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On this week's show, Slate\u2019s Dan Kois (author of Vintage Contemporaries, How to Be a Family, The World Only Spins Forward, and Facing Future) sits in for Julia Turner. The panel first begins with a reboot: In 1999, when Jon Stewart took over, rather indifferently, the helm of Comedy Central\u2019s The Daily Show, he changed the media landscape with his comedic chops, serious outrage, and penchant for pointing out politicians' hypocrisies. He\u2019s since left and returned back to the show (which he hosts once a week), but how effective are he and his trademark bag of tricks in 2024? We discuss. Then, the three dive into Problemista, writer-director-star Julio Torres\u2019 first feature film that can only be described as \u201ca lot.\u201d Torres (Los Espookys, My Favorite Shapes, Saturday Night Live) plays Alejandro, a sweet but naive aspiring Salvadoran toymaker who must navigate the Kafka-esque purgatory known as the U.S. immigration system. He meets Elizabeth, played by Tilda Swinton, a nightmare boss with fuschia-colored hair and a looming presence that often overwhelms the film\u2026 but perhaps that\u2019s exactly what it needs? Finally, the trio is joined by The Sporkful host Dan Pashman to discuss his cookbook, Anything\u2019s Pastable: 81 Inventive Pasta Recipes for Saucy People. In 2021, Pashman created the cascatelli, a new pasta shape that went viral, with Time calling it \u201cone of the best inventions of the year.\u201d Anything\u2019s Pastable aims to revolutionize our concept of what pasta sauces can be, with recipes for unique and non-traditional dishes like \u201cKimchi Carbonara\u201d and \u201cCacio e Pepe e Chili Crisp.\u201d\xa0\nIn the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel explores Dana\u2019s book review, \u201cRejecting the Binary\u201d for Slate. She reviews American philosopher and theorist Judith Butler\u2019s latest book\u2013the first of theirs published with a nonacademic press\u2013Who\u2019s Afraid of Gender. Butler served as Dana\u2019s dissertation adviser at the University of California in the late 1990s.\xa0\nEmail us at culturefest@slate.com.\xa0\nOutro music: \u201cFunny Jam\u201d by Gloria Tells.\nEndorsements:\nDana: A feat of artistry and interpretation, nineteen-year-old American Ilia Malinin\u2019s free skate to the Succession theme (composed, of course, by Nicholas Britell). Malinin scored a record 227.79, winning his first world title and executed the best collection of jumps in one program in figure skating history.\xa0\n\nDan: The Big Ears Festival held in Knoxville, Tennessee.\xa0\n\nStephen: Falling into a Cat Stevens rabbit hole. He recommends starting with \u201cThe First Cut is the Deepest\u201d and Stevens\u2019 2014 Tiny Desk performance.\xa0\n\nPodcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.\xa0\n\xa0\nHosts\nDana Stephens, Dan Kois, Stephen Metcalf\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices