Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. In this episode of #PopVultures, host Jan Lee looks at the shocking news coming out of Warner Bros. Discovery - that the close-to-completed films Batgirl starring Leslie Grace and the animated Scooby-Doo movie Scoob!: Holiday Haunt will be cancelled entirely and will not be released in theatres or via streaming. In the background of these cancellations is the disturbin...
Aug 15, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. The K-pop supergroup BTS announced on June 14 that they were taking an indefinite break from one of the world’s most popular acts to focus on solo pursuits. The seven members, who are credited with generating billions of dollars for the South Korean economy, dropped the bombshell during their streamed annual “Festa” dinner, part of a celebration that marks their annive...
Jul 08, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. The verdict of the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard was announced recently. The former couple have been in an ugly legal battle since Heard called herself a "public figure representing domestic abuse" in a 2018 op-ed. Depp sued her for defamation and Heard countersued him. A seven-man jury found both Depp and Heard liable for defamation but awarded ...
Jun 10, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. The defamation suit between former Hollywood couple Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have put the ugly details of their marriage out for public scrutiny. The two stars were married briefly from 2015 to 2016, after dating for several years. In 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post saying that she "became a public figure representing domestic abuse" in 2016. Depp sued for def...
May 20, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, took place over last weekend in Los Angeles, Hollywood and despite historic wins and a Beyonce performance, all anyone can talk about since is The Slap. The night's Best Actor winner Will Smith marched on stage to slap comedian Chris Rock after he made a joke at the expense of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. #PopVultures host Jan Lee...
Mar 31, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. Music's biggest night - the Grammys - are just around the corner as the ceremony prepares to take place on Monday morning (April 4) Singapore time. But one notable nominee - with five nominations going into the ceremony - has been banned from performing and that is rapper Kanye West, now officially known as Ye. The Grammys confirmed they made the decision in light of the 44-year-o...
Mar 30, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. The news of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu getting hitched with her former flame, the South Korean musician DJ Koo or Koo Jun-yup of the dance music duo Clon, sent shockwaves through the Asian entertainment industry. Hsu, 45, only divorced her Chinese businessman husband Wang Xiaofei in November 2021. But upon hearing news of her divorce, Koo, 52, whom Hsu dated over two decades ago...
Mar 17, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. This week, #PopVultures host Jan Lee gives you some of the latest celebrity news updates before diving into the news of Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming and his divorce from model-actress Angelababy. The high profile A-list couple announced their divorce in January this year, after being mired in divorce rumours for years. Using that as a jumping off point, Jan discusses the beginning...
Feb 24, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. This week, #PopVultures host Jan Lee welcomes podcast producer Penelope Lee to talk and air their feelings about idols dating! Did you know that South Korean tabloid Dispatch usually releases a report on the first day of the new year that exposes a celebrity romance? Celebrity couples who confirmed they were dating after the Dispatch New Year report includes Hyun Bin and Son Ye-ji...
Jan 21, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. In this episode, host Jan Lee runs down some of the 10 biggest stories covered by #PopVultures this year - from Harry and Meghan's explosive interview with Oprah about their exit from the royal family to the ongoing Chinese entertainment crackdown. She also names the best and worst stories of the year and includes an honourable mention - listen to find out who it is! Produced by J...
Jan 07, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. In this latest episode of #PopVultures, host Jan Lee discusses the gossip story of the week, month and possibly entire year - the expose of Taiwanese-American singer Wang Leehom and his various misdeeds during his marriage to ex-wife Lee Jinglei. She runs down how the saga unfolded with a timeline detailing the war of words between Wang and Lee after Wang confirmed the two were di...
Dec 24, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 57
#PopVultures Ep 56: Chinese entertainment updates, divorces, marriages and BTS gets on Instagram 29:06 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. This week, #PopVultures host Jan Lee runs down some of the news and happenings over the past month. This includes Chinese producer Li Xuezheng questioning the legality and transparency of the organisation China Association of Performing Arts, which recently released a list o...
Dec 17, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 56
#PopVultures Ep 55: Rebecca Lim gets engaged, Britney Spears is free and Taylor Swift revisits Red (and Jake Gyllenhaal) 28:37 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. This week, #PopVultures host Jan Lee runs down note-worthy entertainment news for listeners. In local news, Mediacorp actress Rebecca Lim gets engaged to her mystery fiance. She announced the happy news on her Instagram and while she received congratu...
Nov 19, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 55
#PopVultures Ep 54: Dissecting Singapore's Night Owl Cinematics influencer scandal 38:52 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. This week, #PopVulture Jan Lee talks about the biggest influencer scandal in Singapore now - the expose related to media outfit Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) and its co-founder Sylvia Chan. All, complete with leaked audio and video recordings. Be aware that this podcast episode contains disc...
Oct 30, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 54
#PopVultures Ep 53: Let's talk Shane Pow, Chantalle Ng, Britney Spears and Squid Game! 18:48 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. This week #PopVultures host Jan Lee runs down note-worthy entertainment news for listeners. In local news, she talks about former Mediacorp Shane Pow's comeback after his second drink driving conviction landed him in jail and goes through local actress Chantalle Ng's allegations that ...
Oct 04, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 53
#PopVultures Ep 52: China cancels Little Swallow Vicki Zhao, Word Of Honor star Zhang Zhehan and cracks down on entertainment industry 48:21 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. In this episode, host Jan Lee is joined by The Straits Times' China correspondent Aw Cheng Wei as they discuss the recent spate of state-sanctioned cancellations of A-list celebrities in China. They delve into two case studies. The first...
Sep 22, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 52
#PopVultures Ep 51: Kris Wu implodes and the #MeToo movement in Chinese entertainment 29:41 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. In this episode, host Jan Lee covers the scandal and legal controversy surrounding Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu, 30, who has been detained by the Beijing police on allegations of rape, after Chinese teen influencer Du Meizhu accused of Wu raping her. She said that she has been con...
Aug 13, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 51
#PopVultures Ep 50: Britney Spears' conservatorship and Sam Jo leaves - 50th episode bonanza! 46:11 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. In this landmark 50th episode of #PopVultures, co-host Yeo Sam Jo bids goodbye to the podcast as he moves onto greener pastures. But before that, Jan Lee and Sam Jo talk about Britney Spears' explosive statement about her conservatorship and the humiliation and exploitation she...
Jul 02, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 50
#PopVultures Ep 49: Naomi Osaka and celebrities' media dilemma 37:42 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. This week, the #PopVultures Jan Lee and Yeo Sam Jo talk about A-list tennis player Naomi Osaka and her declining to speak to the media and attend press conferences during the French Open, citing mental health concerns, which set off a firestorm of reactions. She was fined for refusing her press obligations a...
Jun 18, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 49
#PopVultures Ep 48: The Jay Chou podcast pop quiz and deep dive 36:18 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. In their long-awaited deep dive on Jay Chou, the #PopVultures Jan Lee and Yeo Sam Jo invite Vanessa Liu to come on and talk about the reigning Mandopop king. Aside from being their friend and colleague, Vanessa is a superfan of the Taiwanese A-lister who once threw a Jay Chou-themed party complete with Love...
Jun 09, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 48
#PopVultures Ep 47: The return of Bennifer (OG edition) 27:27 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are back together and the #PopVultures have all the juice on the Hollywood power couple. Hosts Jan Lee and Yeo Sam Jo relive the real-life soap opera that is Bennifer - from how they met while filming the box office flop Gigli, to when they postponed their wedding and eventually broke...
May 21, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 47
#PopVultures Ep 46: Shane Pow & Channel 8’s Succession Crisis 25:56 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. This week, #PopVultures Jan Lee and Yeo Sam Jo give an update to the previous episode: Elvin Ng has responded to Dasmond Koh and Angel Lim, who claimed that he flared up at Lim on set. Then, they move on to another local actor - Shane Pow - who recently had his contract with Mediacorp terminated after he ...
May 07, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 46
#PopVultures Ep 45: Elvin Ng, Patrick Lee & Bullying in Showbiz 32:00 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. This week the #PopVultures trace the highs and lows of the ongoing feud between Elvin Ng and Patrick Lee. Both actors fell out after Elvin alleged on a talk show that he was once antagonised by a co-star, which netizens deduced to be Patrick. Jan and Sam Jo recap the two's most pointed social media post...
Apr 20, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 45
#PopVultures Ep 44: Blowing Raspberries with the Razzies 31:04 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. As awards season goes into full swing, the #PopVultures take a close look at the film industry's most notorious ceremony: The Razzies, or Golden Raspberry Awards, which recognises the worst in cinema. What started as a makeshift parody of the Academy Awards in someone's living room is now celebrating its 40th anni...
Apr 12, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 44
#PopVultures Ep 43: On Patty Hou, her mother and mistresses 18:41 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene. In this episode, the #PopVultures look to Taiwan, where television host Patty Hou and her mother, veteran actress Lin Yue Yun, have come under fire after crying on the reality show My Dearest Ladies. Jan and Sam Jo give a too long; didn't read rundown of Lin's checkered past as a mistress (not once, but twice) ...
Mar 26, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 43
#PopVultures Ep 42: Dissecting Oprah's bombshell interview with Meghan & Harry 17:16 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood industries. This week, Jan Lee and Yeo Sam Jo discuss the interview that has rocked the world - Oprah Winfrey's exclusive sit-down with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spilled the English Breakfast tea on stepping back as senior royals and on alleged racist c...
Mar 12, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 42
#PopVultures Ep 41: Discussing snubs and shocks at Star Awards and Golden Globes 27:07 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood industries. This week, the #PopVultures cannot wait to talk about the awards season. After skipping a year due to Covid-19, local broadcaster Mediacorp's Star Awards is back and bigger than ever, with an expanded nominee slate to cover two years of drama series. Hosts Jan Lee and Yeo Sam Jo discus...
Feb 11, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 41
#PopVultures Ep 40: Abandoned surrogate babies and ageism in entertainment! 28:23 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood industries. For the #PopVultures' 40th episode, Jan Lee and Sam Jo deliver a double whammy of topics - first covering the unfolding saga of Chinese actress Zheng Shuang who has been cancelled after it was revealed that she had abandoned two surrogate babies she and her ex-partner Zhang Heng had in the ...
Jan 29, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 40
#PopVultures Ep 39: GOT7 and longevity of pop idol groups 34:01 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood industries. In their first episode of 2021, #PopVultures Jan Lee and Sam Jo discuss some K-pop news - the exodus of GOT7 members from their management agency JYP Entertainment. They recap the details of the GOT7 exit, discuss the social media shadiness that went down, and ponder the future of GOT7. Covering the examples...
Jan 18, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 39
#PopVultures Ep 38: 2020's Pop Culture milestones & mishaps 34:49 mins Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood industries. It's been an unprecedented year of viruses, face masks and Zoom calls, but nevertheless, pop culture soldiers on. The #PopVultures Jan Lee and Yeo Sam Jo pay tribute to some of this year's dearly departed stars before recapping the biggest and wildest celebrity stories of 2020. Remember the epic takedo...
Dec 23, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 38
