logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
36m 59s

A Brief History of Making Out

Slate Podcasts
About this episode
Kissing—the romantic, sexual, steamy kind—is so ingrained in us that it just seems like a fact of life. Like breathing or eating, we just do it. But what if it’s not like that at all?  In this episode, we’re going to look at passionate kissing, well, dispassionately, not as something instinctual and innate but as a cultural practice. We’re going to backtrac ... Show More
Up next
Nov 19
How Protein Muscled Its Way to the Top
Americans are currently besotted with protein. It’s touted as being good for muscle growth, weight loss, skincare, mental acuity, longevity, and much else besides. It’s sold to men, women, children, the elderly— you can even buy protein for your pets. The protein supplement marke ... Show More
44m 50s
Nov 12
The Slate Culture Gift Guide
Hark, the holiday season is upon us—and with it the most solemn of festive traditions: a gift guide! In this video and podcast special, Slate hosts Dana Stevens, Chris Molanphy, and Willa Paskin beam-in from their collective hearths to deliver unto the internet their favorite gif ... Show More
49m 44s
Nov 5
Cozy Autumn Mysteries
Autumn may have more cozy signifiers than any other season—though we all have our own favorites. Maybe for you it’s sweater weather, football games, spooky season, apple picking, leaf peeping, or mainlining candy corn. Whatever it is, in today’s episode we’re looking closely at t ... Show More
55m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
Decoder Ring: The Dating Manual Unlike Any Other
From the moment it was released in 1995, The Rules was controversial.. Some people loved it—and swore that the dating manual’s throwback advice helped them land a husband. Others thought it was retrograde hogwash that flew in the face of decades of feminist progress. The resultin ... Show More
37m 35s
Aug 2023
History of Kissing: Why do we lock lips?
<p>A good old smooch. It’s something that we do on a daily basis in one form or another (if we’re lucky), and yet have you ever stopped and wondered <em>why</em> we do it?&nbsp;</p><br><p>Wonder no more.&nbsp;</p><br><p>On today’s Betwixt the Sheets we’re joined by Emmy award-win ... Show More
40m 1s
Oct 2023
Decoder Ring: When Art Pranksters Invaded Melrose Place
In the mid-1990s, the prime time drama Melrose Place became a home to hundreds of pieces of contemporary art—and no one noticed. In this episode, Isaac Butler tells the story of the artist collective that smuggled subversive quilts, sperm-shaped pool floats, and dozens of other p ... Show More
41m 34s
Feb 2024
Decoder Ring: Why Do So Many Coffee Shops Look the Same?
The eerie similarity of coffee shops all over the world was so confounding to Kyle Chayka that it led him to write the new book Filterworld: How Algorithms Are Flattening Culture. In today’s episode, Kyle’s going to walk us through the recent history of the cafe, to help us see h ... Show More
33m 59s
Aug 2023
Decoder Ring: Think Catchphrases Are Dead? Eat My Shorts.
Once you start listening for catchphrases in everyday life—you can’t stop hearing them. From the radio era’s “Holy mackerel!” to Fonzie’s “Ayyy!” to Urkel’s multiple go-to lines on Family Matters, we explore the irresistible quotables from sitcoms, movies and social media that ha ... Show More
40m 23s
Nov 2023
Decoder Ring: Mailbag - The Recorder, Limos, and “Baby on Board” Signs
We receive a lot of fantastic show ideas from our listeners—and we’re grateful for each and every one. For our latest mailbag episode, we’re tackling five of your questions, including “Why the hell do we teach kids to play the recorder?” (We’re paraphrasing a bit.) Also: We’ll ex ... Show More
40m 50s
Mar 2024
Scandalous Sex Lives of Royalty
<p>We've been fascinated by royalty for hundreds of years, but what do we know about their sex lives? Quite a lot, it turns out.</p><br><p>Today we're revisiting an episode Kate recorded with bestselling author Eleanor Herman to find out about what it took to not just be a mistre ... Show More
42m 55s
Jan 2021
The Story of Avery and Soph, Having a Public Relationship & Our Thoughts on Cancel Culture
In this episode, I am joined by my amazing and BEAUTIFUL girlfriend, Avery Cyrus! We finally go into the long-awaited, detailed story of "us" and how we came to be. This episode includes never-heard-before details about what the 6 months prior to us dating entailed. It is one hec ... Show More
54m 39s
Nov 2021
How Ben Lost His V Card!
This is a spicy one! This week, Ben details the story of how he lost his virginity and the story of his first kiss (not in that order), and both are a doozy. Starting with the kiss, Ben talks about how an ongoing game of truth or dare led them to finally kiss each other's mouths ... Show More
42m 18s