A Brat Summer Retrospective: When Art Meets Politics + How Do You Move Forward After Creating a Cultural Phenomenon?

A Brat Summer Retrospective: When Art Meets Politics + How Do You Move Forward After Creating a Cultural Phenomenon?

Welcome to Feed the Fangirl! We’re Ella and Victoria - longtime friends, pop culture obsessives and eternal fangirls. Whether it’s TV, movies, music, books or celebrity - we talk about all the things on our pop culture menu. Food for thought - it feeds the inner fangirl! In today’s episode we reflect on the summer of lime green, party girls, bumping that and working it out on the remix. Of course, we’re talking about Brat Summer. First, we explore Charli XCX's career trajectory pre-Brat as an "underground" artist. We then discuss how Brat not only defined a summer, but defined the culture at large and influenced the world of politics. We also chat about the film The Moment and how you move forward as an artist after creating a cultural phenomenon. Plus, we share what it was like to experience Brat Summer live at Laneway Festival in Sydney and consider where Charli is going next.  In today’s episode we referenced: Charli xcx Thinks Kamala Harris Is ‘Brat.’ She May Be Right [https://time.com/7003038/kamala-harris-charli-xcx-brat-summer/] from Time, Kamala Harris Is Using Social Media to Reach Young Voters [https://time.com/7017076/kamala-harris-memes-social-media-young-voters/] from Time, How this ‘off-putting’ color shaded the internet and beyond [https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/23/style/brat-summer-green-explained/index.html ] from CNN, Brat’ Unfiltered: Charli xcx on How She Stole the Summer (And Worked It Out With Lorde on the Remix) [https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/charli-xcx-brat-billboard-cover-story-interview-1235732025/ ] from Billboard, Charli xcx Enters Her Next Chapter from Vanity Fair, What is Kamala Harris's 'brat' rebrand all about? [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/charli-xcx-interview?srsltid=AfmBOopGlOmHr52BjzbeqoIZoAMxFS03XwnHkXzHdd87Ud9ubVptbLHX] From BBC, Charli XCX: Brat review – insecurity-obliterating anthems by pop’s most human superstar [https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/jun/06/charli-xcx-brat-review-insecurity-obliterating-anthems-by-pops-most-human-superstar] from The Guardian, Brat [https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/charli-xcx-brat/] from Pitchfork, Charli xcx Says Original ‘Brat’ Movie Pitch Was Too Label-Focused and Calls Ariana Grande’s Oscar Snub a ‘Surprise’: ‘She Is Amazing and Goes Full Force’ [https://variety.com/2026/film/news/charli-xcx-the-moment-ariana-grande-oscar-snub-1236639296/] from Variety We also referenced to the performance Boiler Room & Charli xcx Presents: PARTYGIRL [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKPBq_j4buQ], the podcast episode Sidetracked with Charli XCX [https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0j2f1ql] and the reel Brittany Broski reveals her First/Worst/Best concerts! [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWjURU7jrtT/] Love our show? If you’d like to support us by leaving a 5 star review and clicking ‘follow’ where you listen to your podcasts, we would be very grateful! Keep up with us! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @feedthefangirl Cya next Friday! xoxo

Fandom Etiquette and Journalism: Should Journalists Stay Out of Fandom Spaces?

Welcome to Feed the Fangirl! We’re Ella and Victoria - longtime friends, pop culture obsessives and eternal fangirls. Whether it’s TV, movies, music, books or celebrity - we talk about all the things on our pop culture menu. Food for thought - it feeds the inner fangirl! In today’s episode we pose the question: Should journalists stay out of fandom spaces? Whether it’s shipping culture, fan-art or fanfiction, fandoms are spaces for expressing creativity and exploring identity in a semi-private, safe space. We ask what is the etiquette mainstream media should follow when reporting on fandom and what is the ethical responsibility of a journalist to protect the privacy and safety of these spaces?  We unpack the Teen Vogue article *The Pitt* Fans Aren't Happy With Journalists. We Need Real Etiquette When Reporting on Fandom [https://www.teenvogue.com/story/journalists-need-real-etiquette-when-reporting-on-fandom] and revisit some of the reporting around the Heated Rivalry fandom. Can journalists toe the line between examining fandom through a critical lens and leading with respect without violating boundaries? We also referred to the piece from Vulture (and New York Magazine) Girls Who Love Boys Who Love Boys [https://www.vulture.com/article/heated-rivalry-fujoshi-fan-fiction.html] by E. Alex Jung. Love our show? If you’d like to support us by leaving a 5 star review and clicking ‘follow’ where you listen to your podcasts, we would be very grateful! Keep up with us! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @feedthefangirl Cya next Friday! xoxo

you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love: Olivia Rodrigo’s Most Heartbreaking Album Yet?

Welcome to Feed the Fangirl! We’re Ella and Victoria - longtime friends, pop culture obsessives and eternal fangirls. Whether it’s TV, movies, music, books or celebrity - we talk about all the things on our pop culture menu. Food for thought - it feeds the inner fangirl! Olivia Rodrigo is back and we couldn’t be more excited! In today’s episode we unpack her newest album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love track by track. We reflect on why we were anticipating a ‘love’ album, the shock of the Louis Partridge breakup rumours and those four letter title predictions. Plus we discuss the album rollout that all began when a purple wall was painted pink (literally and figuratively watching paint dry). Of course we also unpack every song on the album and embark on the musical journey of all consuming love, a relationship breakdown, to crushing heartbreak. Yes, she does in fact seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. This episode, we referred to the articles “I’m Definitely A Lover Girl”: Olivia Rodrigo On Yearning, “London Vibes”, And Her Most Experimental Album Yet [https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/olivia-rodrigo-british-vogue-interview] from Vogue UK, Olivia Rodrigo is at her complicated best on her heartbreaking new album [https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/olivia-rodrigo-is-at-her-complicated-best-on-her-heartbreaking-new-album-20260612-p606cg.html] from the Sydney Morning Herald, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love [https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/olivia-rodrigo-you-seem-pretty-sad-for-a-girl-so-in-love/]from Pitchfork and Modern Love, Goth God Cosigns, and More Takeaways From Olivia Rodrigo’s New Album [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/olivia-rodrigo-you-seem-pretty-sad-for-a-girl-takeaways-1235576809/] from Rolling Stone. We also referenced this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym1Za-a7g68] Olivia interview on the Elvis Duran Show. Love our show? If you’d like to support us by leaving a 5 star review and clicking ‘follow’ where you listen to your podcasts, we would be very grateful! Keep up with us! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @feedthefangirl Cya next Friday! xoxo

BookTok to Screen: Off Campus, Emily Henry Romances and What Makes a Great Adaptation

Content Warning: In this episode we touch on some heavier topics, including sexual assault and domestic violence in relation to storylines in the tv series Off Campus. Please take care if these  topics may be sensitive for you. You can reach out to 1800RESPECT [https://1800respect.org.au/], the Australian national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Or if you are listening internationally, please visit Find a Helpline [https://findahelpline.com/]. (The Off Campus chat begins at 33:45) Welcome to Feed the Fangirl! We’re Ella and Victoria - longtime friends, pop culture obsessives and eternal fangirls. Whether it’s TV, movies, music, books or celebrity - we talk about all the things on our pop culture menu. Food for thought - it feeds the inner fangirl! In today’s episode, we discuss the trend we’ve been seeing of BookTok books frequently being adapted for the screen. What actually is BookTok and why is the entertainment industry investing in bringing these stories to our screens? We also talk about the queen of romance novels and a pillar of the BookTok community, Emily Henry (aka EmHen). We share our thoughts on the People We Meet On Vacation movie and that Gus Everett casting news for Beach Read that has BookTok very upset. Of course we also unpack our newest obsession Off Campus and chat about the appeal of a hockey romance and why the show has been resonating with audiences beyond just BookTok. Plus, what actually makes a great book to screen adaptation? We referred to the articles How crying on TikTok sells books [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/20/books/booktok-tiktok-video.html] from the New York Times, Is the "Lit Girl" just an aesthetic? Or can it change reading culture for the better? [https://theeverygirl.substack.com/p/is-the-lit-girl-just-an-aesthetic?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=3112943&post_id=194834708&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=52v6hn&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email] from The Everygirl and ‘Off Campus’ Just Broke A Viewership Record On Amazon Prime Video [https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2026/05/27/off-campus-just-broke-a-viewership-record-on-amazon-prime-video/] from Forbes. We also referenced research from the Publishers Association in the UK about How BookTok is transforming Gen-Z reading habits [https://australiareads.org.au/news/booktok-transforming-gen-z-reading-habits/].  Love our show? If you’d like to support us by leaving a 5 star review and clicking ‘follow’ where you listen to your podcasts, we would be very grateful! Keep up with us! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @feedthefangirl Cya next Friday! xoxo

We're Back for Season 2!

Hello everyone! We are just popping into your podcast feeds to say we will be back next week with Season 2 of Feed The Fangirl! We’re bringing you 6 fresh episodes every Friday, starting next week on June 19. As per usual, we’re going to be bringing you deep dives on all things TV, movies, music, books and celebrity. In the meantime, don’t forget to hit follow wherever you listen to your podcasts so you can be the first to know when our new episodes drop! And now's your chance to get up to date and catch up on listening to all our season 1 episodes if you haven’t already. We’re so excited! Cya next Friday! xoxo