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 

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 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CultureClubPod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. 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 <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/bogeyman-of-the-moment-why-every-tv-show-seems-to-have-the-same-villain-20260527-p601bb.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“‘Bogeyman of the moment’: Why every TV show seems to have the same villain”</a> 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 <a href="https://x.com/adamfaze/status/2060809634496082022?s=46&t=rRbHvbJT0x5VwtkHrZjorw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">producer Adam Faze</a>. Two Gen Z horror directors are the talk of the internet and film world this month, creating conversations about a new era of filmmaking.&nbsp;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 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jun/01/youtube-gen-z-filmmakers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-05/why-are-horror-movies-popular-again-schmeitgeist-episode/102419970" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the ABC</a>, and <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/features/backrooms-obsession-youtubers-hollywood-kane-parsons-curry-barker-1236764464/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why YouTubers Are Turning Hollywood Upside Down</a> by Marlow Stern for Variety. In Bookmarked, Jas shares the three books she bought for her winter cabin retreat: <a href="https://www.readings.com.au/product/9780008742775/yesteryear--caro-claire-burke--2026--9780008742775" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yesteryear</a> by Caro Claire Burke, <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/strangers-9781529936124" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Strangers</a> by Belle Burden, and <a href="https://harpercollins.com.au/products/9780008742553_tillinghast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tillinghast</a> by Clare Cavenagh. Maggie shares a music recommendation with Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers' album, <a href="https://teenjesusandthejeanteasers.bandcamp.com/album/glory-deluxe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Glory</a>. Thank you for listening! We appreciate you so much. Jas & Mags xo <hr>

Culture Club is a weekly podcast analysing pop culture, the arts, and the internet, hosted by writers and editors Jasmine Wallis and Maggie Zhou.

Culture Club is a weekly podcast analysing pop culture, the arts, and the internet, hosted by writers and editors Jasmine Wallis and Maggie Zhou.

Culture Club

Gen Z’s Horror Obsession, Taylor Swift Does Disney & The Rise Of Phone-Free Concerts

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/df409d4a-b745-4b2b-9638-b47f001df960/transcript