<p>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>.</p><br><p>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?</p><br><p>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&amp;t=rRbHvbJT0x5VwtkHrZjorw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">producer Adam Faze</a>. </p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>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>.</p><br><p>Thank you for listening! We appreciate you so much. </p><br><p>Jas &amp; Mags xo </p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>