I'm Stephen McHaff, and this is the Slate Culture Gab Fest, crushing responsibility edition.

It's Wednesday, January 19th, 2022. On today's show, we're going to discuss The Lost Daughter. It's a feature film on

Netflix. It's an adaptation of a Elena Ferranti novel, stars Olivia Coleman, and of course, I think

most people know, it's the directorial debut of the actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. And then we're

talking about a network show that's a red letter week for the culture gap

fest. We don't do it very often. This one is Abbott Elementary. It's a mockumentary

sitcom about a Philly Public School. It's created by and stars Quinta Brunson. And finally,

yeah, okay, you're spelling the addiction. It's killing you slowly while also no longer giving you the old high. Well, I have some good news for you. Someone has invented wordal. We discussed the latest smart set word game. Joining me today is Julia Turner. Hey, Julia. Hello, hello. Julia, of course, you are the deputy managing editor, the LA Times, and you join me from Los Angeles.

And of course, Dana Stevens is the film critic of Slate, Dana.

I am keening with FOMO right now because you are where?

I'm in Los Angeles, California.

And what did you do last night?

Not to rub it in, but I spent hours and hours in the company of one Julia Turner. I met her new baby. We had dinner together. We talked for hours. We split a bottle of wine. And you weren't there. I pretend to be rubbing it in, but in fact, we missed you and it would have been great if you were there. I'm hoping that that will bring this a little closer to being an in-person gap vest.

That's pretending to rub it in, Dana. I would hate to know what your fucking A-game is there. Oh, my God. Okay, before we flow into the show proper, Dana, what are you doing in Los Angeles? Stephen, I am here because I was flown out by my publisher, because I'm fancy, to do an interview with none other than Mark Marin. I'm going to be on his podcast sometime in the next couple weeks talking about my Buster Keaton book. You know, I do have this picture in my head that I get to, you know, sort of savor as I try to make a show with my two ex-friends,

which is you, Julia Turner, Marin, maybe there's Andy Warhol or Basquiat there as well, and you're all thrown your headbacks and laughing, you know, the cigarettes poised between

your index and middle finger. And Steve is breathing on the frosted glass to make a little hole with his sleeve to look in on us.

I mean, there's no frost because we're all out in L.A.

Oh, yes.

It's metaphorical frost, Julia.

I got your frost.

Julia, I can honestly say, I got your frost right here.

All right.

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