Pop Cult – Details, episodes & analysis

Jeff Bezos bought Lauren Sánchez the Met Gala – with a Schiaparelli dress and styling by Law Roach. Silicon Valley is suddenly desperate to acquire the cultural cachet of good taste. But is a cinched waist a waste of resources?

Plus, smuggling apricots into the Bafta TV Awards 2026, the trouble with Eurovision, and a campaign from Charli xcx to make rock music (and smoking) cool again.

Vicky Jessop and India Block invite you to join the pop cult.

Join the Pop Cult

We’re India and Vicky, two journalists who love to talk about anything and everything – but most often pop culture. What makes society tick? What does the Met Gala say about the state of capitalism? And would we make good tradwives (bread: yes. Subjugation: no)? Join us as we plunge into the murky depths of the internet in our quest for answers.

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

How could we discuss pop culture and not mention Euphoria? As the HBO juggernaut approaches the end of its (highly divisive) third season, we sit back and unpack what all those sex scenes, OnlyFans moments and mutilations actually mean. Is it art? Or does the show have a humiliation problem - especially when it comes to its female characters?

All that on episode two, as well as India's thoughts on the Devil Wears Prada 2, fast fashion giant Shein buying Everlane and much more...

For people who wanted to do some extra reading:

Exposing Nxivm, BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct4qg2

Everlane is Selling Out... to Shein, Puck https://puck.news/everlane-is-selling-out-to-shein/

The Idol: How HBO's Next Euphoria Became Twisted 'Torture Porn', Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/the-idol-hbo-next-euphoria-torture-porn-the-weeknd-sam-levinson-lily-rose-depp-blackpink-jennie-1234688754/

The Guardian's The Idol review https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jul/03/the-idol-finale-review-one-of-the-worst-programmes-ever-made

Euphoria season 3 is a celebration of female degradation, Dazed https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/70086/1/euphoria-season-3-celebrates-degradation-women-sex-work-fentanyl 

Sound

Alex Koff, Carnaval - Pixabay

Join the Pop Cult

We’re India and Vicky, two journalists who love to talk about anything and everything – but most often pop culture. What makes society tick? What does the Met Gala say about the state of capitalism? And would we make good tradwives (bread: yes. Subjugation: no)? Join us as we plunge into the murky depths of the internet in our quest for answers.

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

On the face of things, Hollywood and Botox go together like Leonardo DiCaprio and dating younger women. But is that really the case? After a spate of negative headlines about both Botox'ed up stars (Anne Hathaway, that woman in Euphoria) and those who have chosen to go Botox-free (Catherine Zeta-Jones), we dive into the thorny issue of beauty and womanhood. Why do stars feel compelled to get Botox? And what does the current spate of tweakments mean for the way we watch films? Are we cursed to suffer through iPhone face forever?

Also in: India dives into Paralives, her new Sims-like obsession, and we discuss the issue of Pride, and why big brands seem to be turning away from it. Apart from Levis, of course.

Join the Pop Cult

We’re India and Vicky, two journalists who love to talk about anything and everything – but most often pop culture. What makes society tick? What does the Met Gala say about the state of capitalism? And would we make good tradwives (bread: yes. Subjugation: no)? Join us as we plunge into the murky depths of the internet in our quest for answers.

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

In May, Olivia Rodrigo wore a babydoll dress to perform at a concert in Barcelona and the internet lost its mind. Was her dress indeed "paedobait"? Was it unnecessary? Or are we, as ever, taking things wildly out of context?

Vicky and India delve into the complex and political history of babydoll dresses and moral panics, as well as the horror movie phenomenon that is Obsession, and the return of 90s it-magazine The Face.

Links to read more!

The babydoll is back – and so is the moral panic, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026/may/21/the-babydoll-is-back-and-causing-all-manner-of-moral-pontification

Olivia Rodrigo’s Baby-Doll Dress Was a Rorschach Test, The Atlantic:

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/05/babydoll-dress-olivia-rodrigo/687206/

Join the Pop Cult

We’re India and Vicky, two journalists who love to talk about anything and everything – but most often pop culture. What makes society tick? What does the Met Gala say about the state of capitalism? And would we make good tradwives (bread: yes. Subjugation: no)? Join us as we plunge into the murky depths of the internet in our quest for answers.

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