Decoder Ring - The Gen X Soda That Was Just "OK"

Decoder Ring - The Gen X Soda That Was Just "OK"

Thirty years ago, a new kind of soda arrived in select stores. Instead of crowing about how spectacular it was, it offered up a liquid shrug, a fizzy irony. OK Soda was an inside joke for people who knew soda wasn’t cool. But what exactly was the punchline? In today’s episode, we’re going to ask how Coca-Cola, a company predicated on the idea that soda is more than "OK," ever bankrolled such a project. It was either a corporate attempt to market authenticity or a bold send-up of consumer capitalism; a project that either utterly, predictably failed or, perhaps more surprisingly, almost succeeded.

This episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was edited by Jenny Lawton. It was produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd, along with Evan Chung. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

You’ll hear from Sergio Zyman, Brian Lanahan, Robin Joannides Lanahan, Charlotte Moore, Peter Wegner, Todd Waterbury, Dustin Ness, and Matt Purrington.

Special thanks to David Cowles, Art Chantry, Seth Godin, Jeff Beer, Gabriel Roth, Mark Hensley for all the OK Soda commercials and Mark Pendergrast, whose book For God, Country, & Coca-Cola was indispensable.

If you haven’t yet, please subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

If you’re a fan of the show, please sign up for Slate Plus. Members get to listen to Decoder Ring and all other Slate podcasts without any ads and have total access to Slate’s website. Your support is also crucial to our work. Go to Slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(2967)

ICYMI - The AI Book Scandal Rocking Publishing

ICYMI - The AI Book Scandal Rocking Publishing

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate contributing writer Imogen West-Knights to talk about Shy Girl, the controversial novel whose U.S. publication was cancelled over suspected AI ...

8 Apr 30min

Hang Up and Listen - A March Without Madness

Hang Up and Listen - A March Without Madness

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh recap a chalky March Madness marked by coaching drama and uncertainty about college basketball’s future. Then Alex and Lindsay ask Ben about the e...

7 Apr 1h 16min

Death, Sex & Money - Doree Shafrir On The Out Of Control IVF Train

Death, Sex & Money - Doree Shafrir On The Out Of Control IVF Train

When Doree Shafrir started fertility treatments in her late thirties, she thought it would be relatively simple. It ended up taking multiple rounds and sinking her family into debt. Doree and her husb...

7 Apr 44min

ICYMI - The Internet Loves To Hate Chappell Roan

ICYMI - The Internet Loves To Hate Chappell Roan

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and content creator Josh Lora, who goes by TellTheBees on Substack, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. After yet another meaningless Chappell Roan...

4 Apr 43min

Culture Gabfest - James Bond’s Sexistential Retreat Edition

Culture Gabfest - James Bond’s Sexistential Retreat Edition

On this week’s show, Dana is joined by Slate’s own Nadira Goffe and Richard Lawson, of the Critical Darlings podcast. Their first agenda item is Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, the second install...

1 Apr 53min

ICYMI - "Lip Filler Accent" Is Infecting TikTok (and Us)

ICYMI - "Lip Filler Accent" Is Infecting TikTok (and Us)

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Defector co-owner Alex Sujong Laughlin, whose recent piece about “lip filler accent” identified a new way TikTok is changing how we speak. Even peopl...

1 Apr 32min

Hang Up and Listen - The Final Four Countdown

Hang Up and Listen - The Final Four Countdown

Hosts Lindsay Gibbs and Ben Lindbergh discuss the maddest moment of March—from the UConn buzzer beater, to Women’s Final Four redux. Alex Kirshner rejoins for two interviews: the first with author and...

31 Mar 1h 13min

Death, Sex & Money - A Court Settlement Made Me a Millionaire. I’ve Barely Touched the Money.

Death, Sex & Money - A Court Settlement Made Me a Millionaire. I’ve Barely Touched the Money.

A listener we're calling Natalie received over a million dollars after being sexually abused by her university gynecologist in one of the largest abuse settlements in American history. She talks about...

31 Mar 46min

Populært innen Underholdning

papaya
enkel-servering
tusvik-tnne
harm-og-hegseth
tore-og-haralds-podkast
storefri-med-mikkel-og-herman
big-5-med-nils-og-harald-2
konspirasjonspodden
topp-3-med-wold-og-fladseth
folk-flest-med-linn-og-nils
ma-pa-behandling-med-morten-ramm
hovla
kjendiscrush-med-sofie-karlstad
nare-venner
vitnemal
feedback-med-egon-holstad
gi-meg-alle-detaljene
rss-gammal-maiden
christine-dancke
singel