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 cultureclubmail@gmail.com 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
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 cultureclubmail@gmail.com 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
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.