Harry Styles drops his new album, Justin Timberlake experiences the Streisand effect, and should you tell your partner your friends’ secrets?

Reminder: You can now watch our podcast on YouTube.

In this episode, we have a smattering of pop culture news stories from the week. To begin, Jas recommends Harry Styles' interviews with Zane Lowe and Brittany Broski's Royal Court.

Next, we love when corporate CEOs accidentally go viral for being so cringingly awkward... we chat about the McDonald's burger gate and read a think piece on it from The Atlantic by Ellen Cushing. Justin Timberlake is trying to stop body camera footage from his 2024 drunk driving arrest from being released. We discuss the Streisand effect and also reference a recent one that's close to home.

In Culture Shock, a number of local businesses in Melbourne had Ed Sheeran visit them while on his tour. Only, a number of them were fake. We discuss the ethics surrounding this and why a "harmless" piece of content may be a slippery slope in our precarious AI world. Here's the local organisation Ed actually visited.

Next, should we be regulating blind boxes like gambling? In Singapore, lawmakers and consumer advocates are pushing to regulate blind boxes due to the gambling risks they carry. Is this warranted or a chance to make tax on a female-dominated market?

Is it ever okay to tell your friends' secrets to your partner? This is something Hannah Ewen asked in British Vogue recently in her article, Please, Stop Telling Your Partner My Secrets.

In Bookmarked, Maggie recommends, It's Not You, It's Minimalism a podcast episode and video essay by From The Diving Board. Jas recommends (and reviews) The Moment, Charli XCX's new mockumentary film.

Thank you for listening! Jas & Mags xo

This episode was brought to you by SAILY eSim! Download SAILY in your app store and use our code 'cultureclub' at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. Or click the link here https://saily.com/cultureclub

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Topshop’s Australian Comeback, Hilary Duff’s opens up on Call Her Daddy and why are we all obsessed with sexy period dramas?

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Hilary Duff’s “Luck… Or Something” album has dropped – and she’s riding the wave of her press tour. We listened to her ep on Call Her Daddy where they dived into her nostalgic child star years as well as her career comeback now and share our thoughts.

Coming November 10, the former co-host of Call Her Daddy, Sofia Franklyn’s, memoir Daddy Issues will delve not only into her time on the podcast but the emotional and physical result of her fallout with co-host Alex Cooper, dealing with feelings of betrayal, and learning how to reinvent herself.

British retailer, Topshop has returned to Australia, signing with MYER as an exclusive stockist both in-store and online. We discuss our thoughts on the return at Melbourne Fashion Festival and delve into the brand’s history. We reference multiple pieces, including an article by Rose Marroncelli for The Conversation, another in ELLE UK by Rebecca Jane Hill and Nostalgia Alone Can’t Save Topshop by Madeleine Reid for Bricks Magazine.

After the fever of Wuthering Heights, a number of other period drama adaptations have been announced and are in the works. Dolly Alderton’s “progressive” Pride & Prejudice got a teaser trailer this week, while Aimee Lou Wood has signed on to play Jane Eyre in the titular role. We discuss why everyone’s so horny for period dramas right now and reference a Cosmopolitan UK article by Brit Dawson as well as ‘Bridgerton’ Only Pretends to Be Progressive by Kat Rosenfield for the Free Press.

In recommendations, Jas also recommends a sexy period drama (surprise, surprise) in the 2022 British fictionalised romance of Emily Bronte’s life, Emily (on SBS). Maggie recommends a podcast on Gisèle Pelicot by The New York Times titled, The Woman at the Centre of the Rape Trial That Shocked The World.

Thank you for listening!!! Jas & Mags xo

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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 the Winter Olympics. But it's not just her medal that's making headlines. We discuss the rise of Gen Z play and nihilism that Alysa is inadvertently championing. Jas references a Substack by Gael Aitor titled 'The Rise of Play Among Youth Culture' and an Instagram account titled The Career Archetypes.

In Bookmarked, Maggie recommends the movie Pillion while Jas recommends the new Paul McCartney documentary, Man on the Run.

Thank you for listening! <3 Jas & Mags

This episode was brought to you by SAILY eSim! Download SAILY in your app store and use our code 'cultureclub' at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. Or click the link here https://saily.com/cultureclub

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. We chat about a couple, including the Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid and his declaration of love on the world stage.

During an interview on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, Zayn Malik has revealed he was never “in love” with his ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, who he dated for six years, and who is the mother of his child.

In other pop culture bites, Britney Spears has sold her music catalogue and Amelia Dimoldenberg from Chicken Shop Date is directing (and starring) in her very own rom-com.

An episode of Library Takes (like Subway Takes but at London School of Economics and Political Science) has picked up traction online after one interviewee noted that men’s views on tofu directly reflect their views on women. Is this too deep or does it have some truth to it?

In recommendation, Maggie enjoyed the podcast, The Paradox of Petty Problems: Why Small Problems Can Snowball and Jas shared a documentary on Australian writer Charmian Clift titled Life Burns High, which is available on SBS.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jas references John Hughes as Sylvia Plath’s husband during Bookmarked. She meant to say Ted Hughes, the writer. Not the 1980s film director. (lol)

Thanks for being here <3 Jas and Mags xo

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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 brands in general that are incorporating AI into their creative work. Maggie references this article by Cory Doctorow in The Guardian.

Harry Styles has released worldwide concert dates “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally” and he’s touring Australia later this year. But, despite the excitement for a new Harry era, many fans have taken issue with the price of the tickets. We explore this sentiment and ask how we got here.

Why is there a flood of people “becoming Chinese” online? Is this latest internet fad light-hearted cultural appreciation or something we should be challenging? Maggie references videos by creators Caroline Ying Ouellette and Kathy Kalina Pham. Jas references a piece for Coveteur titled Who Gets to Be Chinese Now? by Faith Xue.

In Bookmarked, Jas recommends the blockbuster, One Battle After Another, while Maggie recommends the Everything Is Alive podcast.

Chat to you next time!

Jas & Mags

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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?*

The Wuthering Heights press tour has kicked off and has audiences rolling their eyes already. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are giving co-dependent co-stars in press interviews, but is the PR-relationship-to-sell-a-movie over? We reference (and role play) from Vogue Australia's cover story by Hannah Rose Yee.

Sydney Sweeney has launched a new lingerie brand named SYRN. We look into the launch of the brand and her comments via Cosmopolitan magazine, where she positions herself as an apolitical artistic figure... much to think about.

In Bookmarked, Maggie recommends Hamnet whilst Jas recommends Mothering Sunday. It's a historical fiction party.

Chat to you next time!

Jas & Mags xo

*EDIT: During the episode we referenced the Vogue Japan photo as the cover, it's now been corrected to a photo in the spread, not the cover.

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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 to a much higher standard when it comes to red carpet interactions.

On his press tour to promote the new Netflix movie The Rip, Matt Damon made some pretty revealing comments about Netflix and the future of media. Are streamers going to simplify plots so we can all scroll as we watch? Next, Brooklyn Beckham is at the centre of the biggest celebrity news story of 2026 and, for the British media, perhaps the last decade... we discuss the drama so far.

In Bookmarked, Jas recommends the 1996 movie Michael while Maggie recommends the book Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Talk to you soon!

Jas & Mags xo

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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 media trend this week? Posting like it’s 2016. We break down why people are posting throwbacks and if there's a bit of historical revisionism going on. We read from Daisy Jones' British Vogue piece titled '2016 Was Actually The Worst Year Ever, Remember?'

In Bookmarked, we discuss the new Marty Supreme movie that's released via A24 this week in Australian cinemas.

Thanks for listening!

Jas & Mags xo

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