The rise of cool girl content, Shein’s UK rebrand, and Olivia Rodrigo’s new finance bro.

Olivia Rodrigo reportedly has a new beau and fans are talking about his "fake job". Who is the mystery man? 

In some fashion popcorn bits: Christopher Nolan banned uggs from his set, Zara has created "death" pants, and Shein has launched a brand named Musera to sell its cheap clothes without the tarred reputation. Ick. We reference Rachel Grif, Save the Planet Society and Women's Wear Daily.

In our new segment, 'Off The Record', we discuss the rise of Cool Girl Content that's flooding our algorithms at the moment. We hear from local content creator and stylist Joely Malcolm and read from Nylon's article on the new wave of Coolness titled The New Cool Looks A Lot Like Trying by Zara McIntosh and Sam Tracy. Who determines what's cool, and is it just a homogenous term for 'trend'? 

No Bookmarked this episode as we have an extended episode later this week! Stay tuned. Thanks for listening - Jas & Mags xo

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Hudson Williams’ paparazzi blow-up, Zendaya’s private jet dress and another AI gaffe. 

Hi listeners! A reminder that you can receive a few extra Bookmarked recommendations on our Substack, plus you can watch this episode on YouTube. Lots of pop culture popcorn this episode, so grab your coffee/ tea and settle in.

Heated Rivalry actor Hudson Williams has been accosted by Parisian paparazzi and is fed up. Is this warranted or is it one standard for celebrity women versus men? We reference this post by creator Susan Hyatt.

This past week, Marie Claire Australia was called out on the global stage (including on Saint Hoax) for an AI gaffe. We reference a report on it via Crikey's daily news column The Snoop, and ask if, rather than blaming the writer, it's a symptom of a systemic rot in the media industry worldwide. 

The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan is out now, and Zendaya has been STUNNING on red carpets during its press tour. One showstopping angel-inspired dress we reference is by French label Matières Fécales (aka Fecal Matter). Another was by Schiaparelli and had to be personally private jetted from Paris to London ahead of the premiere. We reference the original video by fashion creator ly.as. 

In Bookmarked, Jas enjoyed First Light, the debut feature from Filipino-Australian James J. Robinson. You can see it in select cinemas now. Maggie recommends The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder. 

Thank you for listening! 

Jas & Mags xo 

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Wasia Project sits down and opens up about sibling dynamics, new music and Heartstopper Forever.

Hi listeners! A reminder that we are on YouTube AND now Substack! 

Consisting of siblings William Gao and Olivia Hardy, Wasia Project was formed in 2019 and grew during the COVID lockdowns when Olivia and Will were just teenagers. After two EPs and a hit track that was picked up by Heartstopper, Wasia Project’s debut album Nocturne is dropping later this year, on September 18.

Described as “turning coming-of-age angst into catharsis”, Nocturne is a ballad-filled, soaring pop album that explores growing up in a fractured digital world, all backed by the siblings’ classical music training.

We sat down with the British band when they were on their small world tour to chat about their first album, Heartstopper's impact, and how to collaborate when you work with your sibling.

In recommendations, Will enjoyed Heretic on the plane over to Australia, while Olivia recently picked up A Philosophy of Walking by Frederic Gros.

Thank you for listening and being a part of the Culture Club world <3 

Jas & Mags xo

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Ashley Tisdale's Toxic Mom TV show, Zoella’s surprising life update, and Lizzo speaks out about the Khia Asylum.

Hi listeners! A reminder that we are on YouTube AND now Substack! More Culture Club, woo hoo!

In this week's episode, we start with Maggie's Zoella update and the TikTok comment that had her bf Tom blushing. We also chit chat about Ashley Tisdale's Toxic Moms TV show (inspired by her public friendship drama earlier this year), as well as the cringe marketing tactics brands posted after the Empire State proposal.

After our Kylie Jenner Meta glasses post popped off, in this week's episode, we chat about the rise of celebrity Finstas. In The Finsta Renaissance Is Here for Nylon, the writer Sam Tracy shares some examples of the finstas and asks why people are creating second (yet public) accounts. Lizzo is back in the headlines after her latest album Bitch failed to chart after dropping on June 5. 

During an interview with "Swiftologist" last week, Lizzo reflected on the poor sales and discussed the phenomenon of the Khia Asylum. We break down the internet space and read from Sending Women To The ‘Khia Asylum’ Is Music’s Latest Cruel Trend. But It Reflects An Old Historical Bias by James Hall for The Conversation, as well as The Guardian's 2/5 star review of Bitch. We also hear from PhD candidate Sascha Samlal, whose research focuses on fan culture and shame and had a differing perspective on the Khia Asylum than James/ The Conversation did. You can hear her full take in our Substack this week.

In Bookmarked, Maggie recommends the Chinese family drama film, Dear You, while Jas recommends the new Australian history podcast from the ABC, The Dead Can't Sue.

Thank you for being a part of the Culture Club world <3 We appreciate you!

Jas & Mags xo

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Hi friends,

Olivia Rodrigo launches an all-women festival, A24’s AI deal, and the rebranding of the surveillance state is here.

Reminder: you can join the Culture Club world on YouTube and Substack!

First up – we have some pop culture popcorn bits for you, including another nostalgic adaptation and more rumours about Taylor Swift's imminent wedding. Olivia Rodrigo is adding festival organiser to her resume with the announcement of the all-female festival, Daisy Chain Fields.

In film news, A24 and Google have struck an AI research partnership deal that will see the independent studio work to develop new AI-powered technologies for filmmakers. Cinephiles and Letterboxd-heads the globe over are not happy with the decision. Is this a step backward for the indie studio or a needed tool for research?

Meta has partnered with Kylie Jenner to release a line of AI-powered glasses. Named the Meta Starfire Glasses, Kylie Edition, the sunglasses can take photos and videos, play music, take calls and offer voice controls for you to go about your day hands-free. The accompanying marketing has been praised for its style and fashion, proving that all the surveillance state needed was a little rebrand. We discuss the ethical implications of these AI-powered sunglasses and the rise of Ring camera content online, including this Instagram post from style icon Alex Chung herself.

In recommendations, we have two TV series for you. Maggie recommends The Four Seasons, season 2 on Netflix, while Jas enjoyed Margo's Got Money Troubles on Apple TV.

Thank you for being here and for listening!!! We <3 you.

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok.

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The Grammys' new controversial category, Girl Math hits the retail sector, and the problem with aestheticised loneliness influencers.

Reminder, we're on YouTube and SUBSTACK.

Hi friends! In this episode, we kick off with some celebrity pop culture bits, including a revelation from TikTok user Jessmess69 regarding Sarah Pidgeon and one former Culture Club Chats guest!

The Grammy Awards is adding five new categories: R&B collaboration or duo/group performance, best traditional pop vocal performance and best traditional folk album. But, the categories causing concern include best Asian pop music performance and best Latin song. Is this progress or a form of musical segregation?

Australian fashion brand, Lioness, has come under fire this week after its graphic tees were accused of sexist language. A t-shirt, which is being sold in Myer as well as in their online store for $29 features a slogan on the front that reads: “I’m too pretty to do math”. We break down our thoughts, including the new wave of bimbo-fication that's now being sold to women. We reference this opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald titled What a Degrading T-shirt: Girls Told They’re ‘Too Pretty To Do Math’ by educator Allan Dougan.

Next, have you noticed a certain type of social media content that’s focused on loneliness? Writer Rachel Pick wrote a piece for The Cut titled, “The Loneliness Influencers Inside The Luxurious Tedium Of “I Have No Friends” TikTok”. We discuss the influence of this type of content and if it's perpetuating or helping the loneliness crisis. We also read from Milk Fed by Caitlyn Richardson and her piece called Heidegger And The Illusion Of Aestheticized Loneliness.

In recommendations, Maggie watched the Australian horror movie, Leviticus, while Jas read and loved Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden.

Thank you for being here! Jas & Mags xo

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Our winter favourites, from hobbies and skincare to books and music. Cosy up with this episode on YouTube.

Here are the links for our picks!

Skincare

Dr Jart Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 | Exfoliating Face Toner


Aesop Sublime Replenishing Night Masque

Makeup

MERIT Flush Balm

Books

Tillinghast by Clare Cavenagh

The In Between by Christos Tsiolkas

Films

The Airport Chaplain (series)

2007 Films

Lars and the Real Girl

Music

Daniel Caesar’s Son of Spergy

Olivia Rodrigo's You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love

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Hi friends,

This week is a shorter episode as we have a bonus ep coming later this week! Keep your eyes peeled for our seasonal winter recommendations. You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Olivia Rodrigo is coming for the Queen of Pop title with her new album 'You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love'. We debrief and share our top picks (upon first listen).

One of the most famous celebrity weddings of the year took place in both London and Palermo after Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner tied the knot. Maggie has a take on the first pictures and we share why locals aren't happy. The first trailer for The Social Network’s sequel, The Social Reckoning, has dropped. We debrief the plot of the Aaron Sorkin film and debate if it's the story they should be focusing on.

Finally, Gwenyth Paltrow has come under fire after starring in ads for luxury apartments in Israel. Will this make even the tiniest dent in her career?

There are no Bookmarked recs this week, as we have a whole episode's worth coming soon.

Thank you for listening and if you enjoyed this episode (or any others), please share with a friend or give it a rate and review!

Jas & Mags xo

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The rise of phone-free shows, Taylor Swift’s new Disney song, and what’s behind Gen Z’s horror movie obsession? You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Taylor Swift has written a song for Toy Story 5 –– I Knew It, I Knew You marks Taylor’s return to the country genre and was inspired by the cowgirl, Jessie. Also in music news, Phoebe Bridgers has been playing a string of phone-free pop-up shows across small cities and college towns in America. The $1 gigs mark a return to tech-free shows and has us asking, are we all looking for an excuse to put our phones away?

Next, have you noticed that so many TV shows and movies right now have the same villain? In a piece titled “‘Bogeyman of the moment’: Why every TV show seems to have the same villain” for The Age, Michael Lallo makes the claim that AI is the villain we’re seeing everywhere at the moment. It's also sparking a renaissance in human-made art, as seen in a viral tweet by producer Adam Faze.

Two Gen Z horror directors are the talk of the internet and film world this month, creating conversations about a new era of filmmaking. Backrooms and Obsession, created by two Gen Z YouTubers, are topping box offices globally. We break down why the films are so popular and why Gen Z is obsessed with the horror genre. We reference an article for The Guardian, the ABC, and Why YouTubers Are Turning Hollywood Upside Down by Marlow Stern for Variety.

In Bookmarked, Jas shares the three books she bought for her winter cabin retreat: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, Strangers by Belle Burden, and Tillinghast by Clare Cavenagh. Maggie shares a music recommendation with Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers' album, Glory.

Thank you for listening! We appreciate you so much.

Jas & Mags xo

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Cynthia Erivo speaks out about Wicked, the Pattie Gonia lawsuit explained, and why are dot cakes creating discourse?

Hi friends,

We're back in the studio this week, so if you want to watch this podcast, head here.

In today's episode, Cynthia Erivo speaks out about Wicked, the Pattie Gonia lawsuit explained, & why are dot cakes creating discourse?

After a quick chat about Off Campus, we dive into pop culture bites, including Olivia Rodrigo's 90-minute interview with The New York Times’ Popcast. Cynthia Erivo is also on a new press tour and doesn't want to talk about Wicked. We reference this YouTube video and this Variety interview.

In Culture Shock, American drag queen and activist Pattie Gonia is being sued by outdoor clothing brand Patagonia for trademark infringement. We break down the lawsuit and share a clip from fair fashion advocate, Venetia La Manna.

Have you seen dot cakes on your FYPs lately? The dessert has gotten a lot of people riled up, so we wanted to break down where they came from and how they could intersect with the Diary of a CEO's latest viral gaffe. Are we demonising joy through optimisation culture? We reference content creator Tinx's video on the topic.

In Bookmarked, Maggie recommends The Grill podcast, and Jas recommends Erika Veurink's Substack, Long Live.

Thank you for listening! Jas & Mags xo

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Pete Davidson’s messy break-up, are Harry Styles and Charli XCX purging fans, and what the hell are the enhanced games?

Hi friends! After a quick catch up we jump straight into music news. Olivia Rodrigo has released a brand new single titled ‘The Cure’ and we theorise on whether Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and Charli xcx are trying to purge the fans they gained during their mega world tours. 

Comedian Pete Davidson has made headlines recently after his ex-partner and mother of his child, Elsie Hewitt, took to social media to share that she’s a solo parent of their five-month-old child. Yikes.

In a Hunger Games turn of events, this weekend sees the inaugural Enhanced Games take place. We recommend and discuss the 7am Podcast’s reporting on the new billionaire-backed Enhanced Games that allow participants to take “performance-enhancing drugs” including testosterone, anabolic steroids and growth hormone. The art of the grifter persists. 

In Bookmarked, we have two cosy recommendations for you: Watching the Detectives, a rom-com from 2007, and the juicy Rivals Season 2 on Disney+. 

Thank you for listening! No video episode this week as we recorded remotely but we’ll be back in the studio next time. Jas & Mags xo

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