Culture Club

Why the AI bubble is bound to burst, the influence of Big Tech and the concept of ‘enshittification’ with tech journalist Cory Doctorow.
In today’s episode of Culture Club Chats, we sit down with Canadian-British author, activist, journalist and blogger Cory Doctorow.
Cory’s work at the intersection of technology and culture reached new heights following the publication of his 2025 book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It.
The term ‘enshittification’ was coined by Cory and describes the degradation of online services and platforms like Facebook, Amazon and X in pursuit of profit.
In this conversation, Cory unpacks why the AI bubble is bound to burst, how Big Tech has reshaped the internet, and what the future of our increasingly online lives might look like.
Cory is coming to Australia this month. He'll be at Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas from the 22nd to the 23rd of August, and Melbourne’s Now or Never Festival, presented by The Wheeler Centre, on the 25th of August.
In Bookmarked, Cory recommends Here Where We Live Is Our Country by Molly Crabapple and Inventing the Renaissance by Ada Palmer.
Thanks for listening - Jas & Mags xo
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Cosy fantasy, famous fathers, and spinning fact into fiction, with author Naomi Ishiguro. Our guest today is British author Naomi Ishiguro.
She’s the author of the short story collection, Escape Routes, and the novel, Common Ground. If her name rings a bell, it could be because her dad is the Nobel Prize-winning author, Kazuo Ishiguro.
The first book from her new fantasy series, The Rainshadow Series, is now out in the world. Book one, The Rainshadow Orphans, is a cosy fantasy read blending magical whimsy with real-world political stakes.
In Bookmarked, Naomi recommends Nina Mingya Powles’ Tiny Moons: A Year of Eating in Shanghai and Small Bodies of Water.
Enjoy!
Follow Naomi Ishiguro here and Culture Club podcast here.
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The history of the witch hunts, the devaluation of female power, and how to tap into your witchy side, with Good Witch author and journalist Lucianne Tonti.
Lucianne Tonti is an Australian-based fashion expert, author, and journalist. She’s the fashion editor of The Saturday Paper, sustainability editor of ELLE Australia and a contributor to The Guardian.
In 2022, Lucianne published her award-winning book Sundressed: Natural Fibres and the Future of Fashion, which explores the garment industry and how regenerative fibre farming can help revolutionise the future of clothing.
Now, Lucianne has written Good Witch, a brand new non-fiction book that explores how the witch hunts were the catalyst for much of what is wrong with our world today: climate change, our disconnection from nature, and the corrupt patriarchal systems we live under.
Good Witch looks back at the witch hunts that swept Europe and America in the 16, 17 and 18th centuries and explores how ‘witchy’ or ‘women’s work’ like gardening and textiles is regaining popularity in the current moment.
We hope you enjoy this chat and if you want to see more of Lucianne's work, you can follow her on Instagram.
Watch this episode on YouTube and follow us on Substack.

Jas & Mags xo
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This week, enjoy a bonus bumper Bookmarked episode. This is what we've enjoyed watching, reading and listening to this winter. Plus, what we're looking forward to consuming in August.
References:
Famesick by Lena Dunham
Good Witch by Lucianna Tonti
Hot History Podcast
Frances Ha
Who Is Lily Jay? The Australian influencer Accused of Using AI in Aid Videos
Australian influencer Lily Jay’s tangled web of AI manipulation
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Whistler by Ann Patchett
My Brilliant Career coming to Netflix August 13
The Invite
Let us know what you've been loving as well! Thank you for listening - Jas & Mags xo
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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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