Category: 3-SometimeCommentary

Now that we’ve become indifferent to illegal and even legal forms of corruption, what will it take to improve the accountability of our public officials? Our guest Zephyr Teachout examines corruption’s past and present. She’s the author of Corruption in America: From Benjamin Franklin’s Snuff Box to Citizens United. Plus, They Might Be Giants have always aspired to write movie themes, so they’ve asked Mike Pesca to enlist listeners to help with a demo. From now until April 6, tweet titles of imaginary movies to @slategist using the hashtag #NotAMovie. For the Spiel, the return of talk-show karaoke. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.slate.com/gistplus

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On Start the Week Susan Pinker argues that face-to-face contact increases longevity and reduces the risks of illness. She tells Anne McElvoy that although new technology connects more people, it can often leave us more disconnected. However the writer and gamer Nicholas Lovell explains that online gamers have their own sense of community. The philosopher Daniel Dennett considers whether it's possible to create a robot that can rival the human brain, and the poet Sam Riviere has used and manipulated the results of search-engines to compose his new collection: 72 poems marking the 72 days of Kim Kardashian's marriage in 2011. Producer: Katy Hickman.

Tom Scharpling and Jon Wurster rarely analyze why their brand of two-man radio comedy is so potent. Today on the Gist, they pause to consider 13 years of hilariously weird phone calls from Newbridge, NJ. Their box set The Best of The Best Show is available from the Numero Group. For the Spiel, Mike takes a stand against dictators (although a couple are all right). Today’s sponsor: The Great Courses, engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like "Fundamentals of Photography." Right now, get 80% off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.slate.com/gistplus

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Today on The Gist, we ask Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution about the landmark LGBT-Mormon compromise in Utah. Will this become a model for other states? Plus, does your girlfriend’s hairless cat love you? Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker explains recent insights into animal emotions for a game we call “Is That Bulls---t?” For the Spiel, starting a necessary conversation about Caramel Macchiatos. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.slate.com/gistplus

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Today on The Gist, a look at ski racing’s uphill battle for relevancy and safety. We talk with Nathaniel Vinton, author of The Fall Line: How American Ski Racers Conquered a Sport on the Edge. Plus, political writer Harry Enten from FiveThirtyEight goes down the list of likely Republican presidential candidates and identifies their political kryptonite. For the Spiel, we play a round of “What The Hell Is That Beverage?” with Slate’s L.V. Anderson, and Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker. Today’s sponsors: Harry’s, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. And by Automatic, the connected car adapter that pairs your car to your smartphone. Save 20% with free shipping and a 45-day return policy when you go to automatic.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.slate.com/gistplus

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Why would someone accused of multiple crimes engage in chronic high-risk behaviors? Today on The Gist, Fordham’s Barry Rosenfeld explains why Robert Durst would participate in HBO’s The Jinx. Plus, economist Adam Davidson explains the Greek financial crisis as it relates to the European Union, especially Germany. For the Spiel, a key retirement in the world of professional football. Today’s sponsor: Casper, the online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/gist and using the promo code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.slate.com/gistplus

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Not every great pop song has a standard format or even a chorus. Today on The Gist, Chris Molanphy joins us to look at the changing placement of the chorus in popular music. He writes Slate’s Why Is That Song No. 1 column. For the Spiel, Mike eats at the pop-up restaurant WastED. At the very end of this show, we debut a new They Might Be Giants song, as part of their Dial-a-Song reboot, as we will be doing every Monday this year. You can find videos for the songs on the band’s website. This one is called “Unpronounceable.” Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.slate.com/gistplus

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On Start the Week Tom Sutcliffe discusses shame and betrayal. Jennifer Jacquet argues that modern-day shaming of corporations is a powerful tool to bring about change. However Jon Ronson believes too many lives have been devastated by public shaming and ridicule. Judas is a name synonymous with betrayal but Peter Stanford asks whether in the 21st century he has become the ultimate scapegoat? Arthur Miller's play All My Sons is a classic tale of family, loyalty, guilt, and betrayal and is brought to the stage by the artistic director of Talawa, Michael Buffong. Producer: Katy Hickman.

Last week the Supreme Court heard arguments in King v. Burwell, the case that could undo Obamacare. Now, as far as we can tell, lawyers who disagree with the Obamacare law always seem to find the policy unconstitutional. Today on The Gist, Harvard law professor Charles Fried is the lone exception. Plus, Dan Pashman from The Sporkful podcast brings reason and order to the Slate office fridge. For the Spiel, it’s time for another lobstar of the antentwig. Today’s sponsor: The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, the new documentary series from HBO. It airs Sunday at 8 p.m. only on HBO. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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Today on The Gist, we celebrate the Web series High Maintenance for avoiding stoner comedy clichés, and creating stunning portraits of New Yorkers. Creators Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair explain how the series has worked as a calling card for their creative work. For the Spiel, Mike explains his allergy to doing things for a good cause. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist.

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