Slate’s daily news podcast What Next released an episode on Nov. 12, 2025, challenging a New York Times opinion headline that asked whether women had “ruined” the workplace. Host Mary Harris contrasts the backlash to feminism with Beyoncé’s high-profile feminist imagery and speaks with NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben.
Slate’s What Next episode, titled “No, Women Didn’t Ruin the Workplace,” published on Nov. 12, 2025, opens by noting the quick rhetorical swing from Beyoncé standing before the word “FEMINISM” to a Times headline asking “Did Women Ruin the Workplace?” The episode asks how long this backlash will last. (podbay.fm)
The discussion responds to a New York Times Opinion conversation that initially ran under the headline “Did Women Ruin the Workplace?” before being updated to “Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?” The Times segment was part of Ross Douthat’s “Interesting Times” podcast and featured Helen Andrews and Leah Libresco Sargeant—framing that drew rapid criticism across media. (theguardian.com)
What Next is hosted by Mary Harris, who serves as the show’s managing editor and has reported across the public‑radio system, including for NPR, Marketplace, and WNYC. (slate.com)
Guest Danielle Kurtzleben, a political correspondent at NPR’s Washington Desk, joins Harris to unpack the claims and context around the Times’ framing. (wabe.org)
The show positions itself as a short, daily program aimed at helping listeners make sense of the news, with new episodes each weekday morning. This installment focuses on how narratives about work, men, and women are being reframed in 2025. (podcasts.apple.com)
Production credits for this episode go to Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. (podbay.fm)
Listeners can find What Next on major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify; Slate Plus offers ad‑free access to the What Next family and other Slate shows. (podcasts.apple.com)
