The following podcast contains explicit language.

I'm Stephen Metcap and this is the Slate Culture Gap Fest free reign on some

gargoyles edition. It's Wednesday, April 17th, 2019. On today's show, the Notre Dame Cathedral has been substantially

destroyed by a fire. We talk about the significance of this awful fact with

Lauren Collins, a resident of Paris and of course staff writer at the New Yorker magazine.

And then, Missing Link is the latest from stop motion studio Lika.

It features Hugh Jackman voicing an English explorer who befriends an endearing Sasquatch type beast.

And finally, the ditty known as Old Town Road, it's a runaway hit, a tangle of related

controversies to walk us through the crazy thicket as always is the wondrous

billboardologist Chris Melanthi of Slate. Joining me today is Dan Koes, writer

and editor at Slate magazine. Dan welcome back to the show.

Thanks.

And of course, Dana Stevens, who is Slate's Film Critic.

Hey Dana.

Bonjour.

Sublimity and tranquility are not thought of as natural companions

until that is you walk into a cathedral. are not people have had a life defining moment in or around this structure.

It encompasses eons, all kinds of experiences, diversities of people.

For all of those things said to contain multitudes,

I think it's arguable that this one actually

does. To experience Notre Dame is to understand it is greater than any one experience, it's

meant to surpass you in scale and time and yet also hand you back to your own peace of mind.

...