Our spiritual Lorde experience, Manon splits from Katseye, and how figure skater Alysa Liu’s Gold Medal win is shifting culture. PSA: There may be some tinny audio in today's episode. We're working on a solution asap for you! We recount Lorde's Melbourne tour and, in pop culture news, Manon Bannerman is taking a “hiatus” from global girl group, Katseye, for “health and wellbeing” reasons. US figure skater Alysa Liu has taken over our feeds (and our hearts) after winning gold in figure skating at...
Feb 23, 2026•41 min
The Olympics’ cheating scandal, Zayn Malik’s Call Her Daddy revelation and what is the tofu theory? BIG NEWS! You can now WATCH this episode. We’re officially on YouTube! Head here . Bad Bunny has won the MAGA culture war this month thanks to his NFL Super Bowl halftime performance. We break down a little of the discourse around it, as well as the impact of the culture around ‘being first’ online. The Winter Olympics have kicked off in Italy, and not without its share of eyebrow-raising stories....
Feb 16, 2026•49 min
Hi friends! To kick this episode off, we chit-chat about some celebrity headlines, including Olivia Dean being criticised for being... too nice, and Jason Bateman’s awkward Charli XCX kids moment. Was this an embarrassing Dad moment or a representation of where the culture is when it comes to reproduction? Locally, Mecca has come under fire for using AI in a social media post promoting its Australian Open pop-up. We review their statement and the feedback they received, and ask what it means for...
Feb 09, 2026•49 min
Hi friends! Nicki Minaj has hammered the final nail into the coffin that is her music career this week after outing herself as Trump's number one fan. Writer Tarla Lambert wrote a piece for the Women's Agenda on the topic titled, “Nicki Minaj thinks Trump is her ally. He sees her as his prop” . Next, Ariana Grande has been spotted in a Vogue Japan spread with an additional appendage . The AI blunder has caught the premier publication out on its editing skills. Is Ariana's reaction warranted?* Th...
Feb 02, 2026•39 min•Ep. 205
Hi friends, Hilary Duff's first new album in over a decade, titled luck … or something, is out on Feb. 20. We discuss the appeal of the Disney star and how she's handling her comeback tour. Next, we’re at the stage of celebrity where even the camera people are getting swept up in controversy. The red carpet Glambot Guy AKA Cole Walliser came under fire for questioning people's ability to use his services. We discuss the preceding JLo versus Glambot moment and ask if female celebrities are held t...
Jan 26, 2026•42 min
2026 has started with a bang thanks to Harry Styles' return. His fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time. Dance, Occasionally will be released on March 6th. Euphoria Season 3 is also back on HBO this April, and a number of book-to-screen adaptations are in the works. In Culture Shock, we discuss the cancelling of Adelaide Writers' Week after the disinvitation of Palestinian-Australian author, Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah. We reference this op-ed in The Guardian by Louise Adler. The most popular social m...
Jan 19, 2026•52 min
Here at Culture Club, we're big readers, and after our 2025 book recap, listener Holly asked what's on our TBR piles in 2026! In this mini episode, we discuss the books we're currently reading, what's on our TBR list, and the 2026 book releases we're most excited about. Maggie: Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily Henry Truly Madly Guilty - Liane Moriarty Root Rot - Saskia Nislow Ghost Cities - Siang Lu The Ten Year Affair - Erin Somers Lost Lambs - Madeline Cash Vigil - George Saunders Jas: Happine...
Jan 15, 2026•31 min
We're back for 2026 with a fresh, new look! We discuss our new era and Jas' Instagram post sharing her feelings about building a creative project. Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner are packing on the PDA at awards season, and creating discourse including GQ's take about using the term 'partner'. In Culture Shock, we break down what's going on with Ashley Tisdale's supposedly toxic mum group . As we enter a new year, many people have been setting goals to be more offline—but in our tech-obsessed...
Jan 12, 2026•56 min
Welcome to our last Culture Club episode for 2025! We start this chat with a pop culture year review, reminiscing on the biggest stories of the last 12 months. Then, we get into our annual book recap! Here we discuss our best, worst and most unexpected reads of the year. Jas' least favourite reads were Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao and Orbital by Samantha Harvey . Her most unexpected reads were Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead by Olga Tokarczuk and Long Island Compromise by Taffy...
Dec 29, 2025•40 min•Ep. 200
Daphne Berry is the host of the number one music podcast in Australia, Airing Your Dirty Laundry . Since launching in 2024, she’s welcomed a host of artists into her laundromat, from Peach PRC and Ayesha Madon, to GFlip and 5 Seconds of Summer. Married to one half of Lime Cordiale, Daphne is well and truly embedded in the Australian music scene. From her international modelling days to her stint in teaching, Daphne’s career has twisted and turned in unconventional ways. In this solo interview ep...
Dec 22, 2025•29 min
Hi friends, In today's episode, we chit chat about Kendall Jenner's mountain Architectural Digest video , Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's A24 movie, and Melbourne's new DIVA exhibition . Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson have been confirmed to make an appearance in Sunrise on the Reaping confirming Jas' theory of a Josh Hutcherson renaissance. We reference a New York Times interview and the Jesse Tyler Ferguson podcast Dinner's On Me . Disney, the company that's famously staunch on copyright,...
Dec 15, 2025•40 min
Hi friends! Miley Cyrus has confirmed her engagement to musician Maxx Morando, and the new Sunrise On The Reaping trailer is here. In Culture Shock, James Charles discovered the deep Australian lore of the Bunnings sausage sizzle . From the 10th of December, anyone under 16 in Australia won’t be able to keep or make accounts on social media apps. We discuss the pros and cons of the law and what it's like living in one of the first countries in the world to implement restrictions for kids on soci...
Dec 08, 2025•47 min•Ep. 197
Hi pals! In this episode, we recap some of the internet's reactions to our Wicked Instagram post, and writer Soaliha Iqbal reads from her Substack essay titled: ' Can women's bodies ever be apolitical? ' Next, we have a quick chat about the TikTok Awards. Please note: this episode was recorded before the allegations of racism against the awards show came to light. We highly recommend Zee Feed's break down of the topic. In Culture Quickie, we ask why Americans love the Irwins so much and ask if T...
Dec 01, 2025•44 min
Hi friends! We're back from a little wedding break as Jas got hitched. After a quick debrief, we're straight into Culture Quickies. Charli XCX has published her first two Substack posts : one on creativity and one about being a pop star. We chat about Charli's emergence on the newsletter platform and break down her musings. Next, Sydney Sweeney has been having a tough year after her indie biopic flopped at the box office this month. We discuss Sydney's 2025 controversies (including recent commen...
Nov 24, 2025•48 min
Hi! We missed you. We have a catch up on mic, FINALLY share our thoughts on Life of a Showgirl and discuss all things wedding and travel. Lily Allen has released the divorce album of the decade and we break down its major tracks. Hailey Bieber has shared on the In Your Dreams podcast that she's not considering botox until her 30s. Why is this so refreshing to hear? FRESHLY 20 year old pop star, Sombr, has been at the centre of controversy this week after creating a video response to a negative c...
Oct 27, 2025•52 min
Bridget Hustwaite is an author, presenter, chronic illness advocate, and host. You might know Bridget from her seven years on Triple J , or from her books How to Endo and the recently released Figuring Out Thirty . In this episode of Culture Club, we sat down with Bridget in the studio to reflect on life in her 30s, what it means to grow into yourself, and why the “dream job” isn’t always what it seems. We talk about Bridget’s early days at Triple J, the hustle behind the scenes, and the persona...
Oct 21, 2025•44 min•Ep. 193
Mona Awad is one of the most influential authors of our time. She's the bestselling author of the novels 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl , All’s Well , Rouge , and the cult classic, Bunny , which took off in book clubs around the world and became a BookTok phenomenon. Bunny was named a Best Book of 2019 by Time, Vogue and the New York Public Library. Bunny and Rouge are also being adapted into films. After the success of Bunny , Mona has decided to revisit the world in the 2025 hybrid prequel a...
Oct 06, 2025•29 min•Ep. 192
Hi friends! We have another pop culture episode for you–delicious. The pop girlies are in their marriage eras. Charli XCX threw her second wedding last week while Selena Gomez tied the knot with Benny Blanco. With a number of main pop girls getting married, will their music change? It's a question writer Catherine Shannon asks in her Substack essay, 'Pop Enters Its Wife Era' . Matilda Djerf has returned to the press for the first time since her bullying and toxic workplace allegations last year....
Sep 29, 2025•42 min•Ep. 191
Hi friends, Some popcorn pop culture bits to warm us up today including TSITP finale, Chris Briney's new venture, Robert Irwin is Maggie's new white boy of the month, Jimmy Kimmel is cancelled and are Ben & Jerry going through a break-up? In other news, 2022 called and it wants its scandal back. Ned Fulmer, former YouTube Try Guys member, is back in the spotlight. The Buzzfeed-turned-YouTube content group gained a following for their viral videos “trying” new things. Three years ago, Ned mad...
Sep 22, 2025•51 min•Ep. 190
Hi friends, Maggie has been travelling again, so we have a lot to catch up on! From the Wuthering Heights adaptation trailer (and ensuing literature discourse) to another celebrity engagement, we start with some popcorn-pop culture bites. Next, the news that dominated the media last week: the assassination of political podcaster Charlie Kirk. We share our thoughts on the divisive right wing figure and reference an article from The Cut by writer E.J Dickson. Titled Why Young Conservative Women Lo...
Sep 15, 2025•34 min
Hi friends! After a plethora of fun interviews (Poh Ling Yeow! Jessica Mauboy! Indy Yelich!) we are back with a juicy pop culture episode. But first, we give you a little update on what we've been up to. After some Culture Quickie updates, we launch into the engagement news of the year: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Is it the parasocial moment of the decade? Next, former West Coast Eagles player, Mitch Brown, made history in Australia this week after coming out as the first queer player in the ...
Sep 01, 2025•48 min•Ep. 187
In 2006, a teenage Jessica Mauboy auditioned for the fourth season of Australian Idol during the show’s regional audition tour, finishing as a runner-up. Fast forward nearly two decades, and Jessica is one of Australia’s most beloved (and successful) artists. The singer has achieved six top-ten albums (including two number-ones) and 16 top 20 singles. She’s also been nominated for an ARIA a whopping 25 times and has won two. And while we personally think Jess was robbed in the recent Triple J Ho...
Aug 25, 2025•31 min•Ep. 186
Have you always wanted to travel alone but were overwhelmed by the thought? Or maybe the wrangling of friends in group chats meant compromising your holiday plans? In this special solo episode of Culture Club, Maggie is breaking down her dos and don'ts of solo travel. From safety as a woman to packing tips and why she's so obsessed with hopping on a flight, Maggie is sharing everything she's learnt so far and answers your burning questions. We'll be back in your ears with pop culture eps soon. J...
Aug 18, 2025•39 min•Ep. 185
Indy Yelich is a New Zealand-born indie pop artist who’s just released her second EP, ‘ Fame Is A Bedroom ’. The EP explores age-gap relationships, sisterhood, sexuality, and the conversations that happen behind closed doors. And, if her name sounds familiar, that’s because Indy is the younger sister of Ella Yelich, AKA, Lorde. In this interview, we chat about what it’s like to move to NYC from Auckland, New Zealand, her diary-like new EP, and how she grappled with her older sister’s stratospher...
Aug 11, 2025•32 min
Poh Ling Yeow has been a beloved fixture on Australian TV since her Masterchef debut in 2009. She’s hosted multiple shows, like ABC’s Poh’s Kitchen and SBS’s Poh & Co, and has authored multiple cookbooks. Now, she’s back on our screens as one of the Masterchef judges. Poh has also been nominated for the prestigious TV Week Gold Logie! You can vote for Poh here until 7pm on Friday August 1. In this chat we discuss how she balances multiple creative pursuits, why her shyness became her strengt...
Jul 31, 2025•26 min•Ep. 183
Hi pals! Strap in, cos we have a whole host of Culture Quickies to run through. Filming for The Devil Wears Prada 2 is officially underway with Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway papped on the streets of New York. The Trisha Paytas baby reincarnation theory continues, and has Rebel Wilson “deliberately undermined” the release of her comedy musical, The Deb ? We know many Culture Clubbers have fantasised about Mr. Harry Styles, and now he’s letting us take him to bed – or, at least, his product. In C...
Jul 28, 2025•41 min•Ep. 182
Hi pals! For the first time in ten years, the gender pay gap has flipped — at least for Gen Zs. According to a recent report , full-time working Gen Z women between the ages of 16 and 24 are out-earning their male peers. But is everything what it seems? We discuss the findings and our own thoughts on the rhetoric around men being "left behind". Jas references this TikTok . Courtney Palmer ( @courtney_joelle on TikTok) has gone viral with her take on “princess treatment,” . In a recent video (vie...
Jul 15, 2025•46 min•Ep. 181
Hi! After culture quickie bites, including Maggie's matcha TikTok take and the media's response to Bob Vylan's Glastonbury protest, we dive into the P Diddy verdict announced this week. This segment includes a reference to The Cut's article titled Maybe Me Too Is Really Dead by Andrea González-Ramírez . Do you feel the pressure to be always digitally available? It’s a question Sydney writer, Miski Omar, asked in The Guardian Australia this week. Miski kindly read out a snippet of her article tit...
Jul 07, 2025•42 min
Hi friends! Welcome to Culture Club. In this week's ep we have pop culture bites that we NEED to discuss with the class. First up, the new Sense and Sensibility adaptation starring Daisy Edgar-Jones has been announced. Plus, author (and Culture Club Chats alumni ) Diana Reid worked on the screenplay! Huge. Next, Olivia Rodrigo had her movie moment as she spotted at Glastonbury singing along with the "Common People". Sabrina Carpenter has an album cover that's "approved by God". And, has the rumo...
Jun 30, 2025•39 min•Ep. 179
Hi friends! The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders have had a pay increase and Jojo Siwa says she felt pressured to come out as a lesbian. We reference the Cosmopolitan article 'Prestige Won’t Pay My Rent' by Cait Emma Burke. Next, actress and advocate Jameela Jamil says she's done being interviewed by women. After an interview with The Times UK , Jameela took to social media and her Substack to share that the story “read like a cheap, bitchy, Daily Mail blog, written by a student desperate to get click...
Jun 23, 2025•39 min•Ep. 178
