Latest episode

Disney's AI Flop, Josh Hutcherson Is Back & Taylor Swift's Bot Campaign
39:33|Hi friends, In today's episode, we chit chat about Kendall Jenner's mountain Architectural Digest video, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's A24 movie, and Melbourne's new DIVA exhibition. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson have been confirmed to make an appearance in Sunrise on the Reaping confirming Jas' theory of a Josh Hutcherson renaissance. We reference a New York Times interview and the Jesse Tyler Ferguson podcast Dinner's On Me.Disney, the company that's famously staunch on copyright, have made a huge deal with OpenAI. We reference an article by Crikey and the Search Engine podcast. Analysis has found that Taylor Swift was the victim of a targeted online bot attack that aimed to align her and Life of a Showgirl to Nazi and rightwing imagery and values. We discuss the report findings and the headlines coming out of the first two episodes of Disney+'s Taylor Swift documentary series, The End of an Era. In Bookmarked, Jas recommend the HBO show I Love LA and references a substack by Whitney Friedlander on Gen Z's new era of TV shows. Maggie recommends Zootopia 2. Talk to you next time, and take care. <3 Jas and Mags
More episodes
View all episodes

197. Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban, Miley’s Engaged & Is The Tide Turning On Spotify Wrapped?
47:12||Ep. 197Hi friends!Miley Cyrus has confirmed her engagement to musician Maxx Morando, and the new Sunrise On The Reaping trailer is here. In Culture Shock, James Charles discovered the deep Australian lore of the Bunnings sausage sizzle.From the 10th of December, anyone under 16 in Australia won’t be able to keep or make accounts on social media apps. We discuss the pros and cons of the law and what it's like living in one of the first countries in the world to implement restrictions for kids on social media.Spotify Wrapped dropped last week to slightly less fanfare than years previous. We share our personal thoughts on the hallowed pop culture tradition, and Maggie shares the op-ed she wrote for Cheek Media titled 'Why I opted out of this year's Spotify Wrapped'. We also reference the new podcast, Fan To Fan podcast by Bridget Hustwaite and Alex Pearce. In Bookmarked, Jas enjoyed the new A24 rom-com, Eternity, while Maggie loved Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley.Talk to you soon!Jas & Mags xo
Celebrity 'Bullying', The Australia Effect Trend & Why Are We All Embarrassed?
43:55|Hi pals!In this episode, we recap some of the internet's reactions to our Wicked Instagram post, and writer Soaliha Iqbal reads from her Substack essay titled: 'Can women's bodies ever be apolitical?' Next, we have a quick chat about the TikTok Awards. Please note: this episode was recorded before the allegations of racism against the awards show came to light. We highly recommend Zee Feed's break down of the topic.In Culture Quickie, we ask why Americans love the Irwins so much and ask if Timothee Chalamet is moonlighting as a rapper. In our main topic, we discuss the discourse around Chante Joseph's mega viral Vogue article, 'Is having a boyfriend embarrassing now?' and the callback articles that have been published in response, including this one from Dazed and Vogue UK.In recommendations, Jas throws it all the way back to the eighties with her staycation film pick, 'Moonstruck' while Maggie shares the non-fiction book, 'Cult Bride' by Liz Cameron. Chat soon!Jas & Mags xo
Charli's Substack, Sydney Sweeney's Flop Year & What's Happening With Wicked?
48:00|Hi friends!We're back from a little wedding break as Jas got hitched. After a quick debrief, we're straight into Culture Quickies.Charli XCX has published her first two Substack posts: one on creativity and one about being a pop star. We chat about Charli's emergence on the newsletter platform and break down her musings. Next, Sydney Sweeney has been having a tough year after her indie biopic flopped at the box office this month. We discuss Sydney's 2025 controversies (including recent comments with GQ) and why she's being portrayed as a right wing celebrity.Wicked: For Good the second part of the Wicked franchise, was released earlier this month. But it's not the movie musical that has people talking. Main actresses Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh all looked noticeably thinner at press junkets and premieres. But should we even be discussing women's bodies in the post-body positivity movement era? In this segment, we discuss the eating disorder allegations and reference a piece for The Free Press titled 'In ‘Wicked,’ There’s a Very Thin Elephant in the Room' by Kara Kennedy. This segment references disordered eating and body image. If you need help with this, you're not alone. There are resources available on the Butterfly Foundation.In Bookmarked, Jas recommends a short romance novel by debut author and Substack writer, Erika Veurink titled Exit Lane while Maggie shares her love for Apple TV sci-fi series, Pluribus.
Lily Allen’s Divorce Album, Hailey Bieber Talks Botox & Gen Z’s Age Obsession
52:08|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
193. Bridget Hustwaite On Figuring Out Thirty & When To Quit The Dream Job
44:18||Ep. 193Bridget 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.
192. Bunny Author Mona Awad On The Fear Of Failure & Revisiting A Cult Novel
29:16||Ep. 192Mona 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