Hi!

We missed you. We have a catch up on mic, FINALLY share our thoughts on Life of a Showgirl and discuss all things wedding and travel.

Lily Allen has released the divorce album of the decade and we break down its major tracks. Hailey Bieber has shared on the In Your Dreams podcast that she's not considering botox until her 30s. Why is this so refreshing to hear?

FRESHLY 20 year old pop star, Sombr, has been at the centre of controversy this week after creating a video response to a negative concert review. A 25-year-old woman named Meg posted an eight-minute review of her experience at Sombr’s show in D.C to her TikTok. Sombr responded to the accusations of vulgarity toward his teenaged crowd and made a point to bring up both his and Meg's ages. Why is Gen Z so obsessed with age?

In Bookmarked, Jas recommends the new Bruce Springsteen biopic, Deliver Me From Nowhere while Maggie read Liane Moriarty's 2024 book, Here One Moment.

Talk to you soon! Jas & Mags xo

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Bridget Hustwaite is an author, presenter, chronic illness advocate, and host. You might know Bridget from her seven years on Triple J, or from her books How to Endo and the recently released Figuring Out Thirty. In this episode of Culture Club, we sat down with Bridget in the studio to reflect on life in her 30s, what it means to grow into yourself, and why the “dream job” isn’t always what it seems.

We talk about Bridget’s early days at Triple J, the hustle behind the scenes, and the personal turning point that led her to step away from the country's most popular broadcaster. In this open and honest chat, Bridget shares what it’s like to live publicly with endometriosis, how it shaped her career, and what she’s learned about balancing ambition with chronic illness.

For more of Bridget's content, you can follow her on TikTok and Instagram. 

Katie Zhou created our fab cover art and India Raine is our wonderful editor and composer of our jingle. Email us at cultureclubmail@gmail.com.

Find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod or on our personal accounts @jasmineeskye and @yemagz. 

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Mona Awad is one of the most influential authors of our time. She's the bestselling author of the novels 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, All’s Well, Rouge, and the cult classic, Bunny, which took off in book clubs around the world and became a BookTok phenomenon. Bunny was named a Best Book of 2019 by Time, Vogue and the New York Public Library. Bunny and Rouge are also being adapted into films. 

After the success of Bunny, Mona has decided to revisit the world in the 2025 hybrid prequel and sequel, We Love You Bunny. Described as Frankenstein meets Heathers, We Love You, Bunny follows Bunny’s protagonist, Samantha, after she’s published her first novel to critical acclaim. But the Bunnies, unhappy with how they’ve been portrayed, find and kidnap her, taking it in turns to retell their side of the story.

With Margaret Atwood naming Mona her “literary heir,” we were so excited to speak with the US author. In this chat, we discuss why she chose to revisit her cult classic novel Bunny, learning to fail as a writer, the shadow selves that can be found in female friendships, and more.

Speak soon!

Jas & Mags xo

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Hi friends!

We have another pop culture episode for you–delicious.

The pop girlies are in their marriage eras. Charli XCX threw her second wedding last week while Selena Gomez tied the knot with Benny Blanco. With a number of main pop girls getting married, will their music change? It's a question writer Catherine Shannon asks in her Substack essay, 'Pop Enters Its Wife Era'.

Matilda Djerf has returned to the press for the first time since her bullying and toxic workplace allegations last year. Speaking with Stephanie McNeal for Glamour US, Matilda shares that she’s keen to get back to her brand and community. Listen to our 2024 episode What The Djerf for a breakdown of the allegations.

Wearable AI device Friend is back in the news cycle after the company spent $1 million USD on subway ads to tell people to have robot friends. We discuss the news and read from a piece in The Atlantic by Yair Rosenberg titled Have You Considered Not Polluting the Water?

14-year-old Australian influencer, Deja Clark, daughter of influencer Kat Clarke, has launched a collaboration with Supre under her swimwear label, Sunny De. To launch, the brand and Deja held an event – a mix of Deja’s friends and influencers. Online, there’s been some heated commentary about influencer diversity as the attendees were almost all thin, white girls. We break down the online commentary from Kristine Achayo, Brooke (ewwitsbrooke), and Sinderella (@asinderellastory).

Next, why does it feel SO HARD to make decisions right now? An article for Dazed magazine by Maybelle Morgan interrogates our relationship with decisions and ChatGPT. We share our thoughts on the article and our own experience with decision fatigue.

In Bookmarked, Jas loved Good Hang with Amy Poehler and Olivia Colman while Maggie has been devouring Stinkbug by Australian writer Sinead Stubbins.

Thanks for listening!! <3 Jas & Mags xo

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Hi friends,

Some popcorn pop culture bits to warm us up today including TSITP finale, Chris Briney's new venture, Robert Irwin is Maggie's new white boy of the month, Jimmy Kimmel is cancelled and are Ben & Jerry going through a break-up?

In other news, 2022 called and it wants its scandal back. Ned Fulmer, former YouTube Try Guys member, is back in the spotlight. The Buzzfeed-turned-YouTube content group gained a following for their viral videos “trying” new things. Three years ago, Ned made headlines. The self-proclaimed “wife guy” was caught cheating on his wife, Ariel, in a “consensual workplace relationship”.

We chat about Ned's return to the media world and ask why Ariel was his first guest on his new podcast, Rock Bottom.

Earlier this month, VOGUE US announced that there would be a new head of editorial content: Chloe Malle. We find out who Chloe is, the nepo baby allegations against her, and break down the gossip-y TikToks and headlines about her style. We also chat about the blurring lines between influencers and editors, and why fashion fans think writers owe them entertainment. In this segment, we reference TikToks from editors Tyler McCall and Brodie Lancaster.

In recommendations, Maggie enjoyed Panic World Podcast while Jas can't stop listening to Wolf Alice's album, The Clearing.

Chat to you soon!

Jas & Mags xoxo

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Hi friends,

Maggie has been travelling again, so we have a lot to catch up on! From the Wuthering Heights adaptation trailer (and ensuing literature discourse) to another celebrity engagement, we start with some popcorn-pop culture bites.

Next, the news that dominated the media last week: the assassination of political podcaster Charlie Kirk. We share our thoughts on the divisive right wing figure and reference an article from The Cut by writer E.J Dickson. Titled Why Young Conservative Women Loved Charlie Kirk, the feature tells the story of Charlie Kirk's Turning Point conferences specifically targeted toward young women of high school and college age. We analyse the piece and discuss the increase of young people moving to the right side of politics.

Have you heard that all the girlies are doing the “Great Lock In” challenge? The new social media trend is billed as a way to laser-focus on self-improvement before December 31 rolls around. The premise: Get a head start on New Year’s resolutions or restart an abandoned goal for side hustles, diet, fitness, sleep, or creative hobbies. We ask if the "Great Lock In" is helpful to a generation that's already obsessed with productivity.

In recommendations, Jas loved Death Cap Murders on Stan Australia while Maggie shares her thoughts on Australian band, Folk Bitch Trio's album Now Would Be A Good Time.

Chat to you soon!

Jas & Mags xoxo

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Hi friends!

After a plethora of fun interviews (Poh Ling Yeow! Jessica Mauboy! Indy Yelich!) we are back with a juicy pop culture episode. But first, we give you a little update on what we've been up to. After some Culture Quickie updates, we launch into the engagement news of the year: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Is it the parasocial moment of the decade?

Next, former West Coast Eagles player, Mitch Brown, made history in Australia this week after coming out as the first queer player in the AFL's (that's the Australian Football League) 129-year history. We discuss the importance of this moment, the response of the other clubs, and hear an excerpt from Bridget Hustwaite's opinion article on the topic for Missing Perspectives.

US tennis champion Serena Williams has made headlines this week after becoming the face of weight loss drug and direct-to-patient healthcare company, Ro. We debate the ethics of an athlete promoting a weight loss drug and discuss the back-and-forth the news has created on social media. We reference Jameela Jamil's Instagram post, the PEOPLE magazine exclusive Serena broke the news in, and the Sydney Morning Herald's article by Nell Geraets.

In Bookmarked, we have two book recommendations to help get you out of your reading slump. Jas is sharing an all-time favourite in Nora Ephron's Heartburn, while Maggie recommends the Australian eco-dystopian book Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.

Chat to you next time! Jas & Mags xo

This episode of Culture Club is sponsored by WHEN Fertility. Learn more about your reproductive health with the at-home fingerprick test. And, speak with your trusted GP if you have questions or concerns about your health.

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In 2006, a teenage Jessica Mauboy auditioned for the fourth season of Australian Idol during the show’s regional audition tour, finishing as a runner-up. Fast forward nearly two decades, and Jessica is one of Australia’s most beloved (and successful) artists. 

The singer has achieved six top-ten albums (including two number-ones) and 16 top 20 singles. She’s also been nominated for an ARIA a whopping 25 times and has won two. And while we personally think Jess was robbed in the recent Triple J Hottest 100 Australian songs countdown, she is receiving her flowers with her induction into the National Indigenous Music Award’s Hall Of Fame.

In this chat, we discuss her new independent music label Jamally, her nostalgic resurgence on TikTok, and what it means to be inducted into the National Indigenous Music Award’s Hall Of Fame.

Jas & Mags xo

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Have you always wanted to travel alone but were overwhelmed by the thought? Or maybe the wrangling of friends in group chats meant compromising your holiday plans?

In this special solo episode of Culture Club, Maggie is breaking down her dos and don'ts of solo travel.

From safety as a woman to packing tips and why she's so obsessed with hopping on a flight, Maggie is sharing everything she's learnt so far and answers your burning questions.

We'll be back in your ears with pop culture eps soon.

Jas & Maggie x

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Indy Yelich is a New Zealand-born indie pop artist who’s just released her second EP, ‘Fame Is A Bedroom’. The EP explores age-gap relationships, sisterhood, sexuality, and the conversations that happen behind closed doors.  

And, if her name sounds familiar, that’s because Indy is the younger sister of Ella Yelich, AKA, Lorde. In this interview, we chat about what it’s like to move to NYC from Auckland, New Zealand, her diary-like new EP, and how she grappled with her older sister’s stratospheric rise to fame as a young teen.

Indy kindly gave us heaps of recommendations during our chat.

In music, Indy loves 'Feeling' by Billy Marten and 'All I Ever Asked' by Rachel Chinouriri. When it comes to books, Indy is in her fantasy era with 'Fourth Wing' by Rebecca Yarros and 'Skipshock' by Caroline O'Donoghue. In poetry, Indy's favourite poems are 'June' by Alex Dimitrov and 'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver.

This episode is brought to you by Lifeblood. Find your nearest donation centre (and get props for being the middle child) here.

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Poh Ling Yeow has been a beloved fixture on Australian TV since her Masterchef debut in 2009. She’s hosted multiple shows, like ABC’s Poh’s Kitchen and SBS’s Poh & Co, and has authored multiple cookbooks. Now, she’s back on our screens as one of the Masterchef judges. Poh has also been nominated for the prestigious TV Week Gold Logie! You can vote for Poh here until 7pm on Friday August 1.

In this chat we discuss how she balances multiple creative pursuits, why her shyness became her strength, and "sucking the marrow" out of all life has to offer.

Poh recommends Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

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Hi pals!

Strap in, cos we have a whole host of Culture Quickies to run through.

Filming for The Devil Wears Prada 2 is officially underway with Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway papped on the streets of New York. The Trisha Paytas baby reincarnation theory continues, and has Rebel Wilson “deliberately undermined” the release of her comedy musical, The Deb?

We know many Culture Clubbers have fantasised about Mr. Harry Styles, and now he’s letting us take him to bed – or, at least, his product. In Culture Shock, we discuss Pleasing's new product and whether we'd buy it ourselves...

Next, Charli xcx and her musician husband, George Daniel, got married in Hackney, London. We share our thoughts on the pap pics and ask why everyone's obsessed with "low-key" weddings.

Fashion brand Guess has published print ads in Vogue US… using AI models. Seraphinne Vallora, an AI marketing agency that creates editorial-level AI-driven marketing campaigns, is behind the images but who is responsible here? The publication or the brand?

In recommendations, Maggie shares YouTube series, Worth It – Andrew, Steve and Adam and Jas is obsessed with The Summer I Turned Pretty. Up top, we also chat about Melbourne International Film Festival, which kicks off on August 7. Go support the arts!

Chat to you next time!

Jas & Mags xo

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Hi pals!

For the first time in ten years, the gender pay gap has flipped — at least for Gen Zs. According to a recent report, full-time working Gen Z women between the ages of 16 and 24 are out-earning their male peers. But is everything what it seems? We discuss the findings and our own thoughts on the rhetoric around men being "left behind". Jas references this TikTok.

Courtney Palmer (@courtney_joelle on TikTok) has gone viral with her take on “princess treatment,”. In a recent video (viewed millions of times), the self-proclaimed housewife princess shares that she doesn't look at or talk to wait staff when on a date with her husband. Is this rhetoric signalling a darker turning point for feminism? Maggie also references an article in The Guardian by Emma Beddington titled 'Is ‘princess treatment’ a harmless trend – or yet more fuel for misogyny?'

Next, Australian retailer Big W was in hot water recently after selling MAGA hats on its website. It caused people to ask who should be held accountable and how much heat should Big W cop? This leads us into a discussion around the shock departure of Love Island USA contestant, Cierra Ortega, who left after screenshots of her using an anti-Asian slur circulated.

Maggie references a Refinery29 article titled, 'Two Things Can Be True: Cierra Was Wrong & Love Island Mishandled Her Exit' by Taryn Finley.

After a bit of a meatier episode, we end on two pop culture recs that we think you'll also love.

Maggie recommends the musical Annie, while Jas surprisingly adored Superman in IMAX. If you want to see all of our podcast recommendations in the one place, download Australian app, Pod Recs! Thank you to the people who asked for us to be included on the app.

Chat to you next time!

Jas & Mags xo

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Hi!

After culture quickie bites, including Maggie's matcha TikTok take and the media's response to Bob Vylan's Glastonbury protest, we dive into the P Diddy verdict announced this week. This segment includes a reference to The Cut's article titled Maybe Me Too Is Really Dead by Andrea González-Ramírez.

Do you feel the pressure to be always digitally available? It’s a question Sydney writer, Miski Omar, asked in The Guardian Australia this week. Miski kindly read out a snippet of her article titled 'I’m not ignoring your message – I’m overwhelmed by the tyranny of being reachable'.

In Bookmarked, Maggie enjoyed the 2008 teen movie The Clique. Social Media Producer Allie Daisy King gave Culture Club a snippet of her take on the seminal movie before her video essay is published on Extra Virgin. Jas enjoyed the Substack, how to want more without hating what you already have by Milk and Cookies author, Ayushi Thakkar.

We hope you enjoyed this ep! Chat next time xo.

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Hi friends!

Welcome to Culture Club.

In this week's ep we have pop culture bites that we NEED to discuss with the class. First up, the new Sense and Sensibility adaptation starring Daisy Edgar-Jones has been announced. Plus, author (and Culture Club Chats alumni) Diana Reid worked on the screenplay! Huge.

Next, Olivia Rodrigo had her movie moment as she spotted at Glastonbury singing along with the "Common People". Sabrina Carpenter has an album cover that's "approved by God". And, has the rumoured fued between Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia finally been put to bed?

In Culture Shock, we discuss the stepping down of publishing titan, Anna Wintour as she departs the top job at Vogue.

The “wedding of the century" has landed in Venice – Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and ex-American journalist Lauren Sanchez have tied the knot in a lavish (and controversial) three-day affair. We discuss the high profile guests, Lauren's dress, and the protests that followed the billionaire's arrival. Jacqueline Maley reads a snippet of her article for SMH, The Bezos-Sanchez wedding party proves it – the age of vulgarity is upon us.

In Bookmarked, Jas recommends the Disney+ show, Rivals, while Maggie is loving the Amazon Prime series, Overcompensating.

That's all for now! Chat soon. Jas & Mags xo

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Hi friends!

The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders have had a pay increase and Jojo Siwa says she felt pressured to come out as a lesbian. We reference the Cosmopolitan article 'Prestige Won’t Pay My Rent' by Cait Emma Burke.

Next, actress and advocate Jameela Jamil says she's done being interviewed by women. After an interview with The Times UK, Jameela took to social media and her Substack to share that the story “read like a cheap, bitchy, Daily Mail blog, written by a student desperate to get clicks to keep their job.” In our chat, we discuss celebrities' expectations of profile interviews and why journalists wanting to be friends with their subject is leading to worse media and content.

In recommendations, we share two books: Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors and Gliff by Ali Smith.

Chat next week besties.

Jas & Mags xo

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Maggie shares some field notes from her Europe trip as she chats from Paris! Oui oui.

We discuss Choice's SPF findings, which had the country stressing, and a local celebrity sighting.

There’s been more Sabrina Carpenter outrage this week after she announced her new album, Man’s Best Friend. From violence against women to puritan culture and using pop stars as a scapegoat for our anger at the world, we share our own takes on the discourse. We reference this Substack.

Next, what does it mean to climb cringe mountain? Jas shares her findings on the new term and we chat about Addison Rae's earnest press tour for her new album, Addison. We share a clip from Popcast, the New York Times music podcast and Quenlin Blackwell's YouTube interview series, Feeding Starving Celebrities. This ELLE US interview is also referenced.

In Bookmarked, Maggie loved Offline Love on Netflix. Jas got to watch The Materialists and shares a no-spoiler review on the rom-com.

Katie Zhou created our fab cover art and India Raine is our wonderful editor and composer of our jingle.

Email us at cultureclubmail@gmail.com, find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod, or on our personal accounts @jasmineeskye and @yemagz.

Jas & Mags xo

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In this special solo episode of Culture Club, Jas gets candid about all things wedding. From planning to the pressures of being a bride thanks to social media, Jas shares the tips that have been helping her and answers your burning wedding questions.

Jas references a reel by fitness coach and content creator, Laura Girard. HUD Skincare clinic in Northcote and St Kilda, Melbourne is where Jas is getting her skin prep done and Modern Day Romance is their wedding content creator.

Did you enjoy this deep dive episode on one topic? We'd love to hear your thoughts so please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple or slide into our DMs.

For more Culture Club content follow us on Instagram and TikTok. You can follow us individually on Jas and Maggie's Instagram accounts as well.

Chat soon! x

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Our live Melbourne Writers Festival recording with debut author Chloe Elisabeth Wilson is here!

Chloe Elisabeth Wilson is the author of debut novel, Rytual, a story about aimless 20-something Melburnian Marnie Sellick. She gets swept up into the glamorous world of Rytual Cosmetica, a beauty brand where everything is not what it seems and Friday Night Drinks are very important. Marnie embarks on a journey of girl-bossery and discovery, helped along by the enigmatic beauty CEO, Luna Peters. 

Rytual has been described as both a darkly funny deconstruction of the beauty industry and a gripping examination of career, feminism and desire. It asks the question: what if your favourite cult beauty brand... was actually a cult? Rytual blends a number of genres together: psychological thriller, comedy, sci-fi and contemporary lit to create a truly gripping read. In this chat we hear a snippet from her book, discuss the themes above and chat about all things work in a post-girl boss world. You can purchase Rytual here.

Chloe lives between Los Angeles and Naarm. Her work has been published by Refinery29, The Guardian, and ABC Everyday and she’s worked as a researcher for Shameless Media. Keep up to date with Chloe (and her second novel!) here.

Keep up to date with Culture Club Podcast here.

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Hi friends!

Lorde has had an interesting first press cycle moment for her forthcoming album, Virgin. We speak about the Rolling Stone comments and whether Lorde's ovulation sentiment is veering into right-wing territory. We reference a Glamour UK article by Chloe Laws.

Next, Australian Fashion Week has been... a lot. We break down Maggie's TikTok video and ask who fashion week is actually for? It references an article from RUSSH magazine by Cassandra Dimintroff.

KIC CEO (and former Culture Club guest) Laura Henshaw has been in the Australian news cycle this week after calling out podcaster Chris Griffin. In a recent interview with creator Wade Papenfus, Chris began spouting some pretty toxic tradwife sentiments. We discuss the comments and Laura's feedback on the importance of financial literacy and independence in women. We also share her Australian Financial Review feature and Laura's KICPOD episode.

In Bookmarked, we both recommend Beetlejuice the musical, which is playing now in Melbourne. You can buy your tickets here.

See you next time! Jas & Mags xo

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