Strangers by Belle Burden, The New Yorker & Our Take

Strangers by Belle Burden, The New Yorker & Our Take

This week on the piffle pod, we review Strangers by Belle Burden - the wildly discussed memoir about a husband leaving his wife and three children after 20 years of marriage to begin an entirely new life. We dive into the book’s themes of love, betrayal, emotional labour, identity and reinvention, but also the part we couldn’t stop thinking about: the extreme wealth quietly sitting beneath the story. And of course, we talk about that piece from the New Yorker [https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/whats-missing-from-belle-burdens-strangers]. Did the lack of transparency around money affect how we experienced the memoir? Could we fully connect with the emotional stakes when so much privilege felt unspoken? And does a memoir owe readers that kind of honesty? Leave a comment, like and subscribe, or share this episode with a friend! To stay up to date with all things Piffle, follow us on Instagram or TikTok @piffleproductions, or email us at ⁠piffleprod@gmail.com⁠. Music by Michael and Tilly.

Jeff Buckley's Life & Legacy: It's Never Over

In this episode, we discuss It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley - the music documentary directed by Amy Berg that gives us a rare insight into who Jeff really was, featuring interviews with his mother, bandmates, friends like Ben Harper, and former girlfriends, alongside a treasure trove of archival footage of the late musician. We unpack Jeff Buckley’s remarkable and complicated life: his childhood, his fraught relationship with his famous father Tim Buckley, the role his mother Mary Guibert played in shaping who he became, and his sudden, tragic death in 1997. We also talk about the music - because you can’t talk about Jeff Buckley without talking about the music. Grace, the only studio album released during his lifetime, was once described by David Bowie as the best album he’d ever heard. Three decades later, younger generations are still discovering it and being equally moved by it. Brad Pitt serves as an executive producer after originally wanting to star as Jeff Buckley in a biopic. We’re very glad we got this instead. Leave a comment, like and subscribe, or share this episode with a friend! To stay up to date with all things Piffle, follow us on Instagram or TikTok @piffleproductions, or email us at piffleprod@gmail.com. Music by Michael and Tilly.

Famesick by Lena Dunham: From Cancelled to Cool Again?

In this week’s episode, we discuss Famesick, the highly anticipated second memoir from Lena Dunham, and unpack her return to the cultural conversation after years of public backlash and controversy. We get into: * Her long-term chronic health struggles and how they shaped both her career and personal life * The controversies that defined public perception of her throughout the 2010s * Her writing about Jack Antonoff, Adam Driver and Jemima Kirke * Her complicated creative and personal relationship with Jenni Konner * Whether Lena Dunham has gone from “cancelled” to culturally relevant again. We also share our thoughts on The Devil Wears Prada 2, including the choice to cast Patrick Brammall as Anne Hathaway’s new love interest, the fashion and styling direction of the sequel, and why it’s a genuinely fun follow-up to such an iconic film. If you’ve been curious about the reaction to Famesick, or why everyone seems to be talking about Lena Dunham again, this is your deep dive. Leave a comment, like and subscribe, or share this episode with a friend! To stay up to date with all things Piffle, follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ @piffleproductions, or email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠piffleprod@gmail.com⁠⁠ Music by Michael and Tilly.

The Evolution of Coachella: From Indie Roots to Corporate Giant + What It’s Really Like in 2026

In this episode, we break down the full evolution of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival - from its 1999 indie and alternative roots to the global, brand-heavy, influencer-driven event it’s become in 2026. We get into: * How Pearl Jam boycotting Ticketmaster inspired the first ever Coachella, and how the festival continued to evolve into a cultural force * The shift from music-first festival to celebrity and influencer hotspot * The rise of brand activations, outpost parties and events * Weekend 1 vs Weekend 2 differences * What Coachella looks like today and whether it’s lost its edge. We also unpack this year’s festival, including Justin Bieber’s standout performance, the comparisons made to Sabrina Carpenter's production efforts, and our first-hand experience of the biggest moments that defined both weekends. If you’ve ever wondered how Coachella became Coachella, this is your deep dive. Leave a comment, like and subscribe, or share this episode with a friend! To stay up to date with all things Piffle, follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/piffleproductions/] or ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@piffleproductions] @piffleproductions, or email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠piffleprod@gmail.com⁠ Music by Michael and Tilly.

Summer House, Jorginho Frello's apology to Chappell Roan & the psychology behind pile on culture

This week we kick off with our thoughts on The Drama, the new film starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Note: we do discuss some spoilers, but we tell you exactly where to skip ahead if you'd prefer to watch it first. Then we diving into pile on culture (also known as dogpiling) and ask whether online outrage is ever actually justified. We explore the psychology behind why people join in the pile on, the role platforms play in amplifying them, and what the real world consequences are for the people on the receiving end. We look at two recent examples: the internet's reaction to Amanda Batula from Summer House following her rumoured connection with co-star West, and the pile on directed at Chappell Roan over an incident in Brazil that she denied any involvement in. In both cases, the punishment felt wildly disproportionate to the crime... and tellingly, the men involved escaped largely unscathed. Update: since recording this episode, Jorginho Frello has acknowledged there was a misunderstanding in his accusation against Chappell Roan. Elo added a post-production voice note with her thoughts. Leave a comment, like and subscribe, or share this episode with a friend! To stay up to date with all things Piffle, follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/piffleproductions/] or ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@piffleproductions] @piffleproductions, or email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠piffleprod@gmail.com Music by Michael and Tilly.