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Sally Rooney’s book ban, the unconscious bias in Traitors, and does your friendship have a wellness gap? Hi friends! After a quick catch-up, we get into pop culture news, including the HBO Max reunion of the CENTURY. We play a Reel from Girls Rewatch Podcast. Books by Sally Rooney will no longer be sold in the UK because of the Irish novelist's support for Palestine Action, an organisation that has been banned in the country. What does this mean for one of the most famous writers of our time?  Season 2 of the UK Celebrity Traitors is currently airing but in the second elimination of the game a “faithful” contestant, American Industry actress Myha’la Herrold who is Black was eliminated, sparking an interesting conversation about the role that unconscious racial and cultural bias plays in the game.  We reference The Times and Sunday Times data journalist Yennah Smart's report on this from January and We Need To Talk About The Traitors And Unconscious Bias by Nicole Vassell for British Vogue. Next, are you losing friends to the “Wellness Gap”? It’s a question that Gen Z led media company, Impact, asked recently. We break down what it means and if we're feeling it in our friendships as well.  In Bookmarked, we hear from Culture Club listener Kahlia who recommends two books: The World Beneath Her Feet by Holly Ringland and Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth. Maggie recommends The Farm by Jessica Mansour-Nahra, and Jas recommends the drama series The Affair on Prime Video. Thanks for listening! And if you want to share your own Bookmarked recommendation just email us a 90 second or under voice memo to [email protected]. Jas & Mags xo  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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.

Wimbledon bans influencers, Australia might be opting out of social media algorithms, and unpacking the Stella Lefty nepo pop-star drama.  First up: Current SNL cast member Veronika Slowikowska (AKA Veronka is Cool) revealed a new singing project: Me As A Girl. Even local sleuth, Triple J presenter Abby Butler, made a TikTok on the subject.  Next, Nathan Fielder has made a documentary about Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. We reference this Vanity Fair feature. In world-breaking news, Australia might be the first to switch off social media algorithms. Thanks to the campaigning of local not-for-profit, Teach Us Consent, the Australian government may encourage an "opt-in" algorithm. Is this a positive? Or is the algorithm becoming a close comfort? We reference our own interview with Teach Us Consent founder, Chanel Contos, from 2023! And this piece in The Conversation by Rob Nicholls. Wimbledon is banning influencers? Kind of. Wimbledon will not have any accreditation category for influencers or content creators, sparking a debate not just online but also in the Culture Club studio.  There’s a name that hasn’t left the internet’s lips this month, and that is Stella Lefty. Her country-pop song ‘Boston’ has gone super bonkers viral and, as a result, brought about a LOT of attention. We break down the plagiarism accusations and billionaire father claims. We reference a Yahoo article by Kelsey Weekman and a review by The Guardian: Boston singer’s debut is bland, boilerplate and beyond banal. In recommendations, Maggie loved Sterling Point while Jas recommends the new A24 movie about Anthony Bourdain, TONY. Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Substack and YouTube as well. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why the AI bubble is bound to burst, the influence of Big Tech and the concept of ‘enshittification’ with tech journalist Cory Doctorow. In today’s episode of Culture Club Chats, we sit down with Canadian-British author, activist, journalist and blogger Cory Doctorow. Cory’s work at the intersection of technology and culture reached new heights following the publication of his 2025 book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It. The term ‘enshittification’ was coined by Cory and describes the degradation of online services and platforms like Facebook, Amazon and X in pursuit of profit.  In this conversation, Cory unpacks why the AI bubble is bound to burst, how Big Tech has reshaped the internet, and what the future of our increasingly online lives might look like. Cory is coming to Australia this month. He'll be at Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas from the 22nd to the 23rd of August, and Melbourne’s Now or Never Festival, presented by The Wheeler Centre, on the 25th of August.  In Bookmarked, Cory recommends Here Where We Live Is Our Country by Molly Crabapple and Inventing the Renaissance by Ada Palmer. Thanks for listening - Jas & Mags xo  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.