Culture Club

An engagement party and fashion festival recap kicks off this pop culture ep of Culture Club.  Next, we discuss the updated Kate Middleton theories and the literal fanfic-inspired conspiracy theories that are floating around the internet.  This leads us into another chat about how fanfiction is Hollywood’s latest obsession. We reference a piece by Nicolaia Rips titled Why Fanfiction Is Hollywood’s...

Print is back, baby! To kick off this week's episode, we chat about the return of ELLE Magazine (in physical form) and what it means for the Australian media landscape.  We reference this piece by Alex Bruce-Smith for Pedestrian. TV in which Alex interviews the new ELLE editor, Grace O'Neill.  Next up, it's been a big week on the internet. From Bradley Cooper's unhinged commentary about his daught...

Happy Eras Tour week! We start today's ep with a chat around the fact that the average Shein shopper is a 35-year-old woman (one who cares about sustainability). New York City-based designer Batsheva Hay exclusively cast women over the age of 40 during NYFW. We discuss why this is important and reference Put More Gray Hair on the Runways, You Cowards by Nicola Dall'asen for Allure.  Next, we recap...

Janet Anderson is one of Australia’s most exciting, emerging actresses. She’s a recent graduate from NIDA and has just starred as the protagonist of Overflow , a powerful one-woman play about a trans woman in a club bathroom written by Travis Alabanza.  We sat down with Janet to discuss the powerful play, why trans existence is activism and cisgendered performative allyship.  You can find more abo...

We kick off this week's ep with some pop culture bitties; Sofia Richie Grainge is pregnant, Millie Bobby Brown launches a clothing line and our take on the Oscar snubs and noms.  The biggest story of the week was that Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig were snubbed by the academy for their work in Barbie. We discuss the ~discourse~ that surrounded this, including the online outrage. We reference ' The...

Jas shares her big news, we recount our favourite awards season moments and do a quick vibe check for 2024.  Ariana Grande is making headlines for her media diss track 'Yes, And?'. We share our thoughts on the song, her 'lover' brand and chat through an Instagram post for The Swaddle titled, 'Is Homewrecking A Feminist Issue?'.   Next, there's something going on with Gen Alpha. The tweens are gett...

Happy last episode of 2023! Today, we debrief about the best, worst and most unexpected books we've read this year. We bring six books each to the table and discuss. Obvi, these are just our own opinions and we hope this doesn't deter you from any titles or authors. Katie Zhou created our fab cover art and India Raine is our wonderful editor and composer of our jingle. Email us at cultureclubmail@...

Astrology has been a guiding light for centuries, a way to make sense of the world. In our era of manifestation and costar obsession, what role does astrology play in our lives now?  Today we’re joined by Matt Galea, a Sydney-based astrologer, journalist and Pedestrian TV’s Managing Editor. He’s just released his debut book, How to Spot the Star Signs, a modern and light-hearted take on the ancien...

Black Friday purchases and seeing Rebecca Black on a Friday. Rosalia and Allen Jeremy White are a thing and Emma Chamberlain is getting criticised on TikTok (again).  In a three-hour chat with YouTube platform Colin and Samir , Emma shares that she hasn't checked her bank account in years. We chat about whether the criticism is warranted and how much money you need to be happy.  Next, Taylor Swift...

Hey pals,  Maggie is back from India and we’re behind the mics once again.  We kick off with a debrief of Mags’ incredible trip and discuss Travis Kelce’s digital footprint. Next, a report has revealed that the world's richest 1% emit as much carbon as the poorest 66%. This news was released in the same week as a young Taylor Swift fan tragically passed away at the Eras concert in Rio DeJaneiro du...

Hi pals,  In this ep of Culture Club, we dive into some bite-sized pop culture bits including, Harry Styles’ new hair, Suki Waterhouse’s latest paparazzi pics and Hugh Jackman’s $100 million (!!) dollar NDA with his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness.  Next, the trailer for the new Mean Girls movie that’s based on a musical, that’s based on a movie (phew) is out. We discuss our thoughts on the cast, the...

Hi pals,  In this week’s ep, we have a catch-up about Maggie’s travels to China after a little hiatus and what our summer plans are. In pop culture land, two big stories have dominated the entertainment news cycle. We first chat about Matthew Perry’s tragic death at just 54. We share our thoughts on the parasocial mourning of his famous character and how he really wanted to be remembered .  Next,...

With a tagline proclaiming she’s “exactly like other girls,” Lucy Neville is a Sydney-based writer and influencer who's committed to creating a safe and happy corner of the internet.  Lucy has been one of our most-requested guests over the years so we had to get her on the mic to learn more about Australia’s new agony aunt, how she navigates the emotional fatigue of her 'Let It Out' series, and wh...

Hi friends!  To start off this pop culture ep, we chat about the Zillennial Cult Comedy Cinematic Universe (as coined by The Ringer ). Featuring the likes of Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebri and Molly Gordon, we ask why the 27-year-olds feel like our friends and the new era of storytelling.  For the first time we chat about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. A few weeks after they were spotted at an NFL gam...

Chances are, you’ve probably seen a Cheek Media Instagram post on your friend’s stories. With its signature pastel purple branding and whip-smart commentary, Cheek Media is one of Australia’s largest independent progressive media voices.  Hannah Ferguson is the Co-Founder and CEO of the digital news platform founded in 2020. It now has over 80k followers with topics ranging from Australian politic...

Hi pals! There's a new celeb in our mix; Tube Girl is taking over our FYPs (and our hearts). We discuss her meteoric rise to fame and why she's the internet star we need. We also talk about the other Internet Moment of the week, the Roman Empire.  Is it steeped in white supremacy? Or just a silly little meme? We reference a Vox article titled Why The Alt-Right Loves Ancient Rome by Sean Illing and...

We’d like to give a content warning for rape, sexual assault, and harassment. T ake care of yourself when listening to this ep and moving through the world. And, if you ever need it, call the Lifeline hotline on 13 11 14. Chanel Contos became a household name in 2021 after beginning an Instagram poll asking for Australian girls and women’s stories of sexual assault. After an outpouring of response...

Hi pals!  In today’s episode, we start with the hard launch of Kylothee (that’s Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet for the uninitiated). We reference this post by The Swaddle . One of the internet’s biggest ‘couple goals’ couples has split dramatically this week. We discuss the fall-out of the Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner divorce including the alleged spin from Joe’s PR team. All hail our Queen of...

22-year-old singer songwriter Maya Cumming, aka MAY-A, is one of Australia’s most exciting acts. From being featured on last year’s winning Triple J Hottest 100 song with Flume to performing on stage at Coachella, Maya’s moment has well and truly begun. Today, we’re joined by the Sydney-based musician ahead of her new EP Analysis Paralysis dropping September 1.  Katie Zhou created our fab cover ar...

Hi pals!  In this ep, we cover our brush with celebrity as well as the relationships that are soft launching and crumbling.  It seems that Venus Retrograde is (still) wreaking havoc on people’s relationships. We reference this Vogue US piece by Laura Pitcher titled, It’s Been A Summer Of Relationship Chaos. Was It Written In The Stars? Next, there’s a rumour that Red, White and Royal Blue star Nic...

Hi friends,  We jump straight into it this week with a chat about our new obsession; the Matildas. Yes, it’s (still) the year of the girl and we’re loving it all. From the soccer team’s meteoric rise to all of the nominees of the VMA Artist Of The Year being women, we’re truly living for the girlhood renaissance.  Maggie reads from her own Fashion Journal piece titled Because of the Matildas, I Ca...

You’ve most likely seen Jessica Nguyen ’s home cooking recipes splashed across your social media feeds. With over 100,000 followers on Instagram, Jess is inspiring thousands to cook, drink and host.  She’s created a cult favourite chilli oil, and has worked with some of Australia’s biggest brands. In this ep of Culture Club Chats, we’re joined by Jess to chat about the importance of culture and fo...

Hello, friends!  Exciting news from Culture Club this week as we’re recording in a studio! Huge. We’ve just signed to DM Podcasts and can’t wait to see where it goes. This means you may begin to hear a few ads from us but it means that after three years we’re actually earning money from the pod which is super exciting.  In pop culture land we cover the breakups and wedding of the season. Dylan Spr...

Hi besties!  We’re back! We kick off this ep with a run-down of Maggie’s Euro trip and a brief overview of the stories we missed whilse she was away. Think: The Titan sub, Taylor Swift tickets and Collen Ballinger’s Toxic Gossip Train. Yikes. In our next segment, we discuss why Hollywood boyfriends are acting up and exposing themselves. From Jonah Hill’s “boundaries” list to Keke Palmer’s par...

If you’ve ever come across an Australian political, musical comedian on TikTok – you’ve probably been watching Gabbi Bolt. It’s hard to believe it was only a couple of years ago when Gabbi posted her first TikTok video that projected her into the world of musical comedy from her hometown of Bathurst in New South Wales. Now, the writer, podcaster and performer is currently hot off her second s...