Category: 3-SometimeCommentary

We think of our era as the age of celebrity. Billions of people follow the daily antics of the Kardashian family or the latest pop superstar. But celebrity obsession is centuries old, argues Horrible Histories writer Greg Jenner. He tells Tom Sutcliffe why we are captivated by famous - and infamous - figures, from the scandalous Lord Byron to the unwitting civilians who are hounded by paparazzi today.

The Italian Renaissance gave us the world's most famous images: the Mona Lisa, Botticelli's Venus and Michelangelo's David. But Catherine Fletcher argues that this era was far stranger, darker and more violent than we may realise. The real Mona Lisa was married to a slave-trader, and Leonardo da Vinci was revered for his weapon designs.

The artist Aubrey Beardsley shocked and delighted Victorian London with his drawings. A new exhibition at the Tate Britain, curated by Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, shows the range of Beardsley's black-and-white images. Some are magical, humorous, some sexual and grotesque; and together they helped Beardsley become so astonishingly famous that the 1890s were dubbed the 'Beardsley era', before he fell from grace, tainted by association with Oscar Wilde.

Producer: Hannah Sander

We think of our era as the age of celebrity. Billions of people follow the daily antics of the Kardashian family or the latest pop superstar. But celebrity obsession is centuries old, argues Horrible Histories writer Greg Jenner. He tells Tom Sutcliffe why we are captivated by famous - and infamous - figures, from the scandalous Lord Byron to the unwitting civilians who are hounded by paparazzi today.

The Italian Renaissance gave us the world's most famous images: the Mona Lisa, Botticelli's Venus and Michelangelo's David. But Catherine Fletcher argues that this era was far stranger, darker and more violent than we may realise. The real Mona Lisa was married to a slave-trader, and Leonardo da Vinci was revered for his weapon designs.

The artist Aubrey Beardsley shocked and delighted Victorian London with his drawings. A new exhibition at the Tate Britain, curated by Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, shows the range of Beardsley's black-and-white images. Some are magical, humorous, some sexual and grotesque; and together they helped Beardsley become so astonishingly famous that the 1890s were dubbed the 'Beardsley era', before he fell from grace, tainted by association with Oscar Wilde.

Producer: Hannah Sander

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On the Gist, Trump thinks Peter Alexander is a bad journalist.

In the interview, Mike talks with MSNBC analyst and Daily Beast columnist Jonathan Alter about how Trump could position himself as a two-term president. They discuss how a leader in crisis should be conducting himself, examples of great leaders in moments of crisis, and how the economy’s nose-dive will impact the 2020 elections.

In the spiel, doctors who aren’t concerned yet.

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On the Gist, Trump’s press conference.

In the interview, Maria Konnikova is back to talk with Mike about persuasion. They discuss the best and worst tactics for convincing people of something the don’t believe, and why it will make us feel better to try even if we fail. Maria’s latest book is The Confidence Game.

In the spiel, why governing less isn’t a virtue in a crisis.

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Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

On the Gist, our slow government.

In the interview, In the interview, Mike talks to CEO of Three Uncanny Four and creator of Planet Money Adam Davidson about the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the US economy. They discuss the tools the Fed has to stimulate the economy, how deep of a recession we’re heading toward, and why the government needs to start spending money. Davidson’s latest book is The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century.

In the spiel, Jake Tapper and jogging.

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On the Gist, the election mess in Ohio.

In the interview, Richard Hasen, legal expert and professor at the UC Irvine School of Law, is here to discuss closing the polls in Ohio, the legal implications of how that decision was made, and why we need emergency plans in place for elections. Hasen’s new book is Election Meltdown.

In the spiel, desperate times call for desperate compliments.

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On the Gist, the war against invisible enemies.

In the interview, Mike spoke with Dr. Fred Buckner of the University of Washington about how hospitals are dealing with COVID-19, who is and isn’t being hospitalized, and the important things we need to do during this pandemic. The resource site that the University of Washington has created can be found here.

In the spiel, how governors across the country are dealing with the coronavirus crisis.

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Shakespeare has always been central to the American experience, argues the leading scholar James Shapiro. He tells Tom Sutcliffe how Shakespeare has been invoked – and at times weaponised – at pivotal moments in the history of America, from Revolutionary times to today’s divisionary politics.

The film critic Mark Kermode celebrates another global phenomenon: cinematic superheroes. The genre stretches back more than eight decades and taps deeply into timeless themes and storytelling traditions. Kermode also shows how spy-heroes such as Bond have shaped our political identity.

For the poet Don Paterson, the classic television series The Twilight Zone was the starting point for his latest collection. Elements of horror, science fiction and fantasy provide a backdrop to his exploration of the mid-life crisis.

The political theorist Teresa Bejan returns to the world of Shakespeare to explore what appears to be the most modern of dilemmas: Twitter spats and put-downs. Seventeenth-century thinkers understood there were competing conceptions of civility. They thought that outlawing heated political disagreement could lead to silencing dissent.

Producer: Katy Hickman