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On Wednesday, Justice Samuel Alito delivered the latest, probably lethal blow in the Supreme Court’s decades-long campaign against multi-racial democracy in America, with a 6-3 majority opinion gutting what remained of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v Callais. In this special extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick talks with Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization. Nelson argued Louisiana v. Callais before the United States Supreme Court in October of 2025. Together, they examine the history ignored by the right wing majority, and look ahead to the disastrous consequences this ruling unleashes on American democracy, from school boards all the way to the halls of congress.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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This week, Dana, Steve, and Nadira Goffe assess if we as a culture can ever really escape Neverland— namely, the gigantic and fraught legacy of Michael Jackson. They unpack the biopic Michael. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, starring Jackson’s own nephew Jaafar Jackson, and produced by much of the Jackson family, the film is chock full of musical numbers and light on the troubling aspects of the singer’s life. Does it ever rise above King of Pop hagiography? They discuss.

Next, they take up Half Man, the new limited series from Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd. It’s a brutal look at a toxic male relationship. Is its unflinching eye too unflinching? Perhaps.

Finally, how can one become cultured? What does that even mean!? Such are the questions raised by T Magazine’s recent special issue “How to Be Cultured.” Our panel debates the package’s various high brow listicles, takes their quiz, and Nadira even makes her own culture list as rebuttal! (See below.)

In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, our hosts share which cultural figures they think would make for good biopic subjects.

Endorsements
Nadira: The new EP NAIL from Yves, particularly the title track, and Curtis Live! the live album by Curtis Mayfield, especially the song "The Makings of You."

Steve: The poem "Like the Train's Beat" by Philip Larkin.

Dana: The book On Michael Jackson by Margo Jefferson about Michael Jackson's complicated cultural place.

Nadira's Culture List:
(Editor’s Note: Nadira added two things since our discussion — we’re all still staying curious and expanding our cultural horizons!)

“Throw Some Ds on It” — Rich Boy (Song; 2007)
“Jealous Guy” — Donny Hathaway covering John Lennon live (Song; 1972)
Any vlogger on YouTube, but particularly the work of Casey Neistat
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (TV Show; 1995)
Fleabag (TV Show; 2016-2019)
Monster (Anime Series, currently avail. on Netflix; 2004)
Stop Making Sense (Movie; 1984)
The Devil Wears Prada (Movie; 2006)
Step Up 2: The Streets (Movie; 2008)
Tampopo (Movie; 1985)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Movie; 2018)
Original Cast Album Company (Movie; 1970)
Quo Vadis, Aida? (Movie; 2004)
Playing in the Dark — Toni Morrison (Book; 1992)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow — Gabrielle Zevin (Book; 2022)
Any painting by Kerry James Marshall, but particularly “School of Beauty, School of Culture” and “Portrait of the artist as a shadow of his former self”
Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright (Architecture; 1964)

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Email us your thoughts at [email protected].

Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch.

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On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by ex-Mormon content creator Alyssa Grenfell to discuss the new Secret Lives of Mormon Wives spinoff, Netflix’s Trust Me, and the pop-culturification of Mormonism. While the internet has long been a place for Mormon creators to thrive, now that they’ve gone mainstream, our obsession with MomTok and dirty sodas risks softening, and even obscuring, the religion’s conservative ideology. During a time in history when our conservative government feels more dangerous than ever, we can’t let pop culture give racism and sexism a sugar-coated rebrand.

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.
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Democrats are starting to let themselves feel a little optimistic about the fall midterms, which is just about time for the fight between the centrists and the slightly-left-of-centrist party wings to get ugly. But a candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan is trying to sidestep another internecine fight by keeping his eye on the goal.

Guest: Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Senate candidate, physician, former director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services.

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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.
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When musician Chris Dowd was 19, shortly after graduating from high school, his band Fishbone got signed to Columbia Records. The group was made up of Black teenagers in Los Angeles, who combined several musical genres—funk, punk, ska, metal, reggae—into a new exciting sound in the late 70’s. They influenced countless other bands but struggled to find lasting commercial success.
This week on the show, Chris talks to Anna Sale about being a teenage rock pioneer who stepped away from the group in 1994. He also discusses his close friendship with the late Jeff Buckley, his trouble with alcoholism after Jeff's death, and what it's been like to rejoin Fishbone and go on tour.

Fishbone songs featured in this episode:
Skankin’ to the Beat
Ugly
Adolescent Regressive Behavior
Party at Ground Zero
Cubicle
Love is Love
Last Call in America (feat. George Clinton)
Housework

Watch Fishbone’s 1991 performance on SNL: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl7e88
This episode was produced by Cameron Drews and Daisy Rosario.
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If you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].
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