This week, Dana, Steve, and Nadira Goffe assess if we as a culture can ever really escape Neverland— namely, the gigantic and fraught legacy of Michael Jackson. They unpack the biopic Michael. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, starring Jackson’s own nephew Jaafar Jackson, and produced by much of the Jackson family, the film is chock full of musical numbers and light on the troubling aspects of the singer’s life. Does it ever rise above King of Pop hagiography? They discuss.Next, they take up Half Man, the new limited series from Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd. It’s a brutal look at a toxic male relationship. Is its unflinching eye too unflinching? Perhaps.Finally, how can one become cultured? What does that even mean!? Such are the questions raised by T Magazine’s recent special issue “How to Be Cultured.” Our panel debates the package’s various high brow listicles, takes their quiz, and Nadira even makes her own culture list as rebuttal! (See below.)In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, our hosts share which cultural figures they think would make for good biopic subjects.EndorsementsNadira: The new EP <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6wXgjwwY1YLZhAQupPi3m4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NAIL</a> from Yves, particularly the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2VdbARHQxe2Oo0PRlXpg4I?si=e980abd1b85e4dd4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">title track</a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/688Kh9FEef2uaJOXFtOtXp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Curtis Live!</a> the live album by Curtis Mayfield, especially the song "<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5VETCvX0BpeIEG9cxdqS5E?si=4e3684ad46134011" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Makings of You</a>."Steve: The poem "<a href="https://allpoetry.com/Like-The-Train's-Beat" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Like the Train's Beat</a>" by Philip Larkin.Dana: The book <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/on-michael-jackson-margo-jefferson/6dac0acbd58edfba?ean=9780307277657&next=t" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">On Michael Jackson</a> by Margo Jefferson about Michael Jackson's complicated cultural place.Nadira's Culture List:(Editor’s Note: Nadira added two things since our discussion — we’re all still staying curious and expanding our cultural horizons!)<ol><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pudIZbCRq_c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Throw Some Ds on It”</a> — Rich Boy (Song; 2007)</li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhJqhMZODLI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Jealous Guy”</a> — Donny Hathaway covering John Lennon live (Song; 1972)</li><li>Any vlogger on YouTube, but particularly the work of<a href="https://youtu.be/bzE-IMaegzQ?si=uT-CtB7woWzARYvk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Casey</a><a href="https://youtu.be/WxfZkMm3wcg?si=c8hLkZNMgPRsX3vN" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Neistat</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hbomax.com/shows/happily-ever-after/10f439ec-d86d-4d03-8304-c6b07972457b?utm_source=universal_search" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child</a> (TV Show; 1995)</li><li><a href="https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0OB9NDUVQKFRSYRSCHT2A784TI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fleabag</a> (TV Show; 2016-2019)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_(manga)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Monster</a> (Anime Series, currently avail. on<a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81409869?source=35" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Netflix</a>; 2004)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Making_Sense" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stop Making Sense</a> (Movie; 1984)</li><li><a href="https://www.hulu.com/movie/the-devil-wears-prada-35ee3632-230a-4e4b-8520-46063f9282a3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Devil Wears Prada</a> (Movie; 2006)</li><li><a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/step-up-2-the-streets/umc.cmc.34pm63awtceb19k7v3jfy0un?action=play" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Step Up 2: The Streets</a> (Movie; 2008)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampopo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tampopo</a> (Movie; 1985)</li><li><a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81002747?source=35" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</a> (Movie; 2018)</li><li><a href="https://www.hbomax.com/movies/original-cast-album-company/519df7ee-acbf-435b-9368-50823f127014?utm_source=universal_search" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Original Cast Album Company</a> (Movie; 1970)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quo_Vadis,_Aida%3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Quo Vadis, Aida?</a> (Movie; 2004)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playing_in_the_Dark" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Playing in the Dark</a> — Toni Morrison (Book; 1992)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow,_and_Tomorrow,_and_Tomorrow_(novel)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow</a> — Gabrielle Zevin (Book; 2022)</li><li>Any painting by Kerry James Marshall, but particularly<a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250919-the-coded-messages-in-a-21st-century-masterpiece-kerry-james-marshall" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> “School of Beauty, School of Culture”</a> and<a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/lacma-gifted-kerry-james-marshalls-portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-shadow-of-his-former-self-242269/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> “Portrait of the artist as a shadow of his former self”</a></li><li><a href="https://fallingwater.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fallingwater</a>, Frank Lloyd Wright (Architecture; 1964)</li></ol>--Email us your thoughts at <a href="mailto:culturefest@slate.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">culturefest@slate.com</a>.&nbsp;Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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