Hey! I'm Rob, a writer and audio producer based in New York with an interest in stories about culture, music and the internet. Want to work together? Get in touch @robardzr
PAPER Pride 2020: Kaytranada + Jaboukie Young-White in Conversation
When you trace the careers of Jaboukie Young-White, comedian, writer (and Twitter freedom fighter), and Kaytranada, prolific DJ and producer — two Black, queer men in fields that haven't always been receptive to difference — it's clear the path to traditional fame has been rewritten.
When White Kids Grow Up on the Black Internet
Having whole generations grow up on the internet should change how we talk about cultural appropriation.
Distancing Series #52: Prince's "Sign o' the Times"
'Distancing' is a homebound registry of other places and times and the albums that take us there.
Pre-Woke Watching: As a Black Gay Kid, I Saw My First Role Model in… "Scary Movie"
When you watch old favorites years later, sometimes you realize how much you used to overlook. In Pre-Woke Watching, viewers revisit their personal classics and evaluate how they look now.
Jaden Smith Is Helping Shape America's Future
It would be easy, and understandable, if Jaden Smith just wanted to be Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada. But he has bigger plans.
Four Thoughts on the Future of Afrofuturism
After having a moment in 2018, where does the movement go from here?
I Want to Speak to the Manager!
Why memes about white people crying to the authorities are so popular right now.
Executive Time is Slate’s pop-up blog about bosses.
The New, Kinder King of YouTube
King Vader has built his brand on parodies like "Hood Naruto"—and a commitment to avoid beefing.
Can ASMR Be Used to Treat Anxiety or Insomnia? For Many, It Already Is.
Anyone who experiences the phenomenon knows how relaxing it can be. Now, researchers are starting to take the possibility of therapeutic uses seriously.
If You Can’t Tear Down the Bad Statues, Create a Bunch of Good Ones
Activist group Movers and Shakers is using virtual reality to place digital sculptures of figures like Colin Kaepernick and Serena Williams throughout NYC.
The Beguiling Appeal of Iyanla Vanzant’s TV Therapy
How the premise of “fixing” someone’s life often turns into something else.
A Child Explains Why He Built a Nuclear Reactor in His Playroom
“I realized that certain things that I thought were impossible for someone my age aren’t impossible,” said Jackson Oswalt, 14.
Patia's Fantasy World Isn't for Everyone, It's for Us
Patia Borja explains how she turned a meme page into a movement.
"Black-ish" Pushes the Televised Black Family Forward
The show, which just concluded a season about divorce, fits into a long tradition of boundary-testing network TV.
Nikki Haley’s Instagram Is an Odd Window Into the Life of a Woman Who Wants You to Know She Has It All
Challenging job? Check. Family? Check. Social life? Check. Dog Instagram? Check.
Trumpstagram is Slate’s pop-up blog that close-reads Instagram accounts in the Trump orbit.