Culture Club

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.

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