Culture Club

Hi pals! We’re back after a little sick leave last week but we’re raring to dissect some pop culture and internet news. 

After a catch-up, we debrief over Rebel Wilson’s kind of creepy TikTok videos. Are they part of a conspiracy theory or simply a Gen X using the app differently? 

Next, if you’ve been on TikTok this week, you’ve probably heard of West Elm Caleb. The furniture designer at West Elm went viral this week after a slew of women realised he was a serial dater. But was the subsequent doxxing, meme-ifying and releasing personal info too far? 

In this segment, we reference this VICE piece titled ‘'West Elm Caleb' Is Just Some Guy’ by Gita Jackson, Stop Canceling Normal People Who Go Viral by Rebecca Jennings for Vox and In Defence of West Elm Caleb by Vanessa Hsieh for iD.  

Maggie also reads out a section from her Refinery29 article Why We’re So Enthralled By TikTok’s ‘Couch Guy’, According To A Couples Therapist.

On Australian shores, influencer Jadé Tuncdoruk (Tunchy) is in hot water after calling out a small business and demanding a refund on unused accommodation. By weaponising her followers to get what she wants we ask, when do influencers go too far? And is the piling on from private businesses and accounts like Celeb Spell Check ‘getting back’ or simply a brutal back and forth that hurts everyone involved? 

In this piece we reference a Pedestrian piece by Sweeney Preston titled Jadé Tunchy Has Apologised For Racially Cooked Comments She Made About Uber Eats Drivers. As well as Maggie’s piece for MTV Australia titled The Problem With Celeb Spellcheck.

Two recs each to make up for lost time! Jas recommends the film Spencer starring Kristen Stewart as well as the Twilight podcast The Big Hit Show. Maggie recommends the book, Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez as well as the TV show Love Me on Binge. 

This week marks Invasion Day, a day of mourning and a reminder that the effects of colonisation continue today.

We ask you to continue to listen to First Nations voices, to learn from our Traditional Owners, and to want to do better. If you’re in the position to, we urge you to Pay The Rent. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

Chat next week. xo

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Hi friends, 

We’re back! We had a hot girl summer (or was it a flop girl summer?) and are ready to dive back into pop culture world. 

Kanye West was spotted with a new flame this week. We discuss who Julia Fox is as well as that unhinged Interview article. In this segment, we reference this TikTok by user Faux Coco who has a theory about Kanye being a “doll maker”. 

Next up, British influencer and former Love Island contestant, Molly Mae Hague is in hot water (again) after comments made on a business podcast back in December. We discuss the old “everyone has 24 hours in a day” notion as well as if we’re being too harsh on the 22-year-old. 

We read from this Refinery29 article titled “Molly-Mae Exposes The Problems At The Heart Of Influencer Culture” by Sadhbh O’Sullivan and chat about this Instagram post by commentator, Aja Barber.  

The return of the Tumblr girl is BACK (apparently). That is according to Vogue writer Maria Santa Poggi with her piece The 2014 Tumblr Girl Is Back. We chat about what camp we were in and if they’re really returning at all...

Finally, recommendations. Both of us watched the new film Licorice Pizza these holidays while Maggie recommends a podcast by the ABC titled Big Ideas: The Psychology of Fashion. 

Phew! We missed you. 

Katie Zhou created our cover art & India Raine is our wonderful producer and composer of our jingle. Email us at [email protected], find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod.

Chat next week. xoxo.

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Hi pals, 

Can’t believe it’s the last episode of 2021! 

We start off with a longer than usual chit chat before sharing our thoughts on Spider-Man and Tom and Zendaya’s wholesome relationship. 

We reference this GQ piece as well as this Tom and Zendaya TikTok and this TikTok. Maggie also references her After Work Drinks piece titled Why are so many women afraid to date shorter men?

Next up is a run-down on our favourite pop culture moments of the year before we dive into three recommendations. 

Maggie recommends Sex, Money, Power, and Emily Ratajkowski by Grace O’Neill for Par Femme. Thank you Grace for reading out some of your piece for us! Maggie also loved Sweet Bobby podcast while Jas is watching the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That which you can stream on Binge. 

In this ep we reference the comedy show Bits & Pieces - definitely give them a follow and keep an eye out for shows next year (not sponsored just very good!). 

Katie Zhou created our cover art & India Raine is our wonderful producer and composer of our jingle. Email us at [email protected], find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod.

Thanks for another hugeeee year! We adore you. Have a safe and happy break.

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Hi friends! 

We start today’s ep off with the continuing Pete Davidson PR tour. We analyse the latest videos and question how we feel about the heartthrob. 

If you’ve been on TikTok this week you’ve probably seen the Chanel advent calendar controversy. TikToker Elise Harmon posted a video unboxing the calender and being disappointed with the contents. It resulted in millions of views and forces us to ask whether customers are flipping the power on luxury brands. 

Next up, Ariana Grande has been accused of Asianfishing. A notorious blackfisher, we ask why the pop star keeps appropriating cultures and aesthetics and why Maggie feels gaslit over the online conversations. 

Maggie recommends another Marvel TV show, Hawkeye while Jas recommends Welcome to the OC, Bitches, a podcast co-hosted by OC stars recapping the show.

Jas completed the Melbourne half marathon! Thanks to your donations, we’ve raised $1612.95 for the Victorian Aboriginal Childcare Agency. Thanks everyone for your generosity!

Ciao for now. xo

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Hi friends! 

After a quick catch up we jump right into the news that Rihanna is officially a Barbados National Hero. While we love that for her, it got slightly overshadowed by pregnancy rumours causing us to ask, ‘can we not??’. 

Next up, Spotify Wrapped! It’s the most wonderful time of the year. While we love our Wrapped day (and thank you to everyone who shared your Culture Club listening habits) we have to ask, are we cool with data repackaging? 

This also leads us into a conversation chronicled in this Refinery29 article by Whizy Kim titled The Intern Who Created Spotify Wrapped’s Story Format Never Got Her Due.

This week, we heard the tragic news of fashion designer and artist, Virgil Abloh’s passing at the age of just 41. We discuss the comparisons to Chadwick Boseman’s passing last year and ask why we feel entitled to celebrities sharing their health battles with us. We reference another Refinery29 piece here by writer Gloria Alamrew, titled Virgil Abloh & Chadwick Boseman’s Deaths Remind Us That Black Artists Don’t Belong To Us. 

In recommendations, Jas recommends The Culture podcast episode, How Virgil Abloh Transformed fashion, music and art while Maggie recommends the latest Wes Anderson film, The French Dispatch that is out in cinemas this week. 

If you want to donate to Jas’ half-marathon efforts and help out the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency then you can donate here.  

Katie Zhou created our cover art & India Raine is our wonderful producer and composer of our jingle. Email us at [email protected], find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod.

TTYL angels.

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Hello pals, 

It’s been a ~week~ for music. Grammy nominations were released and the ARIAs ceremony happened almost… under the radar? 

Jas reads from this Sydney Morning Herald article by Neil McMahon titled ‘What ARIAs Lacked In Energy It Made Up In Young Stars’ while Maggie references this piece for Refinery29 Australia by Alicia Vrajilal called The ARIA Awards Has Introduced Gender Neutral Categories — So Why Are 64% Of The Nominees Men?

Next, the Kar-Jenner-Disick-West dynasty continues. Penelope Disick and North West have blown up on TikTok recently. We ask what this means for the famous family, how they are creating a new form of reality TV and why we just can’t stop analysing the psychology behind it all. We reference the TikTok account Kardashian Kolloquium; an academic style account chronicling the Kardashians.

Will Smith made headlines this week after Will’s autobiography, titled Will (say Will again), went into detail about how he used sex as a coping mechanism. When does the line blur between TMI and sex-shaming someone sharing a vulnerable moment? We reference this piece by The Citizen titled ‘Psychosomatic reaction’ to an orgasm? We learn more about Will and Jada’s sex life as well as this TikTok by user Charley Marlowe.

Through this convo, we chat about the Pamela Anderson biopic Pam & Tommy. Maggie references Is It Just Me, Or…is the Teaser for Pam & Tommy Deeply Offensive? by Hayley Maitland. 

Maggie references the Netflix film Tick, Tick… Boom! (and the Vanity Fair scene run down with Andrew Garfield and Lin Manuel-Miranda). Jas recommends the new Beatles documentary Get Back on Disney Plus.

To donate to Jas’ half-marathon efforts and help out the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency then you can donate here.  

Katie Zhou created our cover art & India Raine is our wonderful producer and composer of our jingle. Email us at [email protected], find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod.

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Hi friends! 

We start off this week’s episode with the painful news that Weekend Sunrise host Matt Dornan, didn’t listen to Adele’s new album despite getting flown to London to interview her. Embarrassing. 

Next, Meghan Markle appears on the Ellen show. We ask what this is trying to convey about Meghan and Prince Harry’s ~personal brand~. Maggie references this article by The Washington Post titled ‘Meghan Markle’s ‘Ellen’ interview was the complete opposite of her Oprah sitdown — boring by design’. 

The so-called ‘cringe couple’ of the internet have gone their separate ways after two years of dating. Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes called it quits, sparking more rumours around Shawn’s sexuality. We discuss why this is wrong and Jas reads from her MTV Australia article ‘Can We Please Stop Joking About Shawn Mendes’ Sexuality Now?’ We also reference this carousel by Instagram creator Matt Bernstein. 

We head to TikTok University next with a theory called The Chris Pratt Pipeline. Coined by TikTok user Keara Sullivan, the CPP has a female counterpart in The Jennifer Lawrence Pipeline. We explain the theory and ask what it says about our relation to celebrity.

Finally, Maggie recommends the Saved For Later podcast, a new cultural pod by The Guardian (which Maggie is a guest on !!) and Jas recommends historical comedy-drama The Great. 

If you’d like to donate to Jas’ half-marathon efforts and help out the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency then you can donate here.  

Katie Zhou created our fab cover art and India Raine is our wonderful producer and composer of our jingle. Email us at [email protected], find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod, or on our personal accounts @jasmineeskye and @yemagz.

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It’s a big one for the gals today. The holy trinity of the ’00s AKA Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan have had a big and successful week. 

We discuss Britney Spears’ conservatorship coming to an end after 13 years, Paris Hilton’s extravagant wedding and Lindsay Lohan’s return to acting. 

Next, we discuss Bella Hadid’s crying and vulnerable selfies accompanied by a caption referencing her mental health. Should millionaire celebrities publicly share their struggles? We hear from Refinery29 Australia’s Style and Living editor, Pema Bakshi as she reads from her own article titled When It Comes To Mental Health, Does Bella Hadid’s Privilege Matter?. 

You know we couldn’t record an episode without mentioning Taylor Swift’s re-record of Red (Taylor’s Version). We share our thoughts, dissect why she is even re-recording in the first place and hear from musician and writer Eilish Gilligan who reads from her article titled Taylor Swift’s Re-Recordings Expose The Music Industry’s Chokehold On Intellectual Property. 

Jas has an off-brand recommendation with the thriller/ drama The Deceived while Maggie recommends the latest cheesy rom-com, Love Hard. Maggie also references her Refinery29 Australia article titled Jimmy O. Yang As A Lead Love Interest Is Everything I Needed As A Teen.  

Thank you to both Eilish and Pema for kindly sharing their words with us! Also, if you’d like to donate to Jas’ half-marathon efforts and help out the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency then you can donate here.  

Katie Zhou created our fab cover art and India Raine is our wonderful producer and composer of our jingle. Email us at [email protected], find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod, or on our personal accounts @jasmineeskye and @yemagz.

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We’re back, baby! Thanks so much for your patience as we took a little bit of time off for Jas to settle into her brand new job. 

After a bit of life chit-chat, we delve into the dating rumours surrounding comedian Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian. Is this another Kris Jenner PR stunt or is Pete just... a really nice guy? 

This topic also causes us to mull over the double standards surrounding the way the media is talking about PD versus women who date a lot of other celebrities. 

Next up, the tragic news that unfolded over the weekend in the US where 8 people lost their lives at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival. We recount what happened and discuss Travis’ history of inciting riotous behaviour, the violent themes of Astroworld “ragers” and whether this tragedy will make us rethink huge festivals. 

We reference this Instagram post by user Seanna Faith McCarty, a woman who was there and attempted to get a cameraman’s attention. 

Prefacing this next topic with a content warning for homophobia and rape culture, Australian photographer, James J. Robinson broke into his old private school last week to protest the school’s elite, toxic culture. We discuss the response to the brave photography series and Australia’s rotten patriarchal private school culture. We reference this VICE article by Julie Fenwick. 

For our first week back, Maggie recommends Love & Virtue, a book by Diana Reid and Jas recommends Eiffel, a romantic French film starring Sex Education’s Emma Mackey. 

Katie Zhou created our fab cover art and India Raine is our wonderful producer and composer of our jingle. Email us at [email protected], find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod, or on our personal accounts @jasmineeskye and @yemagz.

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Hello pals! 

This ep is a celebrity culture bonanza. We start off with a quick chat about Lizzo calling domestic abuser Chris Brown her “favourite person in the world” and Meghan Trainor admitting that she and her husband have side-by-side toilets.

Our two juicy topics today are Adele’s two (!!) Vogue covers and the discussion around her weight loss. We read from the Vogue UK feature by Giles Hattersley. 

Next up, former girl band member, Jesy Nelson of Little Mix fame has come under fire for Blackfishing. We share our thoughts and hear a snippet from a great video by cultural commentator Zeze Millz on colourism.

Jas references her article for Fashion Journal titled ‘Blackfishing Is A Huge Problem But The White Silence About It May Be Even Worse’ while Maggie recommends ‘As A Brown Gal, Fake Tanning Will Always Reinforce Some Problematic Beauty Ideals’ by Soaliha Iqbal. We also read from this Vulture article by Douglas Greenwood that asks who Jesy Nelson is without Little Mix.

For recommendations Jas is loving Netflix’s Sex Education series three, while Maggie has been listening to Pandora Sykes’ podcast, Doing It Right. 

Katie Zhou created our fab cover art and India Raine is our wonderful producer and composer of our jingle. Email us at [email protected], find us on Instagram @cultureclubpod, or on our personal accounts @jasmineeskye and @yemagz. 

Speak soon! 

Jas & Mags

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