Culture Club

Alix Earle and the literary crisis, Olivia Rodrigo speaks out about invasive paparazzi, and the privilege of being off social media.

Hi friends! We kick things off with a chat about our weeks including Jas' experience at Reading Party Melbourne and Maggie's Olivia Dean concert. In other Olivia news, Olivia Rodrigo has spoken out about the paparazzi caring about her love life in a Hollywood Reporter cover story. 

Vanity Fair has posted an interview featuring playwright Jeremy O. Harris and VF global editorial director Mark Guiducci and sparked a debate about legacy media platforming tech bros including Sam Altman. We reference Sam Altman's recent Vanity Fair cover by Annie Leibovitz and its reference Wanderer Above The Sea Fog by Caspar David Friedrich.

Mikey Madison is currently doing press for The Social Reckoning, a sequel to the Social Network film. Mikey, who is 27, shared insight into her decision to step away from having an online presence in comments to E! News and Entertainment Tonight. It sparks a conversation around the necessity for artists to have an online platform. We reference a recent post by ELLE UK and their new slate of content creators. 

Valentino did fashion week differently this year, choosing to show at the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris for its spring 2027 show, Antibiblioteca: Catalogue of the Unread. Meanwhile, one of the US' most famous influencers, Alix Earle, admitted she has "never read a book". So, where are we at with the literacy crisis? We reference Impact's post on the subject as well as a TikTok from user Yagmur, and hear from journalist Noni Reginato who wrote a piece titled, Alix Earle Not Reading Isn’t As Cute As She Thinks It Is for ELLE Australia.  

In Bookmarked, we hear from The Grill co-host, Izzy Wight who recommends the book of essays, Matthew by Matthew Goldin. Maggie was also a guest on The Grill recently and you can listen to her episode here. And remember, if you want to share your own community Bookmarked recommendation, email us a voice memo <90 seconds to [email protected] and tell us what you've loved watching, reading or listening to recently! 

Jas recommended Sense and Sensibility and referenced our own interview (lol) with the film's screenwriter Diana Reid back in 2022. Maggie recommended the 2000 film, Hanging Up. 

Thank you so much for listening! You can watch and follow us on YouTube, Substack, Instagram and TikTok. Jas & Mags xo 

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Neighbours is being re-released for vertical video, Taylor Swift and the cult of fandom, and the Cornell 7 case. 

In today's episode, we begin with the news that the Australian soap, Neighbours, is returning to our screens. Our vertical screens, that is.

Pete Davidson is being dragged for not understanding the influencer economy in our big year of 2026. Does he have a point? 

A trigger warning for sexual assault and rape in our first major segment as we discuss the Cornell 7 case. We reference a piece in the Women's Agenda titled, Cornell asked for essays from 7 students who allegedly raped a woman. Women are asking for accountability by Rita Nasr and the important student journalism work by Cornell's own paper, The Cornell Daily Sun.

If you'd prefer to skip ahead, the segment starts and ends at 14:40–25:07. 

Next, Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl Encore tracks are officially out in the world. The internet has been ablaze with conversations surrounding it, including in our own comments section. We break down the criticism and discuss why fan culture has reached dizzying heights. 

In this segment we hear from writer and musician Bianca Davino, who reads from her 2025 Refinery29 Australia piece titled Stan Expectation & The Allure Of Cultural Clout: Why Has The Reaction To The Life Of A Showgirl Been So Heated? and we hear her thoughts on the Encore discourse. We also play a TikTok from user Fa2Chainz who theorises why fans are becoming the industry experts online. 

In Bookmarked, we hear from Holly, our first listener recommendation! Thanks for the idea, Holly. If you'd like to share your own Bookmarked recommendation, simply record a voice memo <90 seconds with something you've loved watching, reading or listening to to [email protected] to potentially be featured in an ep! 

Jas recommends The Housemaid film while Maggie enjoyed The Ruiners by Ellena Savage. 

Thank you SO much for listening! And remember, you can find us on Substack and YouTube.

Jas & Mags xo 

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The generational interview debate, celeb burner accounts, and why are robots infiltrating fashion shows?

We kick off with popcorn celeb bits: Taylor Swift is back, Channing Tatum could be running a burner account, and Mary Beth Barone & Joe Awlyn are starring in a rom-com.

At both Vogue World in Milan and London Fashion Week, we saw robots take centre stage, so what does this say about where the fashion world is?

We reference Why Were There Robots at Vogue World? in The Cut by Olivia Craighead and The Story Behind the Runway Robots at Vogue World 2026: Milano by Emma Specter for Vogue US. In Bookmarked, Maggie recommends the series, Furious while Jas is loving Matilda Mann's new album Kismet.

Thank you for listening! You can follow us on Substack, Instagram and TikTok.

Jas & Mags 

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Spring is here, and these are our seasonal favourites: from books and music to hobbies and beauty. 

Let us know in the comments what you're loving as well!

Forest Therapy

Brat by Gabriel Smith

The Ruiners by Ellena Savage

Rebecca Daphne du Maurier 

Pool House by Mary K. Choi 

Alien 

Minority Report

Sense and Sensibility 

Industry

Widow's Bay 

Fiona Apple 

Triple Seven Wishy

Kath and Arun – Let Them Cook

Glutenberg Bible

The Ordinary’s Soothing and Barrier Support Serum 

Go-To Soft and Creamy Hydrating Cleanser 

Nars Soft Matte Concealer Pot

Katie Jane Hughes

YSL LoveNude Lip 

Thank you for listening and you can follow us on Substack and YouTube. Mags and Jas xo

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A new season means a new Troye Sivan track, and we are sat for the medieval music video that came with it. We reference Gladys Lai's trend piece for Vogue Australia on the rise of the Renaissance Fair. Plus, Lena Dunham is officially Mother, having had a baby via surrogate.

In culture's biggest story of the week, Ed Sheeran is in strife after bowing to stadium owners and dropping Macklemore from his tour. We chart the story and dissect how Ed being Mr Nice Guy contributed to the controversy.

Sydney Sweeney is once again the face of a hugely controversial advert, having posed nude for sports prediction company Novig. Are we surprised? We read from an op-ed by Marina Hyde for The Guardian.

Next, it's apparently the year of the intellectual influencer. Dazed's Laura Pitcher wrote about the phenomenon happening on our algorithms, and we dissect why people are craving education on reels (hint: it's that damn phone).

We have a spring bumper Bookmarked coming to your podcast feeds later this week, so stay tuned for that! 

Thank you for listening - Jas & Mags xo

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Wimbledon bans influencers, Australia might be opting out of social media algorithms, and unpacking the Stella Lefty nepo pop-star drama. 

First up: Current SNL cast member Veronika Slowikowska (AKA Veronka is Cool) revealed a new singing project: Me As A Girl. Even local sleuth, Triple J presenter Abby Butler, made a TikTok on the subject. 

Next, Nathan Fielder has made a documentary about Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. We reference this Vanity Fair feature.

In world-breaking news, Australia might be the first to switch off social media algorithms. Thanks to the campaigning of local not-for-profit, Teach Us Consent, the Australian government may encourage an "opt-in" algorithm. Is this a positive? Or is the algorithm becoming a close comfort? We reference our own interview with Teach Us Consent founder, Chanel Contos, from 2023! And this piece in The Conversation by Rob Nicholls.

Wimbledon is banning influencers? Kind of. Wimbledon will not have any accreditation category for influencers or content creators, sparking a debate not just online but also in the Culture Club studio. 

There’s a name that hasn’t left the internet’s lips this month, and that is Stella Lefty. Her country-pop song ‘Boston’ has gone super bonkers viral and, as a result, brought about a LOT of attention. We break down the plagiarism accusations and billionaire father claims. We reference a Yahoo article by Kelsey Weekman and a review by The Guardian: Boston singer’s debut is bland, boilerplate and beyond banal.

In recommendations, Maggie loved Sterling Point while Jas recommends the new A24 movie about Anthony Bourdain, TONY.

Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Substack and YouTube as well.

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The internet's sexual beginnings, cyberfeminism, and the intersection of design, fashion and tech with author and academic Mindy Seu.

Mindy Seu is an American designer, researcher, author and one of the youngest tenured professors teaching Design Media Arts at UCLA. In 2023, Mindy published the Cyberfeminism Index. What began as a public spreadsheet on the topic of cyberfeminism evolved into a book charting three decades of online activism and net art. 

Now Mindy is touring a new project, A Sexual History of the Internet. Described as part participatory lecture-performance, part 700-page artist book, the performance traces the tangled history of our digital tools. Guests gather to explore the intertwined histories of sexuality and technological development, all while becoming active participants by reading historical citations and anecdotes aloud through a shared script delivered via Instagram Stories.

Mindy’s lectured everywhere from MoMA to Pornhub, and has been profiled in The Los Angeles Times, Dazed, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and more. Read our Substack interview with Mindy here. 

Thanks for listening to Culture Club. 

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Amazon is burning rare books, why girls are dressing up for the Dolomites, and the pros and cons of trending pregnancy bumps.

Shoutout to the state of Queensland for our slate of AI updates up top. From Australia banning AI music in the ARIA charts to Brisbane banning "smart glasses" in public pools, it's a good news week. Although, Amazon have been caught shredding rare books, so...

We reference this TikTok by 404 Media and read from Why is Anthropic destroying books? By rare books librarian Kathryn James.  

There’s been an uptick in fashion hiking content recently, with creators showing off their outfits while in the outdoors – most notably, in the Dolomites, a mountain range in Northeastern Italy. It has parts of the fashion algorithm in a tizzy, with some asking if one of the last spaces women have to not perform (when touching grass) is being capitalised on by brands and influencers. We play @_evemmore's TikTok. 

Next, dispatches from Copenhagen Fashion Week catalogued a new trend – the baby bump. We reference the Vogue Adria article Copenhagen’s trendsetters prove maternity style can be every bit as chic as it is practical by Sonja Knežević and The Tradwife Aesthetic Has Reached Copenhagen Street Style by Steph Saltzman for Fashionista. 

We also read from Baring the Bump: How Celebrities are Leading a Shift in Maternity Fashion by Ellie Violet Bramley and Inside The Unregulated World Of Pregnancy Influencers by Australian writer Madison Griffiths.

In Bookmarked, Jas recommends Rose of Nevada and Maggie recommends Nervous Laughter by Rick Morton.

Thank you to Pandora for sponsoring today's episode! You can shop the new Pandora Zodiac Talisman collection here.

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Role Model’s break-up, the ethics of auto-fiction, and how has the ‘kinda chic’ trend altered our vocabulary?

Maggie is back from her Europe trip, meaning we're back with a pop culture episode for you!

First up, Role Model and Dakota Johnson have broken up. But wait? Didn't she just feature on a song from his brand new album? Yes. Yes she did. Lena Dunham and Carly Rae Jepsen have teamed up to maximise their joint slay with a “10 Things I Hate About You” musical. Plus, Rachel Cusk’s new book is making headlines in the literary world after the main character in Life of M had some striking similarities to a famous actress. We reference this article from The Cut.

According to social media, everything is chic. But what happens when social media trends hit fever pitch and become meaningless? Earlier this month, Berlin-based fashion editor and influencer Brenda Weischer posted a Substack that picked up a lot of heat. We read from the Substack titled oh my god. we're in template slop? and another by type designer Paola Kassa titled How Typography is Making People Famous.  

We also deep dive on the word 'chic' itself and reference RIP “Chic” – The Word Has Finally Lost All Meaning by Lauren O’Neill, for British Vogue from 2025. What Is Chic? Race, Aesthetics, and the Politics of Elegance by India Low for Liverpool Guild of Students and The Slipperyness of Chic by Marie Solis for The New York Times. 

In Bookmarked, Maggie recommends the movie The Friend’s House Is Here and Jas recommends The Chronology of Water which is in Australian cinemas now. 

Thank you for listening! You can follow us on Instagram here and our Substack here. 

Jas & Mags xo 

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Why the AI bubble is bound to burst, the influence of Big Tech and the concept of ‘enshittification’ with tech journalist Cory Doctorow.

In today’s episode of Culture Club Chats, we sit down with Canadian-British author, activist, journalist and blogger Cory Doctorow.

Cory’s work at the intersection of technology and culture reached new heights following the publication of his 2025 book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It.

The term ‘enshittification’ was coined by Cory and describes the degradation of online services and platforms like Facebook, Amazon and X in pursuit of profit. 

In this conversation, Cory unpacks why the AI bubble is bound to burst, how Big Tech has reshaped the internet, and what the future of our increasingly online lives might look like.

Cory is coming to Australia this month. He'll be at Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas from the 22nd to the 23rd of August, and Melbourne’s Now or Never Festival, presented by The Wheeler Centre, on the 25th of August. 

In Bookmarked, Cory recommends Here Where We Live Is Our Country by Molly Crabapple and Inventing the Renaissance by Ada Palmer.

Thanks for listening - Jas & Mags xo 

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