132 episodes

The pop culture podcast with no filter, brought to you by besties and journalists Kathleen and Ellie.

Straight Up Straight Up

    • Society & Culture

The pop culture podcast with no filter, brought to you by besties and journalists Kathleen and Ellie.

    Sabrina Carpenter, Hit Man and the Queenie adaptation

    Sabrina Carpenter, Hit Man and the Queenie adaptation

    Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter’s relationship is top of our hit-list today hunnies, since the singer released a music video all about an embarrassing boyfriend with a cameo from none other than… her 'embarrassing' boyfriend, Barry. Is he a secret scumbag, or is this all a PR ploy? Next, we revisit Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver’s podcast, Miss Me?, specifically the episode on sabotage and the Billie Eilish interview, followed by a review of the eagerly-anticipated TV adaptation of Candice Carty Williams’ book Queenie, which has divided critics and audiences. Plus, an ode to Clarkson’s Farm, which has returned to Amazon for a third season. How does a man with an unsavoury reputation as Jeremy Clarkson manage to make such charming, hilarious TV? And finally, a fascinating interview with the founders of London Nootropics, longtime partner of the pod and makers of the best adaptogenic coffee on the market. With Shez and Zain, we cover everything from medicinal mushrooms and coffee to biohacking trends like barefoot shoes and life-extending supplements. 

    DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!

    Thanks so much to our amazing partner London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. Get 20% OFF with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Reccos discussed: 


    Sabrina Carpenter, Please Please Please 
    Dua Lipa Has No Lore, LA Times 
    Miss Me? Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver’s podcast
    Hit Man, Netflix 
    Hit Man by Skip Hollingsworth, Texas Monthly
    Kiss The Ground, Netflix
    Queenie, Channel 4
    Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (novel)
    Rye Lane, Disney +
    Queenie review – so half-baked it could have been made by AI, Guardian
    Queenie Reminds Us That Black Women Have A “Right To Exist Messily”, Refinery 29
    Clarkson’s Farm, Amazon Prime Video (season 3) 
    Vivobarefoot shoes 

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Ozempic, ‘nepo baby’ North West and Netflix’s Eric

    Ozempic, ‘nepo baby’ North West and Netflix’s Eric

    Ethical non-monogamy, platonic friendships and TikTok dating coaches: we get into all manner of divisive topics this week, huns, before a big old debate on North West, who has recently reignited the nepo-baby conversation with her controversial performance as Simba in the Lion King. Should adults be critiquing a child on the internet? And how does Kim and Kanye’s parenting approach figure? Speaking of, the Kardashians have returned to Disney for a new season and the elephant in the room is Ozempic. From Kylie and Kims’ shrinking frames, to scenes blatantly showing Wegovy in Scott Dissick’s fridge – are they now knowingly positioning themselves as the poster family for weight loss drugs? And how do we as a society navigate the glamorisation of Ozempic; can the benefits really outweigh the side effects? Next is a look at Will Smith’s upcoming comeback, why Brad Pitt’s daughter is dropping his surname and, finally, a review of the new Netflix series everyone’s talking about, Eric, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Vincent, a puppeteer in 1980s New York whose nine-year-old son goes missing. Is Eric the most divisive show of 2024? 

    DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!

    Thanks so much to our amazing partner London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Reccos discussed:


    Sentimental Garbage, Caroline O’Donoghue 
    Aubrey Marcus on the dark side of open relationships, Diary of a CEO 
    Where Have All My Guy Friends Gone? The Cut
    Gone Girl (the ‘cool girl’ monologue)
    The Case for Marrying an Older Man by Grazie Sophia Christie, The Cut
    The Cult of the Provider Man, The Cut 
    The Kardashians Season Five on Disney +
    Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs by Johann Hari
    Our review of Jada Pinkett’s memoir (19 Oct 2023 episode)
    Eric, Netflix
    Eric review – Benedict Cumberbatch will win awards for this wildly ambitious drama, The Guardian
    Eric review: Benedict Cumberbatch excels as a weirdo in dark, misanthropic missing-child drama, The Independent
    Eric Shows Everything That’s Wrong With Mid TV, The Atlantic 
    Dark Days (2000 documentary film) 
    Machinal at The Old Vic

    • 1 hr 4 min
    The Bennifer drama, AI gone wrong and Ryan Gosling’s rom-com

    The Bennifer drama, AI gone wrong and Ryan Gosling’s rom-com

    Jennifer Lopez’s latest film has arrived on Netflix and, phew, do we have thoughts! From its botched messaging around AI, to J.Lo’s absurd (if admirable) commitment to her role as a serious scientist, we review Atlas in all its ridiculousness before debriefing on the latest Bennifer drama. Are the reports suggesting that Jen and Ben are separating after less than a year of marriage really true? And can Ben Affleck possibly be claiming temporary insanity as grounds for divorce? Also this week, we recommend The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, a charming rom-com meets action thriller about a stuntman that promises good vibes and classic Gosling unlikely leading man energy. And finally, an update on Sarah Jessica Parker, whose recent podcast appearances show an intriguingly different side to the ‘cruel’ one we’ve read about amid all the SATC drama.  

    DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!

    Thanks so much to our amazing partner London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Things discussed: 


    MOTH Drinks and Vinca Wine
    The Mother, Netflix
    Atlas, Netflix
    The Fall Guy
    Babylon starring Margot Robbie 
    A Quiet Place
    Glad We Had this Chat, with Caroline Hirons 
    Ruthie’s Table with Sarah Jessica Parker
    This Is Not A Pity Memoir, Abi Morgan
    Eric (Netflix)

    • 42 min
    Sophie Turner, ‘sluts’ and the sexiest film of 2024

    Sophie Turner, ‘sluts’ and the sexiest film of 2024

    Sophie Turner has given a tell-all interview to Vogue all about her explosive divorce from Joe Jonas, her experience of mum-shaming, her mental health, and becoming friends with Taylor Swift. We have MANY thoughts (and a few hot takes), which prompted a look at how so much mum-shaming online in the UK is linked to classism and slut-shaming. Plus, Ellie has seen Challengers and reveals whether it's up to the hype.

    DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!

    Thanks so much to our amazing partner:

    London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Reccs discussed 


    Sophie Turner Talks Mum-Shaming, Misogyny And Why The Best Is Yet To Come, British Vogue
    Joan (coming to ITV in Autumn) 
    "My abortion story went viral - because even though I wanted it, the process was still painful", Cosmopolitan 
    Nelly London’s reel
    ‘I joined the childfree movement - and discovered its dark side’, Beth Ashley for Inews 
    Sluts: The truth about slutshaming and what we can do to fight it, Beth Ashley 
    Nicholas Galitzine interview, GQ
    Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal, Netflix 
    All anyone wants is a hot rodent boyfriend, Dazed 
    Eudelo inaugural facial, Eudelo Sloane Avenue London
    Mr Bao and Daddy Bao, Peckham and Tooting 

    • 1 hr 7 min
    Piers Morgan’s Baby Reindeer interview, Kate Moss and celebrating singledom

    Piers Morgan’s Baby Reindeer interview, Kate Moss and celebrating singledom

    Fiona Harvey, the woman unearthed as 'the real-life Martha' by internet sleuths following the wild success of Baby Reindeer, gave a highly controversial interview to Piers Morgan on his YouTube channel last week, so of course we had to debrief. Was she lying? Was Piers wrong to interview her? What are the ethics of all this? Plus, since we love an age gap, we discuss Kate Moss holding hands with a 27-year-old Skip Marley, while Ellie has read a brilliant memoir on living a single life and has many wise nuggets to share with us all. 

    DM us your thoughts on Instagram @straightuppod, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next week! And as ever please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, lysm!

    Thanks so much to our amazing partner:

    London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Reccs this week:


    This Is Not A Pity Memoir by Abi Morgan 
    The Split, BBC
    Dark Matter, Apple TV
    Arrangements in Blue by Amy Key
    Sex and the City Season 6, Episode 9: A Woman's Right to Shoes
    Dear Dolly: ‘My boyfriend of 12 years doesn’t want to get married’, The Times
    One Pot, One Portion by @good_food_mood__ on TikTok
    Piers Morgan Uncensored interview with Fiona Harvey 
    New Moth cocktails – Paloma and Cosmopolitan, www.mothdrinks.com

    • 47 min
    The Idea Of You, Dua Lipa and Pandora Sykes’ podcast

    The Idea Of You, Dua Lipa and Pandora Sykes’ podcast

    Dua Lipa’s third album came out last week, huns, and we had such high hopes. So why has Radical Optimism fallen a little flat for us? This got us discussing the general ‘mood’ around the superstar: is she reaching her potential? And how authentic is her media empire, Service95, At Your Service podcast and her new production company Radical22? Plus, we’ve both watched the much-hyped new Anne Hathaway rom-com, The Idea of You, which explores the relationship between a 40-year-old divorcee and the 24-year-old frontman of a superstar boyband (Nicholas Galitzine), based on the hit 2017 novel of the same name. And finally, Kathers gives us the lowdown on the new season of Pandora Sykes’s new podcast, How Do We Know If We’re Doing it Right.

    Thanks so much to our amazing partners:

    London Nootropics, our fave adaptogenic coffee that naturally actually boosts mental clarity and physical energy, while also easing anxiety, all without any of coffee's usual jitters. We are obsessed and you will be too! Get 20% OFF YOUR BOX with the DISCOUNT CODE straightup at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠londonnootropics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    AMBL, the London reservations app that finds you incredible restaurants and bars in real time, tailored to you, from vibe to cuisine to cocktails and live music! Search Ambl in the App store;⁠ ambl.co

    Recs discussed


    Dua Lipa, Radical Optimism (album)
    Dua Lipa, Service95 (newsletter)
    Dua Lipa, At Your Service (podcast)
    Dua Lipa Manifested All of This, Time magazine
    Dua Lipa on pop, psychedelics and proving her haters wrong, The Guardian
    The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (book)
    The Idea of You, Amazon Prime
    Anne Hathaway Is Too Hot for 'The Idea of You', The Cut
    The Mother (2003), Amazon Prime
    Anne Hathaway on Tuning Out the Haters and Embracing Her True Self, Vanity Fair
    How Do We Know If We’re Doing it Right podcast, Pandora Sykes
    Decolonising My Body, Afua Hirsch
    Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging, Afua Hirsch 
    Omnilux contour face mask

    • 1 hr 19 min

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