The following podcast contains explicit language.

I'm Stephen McHaff, and this is the Slate Culture Gapfest Super ABLE edition.

It's Wednesday, August 14th, 2019.

On today's show, The Nightingale is the latest

film from Jennifer Kent. It's the follow-up to her horror sensation, the Babaduke. This one is an

unsparing, really brutal look at the colonial origins of modern Australia. And then the

Boys is a wickedly dark satire on the MCU, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also really on the hyper-commercialization

of everything, superheroes in particular. And finally, an absolute giant Tony Morrison, Nobel laureate,

one of America's greatest novelists and public intellectuals has died. We examine a monumental legacy

with Sarah Jackson, who is professor at the Annenberg

School at the University of Pennsylvania. Joining me today is Aisha Harris, a culture editor at the New York

Times. Aisha, welcome back to the show. Hello, it's great to be back. Thank you.

Gabe Roth, who is, I think, best described as the boss of me. I am, in fact, the boss of you, Steve, so please stay in line.

Thanks for having me.

So you really are filling in for Julia Turner then?

I absolutely am, and I will do my best.

I haven't had a boot stamping on my face in a long time while we record this show,

so it really feels like old times, the warm sensation of the tread on my eye socket.

See, if you listeners can hear the squelching of my boot on Steve's eye socket over the course of this episode.

This is very apt for our Nightingale conversation.

I know.

Oh, my gosh.

...