Straight to the Comments

This week, Lisa takes us back to the 1990s, the last decade that wasn't lived online. A time of Drew Barrymore in Poison Ivy, Aerosmith music videos, BT phonecards, Sky magazine problem pages, waiting by the landline for your crush to call, and the intoxicating belief that anything was possible. But was it really better, or are we just romanticising the past? In this episode, Lisa examines the Top...

Following the Wicked press tours, there have been countless online conversations about Ariana Grande and her dynamic with Cynthia Erivo. So we're re-running our 2023 episode "Not a Woman’s Woman" with new analysis of the press tour that nearly overshadowed the films, including the constant crying, the hand-holding, the "holding space" meme, and why people online were both moved and alarmed. In the...

The second part of our Royal Special. Yesterday we broke down the patterns in the coverage and comments. But today we ask why Meghan Markle remains the lightning rod for public fury, even when the former Prince Andrew is in absolute disgrace? From the “Duchess of Pork”, to “Princess Pushy” and “Waity Katie” - the media loves a Royal nickname, but what does it say about what we expect from the Roya...

The Evil Queen may have obsessed over who is ‘the fairest of them all’, but today we are looking at the latest Royal scandal and asking - who really is the most hated, and what triggered it? The former Prince Andrew’s historic downfall has triggered an avalanche of attention-grabbing headlines, but this hasn’t stopped the constant Meghan Markle coverage. From morally bankrupt avocado toast, to Fer...

Frances Farmer and Britney Spears. Two women, decades apart, who found out exactly what happens when you're famous, female, and having a breakdown in public. Today, from Victorian asylums to Instagram comments, we're talking about how easy it is to brand a woman "hysterical" or "crazy". And what are the consequences? We explore the treatment of women once labelled difficult - from lobotomies, to h...

Demi Moore wins her first Golden Globe at 62 for The Substance. Pamela Anderson makes waves with her makeup-free red-carpet look in her late fifties. And L’Oréal’s Paris runway features Helen Mirren, Andie MacDowell and Jane Fonda – proof, we’re told, that fashion has finally embraced older women. But is this really a renaissance for women over 45? Or only for those who can afford to keep the year...

True Blood, Twilight, Buffy… so many of us can’t get enough of vampires and werewolves. But lately, our feeds have been flooded with full-on “Alpha” werewolf erotica — a darker, hungrier kind of fantasy. In this episode, we dig into how paranormal romance has shifted from seductive Draculas to dominant werewolves. Why is it everywhere now? Who’s creating it? And is this just Beauty and the Beast o...

An alleged $9 million smear campaign. Text messages bragging they could “bury” Blake in hours. And the same team behind Johnny Depp’s media assassination of Amber Heard. In Part Two, the Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni feud moves from smear campaigns to legal spectacle. With millions spent on crisis PR, celebrity countersuits, and Mummy sleuths treating the case like true crime, the courtroom has...

Blake Lively says she was harassed and then “buried” with a sophisticated smear campaign. Justin Baldoni says he’s actually the victim. But the fiercest battle isn’t unfolding in court - it’s playing out in the comments. In this episode, we explore how online narratives can flip from #MeToo solidarity to “victim fatigue,” how smear campaigns are manufactured and spread, and why figures like Candac...

In the last episode of Season 3, we bring back Reddit Roulette (from Season 1, episode 10) - our mashup of all things Reddit and Chatroulette . We spin the wheel to discuss who the a****** is in a relationship conflict, as well as discussing trauma dumping, how to navigate financial disparity in relationships, and the big topic of boundaries. Are they always healthy, or are they sometimes misused...

When Damian Hurley released his debut film, "Strictly Confidential," people were shocked that he directed raunchy scenes starring his own mother, Elizabeth Hurley. From critics labelling their relationship as "disturbing" to others dismissing them as mere "publicity hounds," we dissect some of the fierce responses to this erotic thriller and reflect on the discomfort it evokes. In our guessing gam...

Cougar, MILF, or even a tragic singleton like 'Bridget Jones', today, we are looking at all the comments used to describe older women when it comes to love and dating. Sam Taylor-Johnson, in the promotion of her new Amy Winehouse film, is facing renewed scrutiny over her marriage to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who is 23 years her junior. We talk about the internet's intense fascination with their relati...

A year on since we did our "Fatshaming" episode featuring Adele, Rebel Wilson, and Lizzo, we find the three women are once again the centre of attention due to discussions about their weight. With Lizzo announcing she is "quitting" due to body-shaming and Rebel claiming in her new memoir "Rebel Rising" that Adele "hates her" because they were both plus-sized women in the entertainment industry, we...

Since Oprah brought self-help and therapy speak into the mainstream, more and more people have been talking about “speaking my truth” over telling the truth. From Prince Harry to Britney Spears, the celebrity memoir has often been sold as the chance to read their “personal truths”. But what does this really mean? And are there different types of truth?  When Hasan Minhaj was called out by the New...

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is back with the launch of her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. Today, we are examining the mixed (putting it mildly) reactions to her launch, particularly the responses to The Cut’s Instagram post, questioning the timing of her launch. Did Meghan really deliberately time her launch to divert attention from Kate Middleton? What exactly is her new brand and...

From her iconic Union Jack dress and Girl Power persona to her current all-white dress code and role as the “devoted wife”, today we are exploring the online reactions to Geri Halliwell’s transformation. Has she really abandoned her working class roots by “marrying up”, or is this just part of growing up and evolving? And are commenters justified in questioning her authenticity and “girl power” va...

Today, we are discussing the internet's relentless speculation surrounding Kate Middleton's recent surgery announcement. From genuine concern to mind-bending conspiracy theories, we explore the reactions to this news. We also investigate the trend of celebrities, like Selena Gomez, openly discussing their medical issues. On the flip side, we delve into Jamie Foxx's decision to keep his health matt...

Welcome back to Season 3's first Mini! We're kicking things off with our comment guessing game, a topic that we believe will stir up strong emotions among Gen Xers (and perhaps even millennials). Then, we'll dive into Justin Timberlake's no-apology stance on the Britney Spears drama and explore the phenomenon of apology tours. Finally, we'll wrap it all up with our crazy celebrity predictions.  Qu...

Today, we are exploring the "celebrification" of criminals in the age of social media, particularly that of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Anna Delvey. Gypsy Rose Blanchard, recently released from prison for the murder of her mother, and Anna Delvey, a con-artist currently under house arrest in New York, have become prime examples of how criminals can now capitalise on their notoriety in the digital era...

Happy New Year! It’s almost the end of 2023, and we are talking today about our predictions for 2024. Will we see a rise in deepfake content? Will Barbie dominate Oppenheimer at the Oscars? Will it be the end of superhero films? What happened to Brie Larson? We also discuss what we cannot wait to see in 2024. Plus, possibly the worst idea for a music festival ever. Questions for us or comments you...

We have a jam-packed, tinsel-draped Christmas bonanza episode for you today. We're talking about the cult of Taylor Swift, why Swedish fans were left cold by Beyoncé, and Madonna's big tour comeback. We also have an update on Alice Evans, who recently stated she might have to work at Starbucks to make ends meet after her divorce from Ioan Gruffudd. Plus, we discuss the reactions to Zac Efron getti...

'Tis the season for Instagram-perfect Christmas posts, and today we're focusing on Kate Hudson and Kim Kardashian, who love to showcase their picture-perfect holiday celebrations. But why do their extravagant displays often spark comments calling them out of touch and vain?  Join us in this episode as we unravel the allure of conspicuous consumption during Christmas, exploring the deeper meaning b...

Before we return in December with our Christmas specials, enjoy a re-run of our most popular episode of 2023, 'When the Mask Skips: The Case of James Corden & Ellen.' We introduce the episode with the latest news about James Corden's new SiriusXM radio job and break down some of the online reactions. Also, we ask why have we seen the downfall of so many TV presenters this year. Can even TV's n...

In this week’s mini, we’re talking reboots and “cosy murder mysteries”. A massively popular genre, but can rebooting classics ever really capture the magic, and is this a place for AI to be put to use? We're also shimmying down the rabbit hole of Celebrity baby names, and what people are saying about Rihanna’s latest baby name: creative and cool or something that the kids will regret later on? Que...

Last week, Justin Timberlake apparently turned off the comments on his Instagram because of the "hateful, disgusting things people were saying". The once golden boy has become the target of one of the biggest backlashes we've seen since starting the podcast. With the release of Britney Spears' book, 'The Woman in Me,' we're investigating why he's facing this reckoning. Did the superstar have it to...