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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
What this show covers
pop culturecultural mysteriesmedia historyanti-drug campaignsMcGruffPSAsDecoder Rings Backtable customsblack pepperfood historybody imageidentity1970snovelty merchandisepodcasting
What listeners will find here
Why black pepper became salt’s permanent dinner-table partner
Black pepper is the subject of this Decoder Rings Back preview, as Willa Paskin tackles a listener’s question about why it sits beside salt on so many tables. The tease promises a culinary mystery with stops in ancient Rome, Louis XIV’s court, and Salem, Massachusetts.
The woman behind “Bridget in the Buff” finally tells her story
This episode digs into the 1970s phenomenon of Bridget in the Buff, a wildly popular line of merchandise built around the image of a smiling nude fat woman. Dawn Brooks, the real Bridget, explains how she became the face of a global gag-gift empire and what that legacy means now.
When every hit podcast has video, what still counts as a podcast?
Podcasting is changing fast, and this episode digs into why the medium suddenly feels harder to define. Willa Paskin and Evan Chung trace podcasting’s evolution through their own experiences and unpack their mixed feelings about the video-heavy, chat-driven state of the format in 2026.
How McGruff’s anti-drug album echoed far beyond the PSA era
McGruff the Crime Dog’s anti-drug campaign is the focus here, especially how McGruff’s Smart Kids Album lingered in listeners’ memories long after the 1980s. This encore explores the strange afterlife of kid-focused PSAs, from straight edge hardcore to an unexpected wedding playlist.
How McGruff’s anti-drug songs became unforgettable pop-culture residue
This episode digs into McGruff the Crime Dog, the 1980s PSA boom, and the odd staying power of anti-drug messaging aimed at kids. Part 1 explores how those campaigns lodged in memory and how the McGruff Smart Kids Album came to exist.
Episodes
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