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Andrew Wyeth's Secret Nudes (Encore)
In 1986, Andrew Wyeth was the most famous painter in America. He was a household name, on the cover of magazines and tapped to paint presidents. And …
2 years, 6 months ago
Why Stylists Rule the Red Carpet
Episode 83
Like a manager or an agent or a publicist, a stylist has become a kind of must-have accessory for well-dressed, A-list celebrities. It’s just expecte…
2 years, 7 months ago
The Gen X Soda That Was Just "OK"
Episode 82
Thirty years ago, a new kind of soda arrived in select stores. Instead of crowing about how spectacular it was, it offered up a liquid shrug, a fizzy…
2 years, 7 months ago
Why Do So Many Coffee Shops Look the Same?
Episode 81
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 Algo…
2 years, 8 months ago
2024 Teaser
We’re back with a new batch of cultural mysteries! This year, we’re putting out more new episodes—like many more of them. We’ll be diving down a new …
2 years, 8 months ago
2024 Teaser
We’re back with a new batch of cultural mysteries! This year, we’re putting out more new episodes—like many more of them. We’ll be diving down a new …
2 years, 8 months ago
The Forgotten Video Game About Slavery
Episode 80
In 1992, a Minnesota-based software company known for its educational hit The Oregon Trail released another simulation-style game to school districts…
2 years, 10 months ago
The Dating Manual Unlike Any Other
Episode 79
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…
2 years, 11 months ago
Mailbag: The Recorder, Limos, and “Baby on Board” Signs
Episode 78
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…
2 years, 11 months ago
When Art Pranksters Invaded Melrose Place
Episode 77
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, Isa…
2 years, 11 months ago