Slate Money | Money Talks: Contemplations on Consumption

Slate Daily Feed

Slate Podcasts

News, Business, Society & Culture

4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by Emily Mester to discuss her book American Bulk: Essays on Excess. They’ll get into the dopamine-driven appeal of haul videos and Costco, the comforts and horrors of retail chains, the variable signifiers of wealth among classes, and other ways in which overconsumption shapes and reflects our lives as Americans. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Race the rudder, raise the sails, raise the sales!
0:06.0	Captain and unidentified chip approaching, over.
0:09.0	Roger that.
0:10.0	Wait, is that an enterprise sales solution?
0:14.0	Reach sales professionals, not professional sailors.
0:18.0	With LinkedIn ads, you can target the right people by industry, job title,
0:21.8	and more. To get £100 off your first campaign, go to LinkedIn.com slash lead to claim your credit.
0:27.8	That's LinkedIn.com slash lead. Terms and conditions apply.
0:31.3	Oh, that's my prime delivery. Huh, already. Only one thing can match the buzz of Primes fast delivery.
0:37.5	And that's the buzz of Prime's entertainment.
0:40.2	What are we watching?
0:40.9	Heads of state, that new action comedy with Idris Elber as the Prime Minister,
0:44.6	John Sina as the president, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, as their only hope.
0:48.3	It looks like a blast.
0:49.5	From fast delivery to explosive entertainment, it's on Prime.
0:53.8	For only 899 a month, join now.
0:56.5	Content includes limited ads, subscription, or to renews. For more information, go to
0:59.6	Amazon.com.uk.ukes slash Prime.
1:09.8	Hello and welcome to Money Talks. I'm your host, Elizabeth Spires, and today I'm joined by
1:15.0	Emily Mester, the author of American Folk Essays on Excess. So Emily, thank you for being with us.
1:21.7	Why don't you introduce yourself and give us a sense of who you are and what brought you to writing
1:26.6	this book? I grew up in the suburban Midwest, in a sense of who you are and what brought you to writing this book. I grew up in the suburban Midwest
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 5 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Slate Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Slate Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.