Culture Club

Carmen Azzopardi ( Zigs Mom ) is one of Australia’s most exciting content creators. Having worked in PR, fashion, writing and social media spaces, Carmen is a modern-day multi-hyphenate with an enviable career. From her outfit inspo for people with bigger busts to her advocacy work for those with Type 1 Diabetes, Carmen is using her platform to share her story and advocate for others. We were luck...

Hi pals,  In today's ep we start off with a quick chat about our fashion weeks and the latest Kardashian PR nightmare (will they ever end?).  Next, a Dazed article has us asking if we're in an irony epidemic. With every big moment being meme-ified, can we actually take anything seriously anymore? We reference an article by Halima Jibril titled Ethel Cain Says We Are In An Irony Epidemic – Is She R...

Hi friends,  Before we get into it, a disclaimer that this episode was recorded on Friday 18 October.  Former One Direction member, Liam Payne , was found dead in a hotel in Buenos Aires last week. We recount the news and tributes that poured in, discuss our own complex emotions toward the event and share our thoughts on the community aspect of fandom that we've seen in recent days. We also touch...

Martina Calvi is a creative entrepreneur and Australia’s very own ‘sentimental crafty girl’. Her signature scrapbooking projects, tactile approach to content creation, and crafty supplies on Martina’s Tiny Store has led to her 300,000-strong following.  Martina’s book, The Art of Memory Collecting, is being released later this month and features 15 scrapbook, collage, trinket and zine projects. Ah...

We start off today's episode with some bite-sized culture bits: ​​MONA has won an appeal in the state’s supreme court in a bid to continue barring men from entering the Ladies Lounge, and Lana Del Rey and Millie Bobby Brown tie the knot.  Australian trend forecaster Lucinda Pikkat has us asking if everyone is dressing the same nowadays. Maggie shares how fast fashion hurt her sense of personal sty...

Hi besties,  Sally Rooney's latest novel is set to hit shelves this week. As the hype of another Cool Girl Book takes over our feeds, we discuss the impact that Advanced Reading Copies (or, ARCs) can have on a novel's success.  We reference the Esquire article Are You Cool Enough For The Latest Sally Rooney Novel? by Madeline Diamond and Cameron Gibson's TikTok account Slaggy Book Club . In the la...

Lucinda Price, AKA Froomes, is one of Australia’s most riveting creatives. A writer, presenter, comedian and self-confessed reformed podcaster, Lucinda is smart and hilarious.  This month, Lucinda added author to her list of achievements with the publishing of her debut book, All I Ever Wanted Was To Be Hot .  An interrogation into self image, desirability, pop-culture and power, Lucinda’s book we...

Hi pals.  Bennifer (2.0) is officially over. We reference this Vanity Fair article titled J.Lo, Ben, and The Art Of Timing Your Celebrity Divorce Announcement by Savannah Walsh and this opinion piece in The Guardian titled Bennifer is Over – Again. But Why Does Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s Divorce Feel So Sad? by Sian Cain.  Taylor Swift has broken her silence about the cancelled shows in Vien...

Hi friends! The Love Island UK golden couple have split and Raygun is Australia's new icon (for better or worse).  Everyone is feeling very demure, very mindful. But where did the phrase originate from? We reference this Dazed article titled Very Demure, Very Mindful: Who Owns An Internet Buzzword? by Laura Pitcher.  Next, It Ends With Us has been the messiest media circuit since Don't Worry Darli...

Hi pals,  A conversation on TikTok is suggesting the microtrend era we’ve come to love to hate, is seemingly over. But that doesn’t mean trends are dead .  We discuss this shift and reference fashion analyst Mandy Lee's TikTok on the subject. Underconsumption core is also trending at the moment. Will this stick around or is it just 2024's version of deinfluencing?  Plus, when it comes to fashion i...

How are we feeling, babes?  After we spill the deets of our Book Club getaway, we dive headfirst into the week's wildest internet stories. This includes Sheer Luxe launching an AI bot as their new editor (at a time when journalists are losing jobs worldwide), and adidas pulling their latest campaign with queen, Bella Hadid . Yikes.  Brat has been taking over our feeds but this week marks Charli XC...

Alyssa Huynh is the Vietnamese-Australian writer you’ve most likely seen across your social media pages. With her pink aesthetic and educational text posts, Alyssa is creating anti-racism resources for the online generation.  The writer has also just released her debut book, Safe Space , a part-memoir, part-anti-racism resource in which she shares her personal experiences with racism in Australia...

In today's ep, Jas & Mags debrief about the latest round of media redundancies that have hit ~very~ close to home . The Devil Wears Prada looks like it's back for a sequel (good luck, Miranda) and Vogue US has appointed a Kennedy as its election political correspondent. Is this an iconic choice or good old nepotism?  Next, we discuss Katy Perry's flop rebrand and ask if she's simply capitalising o...

Hi pals,  In today's episode, we chat about Emma Robert's 'Nepo Baby' comments and Paul Mescal's latest pap shots with a certain indie musician.  Next, do cheaters deserve to be exposed online? It's a question that was asked following the viral clip of a man on a United Airlines flight this week. We reference the article Exposing Cheaters Isn't Always A Flex by Angelina Chapin for The Cut and this...

Maggie is back from her holiday so let's get into it.  Justin Timberlake was arrested last week and made Jas realise media literacy is DEAD.  Next, Jas is being served 'No Sugar' videos on her TikTok. Is she alone in this or is it the next iteration of diet culture disguised as wellness?  Pop music is dominating 2024 but not everyone agrees. We discuss two pieces with differing opinions. One is fo...

What doesn’t Aurelia St Clair do? The German-Cameroonian comedian, writer and podcaster has been bringing their hot takes and particular flavour of comedy to our stages and screens since their first open-mic comedy night in 2018. With almost a million likes on TikTok , Aurelia tackles everything from suburban stereotypes, the housing crisis, and their takes on pop culture as well as sharing parts...

Are you feeling burnt out by "friendship admin"?  This TikTok from author Jason Pargin got us thinking about our connectivity and how it's impacting our friendships. What are the expectations around messaging someone back? Is it normal to be available 24/7? We also reference this article from Bustle titled I Know Where You Were Last Night by Kate Lindsay which investigates the phenomenon of Find M...

Laura Henshaw is a co-founder of Kic, a health and wellness program that she began with her best friend, Steph Claire Smith. Since their e-book launch in 2015, Laura and Steph have created a community of millions and helped them to move and fuel their bodies with balance.  Now, Laura is the CEO of Kic as well as having her own personal social media platform where she shares the ups and downs of he...

Australian Fashion Week hit Sydney last week and the industry, TikTok and punters have thoughts...  We take a deep dive into the ~discourse~ around fashion week shenanigans, and Maggie shares her personal experience of being on ground. We reference TikToks by creators Joely Malcolm and Carmen Azzopardi , Refinery29 Australia and recommend watching this video by Abby Butler. We also reference this...

We get into this ep with a chat about Maggie's new apartment and Jas' latest hobby .  News broke over the weekend about Australia's HECS debt repayment and is the MET Gala losing relevance?  Next, Hollywood is hornier than ever as movies like Challengers and Saltburn break records. We discuss this new wave of cinema and read from a piece in the New York Times titled After Period of Chastity, Holly...

Bri Lee is one of Australia’s leading thinkers and writers. She’s the author of Eggshell Skull, Beauty, Who Gets To Be Smart? and now, her first fiction novel, The Work . In this episode of Culture Club Chats, Bri shares her thoughts on 'sad girl novels', why she wanted to explore class, power and sex in The Work and her advice on making it as a writer in 2024.  You can see more of Bri on her Inst...

Disclaimer: We had a few technical problems when recording this episode - SO sorry dear listeners!  Taylor's dropped a double album in The Tortured Poet's Department. We discuss our thoughts on it as well as some of the mixed reviews. We reference ‘ The Tortured Poets Department’ review: a rare misstep by Laura Molloy for NME and Premature Evaluation: Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department by...

Hi pals,  To kick this week's ep off, we discuss the news that Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art has been ordered to allow “persons who do not identify as ladies” entry to its Ladies Lounge art installation after losing a legal battle. Next, is late-stage capitalism eroding what we expect from our friendships?   TikTok user Amelia Montooth started a conversation on the app recently after stating...

This week’s episode kicks off with some local news. The Inspired Unemployed team has found themselves in the headlines as a “practical joke” on a feminist panel didn’t land.  During this segment, we reference a TikTok from Culture Club listener, Maybelline San Juan who was in the audience when the comedy dup hijacked the talk.  Next, Billie Eilish has gotten a few Swifties up in arms over her comm...

Lottie Dalziel is one of Australia’s leading voices for sustainability. Through her hands-on work, educational social media videos and her accessible point of view, Lottie is empowering a new generation of sustainability advocates. The environmental advocate was the 2023 NSW Young Australian of the Year, she’s been featured on a Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, named Marie Claire’s 2023 Eco Warrior of th...