NPR, through the stop-motion animated lens of its third most-popular host, Lauren Caspian (voiced by Zach Woods). Finally, Oscar season is officially upon us, and with Oscar nominations, comes invariably, Oscar snubs. The panel explores this year\u2019s nominees, and who may or may not have gotten the short end of the stick.\xa0\n\nIn the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel discusses a fun interactive from The New York Times, \u201cThe Menu Trends That Define Dining Right Now.\u201d\xa0\n\nEmail us at culturefest@slate.com.\xa0\n\nOutro music: \u201cBloody Hunter\u201d by Paisley Pink\n\nEndorsements:\n\nSam: An album he loves and owns on vinyl, Chameleon (1976) by the American singing trio Labelle. It\u2019s pure R&B funk dazzle.\xa0\n\nNadira: A threefold music endorsement: Midnight Dancer (1979) by the Philly soul group Silk, Spotify\u2019s \u201ccreate radio\u201d function, and a compilation of Barbara Ackland\u2019s greatest hits.\xa0\n\nSteve: A gorgeous, lofi home recording of Sandy Denny singing her classic, \u201cWho Knows Where the Time Goes.\u201d\xa0\n\nPodcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong.\xa0\n\nIf you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You\u2019ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices