piffle pod

Piffle Productions

Welcome to the piffle pod, where we talk piffle about the books, documentaries and pop culture moments everyone's talking about — and dig into the bigger ideas hiding underneath them. Not experts. Just enthused. Follow us here and on socials @piffleproductions New episodes fortnightly! Have a question or thought you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you. Email Piffle Productions at piffleprod@gmail.com

  1. Aug 9

    Perez Hilton, Ozempic & Being Sent Back to the Early 2000s Against Our Will

    ⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses self-harm, body image, eating disorders and the impact of body commentary in media. If any of these themes are difficult for you, please skip this episode or take care while listening. Resources are linked below. This week we start with Perez Hilton — specifically his recent TikTok live self-harm incident, and while we're glad he's getting help, seeing his name back in the headlines sent us straight back to the early 2000s. His blog was one of the most influential and cruel sources of commentary on women's bodies of that era, and we found ourselves unpacking how much of that seeped into us as teenagers. Combined with the shrinking bodies of celebrities in 2026 — the Ozempic era — and the relentless commentary around Ariana Grande's body specifically, we've been feeling sent back in time against our will. We reflect on what it was like growing up exposed to tabloids and blogs that were so openly cruel about women's bodies, and how that content shaped the way we felt about ourselves — and how some of those feelings have been unexpectedly resurfaced. But we don't leave it there. We also talk about antidotes — the things that pull us out of that headspace and back into our bodies in a good way. We share a reel from content creator Gemma Dimond (@gemdimond) that really resonated with us, and we talk about finding hobbies and passions that have nothing to do with how you look. Elo also reviews two films she saw at the Melbourne International Film Festival — Whistle, a documentary about the surprisingly passionate world of competitive whistling, and Maddie's Secret, a brilliantly overacted satirical comedy starring John Early that sends up the clichéd made-for-TV melodramas about women (with eating disorders) from the 2000s — and lands somewhere surprisingly moving while handling the subject matter with sensitivity. Urs also reviews Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey — loved it, but bring napkins for your ears. 💛 If this episode brought up anything difficult, please reach out to the Butterfly Foundation: butterfly.org.au or call 1800 33 4673. Not experts. Just enthused. 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.

    Perez Hilton, Ozempic & Being Sent Back to the Early 2000s Against Our Will
  2. Jul 1

    Are You Entitled To Your Parents' Money? + Kylie Jenner's Meta Glasses

    This week we tried something a little different: we each brought a topic the other knew nothing about until we hit record. First up, Urs brings us a recent article from The Cut about ⁠millennials feeling entitled to their parents' money⁠. We read through some of the scenarios — adult children watching their parents cruise the Mediterranean and buy yachts while they drown in student debt — and give our two cents. We both landed in the same place: nobody is entitled to anyone else's money, even their parents'. But the student loan piece complicated things. The American college debt system is different to Australian HECS/HELP debt, and we'll be the first to admit we don't fully understand the pressure of those loans. Then it's Elo's turn. She brought the Kylie Jenner x Meta Starfire glasses — and yes, they are undeniably quite chic. But are they a tipping point for AI wearable technology going fully mainstream? Should we be scared? We talk about the launch event (Kylie, Mark Zuckerberg, and a very incognito Timothée Chalamet in a cap and hoodie), the safety and surveillance concerns, the privacy implications of a 12MP camera disguised as a fashion accessory, and what it means that it's Kylie Jenner's actual AI voice inside the frames. Not experts. Just enthused. 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.

    Are You Entitled To Your Parents' Money? + Kylie Jenner's Meta Glasses
  3. Jun 24

    Does the Sun Need Defending?

    A new book argues that we've become too afraid of sunlight. But is the sun really misunderstood or are public health experts right to keep the message simple? In this episode, we discuss In Defense of Sunlight by science journalist Rowan Jacobsen and the growing conversation around sunlight, sunscreen, vitamin D and skin cancer. After seeing Jacobsen's arguments featured in Allure and across the podcast circuit, we wanted to dig into the claims for ourselves. As two Australians who grew up with Slip, Slop, Slap campaigns and some of the highest melanoma rates in the world, we explore why sun safety messaging exists, whether public health advice has been fairly represented in the debate around sunlight, and why some of Jacobsen's most controversial arguments may be less controversial than they first appear. We discuss: The key themes in Jacobson's bookOur experience with sun safety growing up in AustraliaWhat the sun safety guidelines in Australia and the US actually recommend (hint: it's not reapplying sunscreen every two hours while sitting indoors in winter)Jacobsen's claim that people with darker skin tones may experience negative health effects from following sun safety guidelines designed primarily for lighter-skinned populations.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.

    Does the Sun Need Defending?

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to the piffle pod, where we talk piffle about the books, documentaries and pop culture moments everyone's talking about — and dig into the bigger ideas hiding underneath them. Not experts. Just enthused. Follow us here and on socials @piffleproductions New episodes fortnightly! Have a question or thought you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you. Email Piffle Productions at piffleprod@gmail.com

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