Decoder Ring is the show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters. Get more of Decoder Ring with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of Decoder Ring and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Decoder Ring show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus for access wherever you listen.
| Title | Date published | ||
| “Videomate: Men” (Encore) | 2025-12-03 | ||
| How Protein Muscled Its Way to the Top | 2025-11-19 | ||
| The Slate Culture Gift Guide | 2025-11-12 | ||
| Cozy Autumn Mysteries | 2025-11-05 | ||
| The Red String Board Conspiracy | 2025-10-22 | ||
| What the Cuck?! | 2025-10-08 | ||
| Why Do Actors Act Like They Can Sing? | 2025-09-24 | ||
| Jane Fonda’s Workout, Part 2: Hanoi Jane’s VHS Revolution (Encore) | 2025-09-10 | ||
| Jane Fonda’s Workout, Part 1: Jane and Leni (Encore) | 2025-08-27 | ||
| How to Hunt a Mammoth, and Other Experiments in Archaeology | 2025-08-13 | ||
| The Bad-Mouthing of British Teeth | 2025-07-30 | ||
| Mailbag: Drug Names, Cow Abductions, and the “Ass-Intensifier” | 2025-07-16 | ||
| Introducing The Sporkful | Is Your Recipe Lying To You? | 2025-07-09 | ||
| The White Noise Boom | 2025-07-02 | ||
| The Boston Cinematic Universe | 2025-06-18 | ||
| The Laff Box (Encore) | 2025-06-04 | ||
| The Glaring Problem with Headlights | 2025-05-21 | ||
| Off-the-Wall Stories of Off-Label Use | 2025-05-07 | ||
| How “Chicken Soup” Sold Its Soul | 2025-04-23 | ||
| Spring Break Forever | 2025-04-09 |