The Waves on To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Slow Burn, and “peak desirability” in online dating.
On this week’s episode of the Waves, Christina Cauterucci, Kat Chow, and Veralyn Williams talk about Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, unpacking the standards it’ll be held to as one of the only teen rom-coms with an Asian-American lead—and what sets its central romance apart from the rest of the genre. Next, chart-topping historical podcast Slow Burn has turned its sights from Watergate to the Clinton impeachment. The hosts are joined by Leon Neyfakh to discuss what it’s like to re-evaluate the roles and reputations of women like Paula Jones and Monica Lewinsky in 2018, why Bill Clinton has continued to loom large in the Democratic Party, and how we should reckon with his legacy now. Finally, a recent study of online dating found that men are perceived to peak in desirability at age 50, while women peak at 18. The trio explores how cultural norms might have reinforced these wildly uneven gendered expectations—online, on screen, and in their own lives.
And on Slate Plus: Is it sexist to call women “females”?
This podcast was produced by Veralyn Williams. Our production assistant is Alex Barasch.
The Waves plugs: Please remember to like our Facebook page. Send your emails to thewaves@slate.com. Tell us what we should cover in the next episode. Finally, our summer call-in show is coming up! If you have a question you’d like the hosts to answer, this week is your last chance to call (646) 907-9859 to leave us a voicemail.